THE BALTICS: Latvia, Estonia & Lithuania
August 14 - 21, 2005
A little over 2 hour flight from
Amsterdam to Riga, Latvia. A no-frills airline, food and
beverages available for purchase. My checked suitcase (at LAX) arrived a day after I
did. I'm uncertain whether Air Baltic was responsible (notice their engine sign thanks
'you' for flying their airline; it says nothing about your luggage).
beverages available for purchase. My checked suitcase (at LAX) arrived a day after I
did. I'm uncertain whether Air Baltic was responsible (notice their engine sign thanks
'you' for flying their airline; it says nothing about your luggage).
Arriving in the afternoon at Riga
International Airport, I picked up a
pre-arranged rental car (relatively new
Ford Mondeo) from National Car Rental. Knowing I planned to do substantial driving, I wanted a reliable
car and had a greater comfort level renting from an American company than a Latvian one. One drives on the
right in the Baltics. I had an International Driving Permit (advisable), although my
California driver's license would have sufficed for the car rental. Since theft of cars and/or their contents is apparently comparatively common, I was pleased my car had an excellent security system (as well as A/C). Petrol is readily
available and most stations accept credit cards such as Visa and MC. This is convenient in that each of the 3 Baltic countries has its own currency and, when driving into a country, it may be some time and distance before local currency can be obtained.
Ford Mondeo) from National Car Rental. Knowing I planned to do substantial driving, I wanted a reliable
car and had a greater comfort level renting from an American company than a Latvian one. One drives on the
right in the Baltics. I had an International Driving Permit (advisable), although my
California driver's license would have sufficed for the car rental. Since theft of cars and/or their contents is apparently comparatively common, I was pleased my car had an excellent security system (as well as A/C). Petrol is readily
available and most stations accept credit cards such as Visa and MC. This is convenient in that each of the 3 Baltic countries has its own currency and, when driving into a country, it may be some time and distance before local currency can be obtained.
The B&B at 43 Gertrudes Iela (street) I'd booked for 3 nights (the first 2, and last, of my weeklong stay
in the Baltics) was touted at an Internet website. Family-owned, the 103 year old building has been
renovated. Management required no deposit to hold a reservation, which was convenient.
This passageway from the street to the main apartment building and parking was narrow,
requiring considerable care with both ingress and egress while driving. The locking front
metal gates provided a level of security I thought perhaps unnecessary. On the other
hand, I experienced no theft, so it's difficult to argue with success.
The appearance of the exterior of this apartment building belies the fact that the interior has been
significantly renovated. My unit was on ground level and, despite the proximity of Gertrudes Iela,
a busy street, it was quiet at night. My rental car is in the foreground.
The decor of the hallway is representative of the upgrading that the units have undergone.
I was almost overwhelmed with keys: one to the locking metal gates, one to the wing of
my unit, and one to my unit.
NEXT
BACK TO MAIN