World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Riga International Airport (RIX)
Tel: 722 3305 or 720 7009. Fax: 721 1767.
Website: www.riga-airport.com

Riga International Airport (Lidosta Riga), located 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city, handles an increasing number of direct flights to cities all over Europe. The majority of the routes are in Central and Eastern Europe. A major renovation programme has brought the airport up to international standards with further improvements underway to cater for a dramatic increase in flights following EU membership in 2004.

Approximate flight times to Riga: From London is 2 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 9 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 10 hours 35 minutes and from Sydney is 24 hours.

Airport facilities: These include bureau de change, ATM, lost property bureau, post office, left-luggage, hotel reservations, tourist information, bar, café, duty-free shops, pharmacy, medical service and car hire from Avis, Budget and Hertz among others.

Transport to the city: Riga Taxi Park (tel: 720 7509) operates a 24-hour taxi service to the city centre. Taxis can be ordered at the counter in the arrivals hall or picked up outside, at the taxi stand. Public transport bus no. 22 departs from outside the terminal building for the city centre every 20-30 minutes. There are drop-off points at Riga’s central station and Strelnieku laukums (journey time – 30 minutes).