tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7423430510142698045.post50182861193159168..comments2011-06-30T13:36:17.796-04:00Comments on Victor's Musings: Fintics #6: From Tartu to Valga (Estonia) to Valka (Latvia) to Riga (Latvia)Victor Chisholmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356275329120010883noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7423430510142698045.post-34392027876021741432009-05-21T11:45:57.324-04:002009-05-21T11:45:57.324-04:00Gautam: In summer 2008, there was a direct bus Tar...Gautam: In summer 2008, there was a direct bus Tartu-Riga most days, but not all. Another option would be bus to Tallinn, then bus to Riga... or maybe even plane, I think Air Baltic has cheap fares these days.<br /><br />However the trip through Valga/Valka was a fun daytrip. A kind lady in the Tartu bus station helped us figure it out. I think it was a mid-morning departure from Tartu and mid-day arrival in Valga (EST). The bus arrived in front of the train station, and that's also where the train leaves from; in the old days, the train only made it so far as the Latvia station miles away, but that's a thing of the past. (In 2008 at least.)<br /><br />We had a few hours to explore Valka/Valga. You might want to take advantage of this time to stroll over to the Latvian side and get some Latvian funds, as the train arrives late in Riga. I think we found Latvian banking machines on Rigas Iela though maybe it was Rainas Iela. The staff at the train station didn't speak much English (my rusty German helped) but we found tourist info on the Estonian side on or near the town square I think (Kesk).<br /><br />To my knowledge the train left Valga mid-afternoon and we arrived mid-evening in Riga. The Riga Train station is next to the Riga Bus station. We found one (or maybe two) tourist info stations there but it (or they) were closed for the evening so try to have your Riga plan figured out before you arrive.<br /><br />Bon voyage!Victor Chisholmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07356275329120010883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7423430510142698045.post-54362856651959232662009-05-21T11:07:24.694-04:002009-05-21T11:07:24.694-04:00Hi Victor, this's Gautam Chakrabarti-- http://...Hi Victor, this's Gautam Chakrabarti-- http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/blaudrachen/ & http://indivar.wordpress.com/-- who's in dire need of help in Tartu; I was stupid enough to not take a Latvian friend's offer of a ride to Riga in his car and now need to do the journey myself. May I ask you, please, as to what were the timings-- if you can jog your memory and gimme rough indications-- of your bus to Valga (Estonia) and the train from Valka (Latvia) to Riga; does this train come to the Estonian station or do I've to go to the Latvian station? Thanks in anticipation of your answer and for that evocatively-written account of your travels last year: I enjoyed reading it and'll try to use the information you've given. <br />Regards, <br />Gautam <br />indatomic@yahoo.comUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17249481050370014616noreply@blogger.com