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| Language |
| Latvian is the first language for only 57% of the population. 40% have Russian as their first language. While the old have limited knowledge of English, the younger generation have been taught English in schools since 1991 (Independence). |
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| Weather |
| July is the warmest month when the temperature hovers around 20 degrees. In February the temperature is often below freezing with heavy snowfall. |
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| Currency/Exchange |
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The Latvian LAT has an incredibly low denomination,
$1=0.5Ls Denominations are 1,2,5,10,50,100. Cash- Banks and Monex exchange booths exchange without commission. T/C- Banks charge 2% com. ATM- many in towns. Changing back- Banks charge 2% to buy back Latvian currency. |
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| Basic Travel Costs |
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10 eggs - 0.69Ls, Mars Bar - 0.20Ls, Big Mac
- .90Ls Breakfast - 0.50Ls, Beer - .30Ls, Water - .25Ls , Budget Meal - 3Ls+ Coffee - 0.30Ls |
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| Opening hours |
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M-F 9.00-17.00,
Sa 9.00- 15.00 Su - Most stores and museums are closed. Restaurants remain open. |
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| Immigration |
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not require: EU,
USA Japan 90 days. require:Australians, New Zealanders (US$15, 5 day processing), for 30 day visa. |
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| Border Crossing |
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Valka (Latvia) > Valga (Estonia) to/from
Tartu. Daugavpils (Latvia) > Zarasai (Lithuania) to/from Vilnius. Rezekne (Latvia) > Pskov (Russia) to/from Moscow Riga (Latvia) > Stockholm (Sweden) via ferry |
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| International Transport |
| Eurolines buses pass through Riga on their route to Tallinn-Germany, stopping at Vilnius. Eurolines also stops at Riga on their St Petersburg route. Trains are quite good but often you must change trains at the border. Buses are bumpy but they pass through border crossing very quickly (30 mins). |
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| World Hertiage Listing |
| Riga`s old town: Founded in the 12 century |
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| National Transport |
| Trains are far superior but less frequent than buses. They are the best choice for towns such as Cesis and Sigulda. Often the bus will drop you off on the highway 2km outside of towns. |
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| Local Transport |
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Riga has a good tram system that revolves
around the old city. The country towns are so small that often
walking is much better. But local buses do exist for the lazy. A ride anywhere in the Riga costs 0.20Ls. Separate tickets must be bought for train, bus and trams. Transport operates from 05.30 to 24.00. |
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| Tourist Information |
| Every major town has a good tourist information center which speak fluent English. They have photos of all the surrounding accommodation, and choose one based on location and your budget. `In your pocket Riga` is written in English by Latvians and is highly recommended. The Baltic Times a weekly newspaper, and The City Paper a magazine published every two months are great English publications. |
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| Telephones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Telephone cards can be bought from Kiosks
and post offices. There are two types of cards for two different
types of phones. International call dial 00 +country code + city
code+ number. Phone code - 371. AT&T direct - 700 70 07 Local call - 0.02Ls/min, USA - 0.46Ls/min, UK- 0.41Ls/min Japan - 0.52Ls/min Australia - 0.56Ls/min
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| Accommodation |
| Latvia has not yet come to grips with budget tourism. The hostels mentioned are university dorms but cheap hotel and private rooms do exist for a similar price. The standard is quite bad because the budget hotels are former Soviet buildings which mean, big buildings small rooms and no windows. |
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| Food |
| Meat, meat, meat! Cafeteria style restaurants are the best budget option where they weigh your food to determine the price. The Latvians love rupjmaize which is dark rye bread, Many have nuts and raisons in it. Piragi are dumplings made with bacon and onions and are probably the cheapest thing on the menu. Coffee is quite good in the trendy cafes costing around .30Ls. Aldaris Zelta and Cesis beer are the most popular brands and a light tangy taste. |
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| Customs |
| When meeting the parents of a girl/boy you meet, bring an odd number of flowers. Tipping is not common but if the service is good the workers would appreciate it. Warning: Remember loose change in Latvia could equal $20US. |
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| Souvenirs |
| Jewelry such as Baltic amber litter the streets. Also everyone seems to be wearing leather (very 80`s) so the leather shops are quite popular. The national drink, Rigas Melnais Balzams is very popular with tourists. It is a dark and richly textured drink, bottled in a medieval casing, that is what Absinth is to Czechs. |
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| Health |
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Baltic & American medical clinics operate
in Latvia and offer excellent western standard care with English
speaking staff. Tap water should NOT be drunk. |
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| Safety |
| High police presence in Riga, which is quite dangerous if walking alone in the dark (however in summer than sun only goes down for a few hours). Beware of speeding cars that do not care about pedestrians. |
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| Internet |
| The internet only exists in Riga and not the other towns mentioned here. It is quite expensive. |
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| Entertainment |
| Party, party, party! Riga has a nightlife equal to any in Europe. The town has a reputation of great nightclubs, and girls that are pleased to meet foreigners. British Airways is in the process of adding another daily flight to Riga, probably just to cope with the English lads wanting to meet the unforgettable latvian beauties. |
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| Miscellaneous |
| Voltage: 220 volts, 50hz. Standard European plug. |
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| January 1 | News Years Day |
| April | Good Friday and Catholic Easter |
| June 23 | Midsummer festival |
| November 18 | National Day |
| December 25 | Christmas |
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