Last month’s air travel mayhem across much of northern and central Europe prompted many travelers to rediscover long-distance bus travel. Networks such as those managed by Deutsche Touring and Eurolines suddenly found their services much in demand. Although in practice Eurolines’ routes are operated by more than 30 independent companies, the Eurolines web portal allows » Read more

This month has seen quite a bit of low cost carrier activity, as airlines from Air Baltic to Ryanair and easyJet added routes eastward to the Baltics and down to the Balkans. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the most interesting additions. Air Baltic Recent weeks have seen Air Baltic aggressively expanding its network, » Read more

Riga, the capital of Latvia, has no shortage of interesting sights and activities to offer budget travelers. For example, the city’s fine State Art Museum will only set you back a couple of lats, while the lift to the top of St. Peter’s Church, towering over Old Town, will cost about the same. The following two museums, however, are completely free » Read more

  I awoke this morning to hear a story on National Public Radio about the financial crisis affecting certain Eastern European countries, especially Latvia, Hungary, and the Ukraine. Edward Lucas, of The Economist magazine, pointed out that Latvia’s situation is pretty dire: a bank recently collapsed, the nation’s debt is swelling, and the country’s economy shrank » Read more

Riga, Latvia, as seen from the observation deck of St. Peter’s church. Note: EuroCheapo editor Tom Meyers is traveling in Europe, inspecting hotels in Paris and Riga, Latvia. He’s blogging about his travels along the way. February 2, 2009–Greetings from Riga, Latvia, where I’ve spent the last four days exploring the town, getting acquainted with » Read more

As soon as the bus pulls into Riga’s bus lot, haul yourself across the street to one of Europe’s largest markets. The four converted hangars that comprise the Riga Centraltirgus (Riga Central Market) are an integral part of the city’s landscape. The cavernous chambers—filled with meats, fish, fresh and pickled fruit, candy, nuts, seeds, and » Read more

Baltic cruiseferry giant Tallink-Silja is currently offering one-way overnight ferry rides from Stockholm to Riga for as little as SEK100 (€10.90; $14.80)! Ferries depart from Stockholm’s Frihamnen terminal, which can easily be reached and lord knows how many banana cocktails—later, the mammoth cruiseferry pulls into Riga’s Juras Pasazieru Stacija (Sea Passenger Terminal), less than one » Read more