VILNIUS - In Your Pocket
VILNIUS - In Your Pocket
VILNIUS - In Your Pocket
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68 getting around<br />
Public transport<br />
Vilnius’ public transport system is made up of city and private<br />
buses, minibuses and trolleybuses, with most routes running<br />
from 05:00 until around 23:00. Single tickets for city buses<br />
and trolleybuses can be purchased from any Lietuvos Spauda<br />
kiosk or direct from the driver for a little extra. A single ticket<br />
is valid for any one journey of any distance over any period of<br />
time on any singular vehicle. With the exception of a coulple<br />
of new bus services, almost no public transport runs in<br />
Old Town. Travelling by public transport, especially during<br />
rush hour, is not for the faint hearted. Expect to be poked,<br />
squeezed and trod on. Pickpockets work several routes<br />
around the city. It’s also worth mentioning that if you’re travelling<br />
with a bag larger than 60cm x 40cm x 20cm you’re liable<br />
for a 20Lt fine if it doesn’t have a ticket. See the box at the<br />
bottom of this page for information on major changes to the<br />
ticket system from August 15.<br />
Buses Most buses in Vilnius are owned and operated by the<br />
city, with a few private buses offering a ride for the same price<br />
as a city bus if you bought your ticket from a kiosk (2Lt). For<br />
the uninitiated, recognising which is a private and which is a<br />
city bus isn’t easy. As a rule, city buses tend to be blue and<br />
yellow, but not always. Private buses are a little faster as they<br />
don’t always pull in at every stop along the route, although<br />
they should. Tickets for private buses are only available on<br />
board, and are sold by a conductor who makes a tour of the<br />
vehicle every few stops. If riding on a city bus, single tickets<br />
need to be validated in the appropriate device. Buy a ticket<br />
from the driver if you don’t already have one for 2.50Lt.<br />
Minibuses The minibus, or maršrutinis taksi to give it its correct<br />
name (you may also hear one referred to as a Latvija), is a<br />
privately-owned phenomenon as favoured in many former Soviet<br />
republics. Often but not always bright yellow, minibuses currently<br />
follow similar routes to buses and trolleybuses, are much faster,<br />
and accordingly cost a little more to use (currently 3Lt). They have<br />
no official stops, so in order to stop one you need to stand by the<br />
side of the road and get its attention by waving your arm. Likewise,<br />
you need to tell the driver when you want to get out again. When<br />
crowded, hand your payment via other passengers to the driver.<br />
At the time of going to press there’s a lot of talk about these<br />
routes being changed so they don’t clash with the city-owned<br />
buses. There’s also talk of stopping the services altogether. As<br />
usual, nobody knows what’s going on, although it’s interesting<br />
to note the city-owned bus company has just introduced their<br />
first two minibus routes in the city. Coincidence?<br />
Trolleybuses Many of them done up like a French tart’s<br />
boudoir, Vilnius’ upside-down railway keeps a large part of<br />
the city’s population on the move. Trolleybuses are often<br />
policed by the sort of sweet old ladies usually found staffing<br />
counters in English charity shops, although this lot are trained<br />
in the martial arts, and can effortlessly remove ticketless lit-<br />
Major ticket changes<br />
As of August 15, tickets for city-owned buses and trolleybuses<br />
will no longer be sold at kiosks. All paper tickets will<br />
need to be bought from the driver at a flat rate of 2.50Lt for<br />
any number of journeys within 30 minutes or 3.50Lt for any<br />
number of journeys within one hour. The changes are part<br />
of a major plan to encourage everyone to use a reusable<br />
electronic ticket, known as a Vilniečio Kortelė or e-bilietas<br />
and available from kiosks for 4Lt. These tickets should be<br />
topped up from kiosks and scanned on board all vehicles,<br />
for which the same amount as above will be deducted.<br />
Further information is available online at www.vilniusticket.<br />
lt, a website that is in Lithuanian only.<br />
Public transport tickets<br />
Bus Trolleybus Both<br />
Single ticket 2Lt* 2Lt* n/a<br />
Monthly pass Mon-Fri 75Lt 75Lt 100Lt<br />
Monthly pass Mon-Sun 85Lt 85Lt 110Lt<br />
Fine for no ticket 60-100Lt<br />
As well as single-journey tickets, tickets valid for 24 hours<br />
(13Lt), 72 hours (23Lt) and 240 hours (46Lt), that can be<br />
used on all city buses and trolleybuses, can be bought from<br />
the small kiosk just to the left of the (B-6) train station close<br />
to the trolleybus stop as well as inside the little (B-1) Klientų<br />
<strong>In</strong>formacinis Centras opposite the Novotel at Gedimino 9a.<br />
A more convenient ticket system for people staying in Vilnius<br />
for extended periods is the e-bilietas. Available for a onetime<br />
payment of 8Lt, e-bilietas ticket prices are the same<br />
as for ordinary tickets. Monthly tickets can be bought in any<br />
Lietuvos Spauda kiosk showing the e-bilietas logo. One-day,<br />
three-day and 10-day tickets can be bought from the small<br />
kiosk (above) or online at www.transportobilietai.lt, which<br />
was at the time of going to press sadly in Lithuanian only.<br />
* From kiosks. Tickets from the driver cost 2.50Lt.<br />
tle boys from vehicles by their ears. Ticket etiquette, should<br />
you prefer to buy one rather than pay a fine or argue with an<br />
elderly spinster, is the same as for city buses.<br />
Long-distance buses<br />
All long-distance national and international buses leave<br />
from Vilnius’ main bus station. Tickets for many journeys<br />
can be bought directly from the driver, although it’s worth<br />
getting one in advance at no extra cost. The ticket office<br />
for national bus services is located inside the waiting room.<br />
Budget travellers might be surprised to learn that bus travel<br />
in Lithuania is more expensive that using the train.<br />
Taxis<br />
Despite recent creeping taxi (taksi) prices, travelling by taxi<br />
in Vilnius remains relatively cheap, especially if you order<br />
one in advance by telephone. <strong>In</strong> an attempt to stem the<br />
flow of moonlighters, all taxis in Lithuania are now instantly<br />
recognisable by their compulsory yellow number plates,<br />
although this should in no way lure anyone into believing<br />
this has changed the free-market spirit of the average<br />
taksistas (taxi driver). Taxi drivers in Vilnius are no different<br />
to taxi drivers anywhere else, and will in general take any<br />
opportunity to relieve clients of more money than they need<br />
to. The standard rule is to make sure the meter is running<br />
and set to the correct tariff (generally 1 most of the time<br />
and 2 after midnight) before setting off. Arguments with<br />
taxi drivers are futile, and there are several stories floating<br />
around of drunken foreigners being assaulted when arguing<br />
about the fare. Finally, be extremely cautious of hotels<br />
who offer deals with individual taxi companies as they are<br />
usually set at extortionate rates. Prices listed below are for<br />
standard daytime journeys within the city limits.<br />
Company Tel. Rate/km*<br />
Ekipažas (+370) 5 239 55 39 2.20Lt<br />
Romerta Plius (+370) 5 278 88 88 2.29Lt<br />
Standart Taxi (+370) 5 240 00 04 2.30Lt<br />
Vilniaus Taksi (+370) 5 261 61 61 2.29Lt<br />
* Prices listed are for standard daytime/evening journeys<br />
Vilnius <strong>In</strong> <strong>Your</strong> <strong>Pocket</strong> vilnius.inyourpocket.com