VILNIUS - In Your Pocket

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