LUX Express from Vilnius to Riga

[stuartmoss]

Hello All, I recently did this bus journey, and thought that some of you may be interested in this film review that I made. In the absence of an effective rail link, this was the best means for me to take this journey on the day that I had to travel.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I did it in 2012, nice buses, bit slow in Latvia, especially Riga

 

[gordonthemoron]

Are the announcements still only in Russian & English? On the bus I took, the Lux section was hired by a private party in it's entirety

 

[stuartmoss]

I believe the announcements were in Lithuanian, Russian and English, but I didn't film all of them.

 

[paddington]

I travelled from Tallinn to Riga and back in 2016. The announcements were in Estonian and English outbound and Latvian (I think) only on the way back.

 

[embers25]

I use it regularly from Tallinn-Riga or Vilnius and the films are in English as are the on bus announcements. The drinks machine is always free and you normally get headphones and a free bottle of water. Also I prefer the non lounge part as the lounge is in the back. Seats in the normal section are good too and the TV's are on all seats. Internally within Estonia the buses are more varied but usually a high standard too. You get PINS frequent flyer points too.

 

[Calthrop]

Hello All, I recently did this bus journey, and thought that some of you may be interested in this film review that I made. In the absence of an effective rail link, this was the best means for me to take this journey on the day that I had to travel.

Interesting video -- thank you. Should one be a "rail die-hard": lack of effective rail link, stated; is it possible nowadays to get from one city to the other by rail, even if inconveniently -- or only by an insanely indirect route?
Interesting to see Panevezys featured: if I have things rightly, that location is the headquarters of Lithuania's last narrow-gauge (750mm) line, active under preservation.

 

[stuartmoss]

Interesting video -- thank you. Should one be a "rail die-hard": lack of effective rail link, stated; is it possible nowadays to get from one city to the other by rail, even if inconveniently -- or only by an insanely indirect route?
Interesting to see Panevezys featured: if I have things rightly, that location is the headquarters of Lithuania's last narrow-gauge (750mm) line, active under preservation.

Thanks for the response and good coincidental info about Panevezys. I believe there is an infrequent rail connection possibly once a week that may or may not involve a change of trains. It certainly takes longer than the road journey though.

 

[dutchflyer]

There is a direct train run by-note this- UZ=Ukrayna Railways, ev 4 days, thus coming off Kiyv via Minsk, TO Riga at rather not-inviting-to-travel hours, back in the mornings. Can even be booked online via uz.gov.us, but only till train departs from Kyiv-the actual tickets are then printed and handed over to chief-provodnik. Ran more often during the now finsihed EURO-Games in Minsk.
BZ=Belorus rails also runs a train Minsk-Riga, but it uses the route via Daugavpils, details not searched yet by me.
There is NO service even with change (as is for Riga-Tallinn) as there remains a gap between last stop in LT and first in LV for local trains.
LUX also had a sub-company named SIMPLE which offered low-budget coachas along same main lines, later these were integrated (as some airlines also do) but now it seems its luxury for anyone! Its coaches mostly start from Berlin-via Warsaw.