Riga / The verdict
Riga airport to the city: which way?
Bus 22 is the pick for most arrivals: it leaves the P1 car park outside arrivals roughly every 10 to 30 minutes, reaches the Old Town edge in about 40 minutes and costs a fraction of any car. Ride apps earn the runner-up spot for door to door time and groups, while night bus N22 now covers the after-midnight hours when the day routes stop.
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The Riga story
Riga is the Art Nouveau capital nobody expects: a third of the centre went up in a single flamboyant decade, and the facades along Alberta and Elizabetes streets run denser than anything in Brussels or Barcelona. Underneath sits a Hanseatic Old Town of spires, cobbles and merchant houses wrapped in a ring of parks where the moat used to be, with a Central Market in Zeppelin hangars that locals still shop at. It runs at tourist scale but talks to itself first, and it remains one of Europe's best-value capitals.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Bus 22 (runner-up: Ride app pickup (Bolt and similar))
Bus 22 is the pick for most arrivals: it leaves the P1 car park outside arrivals roughly every 10 to 30 minutes, reaches the Old Town edge in about 40 minutes and costs a fraction of any car. Ride apps earn the runner-up spot for door to door time and groups, while night bus N22 now covers the after-midnight hours when the day routes stop.
Go if
- You want the cheapest ride that still drops you at the edge of the Old Town, the market or the central stations.
- You are weighing a small transit fare against door to door time, luggage effort and late night coverage.
- You want to know whether the drivers soliciting inside arrivals are safe to use.
Skip if
- You land with three or more people plus luggage, which already makes a car competitive on cost per head.
- You arrive late and want zero waiting: an app ride or pre-booked car beats the half-hourly bus.
- You expected a rail link: Riga airport has none, so every option here is a road option.
The options
Bus 22 Go
You want the cheapest ride into the center and can handle a normal city bus with a wheeled bag.
Good
- The fare is 2 EUR from the driver (the airport page lists 1.81 EUR) or 1.15 EUR with an advance trip ticket, the cheapest option here by far.
- The stop sits in the P1 car park between arrivals exits E and C, signed from the terminal.
- It drops at 11. novembra krastmala by the Old Town, at Centrāltirgus by the market and the central stations, running about every 10 to 30 minutes through the day.
- Night bus N22 now fills the overnight gap hourly on the same route and fares.
Watch out
- About 40 minutes to the center edge, roughly double a car in light traffic.
- Drivers sell tickets by bank card only, and one January arrival reports a 20 minute outdoor wait between buses.
- Between the last bus 22 near midnight and the first morning run, only the hourly N22 and cars are available, and night stops are on request.
Airport public transport, stops and faresCity transport ticket types and prices
Ride app pickup (Bolt and similar) Go
You value door to door time, travel with luggage or company, and want the price locked before the car moves.
Good
- Reports put real fares at about 10 to 18 EUR to the center, with the price fixed in the app before you ride.
- Pickup is marked in the P1 lot outside arrivals and the drive takes about 20 minutes.
- Several logged reports call ride apps the default in Riga, where other familiar platforms barely operate or do not operate at all.
Watch out
- Surge pricing and thin late night supply raise fares exactly when the bus stops running.
- Reports warn of touts soliciting inside arrivals, so ignore anyone approaching you indoors and walk to the marked pickup point.
Licensed taxi or pre-booked transfer It depends
You land late, travel as a group with bags, or want a fixed price arranged before you leave the terminal.
Good
- The airport sells a pre-paid voucher at 33.50 EUR for up to four passengers with luggage to the center zone, fixing the price at the desk.
- Licensed rank taxis carry their tariffs on the car doors, and a pre-booked transfer meets you in arrivals with a sign and a fixed fare.
- This is the fallback when app prices surge or overnight supply thins.
Watch out
- Roughly double to triple a typical app fare for the same 20 minute drive.
- Latvian taxi tariffs are unregulated and set per company, so check the rate card on the car door before accepting a rank taxi.
Licensed taxis and the pre-paid voucherCompare fixed transfer pricespartner site
Driver soliciting inside arrivals Skip
Nobody: this is the option that routinely overcharges new arrivals.
Good
- No app, no card machine and no queue, which is the convenience the solicitors sell.
Watch out
- 3 logged reports warn of drivers working the arrivals hall, and one guide prices their quotes at 30 EUR and above.
- Unlicensed cars carry no posted tariff, so the price is whatever the driver names at the kerb.
- Every legitimate option on this page is cheaper or better protected.
| Criterion | Bus 22 | Ride app pickup (Bolt and similar) | Licensed taxi or pre-booked transfer | Driver soliciting inside arrivals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to the center | 1.15 to 2 EUR per person | Reports put fares at 10 to 18 EUR per car | 33.50 EUR voucher per car, or fixed at booking | Reports describe 30 to 80 EUR quotes |
| Journey time | About 40 minutes | About 20 minutes | About 20 minutes | About 20 minutes |
| Running hours | Every 10 to 30 minutes, about 05:00 to 00:10; N22 hourly overnight | 24 hours, thinner overnight | Rank around the clock; transfers by booking | Around the clock |
| Booking needed | No, pay the driver by card or buy ahead at the machine | App required | Voucher desk in arrivals or pre-booked online | No |
| Price predictability | Fixed fare | Fixed in the app before riding | Fixed voucher or fixed at booking | Whatever the driver quotes |
| Luggage | Normal city bus; tight at commute peaks | Car boot | Car sized at booking; luggage covered by the voucher | Car boot |
What it costs
- Bus 22 fare bought from the driver: €2 (bank card only on board; the airport's own page still lists 1.81 EUR for this fare). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Single trip ticket bought in advance: €1.15 (valid on bus 22 and night bus N22; sold at machines and kiosks). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- 24 hour ticket, all routes: €5 (covers every Rīgas satiksme bus, tram and trolleybus for 24 hours including the airport run). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Pre-paid taxi voucher, airport to the center: €33.50 (sold at the Visitor Center desk in arrivals; one ride for up to four passengers with luggage inside the designated zone). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 13 traveler reports (Jun 2025 to Jul 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- 8 of the logged reports call bus 22 the cheapest or easiest way into the center, at a fraction of any car fare.
- 4 of the logged reports logged real app fares of about 10 to 18 EUR door to door in about 20 minutes.
- 3 of the logged reports point out the bus drops at the Old Town edge, the market and the central stations, not a remote terminal.
- 2 logged reports flag the N22 night bus, launched in April 2026, as closing the after-midnight transport gap.
What people complain about
- 3 logged reports warn of drivers soliciting inside arrivals quoting flat fares above the official voucher and typical app prices.
- 2 logged reports note the overnight gap after the last daytime bus; the hourly N22 covers it but stops on request.
- 1 logged report waited about 20 minutes in freezing weather between half-hourly buses.
- 1 logged report flags that official fare figures disagree: the airport page lists 1.81 EUR while the operator's fare sheet shows 2 EUR.
How to do it right
- Exit arrivals and follow the public transport signs to the bus 22 stop in the P1 car park, midway between exits E and C.
- Pay the driver by bank card (2 EUR on the operator's fare sheet; the airport page lists 1.81 EUR) or buy a 1.15 EUR trip ticket in advance at the terminal machine or Narvesen kiosk.
- Get off at 11. novembra krastmala for the Old Town, at Centrāltirgus for the market and the bus and rail stations, or at Abrenes iela at the terminus; the ride takes about 40 minutes.
- Between midnight and about 05:00 take night bus N22, which leaves the airport hourly at half past the hour and Stacijas laukums on the hour; stops are on request, so flag the driver or press the stop button.
- For an app ride, order while collecting bags and meet the car at the marked ride-hailing point in the P1 lot; ignore anyone soliciting inside the hall.
- For a licensed taxi, buy the 33.50 EUR pre-paid voucher at the Visitor Center desk in arrivals hall E, covering up to four passengers with luggage to the center zone.
The trap to avoid
Drivers working the arrivals hall quote flat fares that reports put at 30 EUR and above, while the official voucher desk charges 33.50 EUR for up to four people and typical app rides run about 10 to 18 EUR. Ignore anyone soliciting inside: take the marked rank, the voucher desk or an app price agreed before the car moves.
Why this verdict
Bus 22 earns the pick because Riga’s airport sits only about 10 km from the center and the fare is small: 2 EUR bought from the driver on the operator’s fare sheet (the airport page still lists 1.81 EUR) or 1.15 EUR bought in advance. The stop stands in the P1 car park between arrivals exits E and C, and the bus drops at 11. novembra krastmala on the Old Town edge, at the Central Market and at the bus and rail stations. Most logged reports call it the cheapest or easiest way in, and one paid about a tenth of a cab fare for the same trip.
Ride apps take the runner-up spot on a different strength: real fares in the reports run about 10 to 18 EUR to the center in about 20 minutes, with the price locked in the app. Licensed taxis are legitimate but cost more; the airport’s own voucher desk charges 33.50 EUR for up to four passengers with luggage, and reports warn repeatedly of drivers soliciting inside the hall quoting 30 EUR and up. The recurring negatives, an outdoor wait between half-hourly buses and thin coverage after midnight, are softened by the N22 night bus, which now runs hourly every night. The verdict for a car is depends: it makes sense for groups, heavy luggage and late arrivals, not for a solo traveler watching a budget.
Book or check times
Airport public transport, stops and faresCity transport ticket types and pricesLicensed taxis and the pre-paid voucher
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Questions
What is the cheapest way from Riga Airport to the city center?
Bus 22. It leaves the P1 car park outside arrivals about every 10 to 30 minutes and costs 2 EUR from the driver or 1.15 EUR with an advance ticket, reaching the Old Town edge in about 40 minutes.
Is there a night bus between Riga Airport and the city?
Yes. Since April 2026, night bus N22 runs every night: hourly from the airport at half past midnight through 04:30, and from Stacijas laukums in the center at the top of each hour. Stops are on request and the same fares apply.
How much is a taxi from Riga Airport to the center?
The airport's pre-paid voucher costs 33.50 EUR for up to four passengers with luggage. Reports put app rides at about 10 to 18 EUR. Avoid drivers soliciting inside arrivals, where reports describe quotes of 30 EUR and above.
Does bus 22 go to the Old Town?
Yes. The closest stop to the Old Town is 11. novembra krastmala on the embankment beside it; the bus also stops at Centrāltirgus by the Central Market and the bus and rail stations, ending at Abrenes iela.
Can I pay cash on the airport bus in Riga?
No. The driver on bus 22 accepts bank cards only. The cheaper option is a 1.15 EUR trip ticket bought in advance at the terminal machine or a kiosk.
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