Lithuania uses the euro, like several other European countries. One euro is divided into 100 cents. The official symbol for the euro is €, and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for the cent.

All banknotes and coins of this common currency are legal tender within all the countries, except that low-denomination coins (one and two cent) are phased out in some of them. The banknotes look the same across countries, while coins have a standard common design on one side and a national country-specific design on the other. The latter side is also used for different designs of commemorative coins. The design on the national side does not affect the use of the coin.

Lithuania adopted the euro as its currency on 31 December 2015, replacing the litas (plural litai or litų). The old currency was converted to euros at a fixed exchange rate of 1:3.45280 Lt. You can exchange the old currency at the central bank indefinitely.

BY TRAIN:

State-owned railroad operator Litrail has services to major cities in Lithuania. Most of the trains also stop at smaller stations along the way. Part of those smaller stations is inaccessible by any other mean of public transportation. Fares are low compared to Western Europe: Vilnius-Kaunas around €5 – 104 km, Vilnius – Klaipėda around €15 – 376 km (as of Feb 2016). In major railway stations tickets are bought at the ticket office inside the station building until around 5 minutes before the departure. A ticket is valid only on the exact train for which it was sold. However it is possible to buy tickets in advance. When buying tickets for round trip 15% discount is applied for return ticket. Many smaller stops have no ticket offices and tickets are bought from the conductor on board the train. In case you board the train in a station with a working ticket office and want to buy a ticket from the conductor you should pay a small extra fee. However this might be the only option if one arrives too late to the station but manages to catch the train. Only cash is accepted on board the train, however most if not all ticket offices accept cash as well as payment cards. The same rules for discounts apply as for other public transport in addition to occasional promotional discounts. In particular, there is a 50% discount for students with a Lithuanian Student ID or ISIC. Tickets are validated by train conductors and must be kept until the end of journey due to sporadic checks by conductors-inspectors.

Depending on the route trains may be faster or slower option than buses or minibuses. Examples of intercity routes where it is faster to go by train is Vilnius-Klaipėda and Vilnius-Kaunas. There are no high-speed railway lines in Lithuania. Where routes overlap trains usually run less frequently than road transport. However train sometimes is the only option to reach remote destinations far from major roads and towns (especially on routes Vilnius-Marcinkonys and Vilnius-Turmantas). This make trains popular among wilderness travellers and citizens looking for wild berries or mushrooms.

In general trains are more spacious than buses making them suitable for travellers with large bags or oversized items (such as skis, bikes). It is possible to transport bicycles on board of all the trains however special bike-ticket is needed (fee depends on the distance). Most trains have special racks for bicycles located in the first or last car. However these can accommodate only 2-3 bikes and it is not uncommon to simply line the bicycles along the aisle. Such practice is acceptable provided that the bicycles do not restrict movement of people. Most regional trains have a configuration of 3-3 chairs next to 2-2 chairs across the isle. This means that up to 10 people can see each other simultaneously and makes trains popular among larger companies. In some trains 3 chairs form one comfortable bench which is long and wide enough to be used as a bed – provided there is enough place for other passengers. Many of the long distance trains have compartments which can accommodate six seated passengers or four sleeping passengers. The headrest can be lifted up to form a very comfortable bunk bed, which can be used while people are seated below. The seats themselves form the other pair of beds. As some journeys are quite long (4½-5 hours in the case of Vilnius-Klaipeda), it is common to see people sleeping on the upper bunks during daytime journeys as well.

Historical Aukštaitija Narrow Gauge Railway in Anykščiai offers short trips to a nearby lake. In summer it runs on regular schedule, rest of the time tours must be booked in advance.

BY BUS:

In Lithuania it is easy to move by bus and practically all the bigger and most smaller places can be reached by bus. There are two types of intercity buses: express and regional. Express buses stop only at major towns and usually are much faster than regional. Express buses also tend to be much newer and comfortable. Sometimes (but not always) those buses are explicitly labeled as Ekspresas (“express”). It is the best option for longer distance travels between cities. In contrast, regional buses stop at every stop along the way. Thus they usually are slow, for example a 40 km trip can last an hour. Regional buses mainly are old cars that have been imported from the Nordic countries. Service quality in those buses might be lower compared to Western standards. Regional buses are best if you need to reach stations circumvented by express buses. However it is not uncommon for express and regional buses to service the same route thus it is better to ask in advance. Some buses are indirect, i.e. they go via towns out of the direct way between two cities. These are usually labeled as “CityA – CityB per CityC” (per meaning “via”).

Buses operate regularly between the main centres and the regional centres. There is usually a bus company in every town. Some of the biggest and best are TOKS (from Vilnius), Kautra (from Kaunas), Klaipėdos autobusų parkas (from Klaipėda), Busturas from Šiauliai and mini bus company, Transrevis. For students with Lithuanian Student ID, bus companies grant 50% discount around the year. By law for students with ISIC (International Student Identity Card) issued in European Union countries, bus companies should also grant 50% discount. Remember to keep your ticket till the end of journey in case inspectors decide to check the bus in one of the stations.

The bulk of Lithuania’s bus routes and turns has been listed in an address autobusubilietai.lt from which you also can reserve the tickets for certain routes. However, pay attention to the fact that the payment system supports only some of the Lithuanian banks, and your credit card at may not work. Another on-line bus ticket service is iticket.lt which has more payment options.

For buses and trolley-buses on routes within towns and cities it is recommended to buy the ticket in advance from a kiosk, board the vehicle using the middle door and stamp the ticket using one of the ticket punches. These used to be near the middle door, but with the introduction of electronic ticketing, there is often a single ticket punch behind the driver’s seat. Tickets bought from the driver, rather than kiosks, are more expensive and may also generate an off-handed response if the bus is late or crowded and you don’t provide the exact change. Students with Lithuanian Student ID or ISIC (International Student Identity Card) issued in European Union countries are eligible to 50% discount for single tickets and 80% discount for monthly tickets. Inspectors periodically check tickets and will issue a fine if you cannot produce a validated ticket or document proving eligibility to discount. The bus is exited by the middle door and it is important to head for the door before the bus has stopped – it can be impossible to leave once people have started boarding.

In addition to common buses, there are minibuses which usually operate express routes.

BY CAR:

As with the rest of mainland Europe, Lithuanian traffic travels on the right, and all distances are posted in kilometres.

The road network in Lithuania is fairly good, especially the motorways. The quality of road surface on minor roads can vary. The improvement work hampers traffic in many places. The Via Baltica road goes through Lithuania from Estonia to Poland. Another important road is the A1 from Vilnius to Klaipeda.

Turning right at a red traffic light is allowed where indicated by a green arrow (square white sign next to the red light, containing a green arrow indicating the permitted direction), provided that it does not endanger other traffic. The absence of such a sign means that turning right on red is not allowed, and the police will stop any driver seen breaking this rule.

Many bigger junctions have a separate green light for traffic turning left, but only one red/yellow light. The green light for the other directions shows arrows going straight and to the right, but these are easily overlooked. Thanks to the white reflective frame around most of these traffic lights, they are most easily identified by their outline.

On two- or three- lane roads, it is polite to move out of the right-hand lane (if safe to do so) when you intend to travel straight ahead; this keeps the right-hand lane clear for right-turning traffic. When moving back to the right hand lane watch out for fast-moving vehicles approaching from behind.

If the right-hand lane is marked with ‘A’ it is a dedicated bus lane. A lane marked ‘A / TAKSI’ can also be used by taxis. Other road users may only enter the lane in order to turn right into a side road.

On the motorways the u-turn is possible. The motorists do not observe traffic regulations so especially the pedestrians must be exact as conscientiously as elsewhere in former Soviet countries. Moving domestic animals and roe animals may cause dangerous situations on the roads and motorways.

Roundabouts are a feature of the Lithuanian road network, particularly in the cities. Visitors from countries where this type of junction is uncommon or not used at all, may find the Wikipedia article on roundabouts useful.

The blood alcohol limit is 0.2 in Lithuania.

Fixed speed cameras are frequent along country roads and motorways, usually near crossroads or pedestrian crossings, and in cities. These are usually announced by a sign. Many of them appear to be designed to be turned around from time to time, watching the opposite direction.

BY TAXI:

Taxis are run on a meter and can be booked by the phone numbers shown on the door of the taxi. Taxis are relatively cheap compared to western Europe. Some companies may not be as safe as others, common sense will keep you safe in this regard. “Taking the long way round” used to be common but had nearly been eradicated. However there still were some reports of foreigners paying more than expected. Keep in mind that it is up to the operator to set embarkation and travel fees. Some taxis waiting at the strategic places (for example airports, bus stations) exploit this by setting fees several times higher than market average. In general it is cheaper to order a taxi by phone instead of taking one in the street. You can also ask to quote the price in advance while ordering taxi by phone or before embarking the car. Some visitors leave small tips for the driver however this is entirely optional.

If you don’t need a fancy ride, taxi can be as cheap as €0.37 per kilometer. Taxi prices in regional cities tend to be considerable lower than in major cities making them more suitable for out of town trips.

BY BICYCLE:

Cycling in Lithuania is quite popular, however it depends on the exact location as in major cities pavements usually will have a bicycle pathways with numerous signs, although getting around by bicycle in rural areas might become a bit of a challenge. Two international EuroVelo cycle routes across the country, EuroVelo No. 10 and EuroVelo No. 11 equipped with quality signs, bike paths are of excellent quality.

It might be dangerous to leave your bicycle outside alone for more than a few hours without locking it. The international bicycle project BaltiCCycle may provide you with an information and help.

EAT:

Lithuanian dinners usually include meat, potato, vegetables and sometimes a curd sauce of some sort. Case in point: the cepelinai, or zeppelins, which are meat filled potato-starch based zeppelin-shaped masses traditionally slathered in a sauce of sour cream, butter, and pork cracklings. Pork is traditionally eaten, beef much less so. Needless to say, vegans will have a hard time eating out, although some large restaurant chains will have vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Some fast food in Lithuania, such as Kibinai, (from the Karaim people) small turnovers usually filled with spiced lamb, and Cheburekai (a Russian snack), large folds of dough with a scant filling of meat, cheese, or even apples, can be found around the city.

Many restaurants have menus in English (usually in the Lithuanian menu) and to a lesser extent, Russian. Though use caution as sometimes menus in other languages may have inflated prices, although this is a rarity, and won’t be found in Vilnius, or the better known chains such as Cili Pizza.

While in Lithuania, one should try these national dishes: appetizers – Piršteliai prie alaus – thin, rolled-up puff pastries served with beer; main courses: Cepelinai (or didžkukuliai) su spirgučiais – potato balls with meat (about €3.20); Vėdarai – a sausage, made of a potato stuffed intestine of a pig (about €3); Skilandis – pig stomach stuffed with meat, garlic and cold-smoked; Plokštainis – meal of potatoes (€2.3-4); Bulviniai blynai (grated potato pancakes) with different sauces; Virtinukai – curd patties; Kastinys – soft sour cream butter; Šaltnosiukai – dumplings filled with lingonberries; Fish – pike or perch, is often baked whole or stuffed, or made into gefilte fish (various prices); Silkė – marinated, baked, fried or served in aspic herring; soups – Šaltibarščiai (a summer soup based on beets and soured milk), Juka (blood soup) or Cabbage soup flavored with carrots, ham, onions. Ruginė duona (dark rye bread) is very advisable to try with soups. Lithuanian cuisine is also famous for wide use of wild berries, mushrooms, and cheese. Honey and poppy seeds are commonly used as filling in pastries. For desserts, try Žagarėliai – twisted, thin deep-fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar or Spurgos – a Lithuanian variant of doughnuts, often filled with preserves.

DRINK:

Lithuania is a beer-drinking country, with the most famous brands being Svyturys, Kalnapilis, Utenos, Volfas Engelman and Gubernija. A visit to a kiosk will show that there may be more than 50 different brands of beer in this small country. Alcohol percentages are displayed on the label, and usually range from 4 to 9.5 percent. Compared to other European countries, beer is usually affordable, in shops €0.50-1 per half litre, in bars €0.75-2 per half litre. The beer tastes excellent, putting global brands to shame and it can be said that Lithuanian lager is of at least equal quality to Czech, Slovak, German, and Polish lager. A request for a Lithuanian beer always generates goodwill, even in a Chinese or other foreign-themed restaurant.

When you visit a bar or restaurant without intending to eat, try one of the bar snacks, which are very popular among Lithuanians. The most popular of these snacks consists of a bowl of pieces of garlic bread covered in cheese.

In addition to beer, rather cheap but high quality vodka (or “degtinė” in Lithuanian) is consumed, but not to the extent usually associated with this part of the world. Also, every region has its own home-made speciality of which “Samane” is most famous or notorious and is best avoided. The larger supermarkets have an incredible variety of vodka from all the main vodka-producing countries.

Lithuanian mead, or “midus” is a beverage produced exclusively under government control. It is commonly made from all sorts of Lithuanian flora, from leaves and berries to some tree bark. Alcohol percentages range from 10% to 75% (considered medicinal).

For tourists, quality sparkling wines, such as Alita or Mindaugas, and local liqueurs are popular choices to bring back home.

Alcohol cannot be sold in shops between 20:00 and 10:00, but can be purchased in bars, cafes, and restaurants.

In shops and cafés different tea and coffee qualities are widely available. The selection in coffee ranges from northern European brands to French ones. In coffee houses, you should expect to pay up to €1.50 for your coffee. Some cafés offer also a variety of special coffees with more or less special prices. Many cafes (kavinės) still make “lazy” coffee, which is simply coffee grounds and boiling water, unfiltered, with grounds at the bottom of the cup, often surprising the drinker – ask before you buy! Tea is usually sold at 50% of the price of coffee. Some of the wonderful drinks such as the Marganito are great for fun filled party drinks and rated one of the top kinds of wine in the country, perfect for weddings.

Unlike restaurants, or pubs aimed at tourists, bars (Baras) may be frequented by heavy drinkers and can therefore be somewhat rowdy. Nevertheless a visit may still be very rewarding, especially if you accept an invitation to participate in karaoke.

Smoking is banned in cafés, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, discothèques and other public establishments. However, many nightclubs have internal smoking rooms, which have a degree of ventilation.

The price of accommodation depends very much on the place. For instance, in Joniškis (Northern Lithuania), you can get a good hotel room for €25 whereas an equivalent room might be as much as €100 in Vilnius. Some hotels do not have home pages. Nevertheless, the Internet helps considerably in planning.

Throughout the country, homestays – sleeping “with the grandmother” – are typical. On main street of a town there are many elderly townsfolk offering spare beds in their extra rooms. These experiences are absolutely worth seeking out.

If you want to rent the apartment, the prices will be usually from €200 a month. In the biggest towns there are companies which rent apartments “to the long-time tourist or working here”. In these you complete on good conditions the apartment furnished and cleaned by the cleaner. From €300.

If you are looking for an apartment for a shorter period (from a few days onwards), do a Web search for “trumpalaikė butų nuoma”. This will give you some portals or sites of companies, though not all of them are available in English – some are, however, available in other languages such as German, Polish or Russian.

You will find the hotels of every town on their own interleaves. However, remember that this is the service maintained by the volunteers and you should not wait for current prices let alone that there would be all the possibilities listed.

An interesting accommodation alternative is a countryside accommodation or an own cottage. Countryside.lt offers the shining catalog for accommodation alternatives and you find nearly all the countryside targets and a reservation system from there.

Most large cities such as Vilnius or Kaunas have an abundance of hotel options. When traveling to a popular vacation spot in the summer (like Palanga or Druskininkai) make sure to book a room in advance because demand may outnumber supply. Additionally, some of the cafes on the main highways between cities also have rooms to rent.

Lithuania has a lot of shopping malls for such a small population. There is no big difference between shopping malls here and in western Europe.

Vilnius has become a shopper’s paradise when plenty of massive shopping centres were opened all over the city. Akropolis (a chain of shopping malls in Lithuania) is one of them and definitely worth visiting if you are a shopping malls maniac, as it houses an ice skating rink, bowling lanes and a cinema. The largest shopping centers are Akropolis and Panorama.

Gariunai is the Baltic’s largest open air market, located on the western edge of Vilnius. Thousands of merchants can be found there on a good weekend, from not only Lithuania, but also from as far away as Ukraine. Clothes, shoes, music and software can be bought there. Counterfeit goods are ubiquitous. A low price is guaranteed, quality is not.

Kaunas is also a city of shopping centers, and Laisvės avenue in the center of the city is a pedestrian thoroughfare. The main shopping centers in Kaunas are: Akropolis, Mega, Molas, Savas, HyperMaxima, and Urmas shopping area. There is even that symbol of “mall culture”, which is new to Lithuania, Akropolis.

Klaipeda is a major shopping center for people from Latvia and Kaliningrad. The main shopping centers are: Akropolis, Arena, Studlendas and BIG. Many people coming to the city on cruise ships shop in Klaipeda, due to the good value and price combination.