The Baltic States by Rail

[Seaboard92]

Is there any way to travel the Baltics without having to take a bus between two points or a plane. I tried my normal source which is the Man in Seat 61 but the information isn't current.

Ideally this is what I want to do.

Day 1: Berlin-Warsaw
Day 2: Warsaw-Vilnius
Day 3: Vilnius-Riga
Day 4: Riga-Tallin

It looks like Vilnius Riga is a weekend only service which is strange. And Warsaw-Vilnius claims to be daily but I can't find schedule information anywhere.

 

[BlackDiamond]

What about ferries DFDS for example? They operate e.g. to Klaipeda in Lithuania from Kiel.

 

[Deni]

I had been interested in the same thing for a trip I was planning pre-COVID that got scrapped. Really infrequent trains and some missing connections. There was at least one place I think I would have had to walk across the border, and I think also making a connection involved an overnight stay because no schedule coordination whatsoever. I'm interested what you may find out on the ground because I'd still like to eventually take that trip.

I seem to remember that Warsaw-Vilnius was not daily, only weekends, but I don't recall where I found that out or if it is for sure true.

 

[Seaboard92]

Here is a big surprise for many. I'm actually afraid of boats.

 

[Deni]

Here is a big surprise for many. I'm actually afraid of boats.

Almost everyone has some sort of irrational fear.

 

[slasher-fun]

It looks like Vilnius Riga is a weekend only service which is strange. And Warsaw-Vilnius claims to be daily but I can't find schedule information anywhere.

There are currently no trains scheduled between Poland and Lithuania.

 

[jis]

Here is what The Man in Seat 61 has to say about Warsaw - Vilnius service in 2022:

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/warsaw-to-vilnius-by-train.htm
His Covid Note says:

Covid-19 update: The Bialystok-Kaunas train is temporarily suspended until further notice. In March 2022, latest rumours are that it will resume from 1 April or perhaps 1 May 2022.

 

[Willbridge]

Is there any way to travel the Baltics without having to take a bus between two points or a plane. I tried my normal source which is the Man in Seat 61 but the information isn't current.

Ideally this is what I want to do.

Day 1: Berlin-Warsaw
Day 2: Warsaw-Vilnius
Day 3: Vilnius-Riga
Day 4: Riga-Tallin

It looks like Vilnius Riga is a weekend only service which is strange. And Warsaw-Vilnius claims to be daily but I can't find schedule information anywhere.

I looked this up in the 1970 DR schedules and it looked skimpier than an Amtrak route. A single connecting pattern went from Warsaw via Grodno to Vilnius to Riga. In the winter the segment between the Polish border and Vilnius had 1st and 2nd class on three days a week when it ran through to Leningrad. Four winter days a week that segment ended at Vilnius and was 2nd class only.

The Leningrad train had a 55-minute connection between stations to catch the Helsinki train. So if a person was averse to sailing the Baltic there was a rail alternative.

It looks like the border crossings and excessive history in that area have been a drag on development.

 

[Arctifox]

It looks like the train between Białystok in Poland and Kaunas in Lithuania is coming back this summer and will run on weekends from 1 July. Departure in Kaunas is on Saturdays and Sundays in the morning at 9:10, arriving in in Białystok at 12:43 (4h33 travel time). The train back departs Białystok on Fridays and Saturdays in the afternoon at 14:58 and arrives at 21:21 (5:34h travel time) in Kaunas. All times are local times, Lithuania is one hour ahead of Poland.

Source and more details about stops can be found here: Tweet by larsvr06