Public transport

Riga has nine tram lines, 20 trolleybus routes and 54 bus routes that operate from as early as 05:00 to as late as 01:00, depending on the route. Buy a ticket from the driver for 0.70Ls or purchase a cheaper e-talons ticket for 0.50Ls beforehand at designated Riga Transport (Rīgas Satiksme) ticket offices, at public transport ticket machines or at Narvesen and Plus Punkts newsstands, post offices and Rimi supermarkets.
If you’re planning on using public transport frequently then it’s more economical to buy a ticket for more than one trip or for a period of time. Passengers can choose from a wide variety of different ticket options which include tickets for one (0.50Ls), four (2Ls), five (2.50Ls), 10 (4.75Ls) and 20 (9Ls) rides or tickets good for one (1.90Ls), three (5.70Ls) or five (6 - 9.50Ls) days of travel. The tickets are valid for trams, trolleybuses and city buses. If you buy an e-talons ticket you have to press it up against the electronic ticket readers on the bus or tram as soon as you board the vehicle. The green light will flash and the display will show you how many more rides are left on the card (e.g. Atlikums: 7).
You can also take a mikroautbuss or mikriņš, passenger vans that list their destinations and route numbers on their windscreens. They are a scourge to urban transit as they’ll basically stop anywhere along their routes to pick up or drop off passengers causing delays and traffic jams. Pay the driver the fare, which varies depending on the route.
Read more about routes and exact departure times in English on the Riga Transport Authority’s website www.rigassatiksme.lv.