Arriving in Vilnius

Arriving by plane
Vilnius Airport
Vilnius airport is just 5km south of the city centre, so getting to town is quick and inexpensive.
Getting through immigration and customs is also very quick. Once you’ve been released into the arrivals hall, turn hard-right to find an ATM against the wall which will happily issue Lithuanian litas in inconveniently large denominations.
The nearby Lietuvos Spauda kiosk (Open 06:00 - 19:00, Sat 07:00 - 14:00, Sun 08:00 - 17:00) is a little further along and is great not just for picking up phone cards, sweeties, and the latest copy of Vilnius In Your Pocket, but also for giving you enough change to make getting into town a bit easier. (Try handing a 200Lt note to a bus or taxi driver and see what happens.) Alternatively, save 0.70Lt and buy a ticket (biletas) here for just 1.80Lt.
Left luggage (Open 24hrs) is at the opposite (left) end of the arrivals hall, as is lost luggage (Open 10:00 - 15:30). A two-minute exploration will also reveal a SEB Bankas currency exchange (Open 24hrs), public telephones (see the Mail & Phones section of our printed guide for instructions) and car rental kiosks.
Getting to town from Vilnius Airport
A taxi to Old Town will cost about 40Lt, depending on the time of day and mood of the driver. Only one taxi company, Martonas, has been granted a licence to allow its drivers to squabble over newly arriving passengers at the airport. While they are by no means the cheapest taxi company, they are supposed to have reliable drivers who are supposed to be able to speak English. To save a little money, you could call any of the other taxi companies listed elsewhere in this guide, but for most foreigners the amount saved will not be worth the bother.
If you’re on a budget, get on a bus. The bus stops are outside the main exit, Nº2 leaving from the stop just to the left and Nº1 to the right. Bus Nº1 goes to the train station as late as 23:07, or bus Nº2 to Lukiškių Aikštė as late as 23:30 on weekdays and 23:14 on weekends. You can buy tickets from the driver on the bus for 2.50Lt, but don’t expect much English to be spoken. See www.vilniustransport.lt
Alternatively, for just 2Lt you can hop on a train and in under 10 minutes be at the train station in the centre of the city. At the time of writing, trains run every 40 minutes or so from 05:00 until 24:00. Tickets can be purchased on the train for the time being, but there are plans to introduce automated ticket vending machines in the near future. The airport train station can be found along the road outside the main exit. There is a lift that leads down to the platform.
Kaunas Airport
There is a private minibus company that will whisk you to Vilnius for 65Lt (50Lt if you book in advance online: www.airport-bus.lt). You can also make way directly to the Kaunas bus or train station and then carry on to Vilnius from there.
Arriving by train
The renovated train station is a bit less abysmal than the bus station located across the street. The 24-hour left luggage and Lietuvos Spauda kiosk (Open 06:00 - 21:00) is located downstairs in the basement. Public telephones can be found scattered throughout the station. There is a 24-hour Parex bank (exit the station and turn left) which will handle currency exchange. Train timetables can be viewed at www.litrail.lt. Be aware that when arriving on a train in transit through Lithuania, you'll go through customs checks after disembarking from the train.
Getting to town from the train station
You're more or less in it. Walk to Old Town in seven minutes by sauntering to your right as you exit the station and either taking a left down Pylimo, or hopping on bus Nº26 or trolleybus Nº1, 2, 5 or 7, all of which head off to different destinations via the city centre. Buy a ticket from the driver for 2.50Lt. Minibuses Nº1, 2, 4, 5, 7 or 62 go via the city centre, tickets cost 4Lt.
Arrivng by bus
When the bus station was renovated the vagrant riff-raff who hang around it were left alone, ensuring a trip here will increase your vocabulary of Russian swear words. The Lietuvos Spauda kiosk (Open 06:00 - 21:00), left luggage (Open 05:30 - 21:00, Sun 07:00 - 21:00) and public telephones are located in the main building. A few ATMs and kiosks can also be found, where you can purchase among other things, snacks and maps.
Getting to town from the bus station
The same as from the train station. See above.