... in response to First trip to Riga -- Travel tips, pls?, posted by Burt on Oct 15, 2001You should have been reading my posts since I went to Riga this summer. It's easy to get to Riga. You can take a British Airways flight to London's Gatwick airport. Sit there for 5 or 6 hours and catch a direct flight to Riga. Take advantage of the time at the airport to shop at the many stores. You may want some souveniers or just browse around and get stuff you may have forgotten, like a warm jacket from the sports store. You'll be very tired by then. British Air flys direct to Gatwick from major US airport hubs. Use Yahoo travel or some other internet service to check from the many possible flights. I paid $1500 one week in advance but it would be under $1000 I think for 10 days or more in advance. I just screwed up and waited as usual. I am assuming that these flights from the summer are still available since airline companies are cancelling a lot of flights now.
The Hotel Riga is well located by the old town district and the 3rd floor is called the Eurolink hotel. It is a seperate hotel within the Hotel Riga. There were some other hotels down the street but I never looked at the names. It costs $10 to take a taxi from the airport which is only about 15 minutes from old town Riga. Many people at least understand some basic english. You can change money in the Hotel Riga lobby or use ATM machines. You can sometimes get better exchange rates with ATM machines. If you use the Hotel Riga, ask the people at the front where the grocery store is so you can get some bottled water. The store is only 1 block away so you just have to get pointed in the right direction. That hotel water is pretty bad.
If you stay in near old town, notice all those tall church buildings and that monument near the Hotel Riga and use them for a bearing when you get lost. Also check the location of Stalin's birthday cake building. It's near the bus station about 3/4 mile from old town. This helps keep you from getting lost.
The old town district has a lot of nightclubs and restaurants. Many are buffet style and cost less than $5. I have heard warnings about foreigners having their drinks drugged so don't leave your drink unattended while you're dancing. I heard a specific warning about Club Pepsi (name?). The club is on the central square in old town so you'll see it across from the yellow tent if it's still there. There was a very good restaurant there also on that old town square a few doors down from the Club Pepsi that plays oldies and has some very good food.
There is a military museum that is supposed to be good. A walk around old town only takes a few hours. It might be nice to take a tour to see a few other areas. This is an easier country to travel to than Russia or the Ukraine. You don't have to worry about getting a visa and more people speak english.
There was one restaurant the gil I was with liked very much. I think it was on that main road that goes by the river and is about 10 minutes from old town. It is a giant buffet and there are lots of little amusements outside for kids. It's lit up like it Christmas time and is next to an auto dealerships, so it's easy to spot.
I am not to big on Latvia and I'll repeat my reasons why. The country is much more prosperous than Russia or the Ukraine and though the people don't do that well, they aren't that poor either. So I think they are less motivated to leave Latvia than say a Russian girl is. Most of the women interested in leaving are ethnic Russian.
I met some of the best looking older women looking to leave that country and I didn't like them. They were like old demanding party girls that don't ever grow up. One of them said to me, I am a very beautiful woman and I can be very demanding (avoid, high maintenance women).
The average girl on the street is beautiful. You will be surprised. Models don't look much better. Take a cloth to wipe the drool off your chin. There are some really hot clubs there. Better than anything I've ever been to, though that's not saying much.
The success rate for Latvia romance tours is low compared to Russia. That's the main reason I recommend other countries. Good luck anyway.
Bubba
