On behalf of  the entire Patricia Tourist Office staff, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our Charming City of Riga and our Beautiful Country of Latvia. Our Mission is to find ways to make your stay a  delightful experience!

One question being ask a lot these days  "Is Riga Safe"  ?

Another often asked question "Will taxis cheat me" ?

Do chickens cluck? of course silly! and taxis will cheat you!

Now, for what to see and do while in Riga.   check the event listing

All of Riga is lovely click for our Riga photo slide show   and   our Riga photo albums

There is a lot to see in the greater Riga area.   Experience Riga with an experienced professional guide - tour.   Lots of Art Nouveau buildings to marvel over!

There is much more to Latvia than just Riga and we encourage you to explore. Recommended cities are: Jurmala - our seaside beaches ; Sigulda and Gauja National park with four historic castles and villas; and the medieval city of Kuldiga - 3 hour drive west of Riga.

Want to step back into time and simply relax and enjoy the country side - visit the Kemeri area with it's old Russian church and the National park wetlands.

If you need assistance planning your visit or desire specific information our Riga Tourist Office Staff will be pleased to answer your questions.

We have also prepared a "How To Guide" for those most commonly asked tasks

Allow me to highlight a couple of details that may not be easily found in the Riga Guide booklets and are Frequently Asked Questions for Riga Latvia - FAQ - from recent visitors:

• Tourist Hotline - Tourism Hotline - Problem Hotline 
  It is not toll free but may be called from any phone:  2 - 203 - 3000
  +371-2-203-3000

• EMERGENCY numbers are:  
  112  from a mobile phone

• Fire “01”–  Police “02”– Ambulance “03”- Gas “04”    from fixed line phones

• Telephone operators:  Latvian national   “116”  -   International  “115”

• Telephone information:  “1188”  or  6-722-2222  or  6-777-0777        

• USA’s AT&T’s Direct service access number is: 800 - 0 - 2288  (collect calls)

• World Phone’s Access number is:  800 - 0- 8888

• There are excellent emergency medical and dental clinics and drug stores open 24 hours. Call  “1188”  or  “03” One drug store open 24 hours close to Galleria Centrs shopping center in Old City

• There are several cafes and small restaurants open 24 hours. One (LIDO)  is located Gertrudes 54 cross street Caka

• Super market and shops at train station open later hours

• Banks open on weekends may be found at the train station. Money exchange behind Hotel deRome

• Compare rates at several money exchange points  & banks before exchanging money

• Purchase telephone cards at newspaper stands – 2 types one for payphones and one for long distance. You may also purchase GSM chips for your mobile phones at Narvesen shops and newspaper stands    more info

• Also available are Mobile phones to rent by the week with low calling rates of 0.15 Ls per minute (most countries & local) with no charge for incoming calls.

A few local customs that you might find useful:   more info

• When paying for an item in a store or restaurant, place the money in the small tray on the counter. It is not considered proper to hand the money direct to the cashier.

• When riding a bus or tram, each car has a conductor. Give them your faire (coins totaling “40”) directly and they will give to a ticket. There are no transfers. Combination of coins totaling 40 santims is ok. click for bus information in Riga    more info

• Trams no longer have conductors. Purchase a 0.50 Ls ticket from the driver and insert in the yellow colored time clock onboard the tram to validate the ticket.

• Be careful crossing the street, pedestrian rights are not observed most of the time.

• When driving the city speed limit is 50 KPH. Radar is widely used in Latvia. Fines are paid in cash to the officer.

• Summary of Latvian driving rules may be found on our website: www.latviatravel.info/travel/

• Beware of taxi overcharging especially at bus station – report taxi problems: Taxi Complaint form for Riga Latvia - Patricia Tourist Office

• Riga is like most large cities, there is potential for pickpockets, petty crimes, personal assaults for robbery. Be aware of your surroundings; display low-key behavior and watch out for and avoid potential problem situations. If you find yourself requiring emergency assistance check our SOS website for more information; or contact the Embassy of your home country or the local police as quickly as possible.

If you have any question, please  just ASK. We will do our best to give you honest and ethical answers in a prompt timeframe. We may not know everything, but we most likely know where to find out most everything. Send us an email     –    www.latviatravel.info    www.rigalatvia.net  our 24 hour customer service 371-6-721-0180 or in the USA call   +1-214-432-5872

Mike Johnson, General Manager

Here is a drawing of       "The essential Riga"