Unless you are planning to travel out of Riga City Center to the countryside or to another Baltic Country, renting a car for driving around Riga Latvia, is NOT needed and in some ways more of a liability than a help.

Parking in Riga is expensive and somewhat difficult to find at times. In addition, the traffic flow and amount of traffic in Riga City Center means that you will spend more time sitting in your rental car rather than enjoying the city.

Even with the recent taxi faire increases, taxis in Riga are relatively inexpensive compared to other large cities and the price of parking and sitting and waiting in traffic.

Our recommendation is to pay a little more and stay in a hotel close to major public bus and tram lines or in the general city center and save your car rental fee in your pocket.

If you do need to rent a car, there is a selection to choose from. However, the customer service and quality of vehicles may vary widely.

Most of the major rent a car companies like Thrifty (Dollar), Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, and Sixt also operate out of the Riga Airport and or have offices somewhere in the Greater Riga area. The offices out of the airport may not be convenient however.

There are several smaller rental car companies with excellent reputations such as AGG Company. You may make a car rental reservation direct with them by email or through the Patricia Tourist Office.

We have worked personally with AGG Company since 1999 with absolute excellent results.

If you drive a car in Latvia, you will need a valid driver's license that meets the Geneva Convention Protocols. Currently you do NOT need to have an International Drivers license if you are from the United States. Your USA State license is sufficient.

Latvian drivers rules are similar to other European countries. Click here for a summary of the important Latvia Driving rules.

We are a full service inbound agency and have great values on hotel reservations for Riga and apartments rentals in Riga, too.

Send us an email and our trained staff will be pleased to assist.

Here is a drawing of       "The essential Riga"