Baltic States Co-Ordinate Timetables to Create Vilnius-Tallinn Train
The national railway companies of the Baltic States have co-ordinated their timetables to create a daily Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn train service.
New co-ordinated railway timetable in the Baltics
Although taking the train has always been a great way to explore the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, international rail links between the three countries have long been subpar.
Travel between the Baltic capitals — Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn — often required a lengthy wait at border stations like Valga, as trains on either side were not co-ordinated.
Over the past two years, the situation has steadily improved, largely due to Lithuanian Railways (LTG Link) launching a direct Vilnius-Riga train service.
The situation has now improved even further, as since last Monday (10th February), a new co-ordinated railway timetable has come into effect, allowing passengers to travel between Vilnius and Tallinn with just a single change of trains.
Vilnius station. ©AndyBTravels
About the new Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn train connection
On 10th February 2025, the Vilnius-Riga train service was extended to reach Valga on the Latvian-Estonian border, where thanks to the efforts of the Baltic railway companies, it now offers a seamless connection onto the Valga-Tartu-Tallinn train service.
A daily train now departs Vilnius at 07:05 and arrives in Riga at 11:04, where after a short stop, it departs again at 11:16 towards the Latvian-Estonian border at Valga, arriving at 13:51.
At Valga, there is now a seamless connection onto the train to Tallinn, which departs Valga at 14:10, and arrives in Tartu at 15:11 and Tallinn at 17:34.
The other way around, you can take the daily Tallinn-Valga train departing the Estonian capital at 10:25, which calls in Tartu at 12:53 and arrives in Valga at 13:54.
Again, the connection at Valga is seamless, as the connecting train departs at 14:11, arriving in Riga at 16:37, from where it departs again at 16:55 towards Lithuania, arriving in Vilnius at 21:03.
The Estonian train between Tallinn, Tartu, and Valga. ©AndyBTravels
Tickets and prices
Tickets for trains between Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn can now be bought online on the Lithuanian Railways website.
This includes tickets for international connections entirely outside of Lithuania, such as the train between Tallinn and Riga.
Second class tickets cost €24 between Vilnius and Riga, €30.50 between Riga and Tallinn, and €39 between Vilnius and Tallinn.
A seat reservation on the Lithuanian train service between Vilnius, Riga, and Valga is included in the price.
As seat reservations are compulsory on this Lithuanian train, the service can sell out completely, so it is advisable to book your ticket in advance.
First class seats on the LTG Link train between Vilnius and Riga. In first class, you get a complimentary bottle of water, hot drink, and a brownie. ©AndyBTravels
AndyB comments
It’s great to see a co-ordinated railway timetable in place in the Baltic States, offering significant benefits to rail travellers wishing to explore Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia by train.
I actually met with LTG Link representatives in 2022 and pushed them to establish a direct international train service between Vilnius and Riga, which they finally introduced in December 2023.
This train has proven to be a massive success among both local citizens and foreign tourists, often departing with every seat booked.
No doubt, this further encouraged LTG Link to improve onward connections to Estonia as well.
Although the train has historically lagged behind bus transport in popularity in the Baltic States, with bus companies such as Ecolines and Lux Express being the biggest players in the transport market, the train is now once again a viable travel alternative, offering affordable prices and convenient schedules.
