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Latvia
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|capital = [[Riga]]
|pop = 2,261,100
|currency = Lats Euro (LVLEUR) |BW = LV|hitch = {{good}}<rating country='lv' />
}}
'''Latvia''' is a Baltic country. It is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. It boarders with borders [[Estonia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Russia]] and [[Belarus]]. There are a lot of young people just hitchhiking around the country, to their hometowns, festivals , etc. Especially , especially during summer, so most probably you'll probably meet someone on the road as well. People are used to hitchhikers and it is fairly easy to get a lift. Even in the middle of nowhere, whether along important routes, even along such as the [[E67]] (''Via Baltica''), it's quite easy to get a rideor in the middle of nowhere.
=== Legality ===
It is allowed to hitchhike in Latvia (at least there are no laws which forbid that), but of course in places where you do not danger road safety. It is a common practice here to use signs of the cities, or countries where you want to get a ride to, but thumb also works fine.
=== Cities ===
<!-- Please keep in alphabetic order (after Riga) -->* [[Riga]], the capital of Latvia's capital* [[Balvi]]* [[Cēsis]]* [[Gulbene]]
* [[Jelgava]]
* [[Limbaži]]
* [[Rēzekne]]
* [[Saulkrasti]]
* [[Sigulda]]
* [[Talsi]]
* [[Valdemārpils]]
* [[Valmiera]]
=== Language ===
=== Gallery ===
<gallery>
Image:DSCF5026-1.jpg|[[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] thumbing in Northern Latvia
Image:IMG 7303.JPG|[[User:Tiziano|Tiziano]] hitching in Latvia
</gallery>
=== Useful things ===
Free internet is available in public and university libraries. Also almost all of Latvian cities and even villages will have free internet in the town's center - it is now a prestige thing.
There exist Facebook groups for ridesharing where you can often get a ride from Riga to other parts of Latvia for little money.. Group names are in form "Riga - (city/town name) - Riga". Use Facebook search to find them. For example, for Liepaja direction use https://www.facebook.com/groups/840988475937147/ These groups are mostly used by young people and they are very likely to speak good English. http://www.blablacar.com is also popular.
Weather in Latvia can change pretty fast so don't lose hope if rain comes. Hide and wait. Sometimes it's over in 15-20 minutes.
== Personal Experiences ==
''Summer 2018 & 2022: Good and easy hitchhiking experience. You rarely wait a long time and you have a big chance to pass by Latvia, or get into the capital by one or two cars. I did nearly 200km in one drive with a guy going from Lithuania to Riga. Afterwards took A3 to Tartu (est). Because there are a lot of people going directly to Tallinn from Riga you have a good chances make all that trip in one car. I was going to Tartu, so it was harder but anyway I was there in the same day. The majority of drivers spoke English.'' --
[[User:HHer-Vert|HHer-Vert]]
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
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[[Category:Latvia| ]]
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