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Riga
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'''Riga''' is the capital of [[Latvia]] and the biggest city of the [[Baltics]].
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== Hitching in and around ==
=== From [[Kaunas]] (LT), [[Vilnius]] (LT) {{European Route Number|67}} ===
If you are coming from the south and want to continue north towards [[Estonia]], you can proceed on the Riga ring road and avoid entering the city center. However, be careful, as not all parts of this ring are hitchable.
The first roundabout as you come towards Riga on the E67 has the road into the city going straight and the road signposted Tallinn turning right. If your driver is going into Riga, ask him to leave you here, but do not hitch from this roundabout as there is no room to stop a truck. Just walk down the road one kilometer to the next roundabout, which has plenty of room. From there try getting a lift completely around the city and towards the north of Latvia on the E67, because you may lose a couple of hours if you are dropped off in certain places. For example, at the junction after Salaspils where a driver turning onto the E22 will leave you, there is no room to stop a car, and after the junction cars are driving too fast to even notice you, so you will have to walk 6 or 7 kilometers to the next hitchable point.
== Hitching Out ==
<map lat='56.95' lng='24.1' zoom='10' view='0' country='Latvia' float='right'/>
=== South towards [[Bauska]], [[Jelgava]], [[Kaunas]] (LT), [[Vilnius]] (LT) {{European Route Number|67}} ===
If you want to get towards the south, get out of the city center first. There are several possibilities:
* For the equivalent of 1 euro you can take a regional train to [[Jelgava]], a much smaller city about an hour of train journey to the south. From there, it is relatively easy to hitchhike towards [[Šiauliai]] ([[Lithuania]]) and other destinations in this direction, although sometimes, especially in [[winter]], the road can be pretty empty and one can get stuck there, as [[User:Sigurdas|Sigurdas]] has experienced.
* From RIX airport, try asking drivers of cars with Lithuanian number plates ("LT").
* Take a tram #10 towards ''Bišumuiža'' and get off at the stop ''Ziepniekalna iela''. You will see a [[petrol station]] just around the corner. Very few cars are actually going to [[Lithuania]] from there, although you can still focus on the registration plates marked 'LT'. Do not refuse a short lift as there is one petrol station 20 km further away where one can get good rides straight to Vilnius, Kaunas, or even Poland and further. It is more successful to ask drivers for a ride on that petrol station than to stand at the street.
* (**FAV**!)Take a bus #23 (or 26, see foot note)(opposite the "Stockmann" shopping center,(but down a few hundred meters direction to river) stop called ''13.janvāra iela'') towards ''Baloži''. Get off at the stop ''Sūkņu stacija'' - there you've got a traffic light and a bus stop - good place for hitchhiking since basically everyone's going towards [[Bauska]]! EDIT: Actually the bus stop is called "Pagrieziens uz Baloziem". i didnt go all the way to this Suknu stacija but this is a very good place and you can easily identify it because you will pass a big maxima disrbution center and then the bus will take a right turn off the main road so you get off and go to main road about 100 meters where will also be a bus station and lots of room for cars to stop. (about 26!, it doesnt turn right, it stops direct on the main road at this place to hitch from!)
* From the central bus station, take a minibus to ''Kekava''; from there find the main road '''E67/A7''' in the direction of Bauska. Just find a good spot - and good luck!
* Cross the main bridge of Riga which goes southwards. You can walk there, although you might as well take a bus or a minibus. Continue until the [[on-ramp]] to ''A7'', then hitchhike towards Jelgava.
=== North towards [[Pärnu]] or [[Tallinn]] ([[Estonia]]) {{European Route Number|67}} ===
Take a tram #1 or 6 from the city center (for example, from a stop called ''Merķeļa iela'') to the final stop called ''Jugla'' - there you will find a road to the north, you will see there a petrol station, traffic lights, a bus stop (and "McDonald's" in case you want to go to the toilet). It is not the best idea to hitchhike after the speed limit road sign (70) - there, cars are already going quite fast, and stopping a car there can cause a crash. Note, that about 750 metres farther from the traffic lights (after crossing the bridge) there is a nice big [[rest area|lay-by]] where cars stop. If you're heading to [[Estonia]] have an ''EST'' sign - it will make all go a lot quicker.
=== South-East towards [[Daugavpils]] and [[Belarus]] {{European Route Number|22}} ===
Take the tram #7 or #9 to the end ''Dole''. Cross the street and find a bus stop near parking place. HH from the parking place or if its full, stand before bus stop. You can get further by bus as noted below, but to many people's mind, starting at Dole and ending in next town Salaspils, is a place where prostitutes stand.
