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'''Riga''' is the capital of [[Latvia]] and the biggest city of the [[Baltic states|Baltics]].

=== From [[Kaunas]] (LT), [[Vilnius]] (LT) Lithuania direction to Estonia {{European Route NumberE|67}} === 

The first roundabout as you come towards Riga on the E67 has the road into the city going straight and the road signposted tod 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. == Hitchhiking out == === South towards [[Bauska]], [[Kaunas]] (LT), [[Vilnius]] (LT), [[Poland]] (PL) {{E|67}} ===  '''Option 1''' By walking Cross Salu bridge direction out of Riga than turn left on road A7. Place next to Hesburger has extra line for stopping  '''Option 2''' Take a minibus from the Central Bus Station. Platform for this bus is 14. The bus is 6844 to the village of Ķekava about 20kms south-east out of Riga. When the minibus does a u-turn off the highway '''get off''' at that bus-stop called Ķekava on the opposite side of the road from which the minibus came from! From there, you've got about a 2 km walk south along the highway A7 to the hitching point 100 m past the large roundabout. You can try to hitch as you walk. It is worth the trouble and expense to get here as you will cut out all the local traffic and there will be a lot of long distance traffic at a slow enough speed to safely pull over onto the side road just 100 m after the roundabout exit.  '''Option 3''' When you are around central bus station in Riga, you can find a bus stop called 13.janvara iela (It is opposite the Stockman center) where you can take bus 23 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/index.html#bus/23/a-b/map/en see route]) towards Baloži or bus 26 towards Katlakalns. Get out at stop called Pagrieziens uz Baloziem. There is a nice bus stop and a traffic light just before, so the traffic is pretty slow.   '''Option 4''' From airport If you are next to RIX airport, try asking drivers of cars with Lithuanian number plates LT. === South towards [[Jelgava]], [[Siauliai|Šiauliai]] (LT) {{E|77}} === From just opposite Central station take trolleybus #27 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/index.html#trol/27/a-b/1028/map/en see route)] towards Ziepniekkalna D/P, get out at the Mežkalna iela and walk back on the road to Jelgava. Best place to hitchike will be somewhere after Rimi Aleja supermarket. City ends there === North towards [[Pärnu]] or [[Tallinn]] ([[Estonia]]) {{E|67}} Cēsis, [[Valmiera]] {{E|77}}=== '''Option 1''' Take tram #6 or #3 from the city centre (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 a petrol station, traffic lights, a bus stop (and McD's in case you want to go to the toilet). To get to the hitchhiking spot you will have to walk around 1 km North East next to lake. You will see a spot with a lot of space for a car to stop. And most probably some other hitchhikers, so you won't miss it!  '''Option 2''' Better option is to take bus #1 towards Berģuciems and get out at stop Brīvdabas Muzejs which is first stop after you see lake on the right side. Walk few steps back and you'll be exactly at the same spot as mentioned above.  Beware that most of the traffic is going North East so it might happen that you wait some time to get a 3 km ride to the right road if you are going north. So it's up to you to decide. Maybe a better option is to walk those few km already after you arrive at the spot. You can also take bus #1 one stop further than mentioned above (Till stop Berģi) and you won't have to walk that much. After you're on the road to Estonia walk up to a bus stops on Option 3  '''Option 3''' More out of city Out of city for Parnu, Tallin. Take regional bus to Baltezers. Catch a bus Riga - Adazi from Central Bus Station till final stop Adazi and walk to E67/A1 highway. Price is 1.15 euros  Out of city for Cesis, Valmiera. Catch a bus Riga - Vangazi nr 6826 from bus stop Merķeļa Iela till Langstiņu Pagrieziens and you are on perfect place on E77 highway. Price is 1.15 euros === Southeast towards [[Daugavpils]], [[Rēzekne]], [[Russia]], [[Belarus]] {{E|22}} ===

== Hitching Out ==<map lat=You can take the tram #3, #7 or #9 to the end stop '56.95' lng=Dole''24.1Cross the street and find a bus stop near a parking place. Hitchhike from the parking place or, if it' zoom='10' view='0' country='Latvia' float='right'/>s full, stand before the bus stop. The problem with this spot might be that it is still in the city so a lot of traffic is local.

=== South towards [[Bauska]], [[Kaunas]] Better option is to take bus #18 (LT), [[Vilniushttp://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/index.html#bus/18/a-b/7749b/map/en see route]] (LT) {{European Route Number|67}} ===towards "Dārziņi" and get out at ''Pagrieziens uz Darziniem''. You'll be at ''Maskavas Iela'' near traffic lights where cars drive slowly and you can easily get a ride at that bus stop.

If you want You should aim to get towards to Koknese because that's the southplace where two highways meet ant become one, get out of the city center firstin Koknese there is a wide roundabout with great visibility. There are several possibilities:

* From RIX airport, try asking drivers of cars with Lithuanian number plates ("LT").* When If you are around central bus station in Riga're going to Russia and have been dropped near the border, you can find a bus stop called ''13cross it on foot without any problems.janvāra iela'' (It is opposite After the border the Stockman center) where you can take bus #23 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?a=p.routes&transport_id=bus&t=xhtml&l=en#2800 see route]) towards Baloži or bus #26 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?a=p.routes&transport_id=bus&t=xhtml&l=en#2801 see route]) towards Katlakalns. Get out at stop called "Pagrieziens uz Baložiem". There road is a nice bus stop not busy and a traffic light just before, so the most of traffic is pretty slow. After you have got ar ride the best thing to dolocal, but if you are going to Poland, is get out at roundabout just after Ķekava. Even if the car spend some time you can take you to Iecava or Bauska. There you will see a lot of traffic catch cars going straight to Poland or even furtherfar away.* From the central bus station, take Consider using a minibus to ''Kekava''; from there find the main road '''E67/A7''' in the direction of Bauskabig sign. Just find a good spot - and good luck!

=== South Southwest towards [[JelgavaLiepāja]], [[Šiauliai]] (LT) {{European Route Number|77}} ===

From just city centre (for example "13. janvāra iela" which is the big bus stop opposite Central Stockman centre and the train station ) take trolleybus bus #27 4 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?index.html#bus/4/a=p-b/7749b/map/en see route]) or bus #32 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.frameset&direction_id=17294&stop_id=15487&t=xhtml&l=lv/index.html#bus/32/a-b/7749b/map/en see route])] towards Ābolu iela, "Pinķi" and get out at stop "Pagrieziens uz Pinķiem". You can start hitchhiking already there, because all the traffic that goes to [[Liepāja]] will pass here, but the last stop road is big and fast so you may just walk back to the main road, there are on traffic lights so cars have to slow down, and just after the roadtraffic lights there is plenty of space for cars to pull over.

Better option is to take bus Bus #1 43 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?a=pindex.routes&transport_id=html#bus&t=xhtml&l=/43/a-b/7749b/map/en#2720 see route]) towards Skulte from the same "Pansionāts13. janvāra iela" stop and get out at stop "Brīvdabas muzejsBeberbeķi" which is first (Don't get confused with stop after "Beberbeķu iela", there are still 3 stops to go). There you see lake on just walk few hundred meters down the right side. Walk few steps back road and here you'll be exactly at the same spot as mentioned above.are!

=== South-East Northwest towards [[Daugavpils]] and [[Belarus]] {{European Route Number|22}} Ventspils, Talsi, Tukums ===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.

Take You can try to get to the same bus #18 to ''stop Pagrieziens uz Darziniem''Uz Pinķiem as mentioned above. You'll be at ''Maskavas Iela'' near traffic lights where cars drive slowly Only from there walk back North, get on the big road and try to hitch. Make sure you easily get have a ridegood sign there, because most of the traffic is going only to Jūrmala.

From city center In the same point as mentioned above, you can get little cheaper by using train. Go to train station, buy ticket (for example "13. janvāra iela" which is the big bus stop opposite Stockman center~1 euro) till Priedaine (and take bus #4 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?a=p.routes&transport_id=bus&t=xhtml&l=en#2653 see route]train going towards Sloka, Tukums or Dubulti) or bus #32 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?a=p.routes&transport_id=bus&t=xhtml&l=en#2802_12_56.94163_24.02040 see route]) towards "Pinķi" and get Get out at stop "Pagrieziens uz Pinķiem". You can start hitchhiking already there, because all the traffic that goes to [[Liepāja]] will pass here, but the road is big in Priedaine station which looks kinda deserted and fast so it might be better to walk 3km south to get ~150m as railroad stays on your left and then turn left - cross the exact railroad and walk through forest (there is good asphalted bicycle path and road to Liepājagoing)for about 1km. Away from Riga ring On crosroads turn right and there you'll see roadgoing under bridge, go through and there is ideal spot for you. Cars there really slow down and This way you can get a ride pretty quick.from Riga centre to hitchhiking point in 20-30 minutes

Or if you don't feel like walking you can take bus #43 ([http://saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv/?a=p.routes&transport_id=bus&tHitching by ferry =xhtml&l=en#2803 see route]) towards Skulte from the same "13. janvāra iela" stop and get out at stop "Beberbeķi". There you just walk few hundred meters down the road and here you are!

== Language ==''Darba diena'' means weekday, ''Sestdiena'' means Saturday Getting onto the ferries for free is not possible. Both cars and ''Svētdiena'' means Sundaytrucks pay per person.

In Riga you can get around by bus, tram and troleybustrolleybus. There are a lot of controls, so better buy a ticket! If you dare to blackride, your best bet is to empty your wallet. If there is are no police around they , inspectors are likely to just let you go if you can't pay. Besides, in summer time there are controls at random points between the stops which you can hardly avoid. During winter however, ticket inspectors are waiting only at stops and usually are easy to spot, so if you are careful you can avoid them by just leaving when they enter.  Tickets cost 1,15 EUR if you don't buy it from driver. If you buy it from the driver it's 2 EUR. You can buy tickets at Narvesen, ticket vending machines, supermarkets "Rimi", "Maxima" and other places.