Page 389 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

TRA VEL INFORM A TION 387

taxi company. Fares tend to
increase by about 50 per cent
after midnight. It is usually
better to book a taxi in
advance, rather than flag one
down in the street, and you
might obtain a better price by
calling a reputable company
such as Rīga Taxi or Rīgas
Taxometru Parks. Taxis waiting
outside the upmarket hotels
tend to be more expensive.
Passengers must note that
drivers often refuse to accept a
fare of less than €5, and try to
charge at least that much to
take passengers from the bus
or railway station to a nearby
hotel. Visitors must ensure that
the meter is used, or at least
nego tiate a fare in advance,
before entering the taxi. It is
rarely difficult to find a taxi Pedestrians at a zebra crossing, Aspazijas bulvāris
during the day, while at night
taxis congregate at each end of particularly pleasant to wander popular Rīga In Your Pocket
Kaļķu iela. around in summer, when many guide, but it is only detailed
streets and squares are lined enough if you do not plan to
with terrace seating outside stray far from the centre. The
bars and cafés, and the weather guide also indicates public
is more suitable for walking. The transport routes.
area imme diately north of the
Old Town is home to some DIRECTORY
impressive Art Nouveau
buildings and several smart Buses, Trolleybuses
shops and res taurants. The main and Trams
street in Rīga’s Art Nouveau
district is Elizabetes iela, which SIA Rīgas Satiksme
inter sects with Brīvības bulvāris Tel 8000 1919.
(avenue). In addition, Alberta ∑ rigassatiksme.lv
and Strēlnieku iela also feature
examples of this style. Taxis
The Rīga Card (see p366) offers
Cycling in Rīga, a quick and easy way of free entry to many museums, a Rīga Taxi
getting around the city free walking tour of the Old Tel 8000 1010. ∑ taxi.lv
Town, and free public transport Rīgas Taksometru Parks
Cycling
within Rīga and Jūrmala. Since Tel 8383. ∑ rtp.lv
Getting around Rīga by bicycle is public transport is already so
a good option, despite the Old cheap in the country, investing Cycling
Town’s cobbled streets and the in the card is worthwhile only
heavy traffic in other parts of the if visitors are interested in the Eat Rīga
city. One of the more pleasant walking tour or in visiting Tel 2246 9888.
places for a ride is the pristine several museums in a single day. ∑ eatriga.lv
suburb of Mežaparks (see p160). The card is available in hotels, at
Eat Rīga can offer help with Rīga Airport and in the tourist City Card
bicycle rental in the city. information offices.
Rīga Card
Tel 6721 7217. ∑ rigacard.lv
Walking Maps
The Old Town is relatively The most widely available map Maps
small, with plenty of of the city is published by Jāņa
recog nizable landmarks, making Sēta, at a scale of 1:20,000 with Rīga in Your Pocket
the walk manageable as well the centre shown at a detailed Laipu iela 8–9a. Tel 6722 0580.
as enjoyable, in spite of the 1:7000. A much smaller version ∑ inyourpocket.com
cobblestoned streets. It is of the map is included in the