This is a multi-interest holiday incorporating historic cities and charming, sparsely populated countryside with forests and intermittent farmland.  Above all it is an opportunity to observe 5 feet gauge operations with a variety of Russian traction on view.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are small nations within the EU.  Their combined population is barely 9 million.  Their railway systems are primarily built on an east to west basis with the objective of providing an ice-free route to the Baltic Sea Ports.for the massive export of Russian oil, timber and coal.  Consequently there is heavy freight traffic on the main routes.  Passenger traffic is centred on the respective capital cities of the three countries.  Long distance passenger services are limited in frequency.  This is attributable to the fact that express bus services are at least twice faster than by  rail between the capitals and major towns.  Another interesting background factor is that over 50% of all railway lines in Estonia and a fair percentage in Latvia were 76cm gauge originally.
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Day 1:  Flight to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and settle into your chosen hotel for 4 nights

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Day 2:  Explore Vilnius, particularly the Old Town with its cobbled streets; Orthodox and Catholic Churches, Cathedrals, Castle and Palaces going back to the 16th Century.  Train to Kaunas (the capital between World War One and Two).  Approximately one to two hourly EMU services.  Suggest either 11.15 hours or 13.50 hours service.  The locomotive depot and railway works are situated on the right hand side immediately after leaving the main station in Vilnius.  The journey time between the two cities is some 60 minutes for the 102 kilometers.

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Day 3:    There are 3 trains daily to Klaipeda, Lithuania’s main port on the Baltic Coast.  Buy your return ticket the evening before as you need a carriage/seat revation and these are train specific.  Depart Vilnius on Train Number 19 at 09.48 arriving Klaipeda at 14.27 hours – distance 375 kilometers.  En-route you will pass through Radviliskis, the second largest train depot in the country and a major freight yard.  Klaipeda has sandy beaches on either side of the port.  Return on Train Number 22 at 17.10 hours with a 21.55 hours arrival in Vilnius.

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Day 4:  For the railway enthusiast a day spent on Vilnius Main Station can be of great interest.  There are several trains to/from Kaliningrad ; to  Moscow, Leningrad and other Russian destinations with Belarus and RZD locomotives attached or detached.  Additionally there are some freight trains passing through through the station plus passenger trains from Minsk and beyond. (Most freight bypasses Vilnius but rejoin the mainline west of the City).  Finally there are EMU services from the airport to Kaunas.

N.B. Train fares are cheap, but you must have a valid ticket before boarding your train.  Penalties can double your fare.
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Day 5:  This can also be Day 4 if you choose not to visit the station.  Take the bus to Riga, the Latvian capital, from the Central Bus Station.  This is adjacent the the Railway Station.  Departure is 07.30 hours and you can book on-line at www.eurolines.lt.  Arrive Riga at 11.55 hours.  Go to your selected for 3 nights.

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Day 6:  Riga Main Station is “the” Shopping Mall with every kind of retail outlet and restaurant represented.Train-wise there are commuter EMUs to Jelgava, Lielvarde, Saulkraste and Jurmala at half to one one hour intervals.  An hours trip to Jelgava is recommended as a major freight yard and depot are located here and the bulk of traffic to the Latvian Baltic Ports is sorted at this junction.  Longer passenger service include a train to Moscow, St Petersburg and 3 trains daily to Daugavpils, the country’s second largest city.  The journey time is approximately three and a half to four hours – a distance of some 218 kilometers.

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Day 7:You might like to try visiting the RVR Carriage Works in Riga.  At one time they built almost all the DMUs and EMUs for the Soviet Union.  Today their task is on a much smaller scale and involves mainly refurbishment and rebuilding work.   Alternatively, you might enjoy a day at the coast in Jurmala.  Please note the same ticketing conditions apply in Latvia as they do in Lithuania.

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Day 8:  By bus to Tallinn, capital of Estonia with its compact walled old town and history going back over 5 centuries.  There are seven daily express bus services operated by Lux Express with a four and a half hour journey time.  It is suggested that you should book on the 10.00 hours service from Riga Bus Station with a 14.25 hours arrival.  Go to your chosen hotel for two nights.  A stroll around the Old Town is a worthwhile afternoon or evening experience.

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Day 9:  Local train services are electric and relatively infrequent.  A trip to Tapa is of railway interest as it is lies on the junction of the main route of freight from Russia out of Tallinn.  Freight bypasses the Tallinn Main Station.  Locomotives on view at Tapa include C36-7i and C30-7a (General Electric of America), regauged and refurbished for 5 feet guage.  Also 2TE116  double diesel electrics  (Ukraine) can be seen.

On weekdays (Monday to Friday), catch the 07.56 to Tapa.  Arrival 09.00 hours.  Return on the 18.41 hours with arrival at 19.39 hours at Tallinn.  Note: You can purchase your tickets on the train, only Tallinn has a Booking Office.

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Day 10: Flight home or option of extending you itinerary to Finland to enjoy the Northern Lights or Midnight Sun.

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Our Associates will have good English and educated at university level.  They can be a port of call to assist you or even act as an escort if you so choose.  Their local knowledge may well enhance your holiday experience.  As a member you will be able to network directly with them and negotiate such help as you may feel you require as well as the level of remuneration to them.  To contact any colleague, just click on the “Associates” button on each Itinerary page

www.railwayadventures.co.uk

The task is to visit and enjoy five Capital cities, namely Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna..  You can choose your own route in succession by rail completing the journey at the cheapest outlay in fares.  It is up to you to decide in which order you should start and finish your journey and there is no time limit on the length of your stays in each capital.  Only the section between Budapest and Vienna or vice versa must be via Sopron (Hungary) and not via the direct main line through Hegyeshalom.

Fancy taking up this challenge.  Just register on-line stating your membership number after which you will be given access rights to a private area on this website.  When you start your itinerary, just upload a picture of yourself and  party at the Start/Finish as well as documenting your progress in-between.

Prizes will be awards for the most imaginative travelogue, the best railway-oriented photographs and video .  The winner of the trophy  will be reserved for the entrant who completed the circuit at the lowest cost in rail fares.  For evidence for this, we will need to have sight of the tickets you have used for the journey.  They will be returned to you after inspection if you so request  Prizes for other categories will be two years free membership of Railway Adventures.