RAIL BALTICA | Tallinn – Valga / Valka – Riga – Vilnius by train

August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It will most likely not be ready by 2030. But that doesn’t stop us. What to expect from the Baltics? Is it affected by overtourism?

I have a low-key ‘obsession’ with Rail Baltica, the megaproject aspiring to link Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius to Warsaw in Poland and thus ‘core Europe‘. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania use the the Russian broad gauge (1,524 mm, later 1520 mm), inherited from Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union. Finland also uses the Russian broad gauge.

‘Core Europe’ uses standard gauge, 1,435 mm, championed by pioneer George Stephenson. There are many narrow-gauge railways as well, often 1,000 mm. There’s also the Iberian gauge of 1,668 mm used in Iberia: Spain and Portugal.

High speed trains, 250 kph and more, use standard gauge. Rail Baltica will use standard gauge and electric multiple units (EMUs) consisting of eight coaches. Which constructor or model is not decided yet. Alstom and Talgo are being named.

But that’s the future.

Tallinn – Valga / Valka – Riga – Vilnius in 2025

In December 2023, Lithuanian Railways (LTG Link) introduced a daily Vilnius–Riga service which proved immediately popular, to the extent that even the operator was surprised by the level of demand. The train is smoother and faster than the bus, and many passengers prefer the comfort on board – not least the LTG Link bean-to-cup coffee, which is a marked improvement on the instant coffee often offered by bus companies.

On 6 January 2025, rail travel in the Baltic States advanced further when the national railways of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia co-ordinated their timetables to create a through daily service from Vilnius to Tallinn, with one simple cross-platform change at border town Valga (Estonia) aka Valka (Latvia).

Tickets for the entire journey can be purchased directly via the LTG Link website. Although the Riga–Tallinn section remains slower by train than by bus, it offers a more relaxed and enjoyable experience, with better opportunities to see Latvian and Estonian life along the way.

The new service has been running for more than seven months and has exceeded expectations, frequently selling out several days in advance. In response to this popularity, an additional Tallinn–Riga train was added in February 2025, running on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This extra service operates in one direction only and can be booked exclusively via the Estonian Railways (Elron) website at elron.ee.

The distances are not insignificant: Tallinn–Vilnius is 789 km (490 miles), Tallinn–Riga 441 km (274 miles), and Riga–Vilnius 348 km (216 miles).

By August 2025, the service runs daily in both directions and has established itself as a reliable link across the three Baltic States. Timetables can change due to engineering work, so it is always worth checking times before travelling.

For Tallinn–Valga consult elron.ee, for Valga–Riga see vivi.lv, and for Riga–Vilnius use ltglink.lt. In Estonian, Riga is shown as Rija. At Valga the transfer is seamless, with a simple cross-platform change.

Balotic Station and the adjacent Baltic Station Market in Tallinn.

Tallinn to Valga with Elron

The first leg is from Tallinn to Valga on an Elron train. These are modern, air-conditioned, very orange Stadler FLIRT diesel units with comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, power sockets and on-board information screens. Second class is unreserved, while first class offers wider seats and more space, though assigned places are rarely observed in practice. Tickets for this section, particularly first class, must be booked separately through the Elron website.

The train departs from Baltic Station (Balti jaam). Yes, the station is not called Tallinn Station (Tallinna jaam) or anything like that. There is a market, Balti Jaam Market or Balti Jaama Turg with some food options. In the station itself there’s a R-Kiosk.

Danny has become allergic to lettuce, which is shit. Because many pr-prepared food contains lettuce. Certainly sandwiches, wraps and baguettes.

The journey south is straightforward, with the train calling at Tartu, Estonia’s university city. If time allows, Tartu makes an excellent stopover. Its charming old town, riverside walks, academic atmosphere and distinctive wooden railway station have earned it the nickname of Estonia’s Oxford or Cambridge.

We didn’t.

At Valga, on Estonia’s border with Latvia, passengers step off the Elron train and cross the platform to join the waiting Lithuanian Railways service.

Valga to Riga with LTG Link (Vivi sector)

The Valga–Riga leg is operated by LTG Link but under contract to Latvian Railways, known as Vivi. The name Vivi comes from the Latvian phrase “Vienā vilcienā”, meaning “on the train”.

Pink soup

On this section the train is officially designated second class only. We sat in the pink section, wrapped for the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest of 31 May 2025.

Šaltibarščiai, commonly called pink soup, is a traditional Lithuanian cold soup made from kefir (fermented milk) and pickled beetroot, which gives it its characteristic bright pink colour. It is typically prepared with chopped cucumbers, dill, and served with a hard-boiled egg. Boiled or baked potatoes are usually eaten alongside it.

The dish is especially popular in summer, when it is valued as a refreshing meal during hot weather. It is considered part of Lithuania’s core culinary tradition, together with dishes such as potato dumplings (cepelinai), potato pie (kugelis), and potato pancakes (bulviniai blynai).

Although the main ingredients are standard, recipes vary by household or region, with differences in proportions or optional additions. In recent years, šaltibarščiai has also inspired unconventional versions such as desserts and novelty dishes.

The soup is widely recognised beyond Lithuania as well. In 2025, the food guide TasteAtlas ranked it among the world’s top three cold soups. Since 2022, Vilnius has hosted an annual event called Pink Soup Fest, dedicated to celebrating the dish in different forms.

The journey continues

The journey south into Latvia provides a window onto rural life, with farmland, forests and small towns passing by. Travellers may notice storks’ nests on telegraph poles and the distinctive change in architecture as the train nears Riga.

Approaching the city, the train crosses the broad River Daugava, with a first glimpse of Riga’s skyline to the right. From the bridge, the spire of St. Peter’s Church is particularly striking, and climbing its tower is a classic way to gain an overview of the Latvian capital. The train then draws into Riga Central Station, conveniently located for the old town.

Riga to Vilnius with LTG Link

South of Riga, the train continues towards Lithuania, this time operated directly by LTG Link with its modern Pesa 730 diesel units. These trains are fully air-conditioned and fitted with Wi-Fi, power sockets, toilets, large luggage racks, wheelchair space and an accessible toilet.

Catering is a highlight: hot and cold drinks, including bean-to-cup coffee, along with sandwiches and snacks, are brought to your seat by the train staff.

First-class passengers between Riga and Vilnius enjoy complimentary water, coffee and a chocolate brownie, with reserved seating included. In second class, seats are unassigned but capped in number, so advance booking is essential as trains often sell out.

The route south gives a broad impression of the Baltic countryside, with forests and fields dominating the landscape. On the final approach into Vilnius, the city opens up gradually, before the train pulls into Vilnius station, a few minutes’ walk from the historic old town.

Voyage, voyage

The journey is long, but if you like trains, you won’t mind. Both the FLIRT and the Pesa 730 are comfortable. Where possible, we travelled first class, because that’s how we roll. WiFi on board is soimetimes good, sometimes sketchy. WiFi on boards draws network from outside and being in a fast-ish moving train in the countryside… well, sometimes there’s not much network to ‘catch’.

We like long train journeys. So we enjoyed this very much.

Trip By Trip

RAIL BALTICA | Tallinn – Valga / Valka – Riga – Vilnius by train