Travel Advisory and Visas
!!!WARDEN MESSAGE ON POSSIBLE TERRORIST THREAT!!!
The U.S. Department of State wishes to alert U.S. citizens, either residing in or traveling through the Baltic countries, that it has received threat information and urges all U.S. citizens in the Baltic countries to be vigilent as to their surroundings. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid large shopping areas and transportation hubs on or about November 1, 2004 and to report any unusual or suspicious persons, incidents or circumstances to the nearest police authorities.
The U.S. Department of State will continue to monitor the situation and will revise this announcement as appropriate should other information become available.
Additional travel information can be found on the Embassy Riga home page at http://www.usembassy.lv
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where current Worldwide Cautions, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Visas are not required for American passport holders staying in a country for less than 3 months. Information regarding extension of the stay or how to receive an entry visa for the purpose of work, education, training, or other professional activity may be obtained from a Consulate or an Embassy of the respective Baltic country in the USA.
Transport
All main international airports and air traffic control systems of the Baltic countries are up to the highest international safety standards. Since October 31, 2004 Uzbekistan Airways operates route: Tashkent-Riga-New York on a code share basis with Latvian national carrier Air Baltic. As it still is the only airline that serves direct flights from the US to the Baltics, U.S. travelers yet may choose to fly through one of European airports-hubs. American Airlines, Delta, NorthWest and United Airlines offer code share flights run by their partners to this region. The most popular air-routes connecting the Baltics with the USA go through Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, and London. Before making reservations, note, that national air carriers of the Baltics have introduced no-frills pricing and service policy on their flights in economy class.
For local travel, many internationally recognized car rentals are available: National, Hertz, Avis, Budget etc. to travel within the Baltic states.
Local public transport system is very well developed and inexpensive. Travel is safe, when using reasonably similar precautions not unlike anywhere else in Western Europe. Tickets for public transport are obtainable either from special ticket offices or directly on the transport, depending on the country, city and a type of transport. Please, do inquire beforehand.
Accommodation and Food
IMPORTANT!
Due to very high demand for hotel accomodations in 2004 in the Baltics, we advise U.S. business travellers to plan their trips and book hotels in advance.
Comfortable accommodation is available in the most cities and many rural areas in the Baltics. Office space or housing can be rented from specialized local agencies or using individual advertisements in specialized newspapers. A list of real estate agencies can be obtained from US Embassies in a respective country.
Food is typically of high quality and variety. Traditional Baltic food is a mixture of traditional Scandinavian and German cuisine with a local touch. The cost varies from inexpensive to moderate, and sizes of dishes, especially in the countryside, are large. Alcoholic beverages are relatively cheap. Legal drinking age is 18. In some municipalities there are some limitations regarding places where alcohol consumption is allowed.
Health
U.S. Embassies in the Baltics can provide a list of English speaking physicians and lawyers. Although Soviet period medical education was at a high standard, there is a shortage of some medical equipment, and availability of services and skills that one may expect in the USA. There are no recorded notable health risks and public tap water is safe to drink. However, travellers must be alet of tick-encephallitis risk, especially when going to the countryside.
Credit cards and Money
Each of the Baltic countries has its own currency and they are freely exchangeable in local banks or at Currency Exchange desks. USD along with EUR is the most popular foreign currency, however, due to large amount of currency fraud in the past, only crisp and clean USD banknotes issued after 1990 are accepted. Banknotes not meeting these requirements may be subject to an additional exchange fee of 2-5%.
Credit cards issued by MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. However, American Express and Diners Club owners will experience difficulty finding a place where their cards are accepted. ATMs are widely available, even in smaller towns, although it is advisable for travelers to have local cash before going to remote rural areas. Traveller cheques can be exchanged at banks.
Electrical Power
Voltage in the Baltic countries is 220-240V, 50 cycles, plugs similar to ones used in Germany and Scandinavia. Voltage transformers, to convert American 110V appliances are available, but not often found. Dual-voltage devices are more practical.
Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time or Summer Time is observed in the Baltics. It begins and ends at 2 am local time or 12am Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It starts the last Sunday in March, and ends the last Sunday in October.
So as for the most of the United States Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April, it gives additional +1 hour time difference between the Baltic countries and the states not observing Daylight Saving Time for the week between last weekend of March and the first weekend of April.
Weather
Baltic enjoys a moderate sea climate with relatively high humidity and permanent winds. Summers are warm and winters generally mild with lots of snow and rain. In spite of registered extremes of –29F in a winter and 93F in a summer, winter temperatures usually range between 5F to 32F while in summers between 60F to 78F. Seawater temperature does not exceed 72F and swimming season usually lasts from mid June till mid August. Seasons’ change is smooth with spring and fall periods lasting for two to three months.
Sea and Beaches
Baltic countries have been attracting tourists for more than hundred years to their very fine 50-100 yards wide sandy beaches that stretch for more than 200 miles in a length out of 700+ miles long total coastline. Germans and russians in middle 19th century were the first ones, who began using them for recreational purposes. Spas and mud-bathes were discovered later and these places became famous destination for recreational and health rehab tourism. This popularity was maintained through the Soviet ocupational period, and, since iron curtain fell, Western tourists have the opportunity to re-discover it.
The most famous continuous beaches are located near Riga in Jurmala, Latvia (40 miles), Parnu, Estonia (15 miles), Nida and Palanga in Lithuania (35-40 miles). Our advise is not to forget your swimming suit when your are going in a summer to the Baltics and try to catch some sun and bath in a sea after long working day, of course, if weather permits.