Travel Help

[darkina]

Hello Lithuanians... I will be in Vilnius in a couple of weeks if everything goes well... and from there I need to get to Warsaw. I know there's a train, actually one at night and one by day, I think I'll travel by day, a bit of a waste of time but I can't be bothered spending the night on transport and getting to my destination at 5am... and I heard the night train is not nice and I am travelling alone...
Well anyway, any help on how to book a ticket? Website litrail.lt seems nice and helpful but it gets stuck when I get to "order tickets". I also can't see the price, I don't have much choice so I'm not too fussy about it (well unless it's scarily expensive...) but still it would be nice to know... basically any advice would be appreciated Cheers

[Rasa]

Hi, Darkina

I just called them for some information and that's what they said to me:

- Now there's only one train which leaves at 12:00. If you take this train, you'll have to change trains once in Šeštokai. That shouldn't be difficult - I guess it's a very small station, because I don't even know where it is.. There's no direct train. You will be in Warsaw at 20:30. The whole price is 79 LT = 19.35 GBP = 22.88 EUR
- The one which goes by night is actually a bus. It leaves at 22.00 from the railway station (not bus station!). If you take this bus, you're supposed to be in Warsaw at 5:00. It costs 81 LT = 19.84 GBP = 23.46 EUR. I don't have an idea why "it is not nice" The only thing that comes to my mind is very narrow roads in Poland which are considered a bit dangerous. I remember some years ago there used to be quite many reports on the news about car crashes in Poland in which Lithuanian buses were involved, that's how polish roads became famous in a not nice way..But if you are not paranoid about safety, then it's a good option, I think. Or maybe the bus itself isn't very comfortable for a long trip..

These timetables are not going to be changed until the autumn.

- Bad news are that e-tickets no longer exist (how annoying that is ). So you can make a reservation by phone: Vilnius, tel.: (+370 8~5) 269 2466 / 269 3722, fax.: (+370 8~5) 262 6947. But in this case you have to take the ticket 6 days in advance. Another way is just to buy it when you're in Lithuania in the train station. But it's recommended to do that 2-3 days before you leave. So are you going to spend some time in Vilnius?

I also checked the bus station, but the prices they told me are higher. The timetables are:
15.04 - on Mondays and Thursdays
17:00 - on Thursdays and Saturdays
21:00 - on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays
21:30 - every day
All cost 138/139 LT ~ 33.80 GBP ~ 40 EUR.
Only the last one at 21:30 costs 105 LT = 25.72 GBP = 30.41 EUR.

If I were you, I would take a train - it's cheaper, safer and there are more space, although the time it leaves isn't very good.

[darkina]

Oh my god that was lovely, thank you very much! :D:D

Yes I knew about the Shestokai thing, as far as I understand it's the same route but you have to change train, but on website they give as only one route, i guess they change cos it seems to be the border.

Hmmmthen, yeah a bus at night is not my idea of a good time, done it before, and getting there at 5am is not fun either... what can i do, i'm lazy

i could still think about coach but i think im leaving on a day when options are no good, dont remember why i ruled it out...

bad news about e-booking, i will have to call lithuania then... i am in russia now and i think i'll travel on 26th so i need to do it by 20th. no sadly i'll spend only one day in vilnius, 25th and leave on 26th (if i do leave at 12 i might try and get up at like 6 and stroll around, i dont go to museums much i just like to walk around cities), im just having a crazy trip!

thanks so much for the info, i can buy you a drink in vilnius if you're there even if i dont know you

[Rasa]

Bad news about e-booking, i will have to call lithuania then... i am in russia now and i think i'll travel on 26th so i need to do it by 20th.

Hmm..Actually I understood it in another way - you have to take the reserved ticket 6 days before you leave. It doesn't mean to reserve a ticket 6 days before, but to pay and take the ticket from the ticket office 6 days before (reservation should be made even more time ago). I asked a lady "What if a person comes from abroad?", then she asked me "But how a person is going to take the reserved ticket?, so I said "That's what I'm asking you!" ..And then she suggested buying a ticket 2-3 days before. I guess you're able to do that on the same day you're leaving to Warsaw, but I don't have an idea ,if there gonna be some tickets left.

[darkina]

Right, I see about the first point...
About the second point, yes that's all I can do, get a ticket when I'm there and hope there is some left, well i get there the 24th at night and my flight in Warsaw to go home is on the 29th so hopefully I won't be stuck in Vilnius for too long, in the worst of cases I will have to stay longer in Vilnius and visit Warsaw too quickly, which will be yet another of my plans ruined this summer, but well it could be worse, as long as I can get out of Vilnius at some point (Im sure it's nice there but you know... ) I guess I'm fine... thanks for your help!

[Rasa]

Well, I could buy a ticket for you. Only problem is, I don't know exactly, if I'm going to be in Vilnius at that time. But I'm sure somehow we can work it out, e.g. I could ask someone to to be there and give you your ticket instead of me. What do you think?

[darkina]

Hey all was fine, got my ticket in the morning a few hours before leaving, it was no problem at all and I had a chance to use my Russian as the ticket ladies didn't speak English.
Really liked Vilinius, will write about my adventures maybe.
But thanks for your help and your offer

[Rasa]

That's so good to hear. Aah, and only it's a pity that I haven't met you. I really could have helped you not to get lost in the streets of Vilnius, for I wasn't out that day. Hope you didn't feel very lonely there..