Bus tour in the Baltics
ROUTE-8RW-That same Baltic.
This year, my wife and I decided not to sit at home on New Year's holidays. The choice fell on a bus tour of the Baltic countries. We bought a ticket (we bought it in advance, at the beginning of November, because the travel agency told us that the number of citizens, like us, who do not want to stay at home for 10 days increases every year. So: a bus tour for 8 days in the Baltics, first by train from Moscow to Minsk, there is a transfer to the bus ...and on the way. The representative of the tour company (in my opinion it was TURTransVoyage) met us at the Belorussky railway station in Moscow, put us on the train, tickets were distributed there. -I don't remember now). Platzkart, we got to Minsk normally, unloaded, gathered at ...the car as it should be. The guide, a nice girl, came up and invited us to the bus, which for 8 days will be, one might say, our home. What was the composition of the group?
Half are pensioners, but there are people who love to travel, several young couples, one child (12 years old), the rest are middle-aged people. Go. I want to say right away, as in any barrel of honey, we had our own fly in the ointment (this is my personal opinion and my impressions) and this spoon-bus "Neoplan" was called on which we rode. Strongly curly, as motorists say about old cars, the 80th year. Maybe I’m nitpicking (I’m, unfortunately, a man of large dimensions) I really didn’t like the seats on the bus, and my wife and I had a week or two at home, my legs hurt and I could hardly climb the stairs. Technically, he (the bus) was in excellent condition, the drivers were professionals, but there was still not enough space between the seats (for me personally). Well, then let's go ...The first point of our trip is Vilnius. Of course, you need to separately describe standing on the border - they stood for 3 hours.
We drive up to the building of the Lithuanian customs and see two queues: one to the exchange office (to change the currency, and the other ...right to the women's toilet (fortunately, there is no queue in the men's room, and I don't care that one booth is working, and one of the urinals is full, we are Russian people- we will always get out of the situation 7 In general, the money was exchanged and we go further. The guide immediately warned us about the "sanitary" stops - the territory is not yet very adapted to tourism, and there will be one stop (175 km on the way). about the "museum of the occupation" which passed 10 times, not a word), free time, souvenirs, shops, loading on the bus. We set off to Riga (285 km). All additional excursions are paid, but we decided to visit everything we can. - the idea was to visit the city of Trakai, but the guide persuaded us to “postpone” this excursion to the last day and combine it with an excursion to Cesis, which we all did.
In the evening we arrived in Riga, the hotel was in the center *** It was probably 8 o'clock in the evening. After dinner with what they had in store from home, they went to bed (the youth rushed off to a nightclub). The hotel ...I liked all three hotels very much, although all 3 *** are clean, comfortable, delicious food. friendly people (although on the streets you sometimes hear in the back - RUSI. RUSSIA) a. what is RUSI? Unclear. So. We got up, had breakfast, got ready, got on the bus. A local guide appeared, a sightseeing tour (I think it makes no sense to describe the beauties of Riga - who wants to come and see for himself). What did you like? Old city of course. A visit to the ROZENGRALS restaurant (everything in a medieval style, I liked it). The city has a lot of snow and icicles on the roofs. In the afternoon, a trip to Jurmala, but what about? To be in Riga and not see Jurmala? A walk around Jurmala, went ashore, looked at the Dzintare hall ....Since the second night was also in Riga, in the evening running around the shops (buy what, well, see the prices).
In the morning after a hearty breakfast, a trip to Rundale Castle and an excursion (of course, it’s better to go here in the summer - a great park, but in winter . . you can’t walk in the snow . . I liked it. Something remotely resembles St. Petersburg palaces. Since things are loaded on the bus in the morning, departure to Tallinn (in Estonian transcription). It's about 300 miles. I noticed that there is almost no lighting on suburban roads (only in the city), they save. Lukoil gas stations, through one (here I had a question, well, the Balts, they won’t buy the gasoline that we use with you. So they can make good and high-quality, since they sell it in the Baltics. We arrived in Tallinn at 9 o'clock in the evening. The hotel is of the same class as the first one. Undress, sleep. Again a sightseeing tour, the Old Town and the market, personal time, sightseeing. In the evening, again, shopping (well, interestingly. ) Be sure to buy VAANO Tallinn liqueur (now there is also a cream liqueur for ladies) ....
Morning, breakfast, packing, transfer to Cesis. Local guide, sightseeing of the city and Cē sis Castle, free time. That's it, back to Vilnius. On the last day we visited another attraction of the Baltic States - Trakai Castle. Of course, all this is better to watch in the summer, who argues. But even in winter everything looks fine, although comfort largely depends on the weather. Well, perhaps that's all. We returned to Minsk, boarded the train, and in the morning were in the capital. Yes, there was also a sightseeing tour of Minsk, but since it was in the evening and everyone was already tired of excursions (and I served in Minsk and saw the city before), this is not interesting. In general, we returned tired, but quite rested. Eight days went by very quickly.