Riga International Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

Riga airport is 13 km from the centre: minibus lines 222 and 241 cover the distance in 15-20 minutes with a departure every 10-15 minutes, bus 22 takes about 30 minutes, a taxi 13 minutes for about 23 euros. For those staying more than one night, the Old Town or the Quiet Centre Art Nouveau district remain the best choice, well connected and full of alternatives for dinner. The picture changes for layovers of a few hours, for which the Kepler Club inside the terminal itself avoids any transfer, and for dawn departures, when a hotel a few minutes' drive from check-in is worth it.

Inside the terminal

At the airport · The Kepler Club occupies the third floor of the terminal: from check-in or the gates you get there on foot in a few minutes, without leaving the building.

Best for: Layovers of a few hours and departures before 6am, when you don't want to leave the controlled area.

Pros

The only hotel inside Riga's terminal building, open round the clock on request even for just a few hours' sleep
The airside area welcomes those already in Schengen transit without making them go back through security

Cons

The airside area is reserved for passengers in Schengen transit: those arriving from a non-Schengen flight must use the landside area
Around it there are only the terminal's gates and shops, no alternative for dinner outside the airport

Recommended hotels in this area

Kepler Club Riga Airport Hotel - Landside Public Area: In the public area on the third floor of the terminal, accessible round the clock even without a boarding pass: the only hotel inside Riga's terminal building, usable by anyone passing through the airport.
Kepler Club Riga Airport Hotel - Airside EU Transit Area - Only Schengen: The same property but beyond security, in the Schengen transit area: handy for those with a layover between two Schengen flights who don't want to go out and back through security.

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Airport area

Hampton by Hilton is about 2 km from the terminal, 5 minutes by car or with the shuttle; Airport Hotel Mara is further away, in Mārupe, about 11 minutes by car.

Best for: Dawn departures and those arriving by car, when it's enough to stay a few minutes from check-in without paying terminal prices.

Pros

No risk of missing your flight because of bus or minibus delays from the centre
Lower prices than the terminal, with free parking at both properties

Cons

A residential and industrial area: dinner almost always means staying at the hotel
Without your own car you still need a taxi or the shuttle to get around, direct public buses are scarce

Recommended hotels in this area

Hampton by Hilton Riga Airport: About 2 km from the terminal, 5 minutes by car: breakfast already served from the early hours, useful for early flights.
Airport Hotel Mara: A Best Western property in Mārupe, about 11 minutes by car from the terminal: more affordable rates, in-house restaurant and free parking.

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Old Town

City centre · Minibus 222 or 241 to the centre in 15-20 minutes, bus 22 in about 30 minutes; taxi 13 minutes for about 23 euros.

Best for: Travellers visiting Riga who want the medieval streets and the cathedral within walking distance, accepting the longer trip to the airport.

Pros

The House of the Blackheads, the cathedral and the town hall square reachable on foot from your room
The highest concentration of restaurants and venues in the city, open until late

Cons

Cobbled streets, often crowded with tourists during the day
No direct link to the airport: a change or a short walk to the minibus stop is always needed

Recommended hotels in this area

Pullman Riga Old Town - Renovated 2025: 154 rooms with a panoramic terrace and inner garden, renovated in 2025, in the heart of the Old Town.
Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga: On Aspazijas Boulevard, at the edge of the Old Town and a few steps from the Latvian National Opera; indoor pool and spa among the few of international standard in the city.

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Quiet Centre and the Art Nouveau district

Neighbourhood · The same minibuses 222/241 or bus 22 from the airport to the centre, then 10 minutes on foot to Elizabetes iela; a direct taxi in about 15 minutes.

Best for: Travellers who prefer an elegant residential neighbourhood, with the Old Town ten minutes on foot away, next to the Art Nouveau façades of Elizabetes iela.

Pros

A district protected by UNESCO for its concentration of early-twentieth-century Art Nouveau façades
Quieter than the streets of the Old Town, yet ten minutes on foot from the cathedral

Cons

No direct minibus stop for the airport: you first have to reach the centre
Fewer restaurants than the Old Town, especially outside the main meal times

Recommended hotels in this area

AC Hotel by Marriott Riga: On Dzirnavu iela, in the Art Nouveau district, a 5-minute walk from the Latvian National Museum of Art; gym with a view and breakfast with local produce.
Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel, Riga: On Elizabetes iela, among the city's most photographed Art Nouveau façades, about 15 minutes on foot from the Old Town.

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