I'm an Estonian and I've done the Tallinn-Tartu-Valga-Riga train journey myself. Valga train station used to be much more important as it was the crossing of the Tartu-Riga and Pskov-Riga lines during the imperial Russian era. Plus, there was the narrow-gauge Valga-Pärnu railway which doesn't exist anymore. The station peaked at 500 workers before WW1. Valga's importance declined a lot when it was divided between Estonia and Latvia in 1919 and of course the Pskov line became heavily restricted as it was in the Soviet Union which had very tense relations with both Estonia and Latvia. The 1890 train station building was destroyed in WW2 in 1944 and the new building was built during the Soviet occupation in 1949.
Hi Eksiavarnus and thanks very much for the extremely detailed and useful reply. I wish that narrow-gauge Railway was still there - would have probably warranted an overnight stay in Valga. I think I only really scratched the surface of the town in terms of its historical importance and I can well believe the amount of workers you quoted when I was looking at the size of the marshalling yards and train sheds. Shame the old building was destroyed but I think the new station is a fine replacement - much more glamorous than anything Tallinn or Riga have to offer at either end of the journey! I loved Estonia btw and will definitely be back some day. All the best, Mark 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Tallinn and Riga both had wonderful train stations, but they were destroyed during the Soviet occupation (not because of WW2) and were replaced with Soviet functionalist monstrocities. And Valga today is mostly known for the border running through it and many Latvians working on the Estonian side for higher wages.
The locomotive with the red wagon is used for track measurement to ensure proper width of the track. The locomotive is an M62 freight locomotive and by now it is very rare (M62)
I took this trip in 2014. Good to see the Valga-Riga bit is still running, i was afraid that was discontinued. Older RVR train from Tallinn that day. On the return trip the connecting train Valga - Tallinn left as the Latvian train pulled in.
Hi, thanks for the comment! From what I can gather, all the Estonian passenger trains are the FLIRT variety now. In hindsight, I was glad of the wait at Valga because it did allow me to explore a little ‘off the beaten track’ so to speak. And yes, the classic Latvian train was waiting for me when I got back. A great experience!
This is amazing! As an Estonian, I did not know that they used English announcements too on the trains. The "Emajõgi" river is said like "Emma - yugi" meaning "Mothers river." I also post Estonian train videos on my channel.
Hi TCG, thanks for the comment. And thanks for the pronunciation as well, I am learning a few new words! Yes the announcements were in both Estonian and English. Decent trains too although I guess there’s not much variety in passenger transport - they all seem to be orange FLIRTS. Great country though, really enjoyed myself. I’ll check out your channel. Cheers.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Thank You! As well, I would like to wonder if you know anything about Latvia - Lithuania trains. I want to take one but I cant seem to find any timetables.
@@timectrl not much tbh. When I was in Riga, I took a Lux Express coach to Tallinn and I’m pretty sure then went to Vilnius as well. I know it’s not the train but it might be worth checking them out?
@@timectrl , Tere! Nope, there are none, unfortunately. The last time it was possible was before the war and the covid, aboard the so-called "Train of Four Capitals", run by Ukrainian UkrZaliznitsia. Given the circumstances, I doubt if we'll see another one in 20-30 years to come, if ever. As for Riga-Vilnius route - I actually expect it to become operational as soon as the finish the construction of Rail Baltica.
I really want to get to Estonia soon. Seems like an interesting country with great history and scenery! The train is an excellent way to view different towns and villages between the main cities. ✈️
I paid £12 o/w BHX - RIX (Wizz) then went up to Estonia from there. Can’t go wrong for that price. The trains are all the same in Estonia but Tallinn is a beautiful city and the people I met were really nice overall. I’d definitely go back.
Well just for your knowledge, apart for the local services there is not a international railway service between large cities in Baltic (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius/Kaunas) is a bus trip normally. Heritage of Soviet Union! From 1991 they weren't able to connect the Baltic to Poland by rail neithwer building a decent roadway to connect the 3 capitals.
Ah cheers Joe, yes it definitely is a fascinating place. Travelling long distance, well there’s a great network of coaches (Lux Express) who’ll get you there quicker but the train is just a little more interesting I guess - certainly on the Latvian side!
Prepare for another trip! Cause latvia has started modernising/reconstructing 48 stations and electrifying all railroads till 2040 also our first new train has been built out of 32
Cheers for the info! Hopefully though I’ll be back way before that as I loved Riga and I believe there’s a train museum there somewhere that I missed on my last visit. I’d quite like to see that.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Oh yeah the train museum is right next to the national library and also the new trains will most likely operate on the Rīga-Jūrmala or Rīga-Ogre lines (the trains will commence operation on September)
@@Kreicss that’s the one - on the other side of the river from what I remember. I spent most of my time on the trams in Riga really and I did film quite a bit of footage but I’m not too sure it’s worth releasing as my last video on the Lisbon trams did terribly! The new trains will be good but I hope you keep some of the older ones running too. Thanks for the info 😊👍
There was a time when we had direct train connections between the capitals of all three Baltic states.. now, unfortunately, you can only travel on internal routes in each of them... Apparently, the accountants took over and said that having direct flights between Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn is not financially worthwhile... and everything else doesn't matter...😪
Fascinating part of the world… I don’t know what I was expecting but was surprised to see it be so green! Great editing and info, I felt I was along for the ride! I wasn’t anticipating such a big difference between the quality of the trains bw the two countries either!
Hi melglobus, cheers for the comment. Yes I wasn't sure what to expect either, although I did know about the difference in trains before I went and that was part of the attraction really. And it's a bit of a way off the beaten track but everyone I met was really friendly. I enjoyed both Estonia and Latvia immensely and would definitely recommend it. All the best, Mark
Exactly those trains were produced in Riga, Latvia during the Sovier occupation of Latvia at not any more existing RVR factory and exported into the entire USSR
As to the seats: considering their size and shape, I think that they are actually bus seats. In addition to this, the button with two arrows that you were trying to push, is meant (on the busses) to move the aisle seats slightly into the aisle, giving more room to the couple seating together and thus making longer trips more comfortable (nobody would bother reduced space in the aisle, since it isn't much in use on the busses). This system can often be seen on German built busses (Mercedes, Setra, MAN).
Hi Max. Hmm, interesting! So the button, instead of trying to recline the seat, I should have been trying to move it sideways! Fascinating, I would never have thought of that tbh, thanks for the tip. And yes, somebody else commented on the bus seats, they definitely look under-sized for the carriage. I’d be interested to know what preceded them. Cheers, Mark
@@LetsMakeaTrip Hey, yes indeed, they are originally for bus - not sure which kind, Setra or Man if I am not mistaken. Btw. exactly those seats I saw few months ago on one very local train in Germany. Also those seats are much more comfortable than those which use to been at those kind of trains before originally.
Fun review! As you saw, there's not much passenger travel going on between Estonia and Latvia, especially by train. Most passenger traveling goes on between Estonia and Finland. There are couple of reasons actually. Firstly, Finland and Estonia are both Finnic countries which means that they are linguistically, culturally and even genetically closest to each other. That in turn means that a lot more Estonians work, live and study in Finland than in Latvia. It's naturally easier to communicate with people who speak similar language with you and are also culturally similar :) Also, most of the population of Estonia is concentrated to the North and most of the population of Finland is concentrated to the South. This mirroring is common over the history. In fact, there were plans to make a separate Finnic region aside the Scandinavian and Baltic regions. This plan was however intervened severely by WWII and Soviet Union's occupation of Estonia.
Hey Carl-Erik, many thanks for the interesting detail on this. I didn’t realise there was such a close bond between Estonia and Finland but yes, I guess a lot of it is down to geographical location of the populous and, as you know, that would explain the prominence of the ferry links between the two countries. Btw, I spent some time looking around Tallinn - a beautiful city and I’d love to go back again one day. All the best, Mark
At 15:35, that is either a track geometry recording car nor a car-defectoscope (russian: вагон-дефектоскоп) for undestructive inspection of railway track by ultrasonic and/or magnetic testing.
That red car you saw in Valga is a Latvian track measuring car. You can see it in action here: th-cam.com/video/2sUKNyXT-h4/w-d-xo.html and here: th-cam.com/video/bID8QX9tgP8/w-d-xo.html Just FYI, There is a 15% discount on Elron trains if you buy the ticket online. The seats have been widely criticised by the public. Elron has actually ordered 6 new trains (with the provision for 10 more) meant for express services around Estonia. They will be produced by Škoda and supposedly will have more comfortable seating as well. By the way, all the new trains will be electric since there is a large-scale electrification planned for Estonian railways, starting with the Tallinn-Tartu line in 2024. By the end of 2028 pretty much all passenger railway lines should be electrified (apart from Tallinn-Rapla-Viljandi line which belongs to a private company). Rail Baltica, a new standard gauge railway line from Tallinn to the Polish border will open in 2030. This will bring the Tallinn-Riga journey time down to 2 hours.
Hi Rebasepoiss, thanks for the info and the link, I’ll check that out in a bit, nice one! Re: the ticket, I hope someone finds it useful. Tbh, I didn’t even look online so that’s going to be worth it if and when I return. Interesting how the price differs so much between Estonia and Latvia though. Sounds like there’s a lot going on to improve things, I’d heard about the Rail Baltica project as I presume that will have a major impact on the coach service between Tallinn and Riga (assuming the fares are comparable). I look forward to going back in 9 years time to try it out! All the best, Mark
Thank you!! We are traveling from Krakow to Tallinn on January 28th, stopping in Vilnius for a night, then onto Tallinn. Any advice? Changing trains? Hotels near the train stop? Thank you!!
Hi Richard, thanks. Yep, me too. I’m thinking about UK to Turkey - needs a bit of planning though but that’s half the fun imo. Good luck with what you decide. You must let me know 👍
Thanks for this and the bus one. I’ll be there next month going one way from Riga to Tallinn and they both look as good as each other to travel on. The only off putting thing would be the three hour wait for me. So you’ve helped me chose the bus. Keep it going. Cheers 👍
Cheers TEC. Yes, the train was really just an adventure. I’m glad I did it but I would choose the bus every time now - much more direct (and a lot quicker).
Hi James, thanks for the kind words. This was definitely a memorable trip - a round-a-bout way of getting from Tallinn to Riga but worth it for the experience. Don’t know how long it’ll last in its present format esp with RailBaltica coming along, so do it while you can I would say.
That was great. Interesting journey. Not sure about the newer trains but on the older ones there didnt seem to be any provision for people with mobility needs. Some of the access steps on and off the trains were high and steep. My missus is disabled walking wise and she wouldnt have a hope of making those train journeys. The newer ones wiht the raised seating would be a nightmare. Thanks for the vid.
Cheers Keith, yep I agree, provision for people with mobility issues is not very good and very often there are a number of steps up. Some of the station platforms leave quite a lot to be desired also. Totally understand the issues here which is a shame because the trains themselves are a fantastic experience!
The Estonian trains actually do have mobility access, all the platforms are the same height and on the trains you may find "C area" which is built for people with mobility needs, there is also a restroom for them. :)
Great vid as usual, and fascinating trains! Interesting difference between the two. It did look like the Latvian train seats were installed strait out of a bus!
Hi mate, yes I didn’t think it at the time but as others have commented, the seats are just out of a bus! I wonder what the original interior would have looked like? Was it any different?
What a great video Mark! I love how you leave all the details and footage in the edit to share the full experience! Valga station really reminds me of Vilnius airports old terminal (now arrivals area), there's some stunning architecture in the Baltics. The trains both looked great tbh, plenty comfortable, i'm not sure about a bin within the table though! I've visited both of these countries in the past, and can honestly say they're beautiful, and the people amazing too. One trip you need to do via train, Grenoble to Geneva; nothing fancy, just a regular train, but some of the loveliest views, and when we travelled on it a few years back there turned out to be at seat catering in standard! Keep up the good work, and we should grab a beer sometime!
Ah cheers JT! yes, Valga station was pretty impressive. It wasn’t a bad place to kill some time really, I’m glad I made the effort for two contrasting experiences. And I agree, Riga and Tallinn were both great cities with lovely people. I’m thinking of a few trips next year but just a bit reluctant to plan too much abroad atm the way things are going. Always up for a beer though 😊👍
Hi Ganapati, thanks very much for the comment, glad you enjoyed the video. I’ve never been to Texas but I am heading out to Austin early next year and I’m really looking forward to it! Any recommendations, please let me know. 😊👍
15:38 , its a track measuring car (It checks the track quality etc.) Also sidenote you got kinda unlucky because sometimes a newer Latvian DMU (DR-1AC) goes to Valga. The never ones are alot better they have wifi, chargers etc.
Cheers Ivo, yeh it looked great actually as it went past and, I get what you mean about better facilities on the newer train. However, I really wanted to ride this classic old loco and I really enjoyed it overall. Yes it was basic but that’s what I liked about it really. Also, Latvia and Estonia - two great countries with really friendly people. I can’t wait to go back 🇱🇻 🇪🇪
Hi Travelino Blog, well I’m very pleased to have you onboard! I’ll do my best to keep you interested and entertained 😊 Many thanks for the kind words and cheers for now 👍
Very interesting . I was surprised to hear that the Estonian leg of the journey was three times more expensive than the Latvian sector .I was in both countries about ten years ago and prices were similar to each other then . Keep up the good work !
Thanks O’ Pagoda. Yep, maybe it’s because they’ve spent a load of money on new trains in Estonia? Very different experience really - it was a typical buy your ticket from the ticket office in Tallinn, as opposed to the ‘pay someone on the train’ approach in Valga. I much preferred the old Latvian train too tbh.
One of the reasons for the high price was also the fact the 2h service between Tallinn and Tartu is more expensive. The 2h 28min service is €3 cheaper.
@@LetsMakeaTrip There should be more of these wagons in Latvia, but if this measures in Estonia, there are only 1 of them at a time. In a week, this wagon will pass through the entire Estonian railway
@@silvermargussinimagi Hello, I am really wondering if you could give me the info on where / when that would pass different stations. I am visiting Estonia Jul 10 - Aug 8
Really brilliant Mark! I'd love to travel out here, definitely next year for me ☺️ Valga station was amazing and you're lucky your Elektrichka had bus seats and didn't have wooden benches (I speak from experience in Ukraine!) 😁👍🏻
Thanks mate, £12.99 BHX - RIX with Wizz, nice and cheap to this part of the world isn’t it! I would have liked to have done a few more trains in Latvia as I think it’s a bit more varied. The rail Baltica project will improve times massively when that’s completed too but a bit of a way off yet. Wouldn’t mind trying Lithuania - I’ve no idea what their trains are like there tbh and of course Ukraine. Just so much to explore and not enough time to do it in!
Hi Petris, thanks for the info mate. I didn’t have that much detail on this train so much appreciated. Also, something no-one’s commented on yet but I think the exterior colour scheme was really bright and distinctive. Certainly a lot more interesting than the newer Estonian trains in my opinion. Cheers mate 👍
Hey thanks David, feeling a bit better now but I’m on a long road to recovery. Fortunately these videos are from a few months back as I’m not gonna be out and about until the new year now. I can’t wait to do a bit more globetrotting though - trying to get a bit further next year! 😊👍
The Latvian train looks very old & outdated from the outside but the interior is nice, do you think the national railway company will eventually replace them one day with more modern rolling stock what's your prediction be very interested to hear you think.
Hi Jerome, yep it’s very ‘rough and ready’ isn’t it, but I kind of like it and that was the main reason for travelling on it really. Such a contrast with the Estonian service! I believe they are being replaced - someone else commented on this subject very recently. Not sure on timescales though atm.
@@jeromebano1125 yes definitely. Riga’s a wonderful place, the people are friendly and prices are quite cheap, even in the centre. My hotel was approx £30 pn.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I am sorry for the delay in reply been having a short break from youtube as I was on holiday I know that Riga is a nice place did they still have those old trams running when you was staying there ?
@@jeromebano1125 I didn’t see any of the really old stuff but I noticed on the way back to the airport that there’s a transport museum so I could do with going back to have a look at that. I bet there’s a few relics in there!
Thanks so much for this video - explained a lot. I appreciated you going over even the petty things. It sounded like you didn't have to pay until you boarded? You didn't have to pay in advance at a machine or anything?
Good god a full day trip for a nearly 3 hours jorney by bus or car. No contest about the scenery and the charm but as a railways enthusiast what is your opionion? how do you think this infrastructure will survive (especially for the Latvian section) in terms of numbers of passengers x trip rate? I used the Tallinn-Tartu many times (comparable to a local european service, not too bad), but i just enjoyed taking only pictures of the Latvian RVR. No way i will spend 3 hours on that. I used to take it commuting from Saulkrasti to Riga. P.S. I live between Riga and Tallinn (half the week here and there). Just can't wait the Baltrail will be ready. Probably i will have to wait for my pension.
Well the Rail Baltica is going to have a massive impact on this line isn't it. It's nice to say I did it because yes, if you're in a rush you would just drive or take the bus (as I did with Lux Express - see my other video for that experience). There weren't many on the trains (though more on the Estonian one I would say). The Latvian RVR is definitely a classic without much in the way of facilities or comfort but - at just under 6 euros, you can't go wrong really. I'd definitely do more trains in Latvia. Estonia is full of FLIRTS now which just aren't as interesting imo.
@@LetsMakeaTrip In my experience, the majority of people that use these lines do not go from Tallinn to Riga, but rather use the trains for leisure, commuting, sightseeing, or visiting inside their own countries. This is further supported by the fact that the change used to be eleven minutes but PV. has changed the times so that the change is a few hours. Therefore, the line will probably be used almost as much after Rail Baltica than it is now.
@@timectrl What is the current status of Rail Baltica project, is everything going as smooth as they say? Specially connection of Riga airport to the city center.
@@dariosindicic Well, nothing much. Vilnius - Kaunas has been partially constructed, but not much else. The RailBaltica is a really good idea, but I feel like it has been poorly implemented.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Until early there was Tallinn-Pärnu-Mõisaküla-Riga line which I used couple of times.Never been in Valga and that trip seems to be too time consuming although exotic
@@lennartbeat yep, most sensible people would do the 4 hour coach journey (as I did from Riga to Tallinn). I took the train for curiosity as much as anything. I liked Valga though, more to see there than I thought. Cheers, Mark
@@LetsMakeaTrip These old DR1 trains have toilets that dump directly onto the trackbed. (Should I mention noisy and really basic/claustrophobic?) Some time ago when I commuted on that line, crews used to operate the toilets in a manner where they were closed in the suburban area and open on the rural part of the route. Dunno how they do it now. It *may* be that the guard wasn't fluent enough to explain the setup.
@@u1zha hi Uldis, thanks for the insight on this. It sounds like a perfectly good explanation for what the situation was. In hindsight, maybe I should have had more of an explore when we’d got going because I reckon what you are saying makes sense, we’ll never mind, maybe next time 😊
"The station is featureless" The main feature is that it does not have gaps between a train and a platform as for example in the UK, where you got huge gaps about a meter or more.
For anyone arriving in Riga. It's a short walk through to the bus station (autoosta) where there is a super cafe that serves wonderful meals.
Cheers for the tip Graham 👍
I'm an Estonian and I've done the Tallinn-Tartu-Valga-Riga train journey myself.
Valga train station used to be much more important as it was the crossing of the Tartu-Riga and Pskov-Riga lines during the imperial Russian era. Plus, there was the narrow-gauge Valga-Pärnu railway which doesn't exist anymore. The station peaked at 500 workers before WW1. Valga's importance declined a lot when it was divided between Estonia and Latvia in 1919 and of course the Pskov line became heavily restricted as it was in the Soviet Union which had very tense relations with both Estonia and Latvia. The 1890 train station building was destroyed in WW2 in 1944 and the new building was built during the Soviet occupation in 1949.
Hi Eksiavarnus and thanks very much for the extremely detailed and useful reply. I wish that narrow-gauge Railway was still there - would have probably warranted an overnight stay in Valga. I think I only really scratched the surface of the town in terms of its historical importance and I can well believe the amount of workers you quoted when I was looking at the size of the marshalling yards and train sheds. Shame the old building was destroyed but I think the new station is a fine replacement - much more glamorous than anything Tallinn or Riga have to offer at either end of the journey! I loved Estonia btw and will definitely be back some day. All the best, Mark 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Tallinn and Riga both had wonderful train stations, but they were destroyed during the Soviet occupation (not because of WW2) and were replaced with Soviet functionalist monstrocities. And Valga today is mostly known for the border running through it and many Latvians working on the Estonian side for higher wages.
@@eksiarvamus yeh, Riga Station - I’m not even sure it’s that. Did you see the state of the platform 😂 really enjoyed Valga though 👍
The locomotive with the red wagon is used for track measurement to ensure proper width of the track. The locomotive is an M62 freight locomotive and by now it is very rare (M62)
I took this trip in 2014. Good to see the Valga-Riga bit is still running, i was afraid that was discontinued. Older RVR train from Tallinn that day. On the return trip the connecting train Valga - Tallinn left as the Latvian train pulled in.
Hi, thanks for the comment! From what I can gather, all the Estonian passenger trains are the FLIRT variety now. In hindsight, I was glad of the wait at Valga because it did allow me to explore a little ‘off the beaten track’ so to speak. And yes, the classic Latvian train was waiting for me when I got back. A great experience!
This is amazing! As an Estonian, I did not know that they used English announcements too on the trains. The "Emajõgi" river is said like "Emma - yugi" meaning "Mothers river." I also post Estonian train videos on my channel.
Hi TCG, thanks for the comment. And thanks for the pronunciation as well, I am learning a few new words! Yes the announcements were in both Estonian and English. Decent trains too although I guess there’s not much variety in passenger transport - they all seem to be orange FLIRTS. Great country though, really enjoyed myself. I’ll check out your channel. Cheers.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Thank You! As well, I would like to wonder if you know anything about Latvia - Lithuania trains. I want to take one but I cant seem to find any timetables.
@@timectrl not much tbh. When I was in Riga, I took a Lux Express coach to Tallinn and I’m pretty sure then went to Vilnius as well. I know it’s not the train but it might be worth checking them out?
@@LetsMakeaTrip Okay!
@@timectrl , Tere! Nope, there are none, unfortunately. The last time it was possible was before the war and the covid, aboard the so-called "Train of Four Capitals", run by Ukrainian UkrZaliznitsia. Given the circumstances, I doubt if we'll see another one in 20-30 years to come, if ever.
As for Riga-Vilnius route - I actually expect it to become operational as soon as the finish the construction of Rail Baltica.
I really want to get to Estonia soon. Seems like an interesting country with great history and scenery! The train is an excellent way to view different towns and villages between the main cities. ✈️
I paid £12 o/w BHX - RIX (Wizz) then went up to Estonia from there. Can’t go wrong for that price. The trains are all the same in Estonia but Tallinn is a beautiful city and the people I met were really nice overall. I’d definitely go back.
Well just for your knowledge, apart for the local services there is not a international railway service between large cities in Baltic (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius/Kaunas) is a bus trip normally. Heritage of Soviet Union! From 1991 they weren't able to connect the Baltic to Poland by rail neithwer building a decent roadway to connect the 3 capitals.
What an interesting journey, Estonia is definitely intriguing. Great video as usual, thanks.
Ah cheers Joe, yes it definitely is a fascinating place. Travelling long distance, well there’s a great network of coaches (Lux Express) who’ll get you there quicker but the train is just a little more interesting I guess - certainly on the Latvian side!
Prepare for another trip! Cause latvia has started modernising/reconstructing 48 stations and electrifying all railroads till 2040 also our first new train has been built out of 32
Cheers for the info! Hopefully though I’ll be back way before that as I loved Riga and I believe there’s a train museum there somewhere that I missed on my last visit. I’d quite like to see that.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Oh yeah the train museum is right next to the national library and also the new trains will most likely operate on the Rīga-Jūrmala or Rīga-Ogre lines (the trains will commence operation on September)
@@LetsMakeaTrip Heres a link to the train prereview on our news channel (in latvian) th-cam.com/video/2Tk30q-dQyY/w-d-xo.html
@@Kreicss that’s the one - on the other side of the river from what I remember. I spent most of my time on the trams in Riga really and I did film quite a bit of footage but I’m not too sure it’s worth releasing as my last video on the Lisbon trams did terribly! The new trains will be good but I hope you keep some of the older ones running too. Thanks for the info 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip I recently visited the Riga railway museum and it is really cool! Check out TH-cam if you want to see footage.
There was a time when we had direct train connections between the capitals of all three Baltic states.. now, unfortunately, you can only travel on internal routes in each of them... Apparently, the accountants took over and said that having direct flights between Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn is not financially worthwhile... and everything else doesn't matter...😪
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Really enjoyed watching this Baltic railway extravaganza. Top review as always.
Cheers mate - you should try it some day. Plenty of cheap flights out to this part of the world. I’ll definitely be back at some point 👍
I think Estonia is an excellent place for travel. Everything is clean and lean and perfectly organised and reasonably priced.
Fascinating part of the world… I don’t know what I was expecting but was surprised to see it be so green! Great editing and info, I felt I was along for the ride! I wasn’t anticipating such a big difference between the quality of the trains bw the two countries either!
Hi melglobus, cheers for the comment. Yes I wasn't sure what to expect either, although I did know about the difference in trains before I went and that was part of the attraction really. And it's a bit of a way off the beaten track but everyone I met was really friendly. I enjoyed both Estonia and Latvia immensely and would definitely recommend it. All the best, Mark
Wow. What a transition... Latvia's train is like something out of the USSR...
Yes, definite contrasts at the border! Fantastic experience though 😊
Exactly those trains were produced in Riga, Latvia during the Sovier occupation of Latvia at not any more existing RVR factory and exported into the entire USSR
Reliable and beautiful, yes.
As to the seats: considering their size and shape, I think that they are actually bus seats. In addition to this, the button with two arrows that you were trying to push, is meant (on the busses) to move the aisle seats slightly into the aisle, giving more room to the couple seating together and thus making longer trips more comfortable (nobody would bother reduced space in the aisle, since it isn't much in use on the busses). This system can often be seen on German built busses (Mercedes, Setra, MAN).
Hi Max. Hmm, interesting! So the button, instead of trying to recline the seat, I should have been trying to move it sideways! Fascinating, I would never have thought of that tbh, thanks for the tip. And yes, somebody else commented on the bus seats, they definitely look under-sized for the carriage. I’d be interested to know what preceded them. Cheers, Mark
@@LetsMakeaTrip Hey, yes indeed, they are originally for bus - not sure which kind, Setra or Man if I am not mistaken. Btw. exactly those seats I saw few months ago on one very local train in Germany. Also those seats are much more comfortable than those which use to been at those kind of trains before originally.
Great video and love the shuffling music, planning on doing this leg before 2030
video cool man route cool train travel very cool . i love travel vith trains
Fun review! As you saw, there's not much passenger travel going on between Estonia and Latvia, especially by train. Most passenger traveling goes on between Estonia and Finland. There are couple of reasons actually. Firstly, Finland and Estonia are both Finnic countries which means that they are linguistically, culturally and even genetically closest to each other. That in turn means that a lot more Estonians work, live and study in Finland than in Latvia. It's naturally easier to communicate with people who speak similar language with you and are also culturally similar :) Also, most of the population of Estonia is concentrated to the North and most of the population of Finland is concentrated to the South. This mirroring is common over the history. In fact, there were plans to make a separate Finnic region aside the Scandinavian and Baltic regions. This plan was however intervened severely by WWII and Soviet Union's occupation of Estonia.
Hey Carl-Erik, many thanks for the interesting detail on this. I didn’t realise there was such a close bond between Estonia and Finland but yes, I guess a lot of it is down to geographical location of the populous and, as you know, that would explain the prominence of the ferry links between the two countries. Btw, I spent some time looking around Tallinn - a beautiful city and I’d love to go back again one day. All the best, Mark
At 15:35, that is either a track geometry recording car nor a car-defectoscope (russian: вагон-дефектоскоп) for undestructive inspection of railway track by ultrasonic and/or magnetic testing.
Interesting, cheers mate 😊👍
That red car you saw in Valga is a Latvian track measuring car. You can see it in action here: th-cam.com/video/2sUKNyXT-h4/w-d-xo.html and here: th-cam.com/video/bID8QX9tgP8/w-d-xo.html
Just FYI, There is a 15% discount on Elron trains if you buy the ticket online.
The seats have been widely criticised by the public. Elron has actually ordered 6 new trains (with the provision for 10 more) meant for express services around Estonia. They will be produced by Škoda and supposedly will have more comfortable seating as well. By the way, all the new trains will be electric since there is a large-scale electrification planned for Estonian railways, starting with the Tallinn-Tartu line in 2024. By the end of 2028 pretty much all passenger railway lines should be electrified (apart from Tallinn-Rapla-Viljandi line which belongs to a private company).
Rail Baltica, a new standard gauge railway line from Tallinn to the Polish border will open in 2030. This will bring the Tallinn-Riga journey time down to 2 hours.
Hi Rebasepoiss, thanks for the info and the link, I’ll check that out in a bit, nice one!
Re: the ticket, I hope someone finds it useful. Tbh, I didn’t even look online so that’s going to be worth it if and when I return. Interesting how the price differs so much between Estonia and Latvia though.
Sounds like there’s a lot going on to improve things, I’d heard about the Rail Baltica project as I presume that will have a major impact on the coach service between Tallinn and Riga (assuming the fares are comparable). I look forward to going back in 9 years time to try it out! All the best, Mark
Edalaraudtee Tallinn-Viljandi go brrrr
Thank you!! We are traveling from Krakow to Tallinn on January 28th, stopping in Vilnius for a night, then onto Tallinn. Any advice? Changing trains? Hotels near the train stop? Thank you!!
Hi Mark... Great video as always my friend.... I'm hoping to get around parts of Europe by Rail next summer.
Your videos are giving me some ideas 😊 👍
Hi Richard, thanks. Yep, me too. I’m thinking about UK to Turkey - needs a bit of planning though but that’s half the fun imo. Good luck with what you decide. You must let me know 👍
Thanks for this and the bus one. I’ll be there next month going one way from Riga to Tallinn and they both look as good as each other to travel on. The only off putting thing would be the three hour wait for me. So you’ve helped me chose the bus. Keep it going. Cheers 👍
Cheers TEC. Yes, the train was really just an adventure. I’m glad I did it but I would choose the bus every time now - much more direct (and a lot quicker).
@@LetsMakeaTrip I’ll take your advice. Thanks for that mate 👍
Really lovely trip and narrative. I would like to make this trip one day!
Hi James, thanks for the kind words. This was definitely a memorable trip - a round-a-bout way of getting from Tallinn to Riga but worth it for the experience. Don’t know how long it’ll last in its present format esp with RailBaltica coming along, so do it while you can I would say.
That was great. Interesting journey. Not sure about the newer trains but on the older ones there didnt seem to be any provision for people with mobility needs. Some of the access steps on and off the trains were high and steep. My missus is disabled walking wise and she wouldnt have a hope of making those train journeys. The newer ones wiht the raised seating would be a nightmare. Thanks for the vid.
Cheers Keith, yep I agree, provision for people with mobility issues is not very good and very often there are a number of steps up. Some of the station platforms leave quite a lot to be desired also. Totally understand the issues here which is a shame because the trains themselves are a fantastic experience!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Mind you. its almost as bad here. Thanks.
The Estonian trains actually do have mobility access, all the platforms are the same height and on the trains you may find "C area" which is built for people with mobility needs, there is also a restroom for them. :)
Helo, i m from Latvija, Ogre, and i want get to Estonia, Valga an try estonian train Valga-Tallinn.
Hi Martins! I’d go into Riga and get the Lux Express if I did it again. Nice coach and much quicker!
Great vid as usual, and fascinating trains! Interesting difference between the two. It did look like the Latvian train seats were installed strait out of a bus!
Hi mate, yes I didn’t think it at the time but as others have commented, the seats are just out of a bus! I wonder what the original interior would have looked like? Was it any different?
@@LetsMakeaTrip The old seats used to be benches.
@@rennorohtmaa1879 Hi Renno, thanks. I had a feeling that might have been the case 👍😊
Valga small but nice sity and Riga budeful sity i love travel . i LIKE SEE YOURS TRAVEL VIDEOS MAN
Thanks mate 😊👍
The background music style is kinda like Michael Palin's ar the world in 80 days😁
I’ll have to have another watch of that! It’s a bit ‘country music’ for me tbh but I find that often fits train travel videos for some reason. Cheers.
What a great video Mark! I love how you leave all the details and footage in the edit to share the full experience! Valga station really reminds me of Vilnius airports old terminal (now arrivals area), there's some stunning architecture in the Baltics. The trains both looked great tbh, plenty comfortable, i'm not sure about a bin within the table though! I've visited both of these countries in the past, and can honestly say they're beautiful, and the people amazing too. One trip you need to do via train, Grenoble to Geneva; nothing fancy, just a regular train, but some of the loveliest views, and when we travelled on it a few years back there turned out to be at seat catering in standard! Keep up the good work, and we should grab a beer sometime!
Ah cheers JT! yes, Valga station was pretty impressive. It wasn’t a bad place to kill some time really, I’m glad I made the effort for two contrasting experiences. And I agree, Riga and Tallinn were both great cities with lovely people. I’m thinking of a few trips next year but just a bit reluctant to plan too much abroad atm the way things are going. Always up for a beer though 😊👍
Nice vlog! Great presentation. I am a new subscriber to your channel. Greetings from Plano, Texas, United States.
Hi Ganapati, thanks very much for the comment, glad you enjoyed the video. I’ve never been to Texas but I am heading out to Austin early next year and I’m really looking forward to it! Any recommendations, please let me know. 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Austin is beautiful city, would suggest you visit Dallas Fortworth too.
15:38 , its a track measuring car (It checks the track quality etc.) Also sidenote you got kinda unlucky because sometimes a newer Latvian DMU (DR-1AC) goes to Valga. The never ones are alot better they have wifi, chargers etc.
Cheers Ivo, yeh it looked great actually as it went past and, I get what you mean about better facilities on the newer train. However, I really wanted to ride this classic old loco and I really enjoyed it overall. Yes it was basic but that’s what I liked about it really. Also, Latvia and Estonia - two great countries with really friendly people. I can’t wait to go back 🇱🇻 🇪🇪
Hi mark. New subscriber here and really enjoying the content, really well done! Keep up the great work!
Hi Travelino Blog, well I’m very pleased to have you onboard! I’ll do my best to keep you interested and entertained 😊 Many thanks for the kind words and cheers for now 👍
Very interesting . I was surprised to hear that the Estonian leg of the journey was three times more expensive than the Latvian sector .I was in both countries about ten years ago and prices were similar to each other then . Keep up the good work !
Thanks O’ Pagoda. Yep, maybe it’s because they’ve spent a load of money on new trains in Estonia? Very different experience really - it was a typical buy your ticket from the ticket office in Tallinn, as opposed to the ‘pay someone on the train’ approach in Valga. I much preferred the old Latvian train too tbh.
One of the reasons for the high price was also the fact the 2h service between Tallinn and Tartu is more expensive. The 2h 28min service is €3 cheaper.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I guess you got onto a express train?
@@stranger6094 looks that way yep.
@@LetsMakeaTrip You can buy your ticket on the train in Estonia too. Or online.
This Red wagon is track measurement wagon, this goes to Estonia once a month and runs through the entire Estonian railway
Hi, thanks for the comment and information - very interesting. Just wondering, are there any more or does this single wagon cover the entire network?
@@LetsMakeaTrip There should be more of these wagons in Latvia, but if this measures in Estonia, there are only 1 of them at a time. In a week, this wagon will pass through the entire Estonian railway
@@silvermargussinimagi it’s a busy little train then really. Thanks for the info - fascinating 😊👍
@@silvermargussinimagi Hello, I am really wondering if you could give me the info on where / when that would pass different stations. I am visiting Estonia Jul 10 - Aug 8
@@timectrl track measurement wagon measuring in next week.
Really brilliant Mark! I'd love to travel out here, definitely next year for me ☺️ Valga station was amazing and you're lucky your Elektrichka had bus seats and didn't have wooden benches (I speak from experience in Ukraine!) 😁👍🏻
Thanks mate, £12.99 BHX - RIX with Wizz, nice and cheap to this part of the world isn’t it! I would have liked to have done a few more trains in Latvia as I think it’s a bit more varied. The rail Baltica project will improve times massively when that’s completed too but a bit of a way off yet. Wouldn’t mind trying Lithuania - I’ve no idea what their trains are like there tbh and of course Ukraine. Just so much to explore and not enough time to do it in!
Hello there !! Lol.🙋♀️💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🎄🚍🍾🥂💞
the DR1A is a DMU train, not an EMU - so it's not an Elektrichka 🤓
All the trains in Estonia are same for now. The new Skoda built trains should arrive at 2024! :)
Yes, this was definitely the most interesting leg of the trip!
Dr1a Soviet latvian diesel train. Motor Zvjozdacka 1000 HP. Nice setup. 😉
Hi Petris, thanks for the info mate. I didn’t have that much detail on this train so much appreciated. Also, something no-one’s commented on yet but I think the exterior colour scheme was really bright and distinctive. Certainly a lot more interesting than the newer Estonian trains in my opinion. Cheers mate 👍
Great Video as always. Your a propper Globtrotter iam only Jellious. Keep up the Gret Videos. I hope your better now.
Hey thanks David, feeling a bit better now but I’m on a long road to recovery. Fortunately these videos are from a few months back as I’m not gonna be out and about until the new year now. I can’t wait to do a bit more globetrotting though - trying to get a bit further next year! 😊👍
Was this recorded in December? Or sometime during Autumn? Because I guess December must be quite snowy in there.
Yep, it was in the Autumn. Watch Steve Marsh's video or Tims Travels as they went in the snow and it looks very cold then!
Thanx!
The Latvian train looks very old & outdated from the outside but the interior is nice, do you think the national railway company will eventually replace them one day with more modern rolling stock what's your prediction be very interested to hear you think.
Hi Jerome, yep it’s very ‘rough and ready’ isn’t it, but I kind of like it and that was the main reason for travelling on it really. Such a contrast with the Estonian service! I believe they are being replaced - someone else commented on this subject very recently. Not sure on timescales though atm.
That’s good did you find the prices & the cost’s quite cheap I heard that Riga is supposed to be a nice city would you agree.
@@jeromebano1125 yes definitely. Riga’s a wonderful place, the people are friendly and prices are quite cheap, even in the centre. My hotel was approx £30 pn.
@@LetsMakeaTrip I am sorry for the delay in reply been having a short break from youtube as I was on holiday I know that Riga is a nice place did they still have those old trams running when you was staying there ?
@@jeromebano1125 I didn’t see any of the really old stuff but I noticed on the way back to the airport that there’s a transport museum so I could do with going back to have a look at that. I bet there’s a few relics in there!
I live there and that was a soivet train that my dad's dad use to drive
Brilliant! Cheers for the comment 😊👍
Thanks so much for this video - explained a lot. I appreciated you going over even the petty things. It sounded like you didn't have to pay until you boarded? You didn't have to pay in advance at a machine or anything?
The first train I bought from the ticket office in Tallinn but yes the Latvian train, I just paid on the train.
Good god a full day trip for a nearly 3 hours jorney by bus or car. No contest about the scenery and the charm but as a railways enthusiast what is your opionion? how do you think this infrastructure will survive (especially for the Latvian section) in terms of numbers of passengers x trip rate?
I used the Tallinn-Tartu many times (comparable to a local european service, not too bad), but i just enjoyed taking only pictures of the Latvian RVR. No way i will spend 3 hours on that. I used to take it commuting from Saulkrasti to Riga. P.S. I live between Riga and Tallinn (half the week here and there). Just can't wait the Baltrail will be ready. Probably i will have to wait for my pension.
Well the Rail Baltica is going to have a massive impact on this line isn't it. It's nice to say I did it because yes, if you're in a rush you would just drive or take the bus (as I did with Lux Express - see my other video for that experience). There weren't many on the trains (though more on the Estonian one I would say). The Latvian RVR is definitely a classic without much in the way of facilities or comfort but - at just under 6 euros, you can't go wrong really. I'd definitely do more trains in Latvia. Estonia is full of FLIRTS now which just aren't as interesting imo.
@@LetsMakeaTrip In my experience, the majority of people that use these lines do not go from Tallinn to Riga, but rather use the trains for leisure, commuting, sightseeing, or visiting inside their own countries. This is further supported by the fact that the change used to be eleven minutes but PV. has changed the times so that the change is a few hours. Therefore, the line will probably be used almost as much after Rail Baltica than it is now.
@@timectrl What is the current status of Rail Baltica project, is everything going as smooth as they say? Specially connection of Riga airport to the city center.
@@dariosindicic Well, nothing much. Vilnius - Kaunas has been partially constructed, but not much else. The RailBaltica is a really good idea, but I feel like it has been poorly implemented.
15:37 this is railroad lab
Thank you 😊👍
An interesting journey so nice to see a country that I will probably never visit,thanks Mark and take care.
Thanks Simon. Yes it was a bit different. Can’t say I’d do it again tbh (the coach is quicker and nicer) but it was an experience! Cheers 😊
@@LetsMakeaTrip I wrote a school essay about how the train was better in Estonia. 🤣
It IS cheaper faster and more comfortable.
Go to Poland and used EN57 train name (Kibel).
I’ve just had a read of these on Wikipedia they do look pretty cool. Next time I’m over there 👍
22:33 hrrmph, the announcement was cut and they deprived you of the opportunity to learn the full pronunciation of Inčukalns :D
lol, yep, I had a go but apologies just generally for the bad pronunciation!
North - from FUTURE Republic- border change - South - to PAST Soviet! 😀
21:59: "Inchukalns" is the way that it is pronounced.
After watching Emirates Airbus 380 First Class review TH-cam recommended this journey
Really? Well I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I am flying the A380 AMS - LAX in May so maybe that’ll be worth a watch too? Cheers Lennart 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Until early there was Tallinn-Pärnu-Mõisaküla-Riga line which I used couple of times.Never been in Valga and that trip seems to be too time consuming although exotic
@@lennartbeat yep, most sensible people would do the 4 hour coach journey (as I did from Riga to Tallinn). I took the train for curiosity as much as anything. I liked Valga though, more to see there than I thought. Cheers, Mark
Is there any border checking between 2 countries? Cause I dont see it in video... thx in advc
No there isn’t mate.
@@LetsMakeaTrip thx 4d info
No toilet on a 3 hour journey? I’d have an issue with that!!
Yeh, I bet it was really grim and, in a way, I was quite excited by that but what can you do? It was the guard that told me.
OOHHH That'll be my issue big time ,too !! As I go pee often !! Lol. Man !! That's not healthy !! 😕 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚉🎄🍾🥂💞
@@LetsMakeaTrip There should be some laws to regulate the toilets on trains !! Lol. Seriously. 😅😠💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚉🎄🍾🥂💞
@@LetsMakeaTrip These old DR1 trains have toilets that dump directly onto the trackbed. (Should I mention noisy and really basic/claustrophobic?) Some time ago when I commuted on that line, crews used to operate the toilets in a manner where they were closed in the suburban area and open on the rural part of the route. Dunno how they do it now. It *may* be that the guard wasn't fluent enough to explain the setup.
@@u1zha hi Uldis, thanks for the insight on this. It sounds like a perfectly good explanation for what the situation was. In hindsight, maybe I should have had more of an explore when we’d got going because I reckon what you are saying makes sense, we’ll never mind, maybe next time 😊
Ghost station in valga :)
So I believe 🤔
What's the difference you mentioned between Latvia and Estonia?
Please, try to avoid latvian railways, because, as we can see, they try to not develop anything, but instead, make money on the old soviet trunk...
The scenery looked a bit dull and as you said not much to see but thanks for the video think i might give this one a miss
Excellent video 💖💖🥳🥳💐💐😀😀😁😁🤩🤩🤩🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
Cheers mate, thanks for watching 😊😊😊
i personally wouldn't be able to last for 3 hours in that classic carriage, compared to stadler it's like an animal carriage.
But it is a classic! Bit of an eye opener for me I must admit but overall, I enjoyed it for the distance and time of year. Cheers 😊👍
Пешком будет быстрее.
Yeh but it’s all about the experience 😊👍
"The station is featureless" The main feature is that it does not have gaps between a train and a platform as for example in the UK, where you got huge gaps about a meter or more.