Helen, Fiona has provided some information HERE

and a member has done so HERE

HTH

Kath x

Thanks Kath!

I posted this a couple of years ago, it may be some use to you.

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=71514

Thanks for that HandyAndy. Hubby hates driving abroad, so would there be enough to do in Riga if we went for 3 days?

Yes I'm sure there would be, there's the old town to wander around where you'll find the Occupation museum and the town has plenty of places to eat and drink, there's a huge indoor market in old aircraft hangers that people say is very good. There's the waterfront to stroll along, the Skyline bar with it's glass walls on the 26th floor of the Reval hotel, the Lido restaurant with 3 floors of self serve buffet food on the outskirts of the town is a must to visit. Take the train from central station to Majori, about 20km away on the coast.

Andy

Brilliant. Thanks for the info - just need to find time to slot it in now.

So what was it like? Is it worth a 3 day visit? Tell us your experience.

At the moment I can't find a flight cheap enough. As we live in West Wales we don't really want to have to drive to Gatwick for a 3 day break. There are flights going from Bristol with Ryanair, but you can only book 7 days in advance by phoning them. I am restricted with dates as I work in a school.

yes working in a school makes it difficult to find cheap flights. School holiday flights tend to be at a premium. Why cant you book on-line with Ryanair ?

I don't know, but it says you have to phone 7 days before to book Riga & also Berlin you have to phone 3 days before.

I think the info on the Ryanair site is worded wrong, I think it actually means that you need to phone the reservation centre if you wish to book a flight within 7 days of departure. I was able to book October flights in early September.

andy

We've managed to book a flight for the 24th Oct with Ryanair. Can someone tell me whether you turn the clocks back in Riga on the Saturday, as we do in this country?

The clocks go back 1 hour at 4am sunday 26th according to this http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=602

andy

Thanks Andy - that'll be an extra hour for us then.

Just back from our trip and had a lovely time. We arrived at 10.30 pm, dumped the cases, and set off for a nightcap. It was freezing cold, so a couple of large vodkas was the order of the day. The morning dawned freezing again but with the sun shining. We must have walked around a mile and a half until we came to the Old Town. We haven't yet found out what was being celebrated, but there were flowers being laid, and soldiers guarding the "freedom monument". We stopped at a delightful cafe for an Irish coffee, and there were literally hundreds of folk dancers gathered in the square, each carrying their own banner. At the stroke of 12 they all joined hands and began dancing. There were dancers in all directions as far as the eye could see. For the rest of the day we explored the Old Town until our feet were sore after pounding the cobbles. We had a beautiful evening meal in a basement restaurant.
Sunday started out lazily with a 9am breakfast at the hotel, the usual hot & cold buffet plus anything else you fancied, kippers, porridge etc all cooked to order. Another cold day, but lovely for walking through a beautiful park. We followed the riverside walk until it was coffee time. I decided on a hot chocolate at a tiny bar. Well - I haven't tasted anything like it - a thick cocoa paste the consistency of melted chocolate - served with a glass of cold water I couldn't believe it. I wanted to ask what I was supposed to do with it, but the waitress didn't understand - so i drank it like medicine - open wide and down the hatch - I had a metaxa afterwards to warm up. We did a little shopping in one of the centres in the afternoon - I've never seen so many boots & handbags- but everything was very expensive. In the evening we followed the sound of music down an alleyway and found ourselves in a medieval restaurant. Everyone was dressed in traditional costume and the only food on the menu was genuine medieval cuisine. Wine was served in ruby red goblets, and bread in cloth bags. I had duck with a jam & onion sauce, while OH had beef fillet in mushroom and herb sauce. As accompaniments we had fried beans, onions & herbs with carrots. There was no potatoes of any sort as they hadn't been discovered yet. While we ate, a quartet walked around the room playing whistles and lyres. It was a beautiful evening and the food was stunning.
Monday found the rain lashing down, but undeterred we set off on the long trek to the museum of occupation, only to arrive soaked to find it was shut on a Monday. The day was spent in and out of churches, shops, and cafes - trying to dodge the rain
We had a wonderful trip, but feel that we have seen & done what we wanted to, so will be unlikely to return. If any of you have been to Warsaw it has a very similar feel. It is not on the same lines as Krakow and Prague.

Many thanks for the review Helen. It sounds like you enjoyed the break.

luci

Sorry I forgot to say that due to Latvian legislation all EU countries are NOT allowed to buy ciggies or tobacco at the airport.
Thanks for adding the hotel to the database so swiftly. Report duly added.