As the conference is fast approaching, the conference team wanted to send you some practical tips and tricks that might be of use to you during your stay in Vilnius.
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 535,091 (809,225 together with Vilnius County) as of 2011. It is located in the southeast of the country. It is the second biggest city of the Baltic states, after Riga.
The historical centre of Vilnius (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994), the Old Town, (Senamiestis) is one of the largest old town centres in Eastern Europe (covering almost 360 hectares) and is known for its beautiful accomodation. The Old Town is situated in a picturesque valley of two rivers – the Vilnia and the Neris, at the crossroads of trade roads, next to the ford, which was guarded by Vilnius castle in the olden times. In the year 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz.
Currency:
The currency of Lithuania is litas (Lt). Approximately 3.5 Lt is 1 Euro. www.xe.com is a helpful website for currency conversions.
Citadele is a currency exchange place located next to the main train station. From the airport take bus number 1 or take the train. Citadel is the building on the left when exiting the train station. There are many cash machines (ATMs) around the city where money can be withdrawn. They will use charge a fee per withdraw. There is an ATM at the conference venue (Radisson Blue Hotel Lietuva), and additional ATMs in the nearby shopping centres (EUROPA and VCUP). Any bank in Vilnius will also allow you to withdraw and exchange money, also with a fee. Banks nearby the conference venue include Ukio, Danske and SEB.
Plug sockets:
Lithuania uses Euro plug sockets. Please be sure to bring a converter if you don’t use a European kind of plug.
Getting to Vilnius centre city from the airport:
By bus:
No. 1 – to the railway station, runs every 30-50 minutes;
No. 2 – through the centre of the city to Šeškinė, runs every 10-20 minutes.
Bus times are available at bus stops or on the website www.stops.lt.
Tickets for trolleybuses and buses can be bought at any newspaper kiosk or they can be bought on the trolleybus/bus.
By train:
Distance from the airport to Vilnius Railway station is about 5 km, the journey takes up to 8 minutes. Trains run approximately every 40 minutes. The schedule can be found at www.litrail.lt. Tickets can be purchased on the train or at Vilnius Railway Station.
By taxi:
Next to the airport there is a taxi rank. There are always plenty of taxis there. You can also call a taxi by phone or to book a taxi at Vilnius Tourist Information Centre (Airport Arrival Hall). Taxi booking and information: www.etaksi.lt.
Getting to the conference venue:
The Radisson Blue Hotel Lietuva is located at one of the main transport stops in Vilnius, and there are many public transport options to get to the conference venue.
For more information on transport and travelling around Vilnius, please visit: www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/tourism/transport/arrival/by-air/.
Transportation around Vilnius:
Buses and trolley buses run from 5:00am until midnight. Please find the bus timetables here: www.stops.lt
The Vilnius City Card is a helpful tool to get around the city if you want to do some sightseeing. You can buy three types of cards:
valid for 24 hours with public transport ticket (58 Lt)valid for 24 hours without public transport ticket (45 Lt) and valid for 72 hours with public transport ticket (90 Lt)
With this card you can use public transport in the city (with the exception of the 24 hour card without the public transport ticket), visit museums for free, and get discounts on a variety of activities. You can purchase a card in one of the Vilnius Tourist Information Centres.
Restaurants:
A list of local eateries will be provided at the conference, but here are some further suggestions from the conference team.
Bistro 18, Stikliu g. 18 www.bistro18.lt
Bistro 18 is the official venue partner. Delegates will receive a free glass of wine with their conference badge.
Terrazza restoranas terrazza.lt
Terrazza restoranas is located less than a 100 metres from the conference venue. +370 5 210 3104
Sriubos diena, restoranas, Origama sriubosdiena.lt
Saltoniškių gatvė 9, Vilnius 08105, Lithuania 541 m W +370 621 48488
Laikinoji sostine, restoranas, Uosa
Konstitucijos prospektas 16, Vilnius LT-09308, Lithuania 739 m SE +370 5 273 3217
Vapiano, restoranas, Piano Europa vapiano.lt
Konstitucijos prospektas 7, Vilnius 09308, Lithuania 8~5 2108754
We recommend the following websites
The Vilnius tourist website has many helpful documents that can assist with planning your leisure time in Lithuania: www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/vtic/services/publications/
