Riga International Airport (RIX)

Last verified: October 2026 · Confirmed by travelers this month: 0

The answer

Take bus 22 — €1.50 for a 90-minute ticket (or €1.81 from the driver, bank card only) — from the P1 stop between Arrivals exits E and C into the centre in about 30–40 minutes; since 18 April 2026 the N22 night bus keeps the same route and price at night.

One Rīgas satiksme fare covers bus, tram and trolleybus transfers for 90 minutes, and the brand-new hourly N22 closed the old overnight hole that used to force 2 a.m. arrivals into unregulated taxi bargaining.

Four people with bags? The airport's prepaid taxi voucher is €33.50 flat to central Riga with the three licensed brands — about €8 a head, no stops.
Fastest door-to-door? Bolt from the marked P1 area is usually well under a taxi — no app? Order at the TapBox screens by exits E and C.

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Bus 22 to the centre BEST FOR MOST

€1.50

Rīgas satiksme's airport line, every 10–20 minutes, ~40 minutes to the centre via Zolitūde, Uzvaras bulvāris and the National Library, ending in the Central Station area; Old Town stop is 11. novembra krastmala. The stop sits in the P1 short-term car park, midway between Arrivals exits E and C — follow transport signs. €1.50 buys the standard 90-minute ticket (machine at the stop, Narvesen by Hall E and in Check-in, or the RS/Mobilly apps); €1.81 from the driver, card only.

Night bus N22 (new 18 April 2026)

€1.50

Night-time service on the same 22 route, operating since 18 April 2026 with normal fares and discounts. From the airport it departs once an hour at 00:30, 01:30, 02:30, 03:30 and 04:30; from Stacijas laukums back to the airport at 00:00–04:00 on the hour. Night stops are request stops — signal to board, press the button to get off.

Licensed airport taxi — prepaid voucher

€33.50

The airport sells a fixed €33.50 voucher for one direct trip (no stops) into a defined central Riga / Pārdaugava zone, up to four passengers with luggage, any hour. Buy at the Visitor Centre in Arrivals Hall E and show it to the driver before departure; valid three months and ONLY usable with the licensed brands XTaxi, TaxiLV and Red Cab, whose airport tariffs are printed on the car doors.

Metered / tariff taxis (no voucher)

≈€15–25 (range)

Airport-licensed brands apply consistent airport→centre tariffs shown on the vehicle. Beyond them, the airport itself warns: every operator sets its own rates and there is NO maximum fare — ask the price basis before agreeing. Typical metered trips to the centre run €15–25.

Bolt (app or TapBox kiosk)

app price

Licensed in Latvia and what locals book — price is shown before you confirm. Pick-up is the specially marked area in P1; at TapBox self-service screens beside Arrivals exits E and C you can enter a destination, choose a category, pay by bank card and get the plate number and ETA on a receipt — no app needed.

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⚠️ The traps (walk past these)

Bus 22's on-board ticket is card-only — your €50 note is useless

Only bus 22 sells tickets from the driver, at €1.81, payable by bank card only — Rīgas satiksme states this as its rule, not one driver's habit. Arriving with cash and no card means the ticket machines at the stop or Narvesen by Arrivals Hall E first.

Do this: buy at the stop machine or Narvesen if you're cash-only; tap-to-pay nothing at the doors here

The rank beyond the three licensed brands has no price ceiling

Riga Airport's own taxi page spells it out: other operators set their own tariffs and there is no set maximum. Unbranded drivers at the rank have a long reputation for overcharging visitors — the Latvian travel advisories list it too.

Do this: use XTaxi / TaxiLV / Red Cab with door-printed tariffs, or lock a Bolt/TapBox price on screen

'No night bus' is outdated — but N22 is only five departures all night

Old guides say public transport from RIX dies at midnight. True until 18 April 2026, when N22 started — but it is hourly (00:30–04:30 from the airport). Miss the 02:30 and your alternative is a €33.50 voucher ride, not 'the next one in ten minutes'.

Do this: note the N22 clock when you land late and queue for the stop early with luggage

Bus 22 is not an airport express

The route winds through Zolitūde and Pārdaugava — the airport's own journey estimate is around 40 minutes to the centre, roughly double a taxi in normal traffic. Perfect at 3 a.m. for €1.50; for a timed morning check-in with suitcases, four people split a €33.50 voucher better than one pays singles-plus-tram.

Do this: trade minutes for euros deliberately: bus if light and unhurried, voucher/app if not

💡 Know before you walk

Visitor passes beat singles from the third ride: €5 for 24 hours, €8 for 3 days, €10 for 5 days on all Rīgas satiksme modes.
The 90-minute ticket covers transfers — ride 22 to the National Library or Autoosta and hop a tram across to Old Town hotels on the same fare.
Validate your e-ticket EVERY boarding — a purchase alone is not a valid trip, and RS inspects and fines.
Best Old Town stop for arrivals is 11. novembra krastmala; for returns toward the airport, useful stops include Centrālā stacija, 13. janvāra iela and Grēcinieku iela — confirm the display reads 'Lidosta'.
The voucher zone spans central Riga (roughly Valdemāra/Skanstes/Lāčplēša/Valmieras to Tallinas iela) and Pārdaugava from Kārlis Ulmaņa gatve to Kurzemes prospekts — most centre hotels sit inside it.
Check airport construction notices on the day: temporary traffic works have moved the pedestrian route to the P1 bus stop before — follow current terminal signage.

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Riga International Airport (RIX)

🚌 Every way out — real prices

⚠️ The traps (walk past these)

💡 Know before you walk

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