Getting Around Riga as a Student: Transport Guide and €12 Pass

Students get around Riga by tram, trolleybus and bus, all run by Rīgas Satiksme, and a student monthly ticket costs €12 for unlimited rides (the full price is €30). Riga doesn't have a metro, and some students hear that and assume getting around is harder than it actually is. In practice, the tram and trolleybus network covers the city thoroughly, and the student pass is one of the better value deals in the region once you know how to actually get it.

The Network: Trams, Buses and Trolleybuses

Riga's public transport, run by Rīgas Satiksme, covers trams, buses, trolleybuses and a handful of minibuses and regional trains, all on the same ticket system. Regular service runs from around 5:30am to 11:30pm. There's no metro, but the tram and trolleybus network is dense enough in Centrs, where most Fuse homes are, that most students don't feel the absence.

The Student E-Talons Pass and How to Actually Get It

The headline number is €12 a month for unlimited travel, which is a 60% discount off the standard monthly rate of around €30. That's the figure worth remembering: students pay €12, everyone else pays significantly more.

Getting it takes a bit more legwork than just buying a ticket. First, you need a personalised e-talons card, available at a Rīgas Satiksme customer service centre. Bring your ID, a reference letter from your university confirming enrolment, and your student card. Rīgas Satiksme will email you once the fare discount has been approved, at which point you can top up your card, but you have to insert the card into a self-service ticket machine at least once before topping it up, an easy step to miss if nobody tells you about it in advance.

Night Transport

Night buses are seasonal. In summer 2026 (May to 27 September), Rīgas Satiksme ran seven night routes on Friday and Saturday nights only, including N1 (Centre, Teika, Jugla, Mežciems), N4 (Centre, Imanta, Zolitūde, Āgenskalns) and N6 (Centre, Purvciems, Pļavnieki, Dārzciems), leaving the centre at midnight, 1, 2, 3 and 4am and stopping on request. The rest of the year, the N22 airport night bus is the main overnight service, so if you're out late, check the schedule before you leave rather than assuming a bus will be along shortly.

Getting To and From the Airport

Bus 22 runs between Riga Airport and the city centre, taking about 40 minutes, with buses running frequently from early morning until around midnight. A ticket from the driver costs €1.81 and is bank card only, cash isn't accepted on board, or you can use a €1.50 90 minute e-ticket or your monthly pass. Since April 2026, a night service (route N22) also runs hourly between midnight and 4:30am from the airport and from Stacijas laukums in the centre, useful if you land on a late flight.

Cycling

Riga has a bike-share system operated through SiXT Latvia, usable across the city. It's a reasonable option in spring and summer for shorter trips around Centrs, less practical once winter sets in.

How This Connects to Fuse Homes

Most Fuse homes in Riga are in Centrs, on streets such as Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela, Dzirnavu iela, Aleksandra Čaka iela and Stabu iela, with a couple in the Latgale district south east of the centre. Multiple tram and trolleybus lines run through these areas, so wherever your university is, you're rarely more than a short walk from a stop. Each room page shows the exact address.

Frequently Asked Questions