Baltic gem where medieval Riga meets the sea
Latvia uses the Euro and card payments are widely accepted. Bolt is the dominant ride-hailing app. Avoid unmetered street taxis which can overcharge tourists. English is widely spoken in Riga but less so in rural areas.
The dominant ride-hailing app in Riga and across Latvia. Far cheaper and more reliable than street taxis.
Widely used across Latvia for fee-free spending in Euros and instant transfers.
Widely used for communication across Latvia, especially for coordinating with accommodation hosts.
Reliable navigation throughout Latvia with transit directions, walking routes, and business listings.
Official app for purchasing Riga public transport tickets digitally. Validate tickets on trams, buses, and trolleybuses.
Latvian language support with camera translation for menus and signs. English is common in Riga but less so in rural areas.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
A Zelta Zivtina SIM without an active package falls back to a poor default rate, around EUR 0.36 per day for just 30 MB, and that rate applies in EU roaming too, so activate a package immediately. When a package allowance runs out, speed is cut to a crawl rather than billing on: workable for messaging, useless for maps. Ignore older guides recommending Amigo, which ceased operating as an independent brand back in 2019. Latvia is in the EU and eurozone, so roam-like-at-home applies to packs that include it, but Baltic operators are inconsistent here: check your specific pack rather than assuming. The ZZ self-service site is only in Latvian and Russian.
The incumbent, with the best coverage and fastest speeds, and the strongest rural reach toward Sigulda, Cesis and the Latgale lakes. Prepaid is sold as LMT Karte.
On par with LMT for coverage and often the cheapest for prepaid data. It does not sell prepaid under its own name: look for the Zelta Zivtina (ZZ) brand.
The smallest network, fine in Riga and along the coast. Its prepaid brand is Bites Karte.
The essential apps for Latvia are Bolt, Wolt, Revolut, WhatsApp, Google Maps.
We've curated 8 apps across 7 categories for traveling in Latvia, including 6 essential apps.
Bolt is the top-rated ride hailing app in Latvia. The dominant ride-hailing app in Riga and across Latvia. Far cheaper and more reliable than street taxis.
The Balkans' best-kept secret is wide open
Alpine charm meets urban efficiency
Where East meets West and the coffee never stops
Waffles, beer, and three languages to navigate
Licensed taxi apps, city-specific transit tools and euro cash backups
Precision, punctuality, and alpine perfection
