ENTRY FORMALITIES and HEALTH MATTERS: |
The Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been EU member states since 2004 and UK passport-holders may visit the countries without a visa for up to 3 months, and drive with a standard UK-EU driving licence. But carry your passport at all times as identification. For current Foreign and Commonwealth Office official advice on travelling to the Baltic Republics, consult:
FCO
advice on travelling to Lithuania
You
should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before
leaving the UK, and carry your EHIC with you at all times in case of emergency. The EHIC
is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, and only entitles you to
emergency medical treatment on the same terms as local nationals. It does not
cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a
non-urgent nature. It is essential therefore
also to have comprehensive travel insurance. Given the forested, low-lying topography of the
countries, midges and other flying-insects are a menace during the summer
months; you will therefore need good supplies of insect repellents. Tick-borne diseases, including
tick-borne encephalitis, are endemic in the Baltic States;
if you plan to spend
time walking in forested areas during the summer
months, it is essential to have
immunisation before you travel. For details, visit the Masta web site: |
CAMPSITES in THE BALTIC STATES:
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Campsites: there is a ready
availability of campsites all across the Baltic States, ranging from
western-style sites in popular tourist areas to charmingly straightforward
rustic sites and garden camping in guest-houses. Many campsites also have hut-chalets, still used
as low-priced accommodation; other
campsites form an annexe to hotels, guest-houses or leisure
complexes. Even in the less visited parts of the country, it is still possible to find
places to camp, albeit of variable
standards. We toured all 3 countries country in June~September 2011 and our experience of
campsites is summarised in our Campsites Review which also includes campsite GPS
coordinates to help with location:
We attach great significance to first impressions on arrival at a campsite created by attitudes shown, and our experience was that standards of hospitality were generally very welcoming in all 3 Baltic States. There is no national quality-assuring accreditation processes for campsites and despite the transition to market economy since 1991, commercial competitiveness seems to have made variable impact. Where campsites were private or family-run, owners generally were hospitably welcoming and helpful; at larger sites however, employed staff occasionally showed casual or perfunctory attitudes. Some of the sites we experienced had fairly basic or old-fashioned standards of facilities, but most generally were clean with hot water, and many had cooking facilities (common in Eastern Europe) with wash-ups. Another Baltic curiosity are the symbols commonly used to indicate ladies' and gents' toilets: upright triangle (female), inverted triangle (male) - make of that what you will! - see right. Websites listing Baltic campsites: the most useful web sites we found to help with pre-trip planning were:
The Lithuanian and Latvian Camping
Associations and Camping-Estonia each publish a map listing the location and details
of their affiliated campsites
in the 3 countries, which can be picked up free of charge at many
campsites and TICs. The Latvian Camping Association
operates a 10% discount scheme
for its member campsites; pick up their campsite map at the first LCA site you
stay at and have it stamped to obtain the discount at subsequent LCA sites.
The Dutch camping organisation ACSI web site selectively lists its favoured sites
and includes the Google mapping facility as a helpful means of
pinning down a campsite's location (NB not always reliably accurate). ACSI accreditation however does not
guarantee acceptable standards: some of our lowest rated sites were ACSI
recognised, which certainly says something about its dubious value. They also
tend to attract hoards of noisy Dutch caravaners in August at larger sites - be warned.
Campsite opening
dates: the summer camping season is quite short with
campsites generally opening from April/May to September; there
are a few sites open all-year-round.
Campsite prices: the cost of living in the Baltic States (reflecting much lower
income levels) still represents remarkably good value by our inflated West European
standards; expect to pay the equivalent of £10~£14 for a night's camp
(2 adults, pitch for camper plus electricity). In our
Campsites Review,
we give the nightly charge we paid; prices
may include a local tourist tax.
Wild-camping: in the more remote and forest areas, with awareness of potential
security issues and basic common sense and courtesy,
wild-camping is certainly practicable though with the number of reasonably
priced campsites, rarely necessary. In National Parks, camping is only permitted
in designated camping areas. |
CAMPING CARD
INTERNATIONAL (CCI):
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The Camping Card
International (CCI - Camping Carnet) is a worthwhile small
investment; it only costs £5.50, lasts for a year
and, if you are an
AA or RAC member, can be bought through Camping Organisations like the Caravan
Club. It gives a
degree of camping insurance, and since it also carries passport
details, you can offer it to campsites in place of your passport
during your stay. But on leaving, always ensure you
have been given back the right card! More importantly, many Baltic campsites are prepared to offer a discount on production of a CCI; always make sure you ask for a discount. |
CAMPING GAZ IN THE BALTIC STATES: | Simple answer - there is none! Camping Gaz is unavailable in the Baltic States and we failed to find any opportunity to exchange Camping Gaz 907 cylinders; there may be semi-legitimate sources of re-filling empty cylinders at gas supply outlets if you are really desperate. It is essential therefore to take sufficient for your planned period of stay in the countries. |
INTERNET IN
THE BALTIC STATES: Top of page |
Coming late to internet technology, the Baltic States have caught up fast and now put Western Europe to shame in terms of public wi-fi internet access. In Lithuania and Latvia, many campsites and most cafés offer free wi-fi internet hotspots. In civilised Estonia, people have a statutory right of internet access, and wi-fi is an almost universal feature of life; every campsite here has a wi-fi network, though often signal range and strength is limited. |
MAPS for THE BALTIC STATES: Top of page |
For the soundest advice and supply of maps for the 3 Baltic States, as always we recommend
consulting The Map Shop, Upton upon Severn, Worcs: |