Business contacts
Mobile phone hire Contact Omnitel, Tel: 274 7474 or Email: info@omnitel.net Car hire Avis, Tel: 232 9316 or Email: apo@avis.lt, or call Budget, Tel: 230 6708 or Email: budget@budget.lt Office rental Call Ober-Haus, Tel: 266 6555 or Email: vilniusoldtown@ober-haus.lt Secretarial services Start Office, Tel: 269 0069 or Email: start.office@pinus.lt
Weather And Climate
The local name for Lithuania, Lietuva, comes from the word lietus, meaning rain. Take this as a hint and bring an umbrella. The summers are warm, often hot, the winters downright freezing. From early June to late August, temperatures can reach the late 20Cs. Winters are white, and snow tends to stay on the ground from mid-November to late March, with temperatures sometimes falling to -25C.
Local press
Vilnius In Your Pocket (www.inyourpocket.com) is the daddy of all local tourist guides. Published since 1991, it packs what to see, where to shop, food and drink and business essentials into a pocket-sized bi-monthly. City Paper and its excellent website (www.balticsworldwide.com) have much the same information about Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, plus a handful of topical feature articles and comprehensive listings. The Baltic Times (www.baltictimes.com) is the region’s only English-language weekly newspaper. It emphasises politics and business news, with entertainment listings for the week ahead.
Tourist traps
Taxis have higher rates if they’re hailed in the street and the maximum fare will be charged if you’re an unaccompanied foreigner. Get a local or your hotel to call one of the many cab companies.
It’s well worth visiting the TV Tower in the Karoliniskes suburb for the fantastic views.
But don’t eat there—the meals haven’t changed in 20 years. Beggars, especially children, can be an embarrassing problem at outdoor cafés and in tourist groups. Keep small change handy or just say ‘Ne!’
Tipping etiquette
A general rule applies to restaurants— leave 5-10% if the service is not included. Tipping cab drivers is not expected. A couple of litas for hotel porters who help with your luggage is more than enough.
Internet cafes
There are still not a great deal of internet cafés in Vilnius, which means that the most convenient place to check emails is generally at your hotel. However, the best cafés are Collegium (22 Pilies Street, Tel: 261 8334) and Baze (50 Gedimino Avenue, Tel: 249 7701).
Gifts to buy
Artisans sell their wares from stalls on Pilies Street all year round, in a street market that swells in summer, before Christmas and on public holidays. This is the place for low-priced amber, Russian dolls and woollen mittens.
High-quality jewellery can be purchased from specialised shops like Amber(9 Ausros Vartu Street, Website: www. ambergift.lt).
The Linen Shop and Museum (3 Stikliu Street) has some charming gifts and surprisingly elegant clothes made of flax.