Forum

Air Baltic

2008-11-28T03:00:25-08:00

Is booking through Air Baltics website reliable? How far in advance would bookings be advisable?

(New to this!)

Cheers,
Kirsten

short term apartment rental in Riga

2008-10-04T14:19:30-08:00

Hi, we’re likely to be visiting Latvia in September next year and plan to rent an apartment in Riga for 2 weeks to use as a base while doing day trips and the occassional night away to other parts of the country.

I found this site http://www.StayInRiga.com , an apartment rental site for short and long term rentals. The majority of the rental apartments are in the Old City. It seems pretty legitimate but it’s always hard to tell with internet sites.

Is anyone familiar with this company? Any positive or negative feedback very welcome.

Thanks.

Kirsten

Looking for an apartment to rent

2007-03-07T06:25:50-08:00

Family searching for an apartment in Riga that is available for short-term rent from mid-April to mid-July. Would need to be furnished with minimum three rooms. Preferably Terbatas, Stabu, Gertrudes, Kr. Barona area. Please reply to my email: daina dot gross at latviansonline dot com

Can anyone help?

Daina

Theater Project on Latvian Immigrant to US

2008-08-15T15:37:50-08:00

Hi. I’m a theater artist living in Denver, CO. I am in the midst of developing a theater performance on Edward Leedskalnin, a Latvian immigrant to the US in the early 20th century, who lived in Florida and built an engineering feat known today as the Coral Castle. I am intrigued by the mystery and beauty surrounding this monument to Edward’s lost love back in Latvia. I want to come to Latvia to research the man, his family, his lost love, the environment that fostered his growth—essentially everything about his homeland. Once the theater performance has been developed with an ensemble in the US I want to tour it around internationally. I am looking for any leads on how to make the initial trip to Latvia and the subsequent tour possible through grants, scholarships, private funding, trades, etc.

I am looking for organizations and individuals interested in furthering the exposure and appreciation of the unique accomplishments of Latvians (specifically Mr. Leedskalnin) as well as honoring the universal benefit he bestowed to the world with his Coral Castle—an immortal monument to love.

You can contact me directly at kdwayne at gmail dot com if that’s easier.

Thank you!

Kevin Poole

TRIP TO LATGALE

2008-06-17T10:02:54-08:00

We are traveling to Latgale in july, from Riga to Lielvarde, Jekabpils, Daugavpils, maybe Kraslava, Preili, and back to Riga. Any ideas for accomadations? Which are the most interesting towns, nature and history wise? We rented a compact Toyota corrola from Dollar, at 42Ls per day. Is this a fair price? Does anyone know the price of gas in Latvia? Would appreciate some information from anyone.
Ludmila

Help……Help please!

2008-05-17T01:05:24-08:00

Hi,
My name is meeleend, Next month me and my family will go to Latvia,for traveling but i don’t know about Latvia,there places, hotels like that.So tell me about Latvia.
Thanks in advance!

Flights to Riga for sale

2008-06-29T15:03:00-08:00

FLIGHTS TO RIGA FOR SALE
Thursday 3rd July Dublin 16.50 - Riga 21.50 Return Sunday 6th JULY 22.50 - Dublin 23.55
100 euros to change flight details
Price : 100 euros.
NAME CHANGES MUST BE MADE 12 HOURS BEFORE FLIGHT (rYANAIR POLICY)
CONTACT 02886736115 NORTHERN IRELAND OR 07736246041

Looking or an Apt in August

2008-06-19T14:30:40-08:00

Sveiki,

My sister and I will be returning to Riga August 18 - Sept 4. She is an artist who will be in a public art exposition in Riga at that time. We’re looking for a small, not expensive, place with a kitchen, internet, within walking distance of Veciriga or Art Nouveau district.

Paldies!

“Līgo” , “Jāņi”

2008-06-16T04:32:10-08:00

Hi latvians! I’d like to come and see how latvians celebrate Midsummer’s Eve Festival. I’d like to see one celebration by the sea. looking at the tourist information sites it sais the party is everywhere. Well, iI’d still like to find an organized event with music, dancing and etc in Latvia by the sea. Please suggest some places to party on 23rd in Latvia! Thank you, an estonian.

Beware when renting Apartments

2008-06-14T11:15:03-08:00

Sveiki,

I will write this in english so that everyone can understand. This is a very important message if one plans to rent an apartment in Riga long or short term.

I am of Latvian descent, speak, read and write Latvian. I planned on living in Riga for about two years. I made a number of trips before moving and ran into some minor problems every once in awhile - some theft, etc., part of which included getting to know some of the wrong people. Despite the loss of a camera and a few thousand dollars, I was determined to move to Riga. I simply thought that I would avoid the mistakes of the past. Little did I know, but renting an apt. can lead to a big mistake and I will advise how to avoid my mishap.

I found an apt. on one of the apartment/realestate services online. I contacted the firm and the specific agent and notified them of my arrival. The firm that I used appeared highly professional - “Rigas Kore”.
I met the agent and one of the landlord at the apt. which was on the 4th floor of 3 Biskapa Gate. The apartment overlooked the Daugava - what could be more beautiful. So, I signed the lease, paid the 700euro first month’s rental, 700e security deposit and 700e real estate agnet’s fee to Rigas Kore.

The apt. had metal doors with a double lock and the exterior door had a coded entrance. I felt perfectly safe.

Within 3 weeks, I (& a friend from America who was visiting and staying in the 2nd bedroom) were robbed in the middle of the night. We only realized that we were robbed the next morning because the juice in the fridge had been drugged and we both could not react when the crime was taking place.

I will not get into the gory details, but the theft was committed by associates of the landlord. How do I know this - because the landlord, during a discussion following the theft made a call in Russian. He told me that he could get my laptop back from the police (none of the landlord’s tv, stereo equipment had been stolen). He did not know that I had just come from the police and talked to the investigator (b/c I needed to get a new passport). The police had recovered nothing.

One of the more upsetting aspects of the story was that the real estate agent sided with the landlord - accusing me of bringing prostitutes to the apartment and being drugged by them - what a wild little story. Rigas Kore and its manager, Gatis Mikelsons, (who is now at City Real Estate in Riga) refused to refund any of my agency fee.

The craziest aspect of this, however, was that they continued to advertise the apt. and found a new foreigner to rent the apartment within two weeks. Rigas Kore collected another 700 euro+. They knew what had happened in the apt and had no qualms about renting it to other people - they simply want to earn their fee.

When Gatis Mikelsons went to the new agency of City Real Estate, he continued to advertise this same apartment despite my discussions with him about the theft.

In discussing this incident at the US Embassy, I was told that this type of scam occurs with some frequency.

The best way to avoid this is to change the locks of the apartment once you move in. That way, neither the landlord, the real estate agent, nor any third party has a key. The break-in had been done with a key to the apt - no physical destruction. In any event, I urge people to avoid using Rigas Kore and Gatis Mikelsons.

Good luck to all who are visiting. Unfortunately, I ran into some bad Latvians and Russians. Unfortunately, I do not know how to ensure that you get an ethical real estate broker. Mine seemed honest and the agency seemed totally legitimate. But - a firm is not legitimate if they rent apartments with full knowledge that it is simply a scam where the landlord robs the tenants and they continually earn agency fees off of the victims.
VInde
:angry: