1

There are basically two trains from Vilnius to Kaliningrad daily. Travel time is 7.5 hours. But there should also be buses. Try euro lines or ecolines for bus service.

There should also be buses to Kaliningrad from Poland.

Ruth

Edited by: everbrite

2

I don't know your nationality but be aware that if you plan to visit Kaliningrad, you'll probably need a Russian visa.

3

Organise your visa first. There are buses from Gdansk and to Lithuania.

4

Thanks for the info. The duration of the trip from Kaliningrad to Vilnius took me by surprise! Wasn't expecting something that long.

Has anyone been to Kaliningrad? Worth the hassle?

5

I've been to Kalinigrad albeit in 1995. I don't know that it is worth the hassle of the visa unless you have an EU passport and only go for 3 days in which case there is some special deal. Try contacting the hostel there. I think it's called Amigos.

Ruth

6

Visit Kaliningrad worth it :-) City combines russian&german traditions, have a lot of pretty houses from german part of its history and a bit of russian part :-)

If you are a national of Schengen country and enter via Polish border or Kaliningrad airport - you can obtain 72 hour visa on the border! Check here for more information - http://www.konigsberg.ru/eng/kaliningrad/express-visa.htm

You can go from Gdansk to Kaliningrad via bus or via train. I used the train this summer - it's fine!

To book tickets for the train there is wonderful site called Polrail Service: http://beta.booking.polrail.com/index.php?main_page=page_5. They will buy the tickets for the full route Gdansk-Kaliningrad (for both polish & russian parts) and they can send to you via mail or send them to Gdansk Railway Station, where you can take them at post office. Train to Kaliningrad leaves at 8-13 a.m. Gdansk time (check if it is the same in winter, i used that train in the summer), Arrives at Kalingrad in 3 p.m. Kalingrad time (4 p.m. Moscow time, keep in mind that russian trains (excl. suburban) runs on Moscow time :-) ).

For buses check http://www.ecolines.net & http://www.kenigavto.ru/

It's easy to leave Kaliningrad region to Lithuania - at least 2 trains run every day.
You can cross the border at Nesterov-Kibartai railway checkpoint, or you can hop off the train at Nesterov, take a local bus (10 minutes) to checkpoint Chernyshevskoye-Kibartai, cross it on foot and go in Lithuania whereever you want.
There are also other RU-LT checkpoints, but keep in mind some of them are available only for RU and LT citizens. You better check your route in advance.


Feel free to ask me for any help.

Best regards, Victor.
Moscow, Russia

7

Fantastic information!

I have looked at the rail website however it seems to stop taking bookings past the 2nd October. Do you think the train stops running during the winter or are they in the process of changing the timetable or perhaps even you can't book that far in advance? (I am looking at going 9th of November). Seems like the coaches only run twice a week :S Oh o......

8

I think this happened because of reschedule.

9

Yes - the train runs only during an extended summer holiday season (Jun-Sep).

AFAIK buses run 2 or 3 times a day between Gdańsk and Kaliningrad all year.