The wheels on the bus....

Getting around Lithuania can be hard if you don't like taking the bus. While in other countries in Europe, the train reigns supreme, the bus is the best alternative 9 times out of 10 for getting to the place you want to go.

Buses run all of over the country all the time. They aren't cheap when you work in Lithuania and earn the local wages, but for a traveller, the prices will be quite comparable to other countries.

Buses from one side of the country to the other are around 20 euros each way - not really that cheap - but they are frequent and pretty comfortable.

Going internationally also means taking the bus unless you go to Warsaw or Minsk. Buses to Riga are very frequent (at least four per day) and some are equipped with free coffee machines, wireless internet and TVs for watching moves. Keep in mind though that if you don't ask, you don't get. The nice buses, which are called Lux Express, don't cost more, but you need to ask for them.

The bus companies you should know about are Euroline, Ecolines and TOKS. Tickets for all of the are available at the stations before departure or on the bus. When buying on the bus be aware that the drivers sometimes try to cheat people. Get an idea about how much the fare is before you alight - then you know if they are cheating you.

Be aware that there are some people who mirror the routes of the buses with private vehicles - they usually wait outside the bus station and yell the destinations. They are usually the same price as the bus, but can be better. Try this at your own risk.

Have a good ride!

Brits get best air deals

As documented in my previous post, it isn't easy to get in and out of the capital Vilnius, but you can get to the country somehow and the cheapest flights on offer are to the U.K. and back (at the time of writing).

If you are willing to fly to Kaunas airport, Lithuania's second biggest city situated 90km from Vilnius, you can book a Ryanair flight from London Stanstead for 6.58 litas (1.91 euros). Not bad really. Other cheap flights also to Kaunas are from Luton, Birmingham and Liverpool all for under 100 litas (29 euros).

The Germans have the next best rates from Frankfurt Hahn (10.08 euros) and the new route from Dresden (41.80 euros), also with Ryanair.

The Irish, Norweigians and the Swedes also have fair deals (considering the earning power of these countries) to the country, but nothing particularly competitive against rival Riga.

For those who do not want to/can't fly directly to Lithuania could fly to Riga (350 km from Vilnius and 11 euros for the bus) or Warsaw (450km and 22 euros for the bus).

KAUNAS CONNECTION

When flying to Kaunas, be very aware thet the airport is not in the centre of the city and most flights come in late at night. This can leave you stranded or having to take a taxi into the centre, which can be expensive for foreigners.

To take the bus to the city, you can use Bus 29 or the Shuttle bus 120. Check the price before getting on board and make sure you validate your ticket.

Taxis in Lithuania are always cheaper if you call them to you - do not hail them on the street or it could cost you double or triple the regular amount. This still goes even if you call the taxi waiting at the airport that is standing directly in front of you. Look at the number on the taxi and call it.

Buses to Vilnius run according to the schedule of the planes. The cost is 39 litas (11.30 euros), but tickets should be prebooked on www.kaunasair.lt