Estonia or Latvia?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 131 96
UNESCO listings among them 10 6
Cost level Mid-range Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups August August
Currency Euro (EUR) Euro (EUR)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V C, F - 230 V
Everyday languages Estonian Latvian
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Northern Europe Northern Europe
Capital Tallinn Riga
Estonia
Digital-first and word-sparing; nature is half the country and treated accordingly.
What we have written up
- Aegna Island island
- AHHAA Science Centre museum
- Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve forest
- Alatskivi Castle castle
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral church
- Altja Fishing Village old town
Worth knowing before you go
- Tipping is optional - 10% for notably good service
- Tallinn's old town is compact; the Kalamaja district shows the modern city
- Bog boardwalk trails are the classic half-day trip from Tallinn
Latvia
Reserved and quiet-spoken until trust forms, then dryly funny and deeply loyal.
What we have written up
- Abava Valley trail
- Academy of Sciences Panorama tower
- Aerodium Sigulda theme park
- Aglona Basilica church
- Akmenrags Lighthouse lighthouse
- Aluksne town
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere - even many stalls at Riga's Central Market take them
- Tipping is appreciated rather than expected - 5-10% in restaurants is generous and rounding up covers taxis
- Midsummer - Jani, June 23-24 - empties cities as the whole country heads to the countryside
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.