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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell you how fantastic Lithuania is for a holiday?

54 replies

FoxgloveGarden · 13/07/2019 05:32

We have just visited Vilnius (capital city of Lithuania) and wow! It's absolutely gorgeous. I wrongly expected it might be a tad grim as after all it's not that long ago that it gained independence from the Soviet Union. Not a bit of it. The historic centre is just lovely and the more modern parts nice too. Best of all, it's incredibly cheap compared to the UK in terms of accommodation,eating out (well everything really). Also cheap to fly to. If booked well in advance, air fares one way as little as £25 per person. What's not to like?

OP posts:
Original poster
FoxgloveGarden · 13/07/2019 07:49

Weather was changeable when were there, alternating between sunny and wet (very much like the UK).

In answer to PPs don't know how non- white or openly gay travellers get on. It wasn't ethnically diverse.

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 13/07/2019 07:50

Most people spoke good English and were very friendly. It was notable how many people would come over and strike up a conversation, even on the plane home.

Original poster
FoxgloveGarden · 13/07/2019 07:51

Easy to cope language wise for us as most signage also in English and most people spoke English as well as other languages.

OP posts:
ineedaholidaynow · 13/07/2019 07:53

DS for some reason has had a fascination with Lithuania and wants us to go on a family holiday there.

Original poster
FoxgloveGarden · 13/07/2019 07:54

Didn't notice about baby change facilities as my children are older. Did notice lots of facilities for wheelchair users. Public buildings with ramps and steplifts.

OP posts:
Original poster
FoxgloveGarden · 13/07/2019 07:57

Baggiegirl The old town is huge. It's most convenient to stay in old town probably.

OP posts:
Looking4wards · 13/07/2019 07:57

Thanks OP

Leatherflamingle · 13/07/2019 08:02

Lithuania and the Baltics have atrocious levels of violence towards women. And lots of corruption.
Go and enjoy the surface level beauty by all means, but do not expect an adherence to EU laws if you are the victim of a crime like an assault or a rape. AT ALL. Go at your peril.

Leatherflamingle · 13/07/2019 08:05

And lots of racism.

OliviaBenson · 13/07/2019 08:12

Who did you fly with?

shins · 13/07/2019 08:15

Lithuania has been independent for nearly 30 years, hardly "recent". YABU to sound a bit patronising to be so surprised. A pp is right, there are many many grimmer UK cities.

I love Vilnius, it's historically interesting and beautiful. Great food and museums.

CalmConfident · 13/07/2019 08:15

I went in winter, it was so cold the river was starting to freeze! I was with work so not much sightseeing time. Want to go back in the summer, all the people I know there have been lovely (with perfect English!)

AnyFucker · 13/07/2019 08:21

I see there are no direct flights from Manchester to Vilnius Sad

RandomNameChange415 · 13/07/2019 08:22

This thread has prompted me to wonder whether there’s specific advice for BAME Brits travelling abroad on the Foreign Office page, and it turns out that yes they do in some cases (Russia) warn of country-wide racism. Lithuania isn’t one of them but I don’t know how high their threshold is.

Babdoc · 13/07/2019 08:24

DD and I went on a tour of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia a few years ago. I can highly recommend all three Baltic states- fab weather, pristine beaches with soft white powder sand backed by pine forests, three utterly beautiful capital cities each with an intact old town centre, delicious and unusual food (rich earthy mushroom soup served inside a hollowed out loaf of dark rye bread, lots of beetroot and fresh dill with eggs and smoked fish. Plus one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve ever been to!), the very moving Hill of Crosses, the Hill of Witches (a trail of enormous wooden sculptures of figures from their folk lore), gorgeous palaces, castles and manor houses, rose gardens, and a fascinating history.
All three countries are well worth visiting, but do it with a well informed guide (ours was trilingual and fascinating) to get the most out of it.

Abillity2019 · 13/07/2019 08:34

I see there are no direct flights from Manchester to Vilnius

No but there are from Liverpool with Ryanair which isn’t far AnyFucker

AnyFucker · 13/07/2019 09:12

Aha Smile

notapizzaeater · 13/07/2019 09:30

Ooh, just off to google flights.

Oblomov19 · 13/07/2019 09:32

Looks good. Adds to our bucket list.

lboogy · 13/07/2019 10:03

Racism is one of the reasons I don't like going to Eastern European countries. One time In Croatia we had a bunch of boys in a car do the natzi salute at us.

But that said , we did go back and didn't experience any racism. Overall the people are really nice and friendly. They are more curious than racist

lboogy · 13/07/2019 10:06

@RandomNameChange415 I think it's advice based on extreme fat right groups rather than general treat you like shit. Barcelona is not on the list but I experienced some very unpleasant behaviour. Surprising given Spain's history of colonialism - you'd think they'd be more tolerant

lboogy · 13/07/2019 10:06

Far right *

Original poster
FoxgloveGarden · 13/07/2019 15:09

In answer to a PP we flew with Ryanair from Luton. Not much over 2 hours!

OP posts:
kalinkafoxtrot45 · 13/07/2019 15:15

I went there a few years after independence, and visited Kaunas and Vilnius. It was brilliant and I have always wanted to go back. They have fabulous bulve blynai (potato pancakes) with sour cream, and cepalinai (potato dumplings stuffed with meat and made into zeppelin shapes). Yum!

SauvignonBlanche · 13/07/2019 15:20

I couldn’t find any direct flight from Liverpool Sad

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