Transportation

Arrival in Lithuania

You will most likely be arriving by airplane, train or bus. Bus and train stations in Vilnius are next to each other, next to the Old Town. To go to the main campus, where the International Office is located, you can catch a city bus or a taxi. To go by bus, from the bus stop in front of the train station, take trolleybus no. 2 to bus stop "Šilo tiltas", which is right next to the main campus building.

From the airport, which is around 7 km from city center, you can also get a bus ride or call taxi (calling a taxi is cheaper, the ones waiting in front of the airport are often overpriced). From the airport, you can catch bus no. 3G to stop Mikalojaus Konstantino Čiurlionio, change to trolleybus no. 4 and go to bus stop "Šilo tiltas", which is right next to the main campus building.  

You can use a taxi app, such as eTAKSI: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lt.etaksi.android&hl=en (Android), https://itunes.apple.com/lt/app/etaksi/id785007327?mt=8 (iOS). It allows to order the nearest taxi from multiple companies, to choose companies according to price ranges, and you can use it to book a taxi for a specific time in the future (like arrival in airport). 

Public Transport

The local bus and trolleybus network is the most effective means of public transport and it is also very reasonably priced. Tickets can be purchased from the driver, but the cheapest way is to buy the monthly ticket. If you buy the discounted student tickets and monthly passes, you must carry the ISIC card with you at all times. Vilnius trolleybuses and busses start running at 5 in the morning and stop at midnight. For bus timetables visit http://stops.lt/vilnius/#vilnius/en.

For easy navigation of public transport, try an app called TRAFI: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trafi.android.tr&hl=en (Android), https://itunes.apple.com/lt/app/trafi-free-public-transport/id791973944?mt=8 (iOS). It is available in English and other major languages. It allows you to see a map of nearest stops, check out departure times at nearby stops, to search for an optimal route etc. 

E-Ticket, called “Vilniečio kortelė”, can be purchased from press kiosks (next to most bus stops), in post offices, in Narvesen and in bigger Maxima stores. Vilniečio kortelė is credited with an appropriate amount of money and/or the selected number of electronic public transport tickets. A valid ticket in the card, properly activated on board of the public vehicle, can be used for transfers between routes, as opposed to the ticket bought onboard from the driver. New Vilniečio kortelė costs 1,5 €. If you came to Vilnius for a short visit, you can buy a one-, three- or ten-days e-ticket. You can buy and refill your Vilniečio kortelė in all venues marked by a sticker picturing Vilniečio kortelė.  For more information visit www.vilniusticket.lt Ticket from the driver costs 1 €. This ticket is valid till the last stop of the route. Monthly pass (“Vilniečio kortelė”) for students costs 5,79 €, 3 month pass – 17,38 €. A single-ride 30 minute student ticket costs 0,13 €, 60 minute student ticket costs 0,19 €. 

CycloCity

CycloCity is Vilnius’ 24/7 self-service bike rental system that operates mid-April to mid-October. It has 40 stations, distributed throughout the city center. It can be operated with the same public transport card as the bus system – Vilniečio kortelė – just fill your card with the season-long CycloCity pass (around 14 € - for 6 months) and register online. Once you have this pass, your short trips are free (under 30 minutes). For longer rentals, service fees apply. However, this can be avoided by swapping the bike for another one at any rental station along the way, since then the 30-minute countdown is restarted.
Overall, bicycles are a popular choice of transportation in Vilnius in the warm season, and there is a nice path by the river connecting the dormitory to the city center and to the nearby blissful oasis of nature on the outskirts of town.

Taxi

Taxis operate 24 hours a day. They are very useful in the night hours and early morning. They are not particularly expensive, especially if people share fares. Tip: Vilnius is not New York and typically you can’t stop a taxi that you see going down the street. You must call or find a taxi stop. It’s also less expensive if you call.
You can find many taxi numbers here: http://taxi.lt/lt/taksi_vilniuje
Alternatively, you can use a taxi app, such as eTAKSI: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lt.etaksi.android&hl=en. It allows to choose companies according to price ranges, and you can use it to book a taxi for a specific time in the future (like arrival in airport). 

CityBee

CityBee is a car sharing service is designed to reduce pollution in cities and facilitate travels. You only have to have a valid driver's licence and a credit card, which you have to register before first trip in the website or the app. You pay only for the time using a car (per minute, hour or day) and mileage (only after 50 km). They take care of fuel, insurance and car maintenance. You can reserve a nearby car online, by phone or via the app, unlock it with your smartphone, leave it almost anywhere in the city (the app shows limits of the areas of possible parking). A minute of this car rental costs from as little as 0.18 EUR/minute. Website: http://www.citybee.lt/en/. App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.primeleasing.citybee&hl=en (Android), https://itunes.apple.com/lt/app/citybee-car-sharing/id966537355?mt=8 (iOS).