Riga night buses just had their best season yet. Now most of them are parked, and nobody’s promised they’re back in spring.
Riga’s eight night routes carried nearly 22,000 passengers between April and the end of September 2026, about double last year, Rīgas satiksme told Latvian Radio. The seven weekend routes wrapped up in late September. Only the N22 between the city centre and Riga Airport still runs every night.
Key facts
- Nearly 22,000 riders in under six months, roughly twice 2025
- Busiest line: N22 centre–airport, 7,300+ riders, a third of the total
- Runner-up: centre–Teika–Jugla–Mežciems, about 3,500
- Fare: €1.50 for 90 minutes, same as daytime, with no rise planned
- Cost: about €250,000 this year, up from €100,000 for the three-route pilot
How do I get from Riga Airport to the city at night?
Take the N22. It leaves Stacijas laukums on Marijas iela at midnight, 1, 2, 3 and 4am, and the airport at half past each hour until 4:30. It follows the regular 22, stops on request only, and the driver takes bank cards.
Flying this winter? Check which airBaltic routes got cut first.
Will Riga’s weekend night buses come back?
Probably, in some shape. Marta Kotello, who chairs Riga Council’s mobility committee, says night transport “should definitely continue.” Maybe weekends all year. Maybe every night, warm months only.
That’s a budget call, and after this month’s Saeima election, next year’s budget isn’t decided. Still, it’s a rare win for a carrier that’s spent autumn parking trolleybus 1.
Bolt says taxi demand didn’t drop. It just can’t find enough drivers.
So until spring: the N22, or a long wait for a Bolt.
Photo: Bus on Biķernieku iela at night, Titāns / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
