To Nida, without a dragon car tax: from a crowded “rocket” to a free bike ride

Starting on June 20, the fee to enter the Neringa car is up to 30 euros, do not forget the ferry fee, so to get to Nida with your own four-wheel vehicle, you will spend 42.7 euros only on the rates input.

If you are planning a modest holiday in Nida, this amount of several tens of euros is not intimidating and you will still travel to Neringa by car.

If you still want to visit Nida without draconian entrance fees, there is more than one alternative to get to Neringa without a car. We have already written about one thing: you will not pay an ecological toll if you fly to Nida airport with a small plane or helicopter. But it is obvious that Lithuanian units can afford to fly to Neringa.

How much does it cost to get to the Curonian Spit by bus, ferry, boat or bicycle?

Bicycle friendly buses

One option is public transportation. By bus from Smiltyne to Nida, the ticket price is 4 euros. To travel by ferry from Klaipeda to Curonian Spit – 1 euro, from Klaipeda to Nida by public transport – only 5 euros!

But if you are traveling from the capital or Kaunas? There are flights from Vilnius to Nida, for example, on Friday the bus leaves the capital at 7:00 and 8:00. and arrives in Nida after almost 6 hours of travel. One-way ticket: 26.4 euros, the TOKS bus can transport a bicycle, this service will cost another 3 euros. The bus stops at the Ninth Fort in the Kryžkalnis, Klaipeda and Neringa settlements: Juodkrante, Pervalka and Preila.

From Kaunas, the “Kautra” bus ticket will cost 24 euros, and can reach Nida in just over 4 hours. When traveling on the buses of this company, the bicycle can be transported free of charge, requires prior reservation on the bus.

It will not be possible to reach Nida from Šiauliai and Panevėžys without transfers to other cities.

Modest ben

Benu can be reached from the shores of Neringa from Klaipeda: it is a modern and powerful passenger ship, it is announced that it can reach a speed of 40 km / h, ensuring a fast and comfortable journey. Benas has a capacity for 50 passengers, 25 bicycles and is friendly for travelers.

Sail from Klaipeda to Juodkrante and Nida. It is true that the price is several times higher than by bus from the port city: to Nida, even 15 euros (for children, the elderly, the disabled, 9 euros). For Juodkrante – 12 euros (for children, elderly, disabled 7 Eur).

It is better to buy a ticket immediately online, because when buying a ticket on board you will have to pay an additional 1 Eur.

“Benas” runs every day, leaves Klaipeda on weekdays at 10:30, stops at Juodkrante for 10 minutes, leaves here at 11:30. and at 12:30 arrives at Nida. Leaves Nida at 18:30. and arrives in Klaipeda at 20:30. On weekends there is an additional trip, respectively, from Nida at 1 p.m. and from Klaipeda at 15:30.

Dreverna small boat port

If you are traveling through Lesser Lithuania, the Pomeranian region and you are in Dreverna, you will definitely visit the small port of Dreverna. From here, the Benas ferry departs daily to and from Juodkrante during the summer season.

The one-way ticket costs 6 euros, you can travel by bicycle, you will have to pay another 1 euro for it. A return trip will cost the same. The ferry operates three times a day on normal days and four times a day on weekends.

Such trips are generally chosen by those who rest in Dreverna and wish to spend a few hours in Juodkrante. Just a few minutes, and you are on the other bank of the lagoon in Juodkrante. The Dreverna camp administrator, having heard about plans to move to Juodkrante, recommended that the tickets be arranged in advance: because often, even on a normal day, all tickets are sold for the 10am trip . And in fact, five dozen passengers took the ferry from Dreverna to Juodkrante on Tuesday morning. The ferry to Drevern departs at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

According to the port manager, Edmundas Samalius, there are no regular flights to Nida because it is too far from Dreverna. But there are vacationers who privately rent “Bena” and come to Nida with him. The trip takes about 30-40 minutes, and this service costs about 300 euros.

By boat from Minija or Uostadvaris

If you are resting near the mouth of the Nemunas in Lithuanian Venice called Minija or Uostadvaris, you have the opportunity to reach Nida by boat. From Joniniai until the end of summer, there are regular flights from Minija and Uostadvaris to Nida.

Adults in both directions – 18 euros, in one direction – 12 euros. Discounts for children, 12 and 7 euros, respectively, taxed bicycles, e. scooters and wheelchairs (in both directions – 3 Eur, in one direction – 2 Eur).

Popular rocket

From the beginning of June, Nida can be reached directly from Kaunas with the renovated and legendary high-speed boat “Raketa”.

The 58-passenger ship leaves the port of Kaunas every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 9 p.m. in the morning. Arrives in Nida around 12:45.

The boat leaves the port of Nida every Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 3.30 p.m. On Saturday the ship, which set sail from Kaunas, stays in Nida and returns only on Sunday. The trip to Kaunas takes a little longer, about 4 hours, because the ship is sailing against the current of Nemunas. The rocket reaches 60 km / h. speed, for such a boat speed is quite impressive.

The one-way ticket costs 51 euros, although it must be paid in advance, as all Kaunas tickets are sold for flights in late July. According to Adele Rudminaitė, the Raketa manager, there are hardly any tickets left for the next two weeks.

“The ship had to start last year, but it did not receive all permits and its voyages had to be postponed.” We have been waiting for attention since last year, and the enthusiasm of the people is surprising, gratifying, we are very happy. If the boat is full on each trip, then that route is worth it, ”said A. Rudminaitė.

However, according to her, there are no plans to offer travel on the first days of the week, as there is no shortage of seats available on Thursdays.

“Here we have full trips on Sundays, everyone wants to finish their vacation at the end of the week. The schedule we have now is the most optimal for today,” said the administrator of “Rocket”.

According to A. Rudminaitė, a trip from Kaunas to Nida is chosen by very different people. “There are older people who traveled to Nida in Raketa a few decades ago. They feel nostalgic when they remember the trips of their youth, they swim even without spending the night, for a day, they spend a few hours in Nida and at night they sit on the rocket and they return to Kaunas.

There are families traveling on vacation, it happens that people celebrate birthdays in “Raketa”, they give themselves or a loved one, we had a bachelorette party, companies choose private trips. That audience is very diverse, ”said A. Rudminaitė.

“The demand is huge, but we do not intend to increase the price of the ticket, we want to leave the optimal price so that as many people as possible can pass the rocket.” There was a campaign against Jonines: tickets cost 29 euros and were exchanged in 15 minutes. We would like to offer that price throughout the summer, but then the survival of the boat itself will not be profitable, so 51 euros is the optimal price, we do not plan to increase it, it will continue to be this summer. After all, there are older people, families with children, we want to give everyone the opportunity to navigate “Rocket”, – said A. Rudminaitė.

For those who failed to purchase specially requested tickets for Nida, the ship’s management came up with the idea of ​​giving the opportunity to navigate the rocket and at the same time complete return trips on Thursday or Friday.

Since the last Thursday in July, he offers not to buy weekend tickets from Nida to Kaunas, but to take a bus to Neringa for only 10 euros. “The forward journey by bus would not be on the usual highway, but on the Panemunė highway. It would leave at the same time as the ship and return to the rocket. This is an opportunity for those who failed to purchase tickets in both directions or do not have the opportunity to buy round-trip tickets, “said the administrator of” Raketa. “

When you want luxury

Why stick to the schedules here if the wallet can bear the cost of renting a boat? There is a ship-nuoma.lt where you can choose a boat according to the price, size and needs.

For example, a 6-passenger high-speed boat “Baltic King” is rented for 1 hour – 70 euros, various travel packages are offered here, for example, an approximately 8-hour trip Klaipeda – Juodkrante – (Pervalka) – Nida – Klaipeda (3-4 hours). swimming, 2-4 hours ashore) – 350 euros. 4 hours sailing almost twice as cheap to Juodkrante (Klaipeda – Juodkrante – Klaipeda) – 180 euros.

The cheapest – by bike

If you travel to Neringa by bicycle, the ferry transfer from Klaipeda to Smiltyne will cost you only 1 euro. And beyond: a 52 km bicycle route connecting Smiltyne, Juodkrante, Pervalka, Preila and Nida. It crosses wooded areas, there are no big hills and slopes, traffic is prohibited. There are specially equipped short stops along the trail. Information on nearby attractions and places can be found at special stands located at the entrances of all settlements. Drinking water must be attended before the trip, since it can only be bought in the settlements.

It is true that while there is no need to fear cars on this road, losing vigilance is dangerous. There are thousands of cyclists in Neringa, and the path is quite narrow. When cycling, cyclists are often separated by centimeters, and bicycles roll at different speeds, so unpleasant incidents are inevitable every year, which unfortunately are sometimes accompanied by injuries and damaged vehicles.

And the road itself dates back to the third decade, there is no shortage of crumpled and crumpled asphalt sections, rolling on this road, the nature of the Curonian Spit remains in the background, because you will be forced to pay full attention to your security.

But there is good news: by 2025, the Pervalka-Smiltyne bikeway is planned to be completely renovated in three stages.

In any case, a bicycle trip through the Curonian Spit National Park is a great opportunity to visit the most interesting and beautiful places in Neringa, to know the nature, the landscape and the settlements. A brochure specially published by the Curonian Spit National Park Authority for cyclists will help to do this.

By choosing this route, you will reach Nida on an asphalt bike trail that stretches through pine forests along the Curonian Spit. From Nida it is possible to move by boat to the Nemunas delta and return to Klaipeda on the roads of Pomerania.