The southernmost of the Baltic States, Lithuania is a charming country worth visiting. However, people often know little about it—its culture, customs, etc.—which can be a barrier to exploring this beautiful country.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of interesting, sometimes surprising, but hopefully useful (we hope!) facts about Lithuania. We'll touch on history, customs, specialties, and more. Who knows, maybe you'll learn something new that will inspire you to visit!
Yes, despite its proximity to Russia, Lithuania is very much part of Europe and has been an EU member since 2004. As a French citizen (or an EU national), you don’t need a passport to enter; a national ID is sufficient.
Lithuania also uses the euro, so there's no need for currency exchange. And since it's part of the Schengen Area, you can stay visa-free for up to 90 days every six months.
"Lithuania," or Lietuva in Lithuanian, literally means "land of rain" (from the word lietu, meaning "rain" in Lithuanian). Rain is abundant, as the name suggests! So, don't be surprised by occasional downpours and remember to pack a good rain jacket.
We found that getting around in Lithuania was easy with English, as nearly everyone under 30 is fluent. In addition to Lithuanian, some locals also speak Russian or Polish.
Lithuanian uses the Latin alphabet, though with some modifications. Instead of 23 letters, it has 32, along with special accents and symbols like ą, č, ę, ė, į, š, ų, ū, and ž.
A friend who lived in Lithuania for over six months (and guided us around Vilnius) explained that attitudes differ significantly between people in the capital and those in the rest of the country.
In short:
These differences are partly rooted in Lithuania's complex past.
Lithuania's past has seen a series of foreign occupations:
This history explains why the country has both conservative and European influences. Despite differences, Lithuanians share a strong sense of patriotism and cultural pride, preserving their heritage even during occupations.
So, now you have a better sense of the cultural landscape here and won’t be surprised if you encounter contrasting mindsets when venturing outside Vilnius.
For more about Lithuania, check out these articles: http://www.senat.fr/ga/ and http://www.contrepoints.org/chronique-slave.
Since 2016, Lithuania has implemented a bottle and can deposit system for single-use packaging. Regardless of the type of packaging, the deposit is set at €0.10.
This practice encourages consumers to recycle their containers, and it works quite well—Lithuania’s recycling rate went from 34% before the deposit system was introduced in 2016 to 92% two years later (source: Open Acess Government).
So, if you buy glass bottles, plastic bottles, or metal cans in Lithuania, make sure to return them to the reverse vending machines (RVMs), which are commonly found in supermarkets. After returning your containers, you can get your deposit back, either as a voucher for the store or in cash.
According to our friend who lived in Vilnius, housing is quite expensive. And after doing some research, I realized that while the cost of living is about 20% cheaper than in France in 2024 (according to the website combien-coute.net), housing prices are roughly the same or even higher than what we see in France.
For example, while the average property price in France is €3,101/m² (source: SeLoger, march 2024),in Lithuania, it’s over €4,045/m² (source: Properstar, april 2024).
Rental prices are also similar: €13/m² in France compared to €14.5/m² in Lithuania.
Pour trouver les logements les moins cher sur place, on te conseille de passer parTo find the cheapest accommodations locally, we recommend using Booking. There’s something for every budget and preference, so you’ll definitely find something you like:
In Lithuania, tap water is safe to drink, so there’s no need to worry about that. However, at restaurants, you’ll never be offered a jug of water. You’ll need to pay for bottled water if you're thirsty.
A cool thing about Lithuania is that highways are free for foreigners! No tolls and no need to buy a vignette on-site or online. A nice weight off your shoulders!
However, if you’re driving, be careful of speed cameras! They’re not fixed speed cameras like we’re used to in France, but "radar zones" that measure your average speed over a stretch of about 8 km. There’s a camera at the start of the zone and another one at the end. Slowing down in front of the camera will do absolutely nothing!
And if you plan to rent a car in Lithuania, we recommend using the DiscoverCars platform. It compares hundreds of companies to offer you the best prices and conditions. The total price includes unlimited mileage, partial coverage, and theft protection.
The period from March to June, with mild temperatures and budding trees, doesn’t really hold much value in Lithuania.
March is still very cold, and it sometimes even snows in April. Trees don’t start to get their leaves until May, so it’s almost like spring doesn’t exist in this country!
The best time to visit and enjoy Lithuania is from May to September, when the weather is the most favorable. After October, the cold and snow return, making it less ideal—unless, of course, you're coming to see the snow! 😉
Our friend there shared some insights on Lithuanian "specialties" that caught us by surprise:
And there you have it—our 10 key facts about Lithuania. We hope you learned something useful to prepare for your trip! There are a few extra tips at the end of this article, so don’t miss them! If the article has inspired you to visit Lithuania, you can book your flights below:
Feel free to share your own experiences and tips for other travelers in the comments!
1. If you don’t plan on driving during your trip but still want to travel between cities, it’s totally doable, though we recommend taking the bus over the train. The rail network isn’t very developed, and getting from point A to point B takes a lot of time and often requires several transfers... Whereas by bus, it’s much simpler and faster!
2. There is a 1-hour time difference between France and Lithuania in winter and no time difference in summer. So, in winter, when it’s 12:00 in France, it’s 13:00 in Lithuania. A small difference to keep in mind, whether for your arrival time, planned activities, or if you want to call your family.
In France, we’re on UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, while Lithuania stays on UTC+2 year-round.
How about we chat?