Lithuania on a Budget.
In 2024 I set myself a challenge. I wanted to visit a new destination each month, for short break, costing around £250 each trip. Also, I work full time, so I had to try to fit this into my holiday allowance from my job. For my 10th trip, I chose a holiday to Lithuania, to go on a city break to Vilnius and Kaunas, for the Christmas markets.
Some important things to note here are that I don’t include transportation to and from the airport in the UK. The reason being, it is so different for everyone. So, I can’t give a reasonable figure that is suitable for all travellers. Equally, everything I do include can be replicated by the vast majority of people.
Anyway, here’s how my trip to Lithuania went.
Cathedral Square, Vilnius
Cheap Flights for your Vilnius City Break
The flights I found for this Vilnius and Kaunas city break were a very good price, at just £47.44 for a return. As usual, I didn’t pay for my seat and I only took the free hand luggage that you can take. For me, this is plenty for a short 3-4 day trip. So, I left Bristol at 7.30am on Tuesday morning, and arrived at Kaunas airport at 12.15pm. Then, the return left Kaunas at 1.20pm Friday afternoon.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that some people want the comfort of extra luggage and having a chosen seat. Equally, I’m here to show you that the more efficiently you can be with your money, the more opportunity you have for additional trips because you’re not spending unnecessarily.
Flights for this price are a lot easier to find and more common than a lot of people think. If you struggle to find these prices, and want to guarantee best prices on flights, check out my expert guide. Click here and use the code BLOG for another 25% off the marked price.
Kaunas, Lithuania
Accommodation in Lithuania Holiday
I always list accommodation per person. So, as I travelled on my own for this Lithuania city break holiday, the overall price is what I paid. Also, for this trip, as I was staying in 2 cities, I had two separate accommodations.
Firstly, on this city break, I booked two nights in Vilnius in a small studio hotel. So, unlike a normal hotel or hostel, this was simply a reception desk and then the rooms. There was no bar, restaurant or communal areas. Also, the room I had was very basic, with a double bed and private shower/ toilet. This cost £55.27 for two nights. Although I had a double bed, so you could split the costs with a partner, I would not advise it unless you’re not spending any time in the room. It was very small.
My final night for this city break was spent in Kaunas. This place was only £28 for a studio apartment with a double bed, full kitchen facilities, shower room and outside terrace. However, this was probably the worst place I’ve stayed the entire year. The walls were so thin, I could hear the kettle boiling next door. There was only one curtain so I couldn’t shut the streetlights out of the bedroom. And, on top of this, there was no toilet roll! Anyway, I travelled solo this time so these costs are for a solo traveller. The total cost of my accommodation for three nights was £83.27.
Some great places to check for accommodation for your Stockholm holiday and other destinations, are TripAdvisor. Or, if you’re happy to use hostels for even more savings, try Hostelworld.
Trakai, Lithuania
Activities for a Vilnius and Kaunas City Break
Lithuania is known to be quite a cheap holiday destination. However, it has become more expensive over the past few years, since they joined the EU.
Day 1 –
I didn’t spend anything on activities on my first day. This was because I arrived into Vilnius around 3pm. So, I all I did was explore some of the old town and the Christmas Market.
Day 2 –
For my second day, I started with some more exploring of the city and I walked to a few places. Firstly, I went to a place called Uzupis. This is an area of Vilnius that is popular with artists and other people who prefer a more liberal life. Uzupis is a UNESCO heritage sight and declared itself as an independent republic, similar to freetown Christiania in Copenhagen. I continued to the gate of dawn, which is the gate to the city and a religious monument.
After this, I went to the presidential gardens and walked around more of the old town. I then took a free walking tour which is tip based so I gave €10 (£8.33). In the afternoon I went to Trakai Island Castle which cost €10 (£8.33) for entry. Trakai is a town about 45 minutes from Vilnius. It is a much quieter and more traditional setting and is home to a beautiful old castle, set on a small island in a lake.
Day 3 –
On day 3 of the Vilnius city break, I had to head to Kaunas quite early. However, I had time to see more of Vilnius in the morning. The two places I went to were Lukiškės Square, which was a bit underwhelming to be honest. Then I strolled down Vilnaus Street. This is a more upmarket shopping district, but is home to some beautiful architecture. Then, I caught the train to Kaunas. Once I got to Kaunas, I walked to the old town and Kaunas castle and then headed to the Christmas Market. The Christmas market was small but beautiful and the main street in Kaunas was also nice. None of this cost anything so nothing spent on activities today.
Day 4 –
For my final day, I didn’t have long before going to the airport. So, I went to the two funicular railways (Aleksotas and Žaliakalnis) which were €1 (£0.83) each). Don’t bother going to Žaliakalnis, but Aleksotas has great views of the city! Then, I had to head home!
So, the total cost of activities for this holiday to Lithuania was £18.32.
Trakai Castle
Food and Drinks on Your Lithuania Holiday.
Usually, I try to find accommodation with kitchen facilities to help bring costs down. However, the accommodation in Vilnius did not provide this. In Kaunas, I did have kitchen facilities but I did not use them as the food was cheap.
Day 1
I ate breakfast before I left home and then had dinner in Vilnius. This was some form or pig leg which was literally the size of my head 😅 and a beer which totaled €25.80 (£21.50). Other than this, I also bought some traditional Lithuanian doughnuts called Varškės Spurgos at the Christmas market for €6 (£5). The only other thing I bought was a 1.5L bottle of water for €0.85 (£0.70).
Day 2
On day 2, I found a very good priced restaurant for lunch called Snekutis. Here, I had a traditional cold beetroot soup which comes with boiled potatoes and cost €4.50 (£3.75). I also bought two 1.5L bottles of water for €1.58 (£1.32) and a coffee for €2.40 (£2). Then, for dinner I found another traditional restaurant called Žemaičių ąsotis. Here, I had a pork fillet and vegetables which was €16 (£13.33).
Day 3
Today, I continued looking fro traditional food. So, I got some brunch before the train to Kaunas. I tried traditional warm beetroot soup with potato and meatballs and a coffee which cost €8.40 (£7). Later, for dinner I found a small local restaurant and ate grilled chicken, potato and veg which was €11 (£9.16) and some mineral water for €2.50 (£2.08). Other than this just a Bottle of water for €0.79 (£0.66).
Day 4
Before I headed home, I ate some brunch again which was some samogitian pancakes. This was another traditional food of fried potato pancakes filled with meat, costing €8 (£6.66). I also had a coffee for €3 (£2.50).
So, the total cost of food and drink across this budget trip to Lithuania was £75.66.
Uzupis, Vilnius
Transportation – Vilnius and Kaunas City Break
For day one, there was only one bit of if travel I paid for. This was €10 (£8.33), which was to get from Kaunas airport to Vilnius.
For my second day, I took a bus to the train station in Vilnius. This was free for some reason. I did try to pay but the woman driving the bus shook her head and waved me on. Then, I took a train to another town called Trakai. This cost €5.40 (£4.50) for a return. When I got back, I walked from the train station as it was not far back to Vilnius town centre.
Day 3 had similar transport costs as I took the train from Vilnius to Kaunas. This cost €8 (£6.66). Then, once I was in Kaunas, I took a bus from the train station to my accommodation. This was only €1 (£0.83).
For my final day, I took one bus to get to one of the funicular’s which was €1 (£0.83), and then the bus back to the airport which also costs €1 (£0.83).
As you can see, transportation is very cheap in Lithuania. The main bulk of my costs were travelling between cities, with travel in the cities costing a maximum of €1 per journey. The total I spent was £21.98.
Trakai, Lithuania
Lithuania Holiday – Conclusion
So, the total for this budget Vilnius and Kaunas city break was £246.67. Despite not spending a lot on activities, there was a lot to see in both cities. Also, if you’re on a really tight budget, you can eat out a lot less and save a lot more. Lithuania is a great holiday destination, if you want a city break that isn’t going to cost a fortune.
Flights – £47.44
Accommodation – £83.27
Activities – £18.32
Food & Drinks – £75.66
Transportation – £21.98
Total – £246.67
Let me know in the comments if you like this post. Or, if you have any suggestions of things the community can do on their Lithuania trip. Thanks for reading! Check out the other trips I have done for this £250 series – Bucharest, Sofia, Lake Como, Marrakech, Geneva/ Annecy, Albania, Copenhagen, Paris, and Stockholm.
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