Business Contacts
Mobile phone hire: renting a mobile phone is virtually impossible in Riga, however mobile phones, being a recognised status symbol in Latvia, can be bought on every corner for a very cheap price.
Car hire: Avis car rentals Tel: 720 7353 or e-mail avis@avis.lv Office rental: Agentura Lilija Plus. Tel: 721 6040 or 923 8106 or e-mail lila@latnet.lv Secretarial services: RMS Recruitment. Tel: 733 1813 or email rms@rms.lv Translation services: Strombus. Tel: 722 4376 or e-mail strombus@com.latnet.lv
Weather And Climate
Riga’s climate is generally characterized by short, fickle summers and long, dark, cold winters. Summer temperatures normally hover in the early to mid-20s, with the odd spell of searing heat. Winters can be bitterly cold, rarely rising above zero and sometimes staying as low as –15 for weeks at a time.
Local Press
For a relatively small city Riga is surprisingly well covered by English language publications. For the best all-round guide to the city, pick up a copy of Riga in Your Pocket or Riga This Week. Try out a copy of the weekly newspaper The Baltic Times for an interesting glimpse of local life. For business information Baltic News Service is also useful (www.bns.lv).
Internet Cafes
Internet cafes are two a penny in Riga, the most central one being Elik which can be found at 11 Kalku iela. Most cafes are open 24 hours and you shouldn’t pay more than 1 lat for an hour, but you’ll probably have to put up with screaming crowds of game-playing teens wherever you go.
Tourist Traps
Although an increasingly popular tourist destination, Riga doesn’t have any notable tourist traps except for the Old Town, which is swarming with foreign visitors throughout the summer. As with any major city, pickpockets operate with expert precision so keep your belongings close at hand.