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Where to rent a bicycle in Riga?
What are the best options for a couple of hours / couple of days?
Having lived in Riga since 2005 I hadn’t been cycling in Riga since 2013. Now – being back for a while – I decided to give it a try again. And from my own experience I can tell you that the situation has improved. There are much more cyclists on the streets of Riga, and the infrastructure has also improved. It’s far from great, but it’s better.
So, if you’re coming to Riga and want to travel around on a bicycle, here are my best local tips for you.
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Bike Rental – Riga – Best Options
Here are 3 of the best options for bicycle rent in Riga.
1. NextBike – For a Couple of Hours
This is by far the easiest way to rent a bicycle in Riga.
You download the Nextbike app (previously Sixt offered this service in Riga), quickly create an account, add your credit card or debit card. 9.99 EUR are taken as a deposit, that you can start using right away. You find the nearest bicycle. Scan the QR code with the app. Voila. You have rented a bicycle.
Stop in the green zone you see in the app or at their special stations. Lock the bicycle using the special lock on the wheel.
Voila. The rental is over.
Parking at the stations is free, in the green zone away from a station – 1 EUR, anywhere else – 30 EUR. It’s charged directly from your bank card.
PRICES:
30 min – 1.29 EUR;
1h – 2.58 EUR;
24 h – 12.90 EUR.
Parking at the stations is free, in the green zone away from a station – 1 EUR.
There are also monthly and seasonal subscriptions that come with 2, 4 or 6 hours of free cycling a day, and offer a 50% discount on hourly rates and 24 hour rate, if you exceed your daily quota.
The cons. Bicycle quality vary. Once my bicycle had a broken saddle, another time – broken gear switch. Then there are 2 types of bicycle. The new ones are with hand brakes, the old ones – with pedal brakes (I hate those). Stations are quite far from each other, so away of the city center you’ll end up parking away from them for 1 EUR. The app as well isn’t the best. Twice I was charged more and had to ask for a refund (which was quickly given).
Apart from that I used and enjoyed it. Mostly because of the easy of use.
Until I bought my own bicycle again. In fact, I still have a monthly subscription.
2. Gandrs Rental / Outdoor Gear Store – For a Better Experience
Gandrs is one of the most popular outdoor gear stores in Latvia.
And they also have a decent rental gear shop, I’ve been a customer of myself.
Of course, they aren’t the only ones, and in some cases – aren’t also the best ones – but what I like the most is that they have several stores in different locations in Riga. And they also have online booking system. Browse their page, book what you want and from where you want to pick it up, pay online or in the shop. Done. You have rented a bicycle.
If the quality of the gear matters to you, this is the place to go.
Rentals are for 24 hours, and you’ll have to show an ID or passport. In some cases you’ll be asked to pay a deposit.
If the quality of the gear matters to you, this is the place to go.
They have everything from cheap mountain bikes to 2000 EUR e-bikes.
PRICES (bicycles): from 5 EUR / 24 hours.
3. Joining One of the Riga Bike Tours
If you don’t feel like exploring on your own.
Or if you want to see more and learn more in less time.
Then joining one of the Riga bicycle tours is the best option for you. Not only because you’ll most likely see more and learn more during the same time, but it also means that you’ll not have to worry about the rental process at all.
Here is one good option that you can book from GYG, and here’s another option.
PRICES: from around 20 EUR per person.
Electric Bike Rental in Riga
There are several options.
Since I haven’t tried any myself, I would go with Gandrs, the company I know and have been a customer of. Apart from the regular bicycles they also have a few electric bikes for rent.
Cycling in Riga Can Be Fun
I have said it about kayaking in Riga.
And now I see that the same stands true with cycling in Riga. Once you start exploring your own backyard with different eyes, turns out that it isn’t that boring as you thought years ago. There are some interesting places you can go to in and near Riga. Just to give you a few examples – Lucavsala island, Bumbu Hill Firewatch Tower, Doles sala, Voleri.
Here are a few more photos from my latest short Riga bicycle rides.
Have you been to Riga? Did you try renting a bicycle in Riga? What was your experience?
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