Vilnius scams: what to watch for

Most visits to Vilnius pass without incident. The problems that do show up cluster in four places: unmetered taxis outside the airport and bus station, bars in the Old Town that hand you a bill far above the menu, ATMs and card readers that skim, and pickpockets in the packed lanes around Pilies and the Cathedral Square on summer evenings.

The pattern is the same everywhere: a friendly approach, a price that was never stated, and pressure to pay now. The fix is procedural, not suspicious. Decide your price before you commit, pay by card or app where you can, and treat any venue that will not show a written price as a place to leave.

Knowing the going rate is the best defence. A taxi from Vilnius Airport to the Old Town is a short ride; a metered fare or a ride-hailing app quote is the benchmark, and anything quoted at the kerb well above that is the scam. Public transport tickets bought from the driver or an app are cheap, so there is no reason to accept a private car offer inside the terminal.

Bars and restaurants in the Old Town post prices by law, and card payment is standard across the city. A venue that insists on cash only, or that produces a handwritten bill with no itemised prices, is the one to question. Keep the receipt; it is what the police and your bank will ask for.

Vilnius Airport sits close to the centre, and the bus and train links into town are short and cheap. Use the official taxi rank or a ride-hailing app rather than accepting an offer from someone approaching you inside arrivals. The same applies at the bus and train stations, where drivers may target arrivals who look unsure.

Around the Old Town, walking is the default and the streets are well lit on the main routes. At night, stick to lit streets between the Cathedral, Pilies and the river, and use an app taxi for longer hops rather than hailing an unmarked car. Keep the emergency number 112 in your phone; it covers police, ambulance and fire.