Going to visit both Vilnius and Kaunas on your trip? Here’s how to get from Vilnius to Kaunas – and vice versa, in case you need to go from Kaunas to Vilnius. The options are train, bus, car rental or private driver.
Lithuania’s two largest cities both have a lot to offer. Furthermore, you might be flying into one city and onwards from the other. The good news is that Vilnius and Kaunas aren’t too far from each other and that there are plenty of regular connections.
By train
The easiest way to go from Vilnius to Kaunas is by train.
You can buy your ticket online with the train company LTG Link.
When you search for tickets online, you can choose between three different types of trains. There is the express train, the fast train, and the regular.
If you book with the express train, the trip will take 1 hour and 10 minutes. A first-class ticket is around €12 and a second-class ticket is around €9.
The fast train offers almost the same experience as the express train. The trip will take 1 hour and 20 minutes with a ticket costing approximately €10/€8 for first/second class.
Regular trains have a travel time of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Pricing is roughly €9/€7 so again there is not a huge difference.
Choose the express train for maximum comfort. If you don’t otherwise care, just take whatever train fits your schedule the best.
Trains run between the main stations in both Vilnius and Kaunas. In Vilnius, the station is located in the southern part of the city centre. In Kaunas, the station is situated southeast of the centre, near the Akropolis shopping centre. Both stations are easy to navigate and finding your train should not be a problem. Still, we recommend that you arrive 15-20 minutes before your departure, just to make sure everything goes smoothly.
By bus
A regular bus ride between Vilnius and Kaunas takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Several local buses cover this route. One of the main buses would be line M-893. It has four daily connections in each direction. Other lines cover the route too, an example would be M-910 and M-913. You can check the schedule yourself and search for additional connections on stops.lt where they list all the bus connections.
With many local buses, you can buy your ticket onboard, as long as the bus isn’t completely full.
You can book your ticket with some buses in advance by going to autobusubilietai.lt.
The cheapest buses offer rides for just €4. But on average, expect to pay around €9 to take the bus from Vilnius to Kaunas or vice versa.
Bus company Ollex runs a minibus between Kaunas Airport and Vilnius city. It costs €15 to book a seat and it must be done in advance. Useful for those flying to Kaunas but actually wanting to visit Vilnius.
By car
If you have access to a car, you can just make the drive yourself. Vilnius and Kaunas are separated by a little over 100 kilometers (62 miles) of distance. The trip takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. It basically follows a straight line northwest and you will spend most of the time cruising the A1 highway. This highway continues all the way to Klaipeda on the Baltic coast. You won’t need a GPS to navigate the highway, but if you have to drive within the city limits of either Vilnius or Kaunas, it’s good to have a GPS.
Car rental can be arranged online prior to your trip. It is also possible to rent a car at either of the two airports or at various other locations in both Vilnius and Kaunas.
Private transfer
You can also arrange a private transfer, basically a taxi that drives you from one city to the other. This is particularly useful if you are arriving at Kaunas Airport and have to go to Vilnius – or the other way around.
Booking.com lets you book a transfer in a secure and comfortable manner. The price is roughly €115 as long as you book it a few days in advance. At this price, there’s room for three people and three suitcases in the car. If you are traveling four or more people, a more expensive ride will be needed.
