Safety in Latvia

Overall: The country is very calm, with a street crime rate below that of many European capitals.

Pickpockets: In the tourist crowds by the Dome cathedral or at the market, keep a proper eye on wallets and phones.

Nightlife: On Friday evenings central Riga fills with drinkers, so give noisy arguments a wide berth rather than getting involved.

Maskačka: The area behind the market is fine by day, but walking there after dark is not advisable for visitors.

Ticks: From May to October ticks are active in forest and long grass. Use repellent and check your clothing after any walk.

Emergencies: For anything serious call 112, where operators speak English and respond quickly.

Traffic: Latvian drivers are polite and stop for pedestrians, but wait for the green signal all the same, since jaywalking is fined.

Riga is safe by day, but it has one famous night-time scheme that led to a dedicated tourist police unit in the Old Town.

The Vecrīga bar scam. The classic pattern: friendly women approach a foreigner in the street — usually a man alone — and invite him to a bar nearby. Champagne is ordered inside, the bill reaches hundreds and sometimes thousands of euros, and security appears at the exit to walk you to a cash machine. The scheme made headlines across Europe in the 2000s; the police have pushed it back hard, but it has not vanished. The rule is unchanged: do not go to a bar with someone who approached you first.

Taxis. Legal cars have yellow plates and must run the meter. Operators with inflated tariffs wait by the Old Town and the airport. Use Bolt.

Old Town restaurants. Check the bill and ask whether service is included.

Currency exchange. Latvia is in the eurozone and there is nothing to change. Central offices target visitors and give poor rates.

ATMs. Decline the machine's currency conversion.

Alcohol by the clock. Shop sales run from 08:00 to 22:00. The age is 18.

Drinking in public is prohibited, with fines issued by the municipal police.

Drink-driving. The limit is 0.5 per mille, and 0.2 for drivers with under two years' experience.

Drugs. The law is strict and possession is criminal.

The Russian and Belarusian borders. The eastern frontier is a controlled zone with restricted crossing. Approaching the border line away from crossing points, photographing infrastructure and flying drones are prohibited.

Drones. Registration is compulsory, and they are prohibited near the border and airports.

Winter tyres are compulsory from December to March.

Language. Latvian is the state language, and English is the better choice in official situations. Russian is widely understood in daily life, especially in Riga and Daugavpils, but the political context of recent years is palpable.

Vaccinations. None mandatory, but tick-borne encephalitis is worth discussing: Latvia has among the higher incidence rates in Europe and locals are vaccinated regularly.

Ticks. The season runs April to October, with risk nationwide including Jūrmala and Riga's parks.

Water. Riga's tap water is drinkable. In rural areas, ask.

Winter. Ice underfoot, short daylight and icicles. Falls are the commonest visitor injury.

The sea. The Baltic is cold even in July, and Jūrmala is shallow and pleasant to swim in. There are no dangerous currents, but the water blooms in hot weather and swimming is then closed.

Healthcare. The public system is middling; private clinics in Riga are good and inexpensive. Emergency care on 113, chargeable for foreigners. Insurance is needed.

Pharmacies. Open late, with many medicines available without prescription.

Emergency numbers: 112 unified, 113 ambulance, 110 police.

Latvia sits mid-table in Europe on corruption. Police are correct with tourists.

Numbers. 110 for police, 112 for the European line.

Tourist police in the Old Town. A dedicated unit created precisely because of the bar schemes and alcohol tourism. Patrols work Vecrīga, speak English, and are worth approaching.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. Officers speak English and Russian.

Bar bills. If you were caught out, approaching the police is worthwhile: venues periodically lose their licences. Recovering money paid voluntarily by card is nonetheless close to impossible — the bank treats it as consent.

Traffic police. Many cameras with automatic fines.

What actually matters. By day Riga is an ordinary calm European city. Tourists' problems there are concentrated in the Old Town's night venues.