Most visitors to Lithuania spend a few days in Vilnius, whose baroque old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, take a day trip to Trakai Island Castle, and add Kaunas, the Hill of Crosses or the dunes of the Curonian Spit on the Baltic coast. With a SIM from another EU country, you use your phone in Lithuania as you would at home, under Roam Like at Home; travellers arriving with a SIM from outside the EU usually pay roaming by the day.
Key facts for Lithuania
- EU roaming: covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Telia, Tele2, Bite (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 112
- Embassies: in Vilnius
Vilnius and Kaunas
The signal is strong in Vilnius and Kaunas, including in their old towns. On Vilnius city buses and trolleybuses, tapping a contactless bank card or phone on the validator buys a 60-minute ticket, one ticket per card. Bolt is widely used for rides. Trakai is a short trip by train or bus from the capital, and fast trains link Vilnius and Kaunas in a little over an hour.
The Curonian Spit and Kaliningrad
The Curonian Spit, a narrow strip of dunes and pine forest between the lagoon and the Baltic, is reached by a short ferry ride from Klaipėda. Its southern end at Nida lies a few kilometres from the border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad, and phones there can connect to Russian networks, which are outside EU roaming and expensive. Near the border, select a Lithuanian network manually or turn off data roaming, and do not cross it.
The Hill of Crosses
North of Šiauliai, the Hill of Crosses holds tens of thousands of crosses left by pilgrims and visitors over almost two centuries. It is easiest to reach by car or taxi from Šiauliai, and the signal there is fine for maps and calls.
Near Belarus
The same can happen along the border with Belarus, around Druskininkai and the eastern lakes, where phones may switch to Belarusian networks. Most governments advise against travel to Belarus.
Paying
Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, from cafés and markets to petrol stations.
Getting connected
EU SIM: Lithuania is home territory for roaming, so you carry on as usual. A travel eSIM only pays off if your tariff includes very little data in the EU.
SIM from outside the EU: put a travel eSIM on your phone at home; it starts working with its first connection in Lithuania, and your regular number keeps receiving texts and bank codes.
Lithuanian prepaid SIMs are sold in supermarkets such as Maxima and in Narvesen kiosks.
Consular protection: who to call in Lithuania
- 112 reaches the police, ambulances and the fire service.
- Embassies are in Vilnius. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- The app has emergency phrases in Lithuanian, ready to show on screen.
Lithuania travel-safety page →
Questions travellers ask about Lithuania
Does my EU plan work in Lithuania?
Yes. Lithuania is part of Roam Like at Home.
Is there signal in Nida?
Yes. Just check that your phone has not jumped to a Russian network from Kaliningrad, and if it has, pick a Lithuanian one.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Lithuania?
Telia and Tele2 on most plans, and Bite on some, with 4G and 5G where available.
What is the emergency number?
112, for the police, an ambulance or the fire service.
The short version
Install the eSIM before departure if your SIM is from outside the EU, buy Vilnius bus tickets with a tap of your card, keep an eye on your network around Nida and the Belarusian border, and save 112.
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