Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by campervan with kids: our 2026 route day by day

In summer 2026 we took our campervan Beza north, through Lithuania and Latvia all the way to Estonia. From 1 to 15 August there were six of us on the road: the two of us and our four daughters. Our two golden retrievers came along too. We explored Vilnius, Riga and Kaunas, canoed down the Gauja and walked the narrow boardwalks across Estonia's Viru Bog. Most nights we slept at campsites, and once at a campground in a pine forest right by the sea. We have also put the best places and practical tips together in our guide to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with kids.

Beza is only for driving and sleeping. There is no kitchen, shower or toilet on board, so as always we cooked outside. Before the 2026 season Beza got a new bed, so she now sleeps six. The space under the seats, which used to be Justyna's spot, now belongs to our two dogs. You can see how she is fitted out in our post Beza, our family campervan.

The plan and what we changed

Before setting off we worked out a detailed plan: campsites, trails and stops for every day. Once on the road, we changed it in a few places:

• Instead of driving through the night to Vilnius, we stopped in Suwałki, because the drive had worn us out and the next day was going to be a busy one.
• Near Tallinn we swapped the city for a lazy afternoon at the campsite.
• On the Estonian coast we slept at the RMK campground in Lemme instead of a campsite near Kabli.
• We ran away from the rain to Riga a day earlier than planned.
• On the way home we stopped at a campsite near Warsaw instead of by Lake Wigry.

Day by day

Day 1 (1 August): to Suwałki

On the first day we drove 575 km. The range on the dashboard was dropping faster than the distance to our destination, and once again we weren't sure we would make it to a fuel station. We reached the Rudniki Południe service area before Suwałki with our hearts in our mouths and filled up there. The lesson is simple: keep an eye on the fuel and spare yourself the stress.

We got to Camping 133 in Suwałki at 20:30. It is a nice, reasonably priced campsite right next to a sports ground. The next morning we woke up rested and ready to go.

We first wrote about the Suwałki area after a trip in 2015, in our post about the tripoint of Poland, Russia and Lithuania.

Day 2 (2 August): Vilnius

From Suwałki we drove 238 km to Vilnius City Camping. We took a bus into the centre and explored the Old Town on foot: the Gate of Dawn, Užupis, cepelinai for lunch, churches, the Gediminas monument and the cathedral. It's all in our post Vilnius with kids and dogs.

Days 3-4 (3-4 August): Dubingiai and Obuolių sala

On the way out of Vilnius we stopped in Dubingiai by the wooden bridge over Lake Asveja. Then we drove on to Obuolių sala, a campsite on an island full of apple trees, and spent the whole next day there swimming and lazing on the beach. More in our post Dubingiai with kids.

Day 5 (5 August): Anykščiai and on to Latvia

We took back roads north to the Treetop Walking Path in Anykščiai. Dogs aren't allowed on it, so dad stayed below with them while mum and the girls walked it on their own. You can read about it in Anykščiai Treetop Walking Path with kids. On the way to Latvia we passed fields with storks looking for food. After 320 km we reached Žagarkalns campsite near Cēsis in the evening.

Day 6 (6 August): canoeing the Gauja

We paddled two canoes from the campsite down to Līgatne, with one dog in each. We came back by coach, and in the evening we watched the sunset from a lookout tower. The full story is in Canoeing the Gauja with kids and dogs.

Day 7 (7 August): the Estonian Aviation Museum

As we crossed into Estonia, the police pulled us over. We write about the check and about the planes you can climb into in Estonian Aviation Museum with kids. We spent the night at Lepispea campsite in Lahemaa National Park.

Day 8 (8 August): Lahemaa

We swam in the Gulf of Finland and visited three RMK trails: the boulders at Käsmu, the giant wooden village swing at Altja and the beaver trail at Oandu. More in Lahemaa with kids.

Day 9 (9 August): Viru Bog

We followed the narrow boardwalks across Viru Bog all the way to the lookout tower. More in Viru Bog boardwalk with kids. In the afternoon we reached Vanamõisa Caravan Park near Tallinn. It has new, high-standard facilities and a railway station next door, which makes it a good base for Tallinn. We gave the city a miss, though, and spent the afternoon resting and flying a kite.

Days 10-11 (10-11 August): Pärnu, Lemme and Kabli

Dogs weren't allowed on the beach in Pärnu, so we only stopped there briefly. We spent the night at the RMK campground in Lemme, right on the Baltic, and the next morning we walked the seaside boardwalks at Kabli. It's all in Pärnu, Lemme and Kabli with kids.

Day 11 (11 August): Riga

Running from the rain, we drove 125 km to Riga. A thunderstorm cut our Old Town walk short, and in the evening the wind ripped off Beza's awning. Read the whole story in Riga with kids and dogs.

Day 12 (12 August): the Hill of Crosses

We stopped at the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai on the way back into Lithuania to stretch our legs. In the evening we reached Kaunas Lake Camping. More in Hill of Crosses with kids.

Day 13 (13 August): Kaunas

We took a bus from the campsite straight into Kaunas. We saw the castle and the Town Hall Square and rode a funicular up to a viewpoint. The full story is in Kaunas with kids.

Days 14-15 (14-15 August): heading home

From Kaunas we drove 120 km to Suwałki, where we filled up and bought two local cakes for the road: mrowisko and sękacz. Then we drove another 290 km to Baza Baranówka, a small campsite near Warsaw. We only meant to rest there, but it turned out to be a lovely find. The campsite is very pretty and popular with families. It has a pond with a raft and a swimming area, and besides pitches for campervans and your own tents there are permanent glamping tents. You move your luggage around in little handcarts. On the last day we drove the final 300 km home without any sightseeing.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026.

Campsites along the way

• Suwałki: Camping 133 (Eurocamping OSiR no. 133), 1 night.
• Vilnius: Vilnius City Camping by the Litexpo exhibition centre, 1 night. It is open from 1 June to 15 September.
• Near Molėtai: Obuolių sala, on an island in Lake Grabuostas, 2 nights.
• Cēsis: Žagarkalns campsite on the Gauja, 2 nights. It is really a canoe base with a campsite. The showers were a bit tired but perfectly usable.
• Lahemaa: Lepispea Caravan Camping, 2 nights. Staff are only on site for two hours a day; the rest of the time you just drive in and park wherever you like.
• Near Tallinn: Vanamõisa Caravan Park, 1 night.
• Lemme: RMK campground by the sea, 1 night.
• Riga: Riverside Camping, 1 night. It's cramped and the toilets and showers are in containers, but they are fine.
• Kaunas: Kaunas Lake Camping, right by the lake, 2 nights.
• Near Warsaw: Baza Baranówka in Augustówek, on the edge of Kampinos Forest, 1 night.

Dogs

• Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia follow the standard EU rules for pets. Your dog needs an EU pet passport, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination. After the first vaccination you have to wait at least 21 days before travelling.
• On buses in Vilnius and Kaunas, a large dog must wear a muzzle and be on a short lead, and you should carry its vaccination record.
• Dogs are not allowed on the Treetop Walking Path in Anykščiai.
• Dogs are not allowed on the central beach in Pärnu during the summer season.
• Signs at the Hill of Crosses say dogs are not allowed.

Public transport tickets

We used city buses in Vilnius, Riga and Kaunas. In Vilnius you just tap a contactless card or phone on the reader on board. That buys a 60-minute ticket for €1.25, but one card can only buy one ticket. Kaunas works much the same way: the app sells one ticket at a time, and one card on the bus means one ticket. For six people we had to juggle several phones, apps, Google Wallet and physical cards. It worked, but it's worth sorting out before the bus pulls up.

Borders

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are in the Schengen Area, but Poland has had temporary checks on its border with Lithuania since 7 July 2025, currently extended until 30 March 2027. At the Latvian border there was a patrol, but they waved us through. At the Estonian border the police let the cars through and pulled us aside. The officer asked who we were carrying, where we were going and whether it was our first visit to Estonia. Keep a passport or ID card handy for everyone on board.

Road tolls

In Lithuania only vehicles in categories M2, M3 and N1-N3 pay the road charge, so M1 passenger vehicles need no vignette. In Estonia the charge applies to trucks over 3.5 tonnes, and in Latvia to goods vehicles from 3 tonnes. Check the vehicle category in your registration document before you go.