Public Transport in Vilnius: Fares, Contactless Payment, Buses and Apps

Vilnius public transport runs under the city brand JUDU (Vilniaus viešasis transportas). The UNESCO-listed Old Town is compact and best explored on foot; public transport reaches outer sights such as the baroque interior of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Antakalnis, the trails of Vingis Park, the Open Gallery street art in Naujamiestis, and Vilnius Airport.

The fleet is red city buses, articulated express buses and electric trolleybuses, all on one ticket system. There is no metro or tram; bus lanes (A juostos) let buses bypass traffic at rush hour.

A low-floor trolleybus on the Vilnius transit network. Photo: Bahnfrend, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Types of public transport in Vilnius

JUDU runs four kinds of service on the same ticket system.

1. Express Buses (Greitieji autobusai)

Marked with the letter G (1G through 6G), express buses connect the outlying residential districts with the city centre:

• Limited stops: They stop only at major interchanges, so journeys are shorter.
• Key route for visitors: Bus 3G runs between Vilnius Airport, Naujamiestis, Lukiškės Square and northern business districts, every 6 to 10 minutes at peak.

2. Standard Buses (Autobusai)

Numbered 1 through 125, standard red buses cover the central streets and suburbs:

• Key route for visitors: Bus 88 winds directly from the airport terminal through the cobbled streets of the Old Town (stopping at the Gate of Dawn, Town Hall Square, and Vinco Kudirkos aikštė).

3. Trolleybuses (Troleibusai)

Numbered 1 through 21, trolleybuses run on overhead electric cables. The network opened in 1956, and the fleet is mostly low-floor Solaris and Škoda vehicles:

• Key routes for visitors:
  • Trolleybus 2: Links the Central Railway Station with Cathedral Square, the Antakalnis church quarter, and Saulėtekis university campus.
  • Trolleybus 4 and 17: Connect the Central Station area with Naujamiestis and northern suburbs.

4. Night Buses (Naktiniai autobusai)

Night services run on key corridors after standard services stop around 23:30:

• Night Bus 88N: Runs seven nights a week, departing every 30 minutes between 22:30 and 05:30 along the standard Bus 88 Old Town route between the airport and Europa Square.
• Weekend Night Buses (101N to 105N): Operate on Friday and Saturday nights linking Cathedral Square with outer suburbs until roughly 04:00.
• Fares: The daytime fares apply, with no night surcharge.

Ticket prices and payment options

Fares are cashless and drivers do not sell paper tickets. Pay in one of three ways:

Option 1: Contactless bank card tap

Every vehicle has ticket validators beside the doors:

• Hold a contactless Visa, Mastercard, Maestro or mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay) against the validator. One tap buys a full-price 60-minute ticket for €1.25 (judu.lt).
• Change between any number of buses or trolleybuses within the 60 minutes. Each time you board, tap the same card or phone again; the system recognises the active ticket and does not charge you twice.

Option 2: Smartphone apps: JUDU and m.Ticket

Both the JUDU app and the m.Ticket app sell the tickets in the table above, so you can buy before boarding:

• 30-minute ticket: €1.00
• 60-minute ticket: €1.25
• 1-day pass: €7.50
• 3-day pass: €13.50
• App rule: Activate your digital ticket in the app before stepping onto the bus. Inspectors do not accept tickets activated after boarding or during an inspection.

Option 3: Vilniečio kortelė (reusable JUDU card)

If you prefer not to use a smartphone or foreign payment cards, the reusable Vilniečio kortelė can be loaded with tickets or period passes (judu.lt lists where to buy and top up).

A city bus stopped beside Kudirka Square. Photo: Šarūnas Šimkus, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Concessions and discounts

Vilnius public transport offers 50% and 80% discounted tickets. A 50% ticket costs €0.50 for 30 minutes and €0.63 for 60 minutes, and an 80% ticket costs €0.20 and €0.25 (judu.lt).

• Proof: Carry your student or senior card with a discounted ticket. Inspectors fine passengers who hold a concession ticket without proof of eligibility.

Vilnius bus station. Photo: Ypsilon from Finland, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Ticket inspections and fines (Keleivių Kontrolė)

• How inspections work: Municipal inspectors (Keleivių kontrolė) in high-visibility uniforms check tickets. They often arrive in marked minibuses that pull up behind a bus at a major stop and board through all doors at once.
• Presenting your ticket: Show the bank card you tapped, your app QR code or your Vilniečio kortelė for the inspector’s handheld terminal to read.
• Fines: Travelling without a validated ticket, failing to tap again when you change vehicles, or using a concession ticket without eligibility carries a fine.

Practical tips for navigating Vilnius

• Live tracking: Real-time vehicle positions, arrival countdowns, and delays are shown on the municipal timetable portal at stops.lt/vilnius.
• Boarding and exiting: Board and exit through any door. To request a stop, press the red “Stop” button near the doors before the platform.
• Trains: Buses and trolleybuses serving the stop Stotis drop you in front of Vilnius Central Railway Station, for regional trains operated by LTG Link to Trakai Island Castle and Kaunas.
• Luggage and bicycles: Passenger luggage, prams and folded scooters travel free. Full-size bicycles are allowed on low-floor buses and trolleybuses off-peak if they do not block the aisle.