Car & Van Hire - Klaipeda

With a charming, old-fashioned vibe, Klaipeda feels like a port city frozen in time. It's a great choice for visitors who want to learn more about Lithuanian traditions and discover the country's fascinating past. Start with a walk through the old town. Klaipeda's historic centre is built on a grid layout, making it very easy to get around. In this part of town, you'll see some buildings with a distinctly German flair. This is because Klaipeda was controlled by the Prussian Empire for a long time.

Klaipeda is almost surrounded by water, with the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea on one side and the Danė River on the other. Head down to the Danė for one of the best walks in town, a picturesque stroll along the waterfront. This is where you'll find some of the city's best restaurants - including one that floats. The traditional sailboat, Meridianas, has now been transformed into a restaurant where you can enjoy a unique lunch. You can also rent a pedal boat and take a little trip up and down the river.

Car hire in Klaipeda lets you see one of the most beautiful areas in Lithuania: the Curonian Spit. Here you'll find a spellbinding forest, windswept sand dunes and beautiful, picture-perfect white sand beaches. Take the time to explore the little villages scattered around the Curonian Spit. In these traditional fishing villages, you can see adorable old houses and little wooden vessels.

While exploring the Curonian Spit, don't miss Raganu Kalnas, the Hill of Witches. This fascinating site can be easily reached via car or van hire in Klaipeda. Start your trip by spending time in the village of Juodkrantė, a picturesque town. Check out the gardens here, as residents love to put up charming little statues and gnomes. From the village, you can walk into the woods and up the hill, where you'll find a huge number of sculptures of witches, demons and other figures. These images recall Lithuania's pagan past when the hill was a major site for religious rituals.

If you visit Klaipeda in the summer, you'll also find a number of beaches to choose from. The best beach in the area is Smiltynė, on the tip of the Curonian Spit. It has a mixture of pine forests with hiking trails and white sand and is also home to the Lithuania Sea Museum. Alternatively, you can head north to the beach resorts on the other side of the city, including Melnragė, Karklė and, for a beach day with a difference, Giruliai. This is where you can see some old WWII defences, with historical re-enactors on hand to explain things.

You don't have to worry about traffic in Klaipeda. This is a small city, and even in summer, it is not as popular as other Baltic resort towns. This makes it ideal for drivers. The parking meters are modern and usually accept cash, card or contactless payments. There are parking facilities both on the street and in large car parks, and it is usually easy to find a space.

There are no bridges connecting Klaipeda to the Curonian Spit, so you will need to take the car ferry to get there. Boats depart from the New Ferry Port every 20 minutes.

When driving in Lithuania, you must keep your headlights on at all times, both day and night. Winter tyres are compulsory from 10 November to 31 March. Klaipeda is most popular as a summer destination. If you are visiting in winter, you will need to be prepared for snowy conditions. Go slowly, and stick to the main roads. Back roads are not cleared as frequently, so they may become hazardous due to the presence of black ice.

Lithuania has some toll roads, but they are not applicable to cars, just trucks and buses. In general, Lithuania's highways are some of the best in Eastern Europe, being well-maintained and easy to drive on. The country roads can be more of a challenge, so visitors on a long road trip are advised to stick to the highways.

Klaipeda is a port city with car ferry crossings to Karlshamn in Sweden and Kiel and Sassnitz in Germany. Both of these countries, along with Lithuania, are members of the Schengen Zone and allow freedom of movement. However, if you are planning an international road trip, it's important to speak first with your Enterprise Rent-a-Car agent. International travel may have an impact on your insurance.

The Curonian Spit is divided between Lithuania and Russia, with Lithuania holding the northern part. Klaipeda is close to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. This small territory is over 600 km from mainland Russia but is still part of the country. Russia is not part of the Schengen Zone, and the border area can be tense. You are unlikely to cross it by accident, as it is guarded on both sides.