Forty-eight delegations comprising some 2,400 people, including 40 heads of state and 150 top-level officials, are flocking to Lithuania for the NATO summit. It’s going to be a crazy few days – here’s what you should probably know.
A previous version of this article appeared in the form of the weekly LRT English newsletter on July 7.
On July 11, a no-traffic zone for cars, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users will come into force in parts of the old town and central Vilnius.
Streets around Vilnius Airport will also be partly blocked between July 10 and 13. Only passengers with flight tickets will be able to access airport terminals.
Access restrictions to Litexpo, the exhibition and convention space where the NATO summit will be held, will be in place starting July 7.
(You can find a high-res image of the map here.)
Outside central Vilnius, avoid southbound parts of Laisvės Prospektas which will be blocked to traffic.
If you live in the Old Town and have a parking permit, you will be able to leave your car for free from July 5 in any other area.
Public transport in the capital will be free from July 10 to 13. However, regular timetables and routes will be affected, so check the JUDU website before you travel.
More trains will run between Vilnius and Kaunas, including in the late evenings. There will also be additional morning services.
The airspace over Lithuania will be closed from midday on July 11 until 16;00 on July 12. No commercial flights will operate, as more than 100 flights have already been cancelled. Bans on small planes, balloons, and drones will also remain in effect for longer, between July 7 and 13.
Lithuania will also reintroduce border checks, so keep that in mind if you are travelling to the country by car or bus. Checks will be in place, including on the internal EU borders with Latvia and Poland, from 08:00 on July 7 until 08:00 on July 13.
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