Kaunas is an easy day trip from Vilnius: the non-stop LTG Link express takes 59 minutes, regular trains about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes, buses about 1 hour 30 minutes, and the drive on the A1 motorway about an hour. In 2026 an express ticket costs about €10 in second class; regular trains cost roughly half that. A day is enough for Laisvės alėja, Town Hall Square, Kaunas Castle and the Aleksotas funicular, all on foot.
Kaunas is Lithuania's second city, about 100 km from Vilnius. Between 1919 and 1939 it was the country's provisional capital, and the buildings from that period are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Below are the transport options with 2026 fares, a timed route for one day, and a few notes on when to go.
Vilnius to Kaunas: train, bus or car
| Option | Journey time | One-way fare (2026) | How often | Arrives at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTG Link express train | 59 min, non-stop | about €10 (2nd class), €13.10 (1st class) | Selected departures, reserved seats | Kaunas railway station |
| LTG Link regular train | usually 1 h 10–1 h 20 (1 h 05–1 h 42 range) | about half the express fare; return about €10–13 | Up to 15 trains a day | Kaunas railway station |
| Bus (Kautra, TOKS) | about 1 h 30–1 h 37 | about €7–13 | Every 20–30 minutes | Kaunas bus station, Vytauto pr. 24 |
| Car via the A1 | about 1 hour | Fuel plus parking | Any time | Your choice of car park |
By train: the fastest option
Trains are run by LTG Link from Vilnius railway station. Since 29 March 2026 a non-stop express covers the route in 59 minutes. It has first- and second-class carriages with seat reservations, and it uses dynamic pricing, so tickets bought early tend to be cheaper. Fares quoted for 2026 are about €10 in second class and €13.10 in first class. Visit Vilnius advises buying express tickets in advance.
Regular trains make between three and 15 stops, including Lentvaris, Vievis, Kaišiadorys and Palemonas. They usually take 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes, and up to 15 run each day. A return trip costs about €10–13. Temporary engineering works can lengthen journeys, so check your exact train in the journey planner on ltglink.lt. LTG Link's customer line is +370 700 55111.
Kaunas railway station is at M. K. Čiurlionio g. 16. From there to the point where Laisvės alėja meets the Old Town is about 2.5 km, or 30–35 minutes on foot along Vytauto prospektas and Laisvės alėja. A Bolt ride is quicker. City buses and trolleybuses cost €0.70 with the Žiogas app or €1.50 from the driver.
By bus: the most frequent option
Kautra and TOKS buses leave Vilnius bus station (Sodų g. 22) every 20–30 minutes. The trip takes about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 37 minutes, and a one-way ticket costs about €7–13 depending on time and operator. Tickets are sold on autobusubilietai.lt. Buses arrive at Kaunas bus station on Vytauto prospektas 24, about 1.9 km from the point where Laisvės alėja meets the Old Town.
By car: about an hour on the A1
The A1 motorway links Vilnius and Kaunas, a distance of about 100 km. In normal traffic the drive takes about an hour. Parking is the main thing to plan. The Old Town zone costs €2.00 an hour around the clock, and driving into the Old Town adds a €2 reduced-pollution fee that includes the first hour of parking. Our Kaunas Old Town parking guide lists the zones, the payment apps and free parking across the Vytautas the Great Bridge.
A timed one-day route
This route assumes a morning train and an evening return. It is walkable from start to finish, apart from the optional ride from the station. Visit Vilnius estimates a day like this at about €35–50 per person including transport, one museum, the funicular and lunch.
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Arrive at Kaunas railway station | Walk up Vytauto prospektas or take a Bolt |
| 10:00 | Laisvės alėja and modernist Kaunas | 1.6 km pedestrian avenue, interwar buildings |
| 11:30 | Vilniaus gatvė to Town Hall Square | Town Hall, churches, Kaunas City Museum |
| 12:30 | Lunch in the Old Town | See our Old Town food guide |
| 14:00 | Kaunas Castle | €4 adults; not open on Mondays |
| 15:00 | Vytautas the Great Bridge and Aleksotas funicular | View over the Old Town from Aleksotas hill |
| 16:30 | Optional museum or coffee | Čiurlionis museum or Vytautas the Great War Museum |
| 18:00 | Back to the station | Check your return train or bus in advance |
10:00 — Laisvės alėja and interwar modernism
Laisvės alėja is a 1.6 km pedestrian avenue with a strip of linden trees down the middle. It was fully closed to traffic in 1982. At its eastern end stands St Michael the Archangel's Church, built in 1895. Walk west towards the Old Town and look at the facades. In 2023 UNESCO listed "Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919–1939". The site covers the Naujamiestis (New Town) and Žaliakalnis districts and includes about 1,500 of the roughly 6,000 buildings put up in Kaunas in those two decades.
Buildings worth a look on or near the avenue, from the city's modernist guide:
- Pienocentras (Dairy Centre), Laisvės al. 55 — Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, 1932.
- Pažanga company building, Laisvės al. 53 — Feliksas Vizbaras, 1934.
- Romuva cinema, Laisvės al. 54 — Nikolajus Mačiulskis, 1940, a small Art Deco cinema.
- Central Post Office, Laisvės al. 102 — Feliksas Vizbaras, completed in 1932. It is being converted into the National Institute of Architecture, with opening planned for 2027, so view it from the street.
- Vytautas the Great War Museum and M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, one building at K. Donelaičio g. 65 / V. Putvinskio g. 55, 1936 — a short detour off the avenue.
11:30 — Town Hall Square
At the western end of Laisvės alėja, Vilniaus gatvė leads into the Old Town and on to Town Hall Square (Rotušės aikštė). The square took shape from the 16th century. Work on the Town Hall began in 1542; the building has a six-tier tower and today houses the Kaunas City Museum and the city's wedding hall. Around the square stand the late-Baroque St Francis Xavier Church and monastery and the late-Renaissance Holy Trinity Church. For more detail, see things to do around Town Hall Square.
14:00 — Kaunas Castle
Kaunas Castle (Pilies g. 17) is about a five-minute walk from Town Hall Square. Built in the mid-14th century, it is the city's oldest historic landmark and one of the oldest masonry castles in Lithuania. A ticket costs €4 for adults and €2 for students and seniors. Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00; on Sundays it opens 10:00–16:00 only from June to August. It is not open on Mondays.
15:00 — Across the bridge to the Aleksotas funicular
Walk across the Vytautas the Great Bridge over the Nemunas to Aleksotas. The Aleksotas funicular (Amerikos Lietuvių g. 6) opened in 1935 and climbs to a viewpoint over the Old Town. Visit Kaunas lists it as running daily 07:00–19:00 with a lunch break, at €1.20 one way or €2.00 return; another 2026 guide quotes €1.50, so check the price at the station and carry some cash. The second funicular, in Žaliakalnis, has been out of service since spring 2025.
16:30 — One museum, if time allows
The M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art charges €10 for adults and €5 reduced since May 2026, and is closed on Mondays. Its permanent exhibitions are free on the last Sunday of the month. The Vytautas the Great War Museum, in the same building, is listed by Visit Vilnius at €6 for adults, open daily 10:00–17:00. Choose one: two museums and the full walking route do not fit into one day.
When to go
- Best days: Tuesday to Saturday. On Mondays the castle and the Čiurlionis museum are closed, and outside summer the castle is also closed on Sundays.
- Funicular break: plan the Aleksotas ride for the afternoon to avoid the midday break.
- Return trip: check the last convenient train or bus before you set out, especially on Sundays and public holidays.
Why many visitors stay the night
A day trip covers the main sights, but the return train sets the end of the day. Staying one night lets you see the castle and a museum without rushing, walk the riverside in the evening, and take a morning train back without watching the clock. Our 48 hours in Kaunas Old Town plan shows how a second day can look.
Fares, timetables and opening hours are October 2026 data. Check ltglink.lt, autobusubilietai.lt and the museums' own pages before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Vilnius to Kaunas?
The non-stop LTG Link express, running since 29 March 2026, takes 59 minutes. Regular trains stop three to 15 times, at places such as Lentvaris, Vievis, Kaišiadorys and Palemonas, and usually take 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes. Engineering works can add time, so check the journey planner on ltglink.lt.
How much is a train ticket from Vilnius to Kaunas?
In 2026 the express costs about €10 in second class and €13.10 in first class one way, with dynamic pricing, so early tickets can be cheaper. Regular trains cost roughly half: a return is about €10–13. Buy on ltglink.lt and confirm the fare for your date there.
Is the bus or the train better for a day trip to Kaunas?
The train is faster: 59 minutes on the express against about 1 hour 30 minutes by bus. Buses run more often, every 20–30 minutes from Vilnius bus station with Kautra and TOKS, and cost about €7–13 one way. Both arrive in the centre, roughly a 25–35 minute walk from the Old Town.
Is one day enough to see Kaunas?
One day covers the essentials on foot: Laisvės alėja and its interwar modernist buildings, Town Hall Square, Kaunas Castle and the Aleksotas funicular viewpoint. It does not leave time for more than one museum or an evening in the Old Town. Visit Vilnius suggests choosing one focus for a single day.
Which day of the week is best for a Kaunas day trip?
Tuesday to Saturday. Kaunas Castle is not open on Mondays and, outside June to August, not on Sundays either. The M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art is also closed on Mondays. The Aleksotas funicular runs every day but stops for a one-hour break around midday.
How do I get from Kaunas railway station to the Old Town?
Walk, take a city bus or call a Bolt. On foot the route along Vytauto prospektas and Laisvės alėja to the start of the Old Town is about 2.5 km, roughly 30–35 minutes. A single bus ticket costs €0.70 in the Žiogas app or €1.50 from the driver.
