A swim in a clean lake 15 minutes from the capital, an airport train for 90 cents, and a bus between two fascinating cities for about a tenner — Lithuania is quietly making a strong case as one of Europe's most rewarding short breaks. Travel writer Christopher Beanland's recent trip for The Independent Travel argues the case for pairing Vilnius and Kaunas in one trip, and it's a convincing one.

Getting there and around has just got easier. In 2025 the Baltic states standardised their rail timetables and integrated train services, so Vilnius now has direct trains from Riga and Tallinn. The longer-term Rail Baltica project will eventually link the Baltics with Warsaw too. For most UK travellers, though, flights remain the practical option: Ryanair and Wizz Air fly direct to Vilnius from Stansted and Luton from around £47 return, while Kaunas is served from even more UK airports — Stansted, Bristol, Belfast, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Luton — with returns from £41.

Vilnius itself is one of Europe's greenest capitals, with electric trolleybuses, sprawling parks and river beaches that hold EU Blue Flag status. The Old Town is immaculate and refreshingly uncrowded: think browsing English-language shelves at the Eureka Bookshop, coffee under the arcade, Greek food at pavement tables at Dionysos. Climb both hills — the Hill of Three Crosses for a sunset view, Gediminas Tower for the classic panorama over the historic core. Wild swimmers should head to Valakampiai Beach on the Neris River, lifeguarded in summer and equipped with picnic lawns, barbecues and showers. And Green Lakes, a short bus ride north, offers forest-ringed swimming that most European capitals would envy. The brutalist Palace of Concerts and Sports, where key independence-era meetings were held, is crumbling but historically fascinating.

An hour-or-so bus ride (around £10 via Omio) brings you to Kaunas, the interwar capital whose brief 1920s–30s independence produced a striking legacy of modernist and Art Deco architecture — the Post Office and the Milk Company HQ are landmarks of the era. Today it's a lively student city with strong street art: Brazilian twins Osgemeos painted a mural on the Modern Art Gallery (their mother was Lithuanian), and the Yard Gallery displays colourful works in a courtyard. Oddities include the Britanika, a 14-storey abandoned hotel that was never finished or opened. Finish with a burger and a craft beer at brewpub Hop Doc, then take a short ride to Pažaislis Monastery, Lithuania's largest, a Baroque stunner used as a filming location for HBO's Catherine the Great.

For stays, the writer stayed at Courtyard Vilnius and the landmark Radisson Blu with its city-wide views, while budget-conscious travellers in Kaunas might like the playful Moxy Kaunas Center.

Who's this for? Anyone tired of queueing through Prague or Barcelona who wants handsome old towns, serious architecture, swimmable water and prices that still feel like a bargain — all doable in a long weekend without a car.