Currency
The official currency is the Lat (LVL), which is divided
into 100 santims. Most hotels and restaurants in Riga accept credit
cards, and most major banks cash travellers cheques, but outside of
the capital credit cards are not widely accepted and credit card
fraud can be a problem at smaller institutions. Foreign currency
can be exchanged at any bank, at money change kiosks and at some
hotels; note that a 4% fee will be charged to exchange US dollars
that are torn or marked in any way. Most banks are closed on
Saturdays and Sundays. ATMs are available in the larger
cities.
