PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Travel to Estonia

BY AIR: 

Tallinn Lennart Meri airport (https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/en/) is served by Nordica, Scandinavian Airlines, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot, airBaltic, Avies, EasyJet, Finnair, FlyBe, Lufthansa, Lot Polish Airlines, Norwegian, Ryanair, etc. The easiest way to get from Tallinn to Tartu is by bus which takes another 2,5 hours (see detailed information below).

Another option is to arrive via Riga airport, which is served by Aeroflot, Air Baltic, AMC Airlines, Belavia, Finnair, Lauda Air, Lot Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Ryanair, SmartLynx/Latcharter, Transaero, Turkish Airlines, UTair, Uzbekistan Airways, Wizz Air etc. LuxExpress bus departs from Riga Airport to Tartu at 17:45 and Ecolines bus at 18:20. Travel from Riga to Tartu takes about 4,5 hours.

There is also a small airport near Tartu (https://www.tartu-airport.ee/en/) (11 km) which is served by Finnair. At the moment there are regular flights between Helsinki and Tartu seven times a week (flight time 50 minutes). The easiest way to get from Tartu airport to Tartu centre is to use Airport Express (https://www.tartu-airport.ee/en/transport/leaving-the-airport/)

BY SEA: 

There is regular ferry service between Helsinki and Tallinn, Stockholm and Tallinn, and St. Petersburg and Tallinn. More information about ship schedules is available here.

The Helsinki–Tallinn line is served by Eckeröline, Viking Line, Tallink and Lindaline Express. A trip from Helsinki to Tallinn takes 1,5–3 hours depending on the boat (Lindaline boats are the fastest, but their traffic depends on the weather).

Stockholm-Tallinn line is served by Tallink. A trip from Stockholm to Tallinn takes approximately 16 hours.

St. Petersburg-Tallinn line is served by St. Peterline. A trip from St. Petersburg to Tallinn takes approximately 14 hours.

See the map of Tallinn harbour area here. For information about getting from the Port of Tallinn to the city centre click here.

GETTING FROM TALLINN TO TARTU 

By bus: 

Directly from Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport to Tartu Coach Terminal: 
SEBE hourly expresses (SEBE ‘Täistunni Ekspress’) stop at Tallinn Airport on both ways (Tallinn-Tartu and Tartu-Tallinn). Bus stops are located on floor 0 of the airport; long-distance buses depart from and arrive at stop 2. Tickets cost approximately 11 EUR and can be purchased either online, from a ticket machine in the terminal or from the driver (on the bus, cash only!). You can check the schedule and buy tickets online from here.

From the Port of Tallinn to the Tallinn Coach Terminal: 
It takes more time to get to the Coach Terminal from the port and it is easier to get there by taxi. Taxis certified by the Port of Tallinn are parked in front of the terminal buildings. Bus No. 2 (timetable) stops in front of terminals A/B and terminal D. The Coach Terminal ('Autobussijaam') is the third stop from terminal D. A single ticket for Tallinn public transportation costs 1,6 EUR and can be bought from the driver.

From Tallinn Coach Terminal to Tartu Coach Terminal: 
Coaches leave almost every 30 minutes from 5:40 in the morning until 23:00 at night. Tickets cost approximately 11 EUR and can be purchased either online, from ticket offices and machines inside the bus station as well as from bus drivers upon boarding (on the bus, cash only!). It takes 2,5 hours to reach Tartu. Please note that there are many buses that have several stops on the route, make sure that you choose an express line (e.g. SEBE hourly expresses). Most of the buses are comfortable and offer free wifi. You can check the timetables and buy tickets online from here.

Having arrived by bus to Tartu Coach Station (‘Tartu bussijaam’): 
If you have a lot of luggage, we recommend taking a taxi unless you are in an accommodation that is very close to the bus station (like Hotel Dorpat, Hotel Tartu, Vspa, or Hotel Pallas). You will see the taxis standing on the other side of the street from the bus station. There is usually a fairly long queue of taxis present; in the unlikely event that there are none visible, here are the numbers for calling a taxi:

Tartu Linna Takso: +372 7366 666
Takso 1: +372 7420 000
Rivaal: +372 7422 222
SV Takso: +372 7343 333
Vatex: +372 7366 566
Mercedes Takso: +372 7333 666
Tartu Taksopark: +372 7300 200
Minu Takso: +372 7333 333

BY TRAIN: 

Trains between Tallinn and Tartu are operated by Elron daily.  

Tallinn train station (‘Balti jaam’) is located close to Tallinn Old Town and the city centre and not far from the harbour. From the port, you can take trams No. 1 and/or No. 2 in direction of Kopli. ‘Balti jaam’ is the second stop from ‘Linnahall’, the tram stop closest to the harbour (click here for tram routes and timetables). Tickets (1,6 EUR single) can be bought from tram drivers.

Having arrived by train to Tartu Railway Station (‘Tartu Rongijaam’): 
The best option is to take a taxi (there should be some present at the train station when the train arrives – if not, call one using the numbers above). If you opt to walk to your hotel/the venue, please note that the walk from the train station to the centre is slightly longer than from the coach station. Depending on how heavy your luggage is, and how much spring you have left in your step by the time you arrive, the walk can take 15–25 minutes.

VISAS 

Nationals of the member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) and any third-country national who is a holder of a residence permit of a Schengen state do not need a visa to enter Estonia. If this does not apply to you, please check the website of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about possible restrictions and visa regulations.

Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs