Travelling

flag Estonia Estonia: Travelling

In this page: Entry Requirements | Organising Your Trip | Visiting | Living Conditions | Eating | Paying | Speaking | Useful Resources

 

Entry Requirements

Passport and Visa Service
Visa information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Visa HQ
List of Estonian diplomatic representations
For Further Information
 
Check IATA Travel Website for visa requirements and health advices.
 

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Organising Your Trip


Transportation From Airport to City Centre:


Airport

Distance

Taxi

Bus

Train

Car Rental
Tallinn - Ülemiste (TLL) 5 km / 3 miles EUR 5-6 / 10-20 min EUR 0.65 / - Available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Train reservation services
State-owned railway organization

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Major airlines

Name Type Domestic Flights International Flights
Lufthansa National No Yes
Finnair National No Yes
Air Baltic International No Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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Visiting

Different Forms of Tourism

Historical
Tallinn's old town is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the best preserved medieval town centres in Estonia. It is therefore recommended to visit it. 
Tartu, the country's second largest town, hosts the University of Tartu founded in 1632 and offers good historical monuments. The Estonian National Museum is located in Tartu and has been founded in 1909, it is the deposit of Estonian cultural heritage and is a museum of cultural history taking first and foremost an ethnological approach to its subject matter.
Cultural
There are a lot of museums worth visiting in different parts of the country. We can cite in the Narva region (North), the Rebala Heritage Protection Area by the museum of which lies the oldest known stone burial grounds. Theatres, cinemas and museums in Tallinn are also numerous. In kadriorg castle, one can enjoy classical painting and sculpture. The Museum of Applied Arts and Design as well as the Tallinn Art hall always offers something interesting to watch. It is also worth noting Estonia's most famous festival: the National Dance and Song Festival which takes place every five years.

An interesting museum is the open air museum distant 8 km from Tallinn. It is the central museum of Estonian rural architecture

Nature
Estonia's largest national park, Lahemaa, is famous for its rich nature and beautiful sights. 200 species of bird and 900 types of plants are found in this park.

On the other hand, Estonia's smallest park is Karula National Park (South) which offers a mixture of meadows, forests, lakes and bogs.

Matsalu National Park (West) is a paradise for those who love bird watching as it is an important stopover for migration.

Viljandi (South) offers lots of greenery and ancien trees.

Lake Peipsi is also worth seeing, it is Europe's fourth largest lake and covers 3,500 km2.

Religious
Due to the different dominations over Estonia and mainly the Soviet domination, religious tourism is not as developed as it could be.
Thermal
Thermal tourism is not very developed in the country.
Beach
Bathing in the sea is limited to July and August because of the weather. However, there are plenty of beaches in Estonia like Kloogarand, Kaberneeme, Salmistu in the North; Pirita, Strumi or Kakümae near Tallinn.
Winter Sports
Otepää (Southern Estonia) is the most well known winter sports centre in the Baltics and is the "winter capital" of Estonia
Outdoor Activities
In Northern Estonia (Koorvemaa), one can hike along the nature study route of Paukjarve and Jussi.

In Lahemaa where the national park is found, many routes also offer hiking possibilities.

Shopping
Estonia's Soviet Union traditions have now disappeared to leave way to more modern shopping structures. For arts and crafts, the old city of Tallinn is worth visiting (Katariina passage).

Department stores and markets are also found, the most recent ones in Tallinn.

Tourism Organisations
Tourism Office

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Living Conditions

Health and Safety

Health Precautions
No particular health recommendations apply for visiting Estonia. The yellow fever vaccine is not recommended.
For Further Information on Sanitary Conditions
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
 

Emergency Numbers

Fire department and ambulance services 112
Police 110
 

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Time Difference and Climate

Time and Time Difference
It is %T:%M %A In Tallinn (GMT+2 in winter, GMT+3 in Summer)
Summer Time Period
Summer time from June to September.
 

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Type of Climate
The climate is characterized by a quite cold winter, a cool spring with little rainfalls, a moderately warm Summer and a long and rainy autumn.

Average temperature in July is 16°C and -9°C in February.

Hotel reservation websites
Weather forecast on the web
 

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

 

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Eating

Food Specialties
Traditional Estonian food finds its roots in the countryside with main dishes and specialties composed of pork, potatoes and garden vegetables (beets in particular). The main culinary influences come from Germans, who ruled over Estonia for a long period of time, and Scandinavian by colonization.

 

Other foods worth trying are: spice salted sprats, beef, wild berries and mushrooms.

Drinks
Beer is the traditional beverage together with wine. One of the country's traditional alcohol is Vana Tallinn (a liquor).
Dietary Restrictions
No particular eating restrictions are found in the country.

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Paying

Domestic Currency
Euro
ISO Code
EUR
To Obtain Domestic Currency
The currency is the Euro or EUR.
Possible Means of Payment
Foreign currencies are easily exchanged in banks and exchanges offices (found in hotels, at the Tallinn airport, railway stations, etc).

Credit cards such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard/EuroCard are accepted in most of the hotels and/or shops. Travelers' checks are also valid in the country.

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Speaking

Official Language
Estonian (Finno-Ugric roots).
Other Languages Spoken
Due to the proximity, Russian is spoken in the country.
Business Language
Estonian, Russian, Finnish and English.

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Useful Resources

To Find a Job
Human resources solutions
Baltic Workers Centre

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Latest Update: June 2024