Transportation

Tallinn Airport (TLL) sits very close to the city centre, only a few kilometres away. Tram line 4 and city buses run directly between the airport and the centre in around 15–20 minutes, and taxis or Bolt are quick too. Buy public transport tickets with the Ühiskaart card or in an app.

Tallinn has trams, buses and trolleybuses that are clean and reliable. Registered Tallinn residents ride free, but visitors pay a normal fare. The easiest way is to buy a Ühiskaart travel card, load it and validate on board, or buy a QR ticket in the transport app.

The Ühiskaart is Estonia's smart travel card, used across Tallinn public transport. Buy the card at kiosks (R-Kiosk) or ticket machines, load credit or a period pass, and validate it against the reader on board every time. You can also buy QR/mobile tickets in the pilet.ee app.

Ride-hailing is the norm in Estonia and Bolt — founded in Tallinn — is the leading app, offering transparent up-front pricing. Yandex Go and traditional taxis also operate. If you take a street taxi, check the price list on the window, as fares are not uniformly regulated.

Domestic trains are run by Elron, linking Tallinn with Tartu, Narva, Pärnu and other towns. Long-distance coaches such as Lux Express and Ecolines are frequent, comfortable and often cheaper, also connecting to neighbouring capitals. Book ahead for the best fares on busy routes.

Estonia is small, so domestic flights are limited and mainly serve the islands, with small aircraft from Tallinn to Kuressaare (Saaremaa) and Kärdla (Hiiumaa). For most mainland trips, trains and buses are faster and cheaper door to door. Ferries also link the islands.

Frequent ferries link Tallinn with Helsinki (Finland) across the Gulf of Finland in about two hours, run by lines such as Tallink, Viking Line and Eckerö, handy for combining Estonia and Finland. Buy transit tickets and validate before travelling, and remember visitors pay the normal fare even though Tallinn residents ride free.