Using Public Transport in Tallinn

Tallinn is a fairly compact place, and you can cover almost everywhere you might want to go on foot. However if you’re not so keen on walking or are pushed for time you may want to use the local public transport. There are also a few sights which are a bit out of the way, which I will mention later.

Perhaps the most difficult task is buying tickets. It is possible to buy a ticket from the driver, but it is best to buy them before as they are cheaper and drivers expect exact change. There will usually be a kiosk somewhere near the stop, the most common being R –Kisok. You need one ticket for each trip, no matter how long it is. If you’re going to be making a few trips then buy a ten pack (good for 5 return trips.) Tickets will range from 10-20 Crowns depending on how you buy them.

When you get on the bus or tram, you will need to validate your ticket. There are newer machines which you slide the ticket into and it stamps a code on your ticket, and older machines where you place the ticket in and pull the green handle back to punch holes in the ticket.

You may notice a lot of people are not validating tickets. They are not necessarily fare evading, or “riding like rabbits” as Estonians call it. Many Estonians use their ID cards as their ticket, which they top up online, using their phones or at a kiosk. Another great feature of E-Stonia. Older people also ride for free. If you’re Older than 64 you can travel for free as well, or if you have kids under 7 they travel free. Don’t expect to get out of a fine because you’re a tourist. Too many locals have tried to dodge fines by speaking English for that to work!!

On many buses now they have people in yellow jackets who are supposed to provide information. This is a scheme by the Mayor of Tallinn to waste as much money as possible, tough you may find it of benefit. In any case, there will usually be someone to help you out if you have a problem if the yellow vest isn’t on your bus.

Here are some places you might want to catch the bus to, and how to get there:

Open Air Museum:
Bus 21 from the Baltic Station (Balti Jaam) takes you straight to the main gate. Trolly-buses 6,7 and 22 travel from the city centre to the Zoo. You then walk along the coast road for 15 minutes to reach the museum.

Airport:
Bus 2. See our post about getting to and from the Airport.

Pirita/Kadriorg

Our recommendation is to take tram 1 or 3 to its final stop in Kadriorg. You can then walk to the song festival grounds and museum in Pirita. Otherwise catch bus 1A, 5A, 6, 8, 34A, or 38 out to the song festival grounds, the museum or St Bridget’s Convent (Stop at Pirita).

Seaplane hangers to get a new lease on life

Perhaps on of the most interesting areas of Tallinn that receives far fewer visitors than it should is the section of the Port Area stretching from Linnahall to the Maritime Museum’s ships display. Those of you who have participated in our Soviet Tallinn walking tour will know a little about this area, we visit Linnahall and get a view of Patarei Prison, the ships and the Seaplane Hangers. There have been plans to link all of these sites with a walkway by 2011, when Tallinn will be the European Capital of Culture. We’re not sure how these plans are progressing, but it is nice to know that at least one aspect will be completed by 2011.

The Seaplane hangers are to be renovated and will house Lembitu Submarine. The hangers were completed as part of the Peter the Great marine Fortress in 1916-17, and are actually only a small part of the initially planned fortress. The Submarine and a number of other ship have been displayed near the hangers for some time, but the display will really improve the experience for visitors. Hopefully this will begin a process of transforming this area into a really interesting tourist precinct, and entice a few more visitors to view Tallinn outside of the Old Town.

Take a look at the video for a historical overview and an idea of the planned renovation.

Tallinn Airport to the Centre

One of the most daunting aspects about travel is getting from the airport to the centre of town and the place where you will be putting your head on a pillow. Even for a seasoned traveler, it can be tough to know where you’re going in the first few minutes of being in a country.

The bad news about Tallinn is that there is no shuttle bus from the airport to the centre of town. The good news is that the airport is very central. If you’re looking to keep your expenses to a minimum, jump on the number two bus. Take it to the final stop (Linnahall) and you should be a short walk from your hotel, depending on where that is. Buy your ticket from the “R Kisok” at the end of the terminal.

The easiest way is to catch a taxi. You don’t have to take the first taxi in the rank, and make sure to look at the prices displayed in the window, as each company charges a different rate. If you’re bold enough you could negotiate a set rate before you start, but because most airport cabs are from reputable companies they may resist. If you pay more than 100 Crowns then you’ve probably been ripped off.

Make sure you ask your hotel if they do transfers. Some do it for free, and often it can be the hassle free option,particularly if you are a bigger group.

How Much to Tip?

One of the most common questions I’m asked is how much should I leave for a tip in Estonia? It’s a good question, as tipping is different form culture to culture. You don’t want to look like a stupid rich foreigner, but you don’t want to look like a cheapskate either!

In Estonia tipping isn’t considered mandatory. Some people say 10% if the service is good, others say round up the bill. Given that Estonia has more notes than coins, many people usually throw in their unwanted two, five and maybe even ten crown notes,whatever that adds up to. As a tourist I suggest you work on around 10%, as long as your loose change covers such an amount. Give more if the service is really good, we need to encourage great customer service. Americans please note: we don’t like your culture of compulsory tipping. If you get bad service, please don’t leave a tip. We don’t want hopeless waiters expecting tips from us because American tourists all give them something out of habit. In summary, 10% is for satisfactory service, give more if it was better than expected and give nothing if it was bad.

We highly recommend you read this very humorous article about tipping in Estonia before you visit us. It was this article that inspired us to write this post.

Oh, remember that tour guides should be tipped at least 500%!!!!!

Estonian Economy Update

This video isn’t  just about Estonia, it focuses on Eastern Europe as a whole, but I think it’s worth putting up here.

I think it was a bit harsh that he mentioned Estonia alongside Latvia as being almost assured of meltdown at the start, but it’s very interesting how he says that internal devaluation in the Baltic Countries is working.

Click Here to Watch the Video

It’s Music Time in Tallinn

Estonians are obviously musical people. The tradition of folk music remains strong to this day, however there is also great range of modern and classical music for you to enjoy in Tallinn.  The next week is a pretty good time for music lovers in town.

This weekend the Jazzkaar Music Festival launches into its 20th year of bringing great jazz music to Tallinn.  This years festival is headlined by Angie Stone, and while Tallinn is the focus there will also be a range of concerts across Estonia, including Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi, Otepää. The festival runs from April 18th-26th. Check out the website for more details.

If you’re more a lover of Operas and Orchestras, then Estonian music Days might be more to your taste.  This festival runs from April 18th-24th, with a range of concerts across different venues all over Tallinn. See the full schedule at the website.

Jazzkaar

Antiques Fair

Lovers of all things old should check out the Antiques Fair happening in the Tallinn Seaside suburb of Pirita this weekend. Take a look at the fair’s website for more details. I think it could actually be called an antique also! With the sun beginning to shine the antiques would be a great addition to a stroll through Kadriorg Park and the Song Festival Grounds.

I Think I’m Turning Japanese… In Tallinn

Sushi has become really popular in Tallinn over the last few years, and it there’s some great places for the tourist who wants to experience a restaurant where locals go, rather than an “Estonian” place for tourists. If you’d like to experience a cultural weekend in Tallinn why not try some Japanese food and then head over to the Sõprus Cinema for the Japanese Film Festival. Not all of the films have English subtitles, but plenty do. You may think it’s strange to see a Japanese film in Tallinn, but it’s a great way to sample the cultural offerings Tallinn throws up. Estonia’s cool spring weather is perfect for checking out a film, so why not do just that with all of the “cool” people of Tallinn!  Check out the program here.

Cheap Eats in Tallinn

Here at EstAdventures we’re currently rejigging our website for the upcoming 2009 summer season. That means lots of hours hunkered down in front of the computer. Lunch is always a welcome distraction, especially if it’s cheap. Luckily we stumbled across a Google map with a whole stack of Lunch Specials listed.  Päevapraad is an Estonian term which means something like meal of the day or special. many restaurants will have one or a few dishes that they sell for around 50 Crowns. Now we can find a lot of such deals without leaving the desk. Thank goodness Estonians are addicted to the Internet!

The info is in Estonian, but you’ll get the gist of it. All of the places listed are outside of the Old Town, and if you make an effort to track any of these places down, you’ll also be able to enjoy a genuine Estonian experience as you leave the tourists behind. So in these troubled economic times, you might just make use of the Päevapraad map.

What to Drink in Estonia

Part of the fun of travelling is trying to local cuisine, or perhaps more importantly, the drinks. Given Estonia’s drinking culture, there is no shortage of options for developing a hangover. If you’d like us to guide you towards some of the better choices in person, why not try our View with a Brew walking tour of Tallinn. Otherwise, here is a brief summary of the ways you may like to enjoy a tipple, Estonian style.

BEER
Most people will usually want to try an Estonian beer, and while there are lots on offer, two main breweries dominate the market. Saku, Estonia’s biggest brewer, was established as the brewery of Saku Manor. You will easily find Saku Originaal (make sure to double the vowel sound when ordering!) on tap in pubs and bars. Saku Kuld (Gold) is pitched as a premium beer, and well worth a try. However both of these are fairly standard lager style beers. For real beer connoisseurs, we here at EstAdventures recommend Saku Tume (Dark) or if you can locate is Saku Abbey. You may wish to visit the Saku Brewery on an EstAdventures tour.

Traditionally Saku has dominated in Northern estonia, whereas A. Le Coq has been the choice of southern Estonians. Although it sounds French it is actually from the town of Tartu, and if you come to Tallinn to see a game of football you will probably do so at A. Le Coq Arena. The most common brand is A. Le Coq Premium, but we prefer one called Alexander. In winter we are particularly partial to A. Le Coq Porter.

If you’re looking for something a bit more unique, head to Hell Hunt (Gentle Wolf) in Pikk street, where they have there own wonderful light and dark beers, or the the Beer House in Dunkri Street, where they have a whole range of beers from light to dark.

LIQUEURS
Not for the faint hearted, Estonian Liqueurs are well worth a try. You can’t say you’ve been to Tallinn until you’ve drunk Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn). It is available in 40%, 45% and 50% varieties, but if that scares you perhaps you may like to try the cream variety.

Kiiu Torn (Kiiu Tower) tastes something like Baileys, and is produced in the small town of Kiiu about 25 minutes East of Tallinn. You can visit Kiiu Tower and sample the liqueur on EstAdventure’s Lahemaa National Park Tour

Pirita is another local liqueur, which has a bottle adorned by the ruins of the Pirita convent. A true experience can be to drink Pirita at the Pirita Convent ruins, Vana Tallinn in Old Tallinn, and Kiiu Torn in Kiiu Tower!

VODKA
While they may not drink us much as Russians, Estonians certainly love Vodka. Vodka is used to cure just about every ailment. For example at the onset of a cold, an old Estonian folk remedy is to soak your socks in Vodka and then put them on your feet. Even today Estonians swear by “Vodka Socks”.

The best known brand is Viru Valge, and we at EstAdventures are quite fond of the flavoured varieties, even if Vodka does make us act a bit silly at times. Saremaa Vodka is also well regarded. For a real treat seek out The Tall Blonde, labelled as the Queen of Vodkas. Traditionally it has only been available outside of Estonia, though there are now a select number of places where it is available locally.

JUST PLAIN STRANGE
If you are very brave go to Valli Baar in the Old Town and ask for a Milli Malikas. I will say no more about it, you just need to experience this bar, and it’s speciality drink for yourself. Don’y say we didn’t warn you!