Estonia

Traveling

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Visa information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Visa HQ

Diplomatic representations

List of Estonian diplomatic representations

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

People are used to moving around with tramways which are traditional in Estonia and mainly in Tallinn. Buses are also a convenient and cheap way to move within cities.

 

Maps of urban networks

Maporama
UT Library on line
Mapblast

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

The use of private cars is obviously one of the most easy way to move from one city to another. Otherwise, you can rely on railways and coaches which are very affordable. Ferries are also used to connect with nearby countries.

Rail companies

State-owned railway organization

Airlines

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

The condition of roads is quite bad, but the main highways can be taken all year long. There are few road signs, not very visible at night. The road marking on the ground is almost nonexistent. In the event of an accident, the police must be called, which is the only authority entitled to draw up an accident statement. Neither vehicles, nor injured persons have to be moved. Driving is on the right side of the road. The maximal authorized speed limit on road is 90 km/h, in town 50 kmh. European car insurances are valid (check the mention EE on the green card), including for car rentals. An international driving license is required.

Road maps

Map of Tallinn
Map of Tallinn

Find an itinerary

Itineraries for Estonia

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 cutural 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 offer 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).

 

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

Tourism organizations

Tourism Office

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

For further information on safety conditions

Emergency numbers

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

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.

For further information

Weather forecast on the web

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Eating

Culinary specialties

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

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

Drinks

Beer is the traditional beverage together with wine.

Dietary taboos

No particular eating taboos are found in the country.

Paying

Domestic currency

Estonian Kroon

ISO Code

EEK

To obtain domestic currency

The currency is the Estonian crown or EEK which is pegged to Euro at 1 EUR=15.65 EEK approximately.

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' cheques are also valid in the country.

Speaking

Official language

Estonian

Other languages spoken

Due to the proximity, Russian is spoken in the country.

Business language

Estonian, Russian, Finnish and English.

Getting some knowledge

Basic notions in Estonian can be learned at the following website: http://www.learningestonian.com

Free translation tools

Ectaco - Free English-Estonian-English dictionary
Institute of Baltic Studies - Free English-Estonian-English dictionary

Useful resources

To find an accommodation

Touristic website about Estonia with a section on accomodation

To find an apartment

Real estate source and guide

Online offers
Apartments and rooms direct from owners

To find a job

Human resources solutions
Baltic Workers Centre

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