The capital of Estonia is Tallinn, which is known as one of the most beautiful medieval cities in the world.
Tallinn’s Old Town is a favorite among tourists and features city walls, cathedrals and stone buildings. Estonia is also rich in natural scenery, with amazing forests, lakes and coastlines. Estonia’s food culture is also interesting, with many local specialties to enjoy. The variety of local dishes and dining experiences in restaurants will add a unique flavor to your trip.
1. Estonia Quick Facts
Language Estonian
Religion Lutheran Church, Russian Orthodox Church
Currency EURO (€, EUR)
Visa Free 90 day visa for 60 nationalities, Shengen Area rules apply
Power Plugs 230 V 50 Hz (C,F Type)
Capital Tallinn
ATM ATMs are also readily available, allowing you to withdraw local currency using your credit or debit card.
Use card
Credit cards are widely accepted in Estonia. Most banks offer cash advances on credit cards, and there are ATMs in almost every city. Paying in local currency rather than sterling and dollars will result in lower fees. You can pay with credit cards from most card companies, including Visa and MasterCard.
APP
Google Maps
2. Packing for your trip
Air plain Ticket
Dollar Flight Club has made it easier and cheaper to buy flights to the Airport.
SIM card
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to 200+ eSIMs (digital SIM cards) globally at affordable prices.
New member one-time use 15% discount coupon
10% discount coupon for multiple use by all members.
Pacsafe Pro safe 800 Luggage Lock
Good protection against snatchers or impulse thieves.
Universal Power Adapter
One of the most essential but most forgotten items in your travel gear? A power adapter!
Travel insurance
Prepare for risky situations Travel insurance can be a big help in the event of an emergency
GoPro HERO11
If you want to capture your own memories of your travels, GoPro is the way to go. It’s small, has great image quality, and is easy to carry around
3. Transportation
3-1 Trams
Routes: 4 lines operate within the city of Tallinn.
Fare: € 2for a regular one-time use, purchased from the driver
Buses
Fare: Same as trams
3-2 Taxis
Rates vary by taxi company, but the basic fare is around € 5.5
Expect to pay around€ 0.89 to €1.10 per kilometer. There are slight variations depending on the time of night.
Taxis can be hailed at taxi stands throughout the city, or by calling the individual companies (there is no unified telephone booking system; the main companies are Tulika Takso (tel 1200) and Tallink Takso (tel 1921)).
Some taxis accept card payments, but it is advisable to have cash (euros) on hand.
3-3 Railways
Reservations can be made at www.elron.ee (in Estonian), and tickets can be purchased directly on the train.
3-4 Rent a Car
Driving habits are often poor, including reckless driving, and you should be especially careful when crossing traffic lights.
The road surface is not in good condition, so drivers should take care when driving.
Due to the heavy snowfall and cold temperatures in winter, slip-and-fall accidents on icy roads are frequent, and visibility is severely limited due to the phenomenon of blackout.
4.Safety
The overall security situation in Estonia is generally good, but due to recent ethnic tensions with Russia, there is an ever-present risk of clashes with ethnic Russians (around 25 per cent) and some crimes against foreigners, so you should be aware of your safety when travelling.
During the summer months, when tourism is at its peak, tourists are often pickpocketed near cruise ship terminals and in the city centre. There are also many able-bodied young people begging, sometimes demanding money in a threatening manner.If a stranger approaches you closer than necessary, be vigilant and respond, and be especially careful with your belongings.
It’s a good idea to keep cash in an inside pocket of your clothing as much as possible, and to carry important items such as cash and passports in multiple locations.
Useful phone numbers for tourists
Police 112,
Fire report 112
5. Climate
Estonia has a maritime temperate climate with all four seasons. Summers are warm and winters are not particularly cold, but snowy. Rainfall is moderately low, with frequent showers throughout the year, the heaviest in summer and autumn. Estonia is a very flat, low-lying country covered by lakes, so there are few regional variations in climate.
Average summer highs are 19°C (66°F) -21°C (70°F) June-August. Nighttime lows range from 10°C (50°F) – 12°C (54°F) June-August. June sees the most sunshine with 10 hours a day. Autumn from September to November is very gloomy and gets cold quickly, with average highs of 14°C (57°F) – 3°C (37°F) and average lows of 7°C (45°F) to -1°C (30°F) respectively Winter from December to February has average lows of -6°C (21°F) to -9°C (16°F) and highs of -1°C (30°F) to -3°C (37°F). Spring, March-May, averages highs of 1°C (34°F) to 15°C (59°F) and lows of -6°C (21°F) to 5°C (41°F).
6. price
It is quite cheap compared to the rest of Northern Europe. During the summer months, many people come to Finland on Viking Line ships for shopping trips.
Petrol (1 liter) € 1.80
McDonald’s combo meal: €7.00
Water (1.5 liters): € 0.82
Milk (1 liter) € 0.94
7. Travel precautions
When taking a taxi from the airport to the city centre, it is not uncommon for foreigners to be charged extortionate rates.
When you get into a taxi, make it clear that you are willing to pay according to the meter, and ask for the fare as far in advance of the journey as possible.
Refer to the mandatory price list displayed in the back window of the taxi, and if the taxi says the meter is out of order, refuse to take it.
Be aware of pickpockets on Mere Puieste street, Old Town and the city centre near the cruise ship terminal, where tourists congregate.
8. Etiquette & Service Tip
Inside churches, you may be asked not to wear short clothing and not to take photographs.
If you are invited to a meal, basic etiquette is to stand until you are invited to sit down. Don’t start eating until someone tells you to start eating.
Tip
Tipping used to be unheard of, but with the recent influx of tourists, it is becoming more common for tourists to leave a tip.
Although not compulsory, it is customary to tip 10 per cent of the total bill in restaurants and bars.
10. Holidays
The following are the national public holidays for 2024:
1 Jan Mon New Year’s Day
24 Feb Sat Independence Day
29 Mar Fri Good Friday
31 Mar Sun Easter Sunday
1 May Wed Spring Day
19 May Sun Whit Sunday
23 Jun Sun Victory Day
24 Jun Mon Midsummer Day
20 Aug Tue Independence Restoration Day
24 Dec Tue Christmas Eve
25 Dec Wed Christmas Day
26 Dec Thu 2nd Day of Christmas
2025 National Public Holidays:
Wednesday, 1 January : New Year’s Day
Monday, 24 February : Independence Day
Friday, 18 April : Good Friday
Sunday, 20 April : Easter Sunday
Thursday, 1 May : Spring Day
Sunday, 8 June : Whit Sunday
Monday, 23 June : Victory Day
Tuesday, 24 June : Midsummer Day
Wednesday, 20 August : Independence Restoration Day
Wednesday, 24 December: Christmas Eve
Thursday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Friday, 26 December: 2nd Day of Christmas