Social ConventionsEstonians are generally quite reserved and polite. A hand shake is the customary greeting. Normal courtesies should be observed. The Estonians are proud of their culture and their national heritage, and visitors should take care to respect this.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Estonian Air (OV) (
www.estonian-air.ee).
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsTallinn (TLL) (
www.tallinn-airport.ee) is located 5km
(3 miles) northwest of the city.
To/from the airport: Buses run between the city and the airport (journey time - 15 minutes). A shuttle bus to the main hotels and the city center meets all flights. Taxis are also available.
Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, shops, post office, restaurants, business lounges, tourist information and car hire.
Kärdla (KDL) (
www.hiiumaa.ee) is located 5km (3 miles) east of the city.
To/from the airport: Taxis run from central Kärdla to the airport (journey time - 20 minutes).
Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, post office, tourist information, car hire, travel agent, parking, a hotel and restaurants/bars.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Tallinn (
www.portoftallinn.com), from where ferries operate to Helsinki (Finland) (journey time – 2 hours 30 minutes, express service – 1 hour 30 minutes), Rostok (Germany) and Stockholm (Sweden) (journey time – 15 hours).
There are also services between
Paldiski and Kapellskär (Sweden).
Getting There by RailAt present there is only one international rail route to/from Estonia - a daily overnight train to/from Moscow run by
GoRail (
www.gorail.ee) that takes 16 hours.
Getting There by RoadThere are direct routes along the Baltic coast into Latvia, Lithuania and Kaliningrad, and also east into the Russian Federation. The main border crossings with Latvia are at Valka, Ainazi and Vastse-Roose. The main border crossing with Russia is at Narva.
Bus: Long-distance services run regularly to Riga, Vilnius, Kaliningrad and St Petersburg. There are numerous excellent road links with all neighboring countries.
Eurolines (tel: 08705 808 080, in the UK;
www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK and other EU countries to Estonia.
Passes: There are passes available that combine stops in other European cities.
OverviewThe following goods may be imported into Estonia without incurring customs duty, by persons aged 18 or over:
• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco.
• 1l of alcohol over 22% or 2l of alcohol up to 22% and 2l of wine.
• 1kg of food products.
• 50g perfume.
• 250ml eau de toilette.
Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use only.
Prohibited ImportsIt is not permitted to import meat or milk into Estonia. Contact the authorities for further information (tel: (6) 800 4444;
www.emta.ee).
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirDomestic air travel is expensive.
Airest (
www.airest.ee) runs domestic charter flights.
Avies (
www.avies.ee) operates flights between Tallinn and Kärdla on the island of Hiiumaa and between Pärnu and the small island of Kihnu.
Getting Around by WaterFrequent ferry services connect the mainland with the larger islands, and boats operate on Lake Peipsi and the Emajõgi River.
Getting Around by RailDomestic trains run by
Edelarautee (tel: (3) 857 123
or 848 301;
www.edel.ee) link Tallinn with many Estonian towns, including Pärnu, Viljandi, Valga, Narva, Tapa and Tartu. There are suburban electric trains to the Tallinn suburbs (tel: (6) 737 400;
www.elektriraudtee.ee).
Getting Around by RoadTraffic drives on the right. Estonia has a high density of roads although there are few major highways. Signs are not always illuminated and fairly small, so driving at night can be tricky if you do not know the route. Car hire is simple and well catered for, with all the international operators and plenty of local companies offering rental.
Bus: There is a wide network covering most of the country, including express services.
GoBus (tel: (6) 310 000;
www.gobus.ee) provides affordable and reliable public transportation service in cities, counties, as well as charter transportation. Buses are still the most important means of transport. The buses to and from Tallinn are generally quite fast and there are more of them compared to the other cities. For city bus routes tickets bought from the driver are more expensive than if bought at a news stand. Travelers can also buy a 10-ticket package or anything from a one-hour to a three-day ticket. City buses tend to be overcrowded. Tickets for minivans (
marshrutka) have to be paid for on board. Buses, trolleys and trams generally run between 0530-0030.
Taxi: Private taxis must display the name of the company and their number on the roof. Fares should be agreed upon beforehand. Taxis are best ordered from hotels, rather than in the street.
Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18, and EU licenses are valid for foreign drivers. Speed limits are well marked, and range from 30-50kmph in towns to 90-110kmph on main intercity roads. Wearing a seatbelt is compulsory. The national breakdown number is 112. Blood alcohol level must be 0%. Car headlights must be used 24 hours a day.
Documentation: Drivers must have the original V5 C (Vehicle Registration Document) as well as insurance documents covering them for Estonia if driving into the country.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesTaxis in
Tallinn are inexpensive. All parts of the city are served by
bus,
trolleybus and
tram. Tickets can be bought at stalls in the main shopping areas.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Tallin to other major cities and towns in Estonia.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| Tartu | - | 2.30 | 2.30 |
| Narva | - | 3.00 | 3.30 |
| Pärnu | - | 2.00 | 3.00 |
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