Estonia Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Estonians 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 Air

The national airline is Estonian Air (OV) (www.estonian-air.ee).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Tallinn (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/bureau 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/bureau de change, post office, tourist information, car hire, travel agent, parking, a hotel and restaurants/bars.

Getting There By Water

Main 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 Rail

At 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 Road

There 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.

Duty Free

Overview

Estonia is within the European Union. If you are traveling from the UK, you are entitled to buy fragance, skincare, cosmetics, Champagne, wine, selected spirits, fashion accessories, gifts and souvenirs - all at tax-free equivalent prices. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these tax-free items.

If you are arriving from a non-EU country, the following goods may be imported into Estonia by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 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.

Prohibited Imports

It 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 Air

Domestic 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 Water

Frequent ferry services connect the mainland with the larger islands, and boats operate on Lake Peipsi and the Emajõgi River.

Getting Around By Rail

Domestic 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 Road

Traffic 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 Cities

Taxis 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 Times

The 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