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Top 5 Tallinn Museums

March 16, 2010 in Museums, Tips | 1 comment

For a town of its size, Tallinn has quite a few museums. They range from the standard history museum to the fairly quirky. We decided to put together a top five list, which we unveil in the video below. We have tried to choose a wide range of museums covering different historical periods, as well as an art museum. We think that these five are the most interesting, and will provide the greatest insight to add to your stay. This list is of course objective, but these are our personal favourites. If you agree or disagree, please leave a comment.

Don’t forget, if you’re interested in the museum of occupations, entry is included in EstAdventure’s Soviet Tallinn Tour.

For more information see the respective website of each museum.

1. KUMU
2. Kiek in de Kök (reopening soon after major renovation)
3. History museum (Määrjamäe)
4. Museum of Occupations
5. Tallinn City Museum

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Helsinki Day Trip from Tallinn – Ferry Options

February 27, 2010 in Tips, Transport | No comments

Many people who visit Tallinn will take a day trip to Helsinki. The trip is only 80kms across the Gulf of Finland, and can be done in an hour and a half. However the different travel options can be a bit overwhelming,  so we decided to summarize them in the chart below.

The fastest option is Lina Line, which operates two small catamarans. Aside from being the fastest, the biggest advantage of Linda line is that it has a very central terminal in Helsinki, which will save you about 20 minutes of travel time each way. However the service will be canceled in rough weather. If you have already booked tickets you will be transferred to one of the larger ships, so you wont be stranded.

Tallink is a good balance between speed and price. Their two fastest ships make the trip in 2 hours. They also have a much bigger array of services and entertainment on board than Linda Line.

Viking Line Xpress takes a little longer than the Tallink ships, but is usually a little bit cheaper.

Eckerö is the budget option. Their ships are slower and have less frills, but they have a set low price of €19 for all trips.

It is worth noting that a lot of Finns travel on these ships to drink and buy cheap alcohol in tallinn. Cheaper trips to Helsinki in the afternoon or evening can become a little rowdy. If you’re looking for some peace you might like to avoid these options.

You almost certainly wont need to book in advance, unless there is some big event on in Tallinn.  However you may save money by booking in advance. Some companies have a late booking surcharge.

You may read about Nordic jet Line or Super Sea Cat. However these services did not survive the recent financial strife and no longer operate.

We have marked the terminal on the map below. Happy Travels

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10 Reasons to Vist Tallinn in Winter

November 29, 2009 in Film, Music, Tips, Winter | 1 comment

Amongst locals Estonia is famous for its horrible winters. If you believe those who live here you would never ever visit Tallinn at this time of year. But for those who are willing the Estonian winter offers a great deal. I did a tour today and decided that it was a great time to be in Tallinn as a tourist, so I decided to compile a list of the top 10 reasons to visit Estonia in winter.

  1. You have the Old Town to yourself – in summer the weather may be better, but you have to compete with thousands of other tourists, including those from the cruise ships who all go to the same places at the same time. Also all of the hawkers disappear and leave you in peace. In winter the Old Town feels less like an outdoor museum and more like the beautiful historic town that it is.
  2. Music – there are some great opportunities to listen to music. You can listen to some really wonderful opera for a fraction of the price you might be used to. Take a look at the Winter Festival page here.
  3. Snow – we have only had a little bit so far, as this winter has been abnormally warm, but Tallinn is at its most beautiful with a covering of snow.
  4. Film – it’s dark and gray in Tallinn. So go watch a film. Right now there is a fantastic film festival going on. Having to spend time indoors has never been such a great thing!
  5. It’s cheap! – Less people means lower prices, especially for hotels. I think you know why that’s a good thing!
  6. Christmas Markets – The Town Hall Square is at its most beautiful when the Christmas Market moves in.
  7. Long nights equal long nights out – Tallinn’s party scene is best in winter.
  8. Hot Wine – go and get yourself some “Hõõgvein” (literally glowing wine) and keep warm. There is nothing more enjoyable at this time of year.
  9. Skating – there is a skating rink in the Old Town. Where else can you skate amongst 13th century buildings?
  10. Ice cricket. If you’re from a cricket playing country you’ll be interested. If you’re not you’ll think this makes less sense than normal cricket!

    Christmas Market

    Tallinn's Christmas Market

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Using Public Transport in Tallinn

September 30, 2009 in Tips, Transport

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).

How Much to Tip?

August 4, 2009 in Tips | No comments

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%!!!!! ;)

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