How to Get to Tallinn: A Complete Guide for 2025

Figuring out how to get to Tallinn is easier than you might think. Whether you’re traveling from a nearby city or coming from across the world, there are several ways to reach Estonia’s charming capital. From flights to ferries, we’ll cover all the best options to help you plan your journey.

Tallinn is well-connected to major European cities, making air travel the fastest and most convenient option. However, for those exploring the region, taking a ferry from Helsinki or Stockholm offers a scenic and enjoyable way to arrive. You can also reach Tallinn by bus or train from nearby Baltic and Nordic destinations.

No matter how you choose to travel, getting to Tallinn is part of the adventure. With its well-developed transport links and easy accessibility, your trip to this historic and vibrant city is sure to start off smoothly. Let’s dive into the best ways to reach Tallinn and what to expect along the way.

Where is Tallinn in Estonia?

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, and is located in the north of the country along the Baltic Sea. Tallinn is the northernmost Baltic capital, and personally our favorite one to visit.

How to Get to Tallinn, Estonia

Now that you know where Tallinn is, let's look at how to get to Tallinn!

🤔 How Do I Get to Tallinn, Estonia?

There are a number of options for how to get to Tallinn, including a variety of transportation options for all different budgets and travel preferences.

Here are all the different options for how to get to Tallinn, Estonia:

• Flying to Tallinn
• Sailing to Tallinn
• Taking a Bus to Tallinn
• Using Bla Bla Car to get to Tallinn
• Taking the train to Tallinn
• Driving to Tallinn

✈️ How to Get to Tallinn by Plane

One of the most popular ways to get to Estonia's capital is by air travel. If you are visiting from other areas of Europe or other continents, then you'll most likely want to fly to there. Here's how to get to Tallinn by plane.

🛬 What Airport do You Fly into for Tallinn, Estonia?

Tallinn has an airport just 4 km outside the city. The official name is Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, and the airport code is TLL.

🌎 Where Can I Fly Direct to Tallinn From?

Direct flights to Tallinn are available from Amsterdam, Antalya, Barcelona, Berlin, Billund, Bodrum, Brussels, Burgas, Copenhagen, Dublin, Enfidha, Frankfurt, Funchal, Geneva, Gran Canaria, Helsinki, Heraklion, Hurghada, Istanbul, Kärdla, Kittilä, Kuressaare, Lamezia, Larnaca, London, Malaga, Malta, Milan, Munich, Nice, Oslo, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Paris, Prague, Reykjavik, Rhodes, Riga, Rome, Salzburg, Sharm El Sheikh, Split, Stockholm, Tampere, Tenerife, Tivat, Venice, Vienna, Vilnius, Warsaw, and Zurich.

Search for a flight to Tallinn:

🏙 How to from Tallinn Airport to the City

Being just 4 km away from the city, it's easy to get from Tallinn airport to the city! Here are the different options:

• Take the bus: You can hop on #2 or #15, and the ride takes around 20 minutes
• Take an Uber or Bolt: The ride takes about 15 minutes, and costs around 10€)
• Take a taxi: This is the fastest option, but we'd recommend getting a price before hopping in, and comparing it with the rideshare apps.

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🌊 How to Get to Tallinn by Sea

Conveniently located along the Baltic Sea, Tallinn is a popular port city, and can be visited by ferry from certain cities, as well as a stop on a cruise ship.

⛴ How to Get to Tallinn by Ferry

Traveling to Tallinn by ferry is a fun option for having a joyful ride with scenic views, duty-free shopping, and a variety of activities to enjoy during your sailing.

You can reach Tallinn with Tallink ferries, departing from Helsinki, Stockholm, and Åland. You can choose from short one-way sailings to roundtrip day trips, or even multi-day adventures.

🇫🇮 How to Get to Tallinn by Ferry from Helsinki

We chose to take the overnight sailing from Helsinki, which had various eateries, shops, a casino, live entertainment, and a nightclub for a really fun 1 night-cruise.

Many people actually take this for a weekend trip, heading out one night, doing a day trip in Tallinn, and then going back to Helsinki the following day. Alternatively though, you can just do the overnight cruise as a one way ticket, or you can take one of the shorter ferries during the day, which take just 2 1/2 hours each way.

🇸🇪 How to Get to Tallinn by Ferry from Stockholm

Stockholm is a bit of a longer journey than the one from Helsinki, and is an overnight journey. You can do a round-trip cruise, or opt for the one-way sailing.

Ferries from Stockholm sail on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 5:30 pm, and arrive in Tallinn the following morning at 10:45 am, heading back to Stockholm at 6:00 pm.

The Baltic Queen is well-equipped for a super fun-filled sailing including shops, restaurants, a spa, activities, and live entertainment, making it a really fun option for how to get to Tallinn.

🏝 How to Get to Tallinn by Ferry from Åland

Ferries from Åland are also with the Baltic Queen, and sail on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 1:00 am, and arrive in Tallinn the following morning at 10:45 am, heading back to Åland at 6:00 pm.

🛳 How to Get to Tallinn by Cruises

One of the most popular ways for visiting Tallinn on a day trip is with a cruise ship! We actually used to visit Tallinn every two weeks when we were working on cruise ships.

Cruises typically visit Tallinn on Baltic sailings during the summer season, arriving in the morning, and sailing out in the late afternoon.

There are various cruise lines that visit Tallinn, from large cruise liners like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, to smaller lines such as Viking or Eckero.

Enjoy these super old photos of us visiting Tallinn regularly in the summer of 2018!

🚌 How to Get to Tallinn by Land

Now that you know how to get to Tallinn by air and by sea, let's look at the rest of the options!

As far as visiting by land, you can either take a bus, use Bla Bla Car, take the train, drive on your own, or take a day trip from another city. Traveling by land is typically the most budget-friendly way to get there, with plenty of options for times for traveling throughout the day and night.

🚎 How to Get to Tallinn by Bus

As the capital of the country, Tallinn is well-connected, and there are a ton of buses that go to and from there.

Here are a few of the most popular routes you can take:

• Parnu to Tallinn (2 hours) - starting at $12
• Riga to Tallinn (4 1/2 hours) - starting at $8
• Vinius to Tallinn (8 1/2- 9 1/2 hours) - starting at $22
• Kaunas to Tallinn (8 1/2 hours) - starting at $27

🚙 Using Bla Bla Car to Get to Tallinn

If you don't find a bus that fits your timetable, or want a slightly more comfortable ride, then Bla Bla Car is an excellent alternative.

Essentially it is a carpool app, so you can put your city to Tallinn for the date you'd like to travel, and join the car you wish! It's great because it's affordable, helps the other person, and is a great way to be a more eco-friendly traveler.

🚄 Visiting Tallinn by Train

Visiting Tallinn by train is brand new! Okay, well there were some domestic trains, but as of January 6th, 2025 there are officially trains connecting the three Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius!

Other cities that are part of the train schedules are Narva, Tartu, and other smaller cities within Estonia and the other Baltic countries, and are run by Elron, Vivi, and LTG Link.

🚗 Driving to Tallinn

Driving to Tallinn is easy! The roads are smooth, and there are plenty of rest stops along the way. You can also list your ride on Bla Bla Car so that your gas and tolls can be covered!

🚐 Day Trips to Tallinn

There are quite a few cities that take day trips to Tallinn! The most popular ones are Helsinki and Stockholm via the overnight cruises, but there are also day trips from Riga to Tallinn that you can find. 

If you're short on time and are looking to experience Tallinn for a day, then check below for a few of the best day trips to Tallinn:

How to Get to Tallinn:  Conclusion

There are a bunch of different options for how to get to Tallinn, Estonia. Here is a breakdown of the best ways to get there depending on where you are coming from:

• Helsinki: The best way to get to Tallinn is by taking a quick ferry, or you can opt for the super fun overnight cruise.
• Stockholm: The overnight cruise is an excellent option, which can be a round trip day trip, or a one way ticket for a longer stay.
• Riga: The cheapest option is the bus, or you can opt for a Bla Bla Car. The most comfortable option is the brand new train line.
• Vilnius: The same as Riga, but due to the distance the best option is to go by train.
• From other cities: Flying is the most optimal option, or you can look for a Baltic cruise if you'd like to visit in the summer, along with some other great Baltic destinations.

So are you ready to  go visit one of our favorite capital cities in Europe? We hope our guide for how to get to Tallinn has helped you decide which way to go there is right for you.

Want to learn more about Tallinn and all there is to do? Don't miss out on our other Tallinn travel guides. We also have quite a few others coming up, so make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for all of our weekly updates!

Ready to start planning an incredible trip to Tallinn and some of the other Baltic cities? Well, we're here to help! Scratch Your Mapa offers custom travel planning services, designed to create you the perfect itinerary, as well as save you money along the way. Want to learn more? Simply send us an email for your free consultation!  

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