A hop across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn, Estonia
Getting to Tallinn from Helsinki
Sitting on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, Tallinn is the capital of Estonia as well as its political, economic centre with the largest population base in the entire country. With a distance between Helsinki and Tallinn just 50km, its entirely feasible to visit Tallinn for the day - which is exactly what we did. There's two key options for travel with little time difference between once everything is factored in.
The first option is flying from Helsinki Airport to Tallinn. Finnair, through their subsidiary NORRA, are the only airline to offer year-round service between the two cities with around five flights per day at spaced out intervals. Personally, I would not recommend going for this option as it is going to take around three hours in total once you factor in travel to the airport, waiting, boarding, flying etc.
The other alternative, which I opted for, was to take one of the many ferries between the two cities. Taking around two hours, there are up to 13 sailings each way every day from 07:30 through to 22:30 from operators including:
- Eckero Line
- Viking Line
- Tallink Silja (the largest of the three operators)
For our journey, we purchased tickets with Tallink Silja as they provide the most flexible schedules due to the number of sailings they offer. That being said, you may find a cheaper price by mixing and matching tickets between two operators for the outbound and inbound journeys. Tallink Silja operate impressive ferries, particularly its latest called Megastar, which are effectively floating shopping malls with a wide choice of items to purchase. As standard, there are many places to relax onboard - which are included in the price - on the main decks of the ferries. Vehicles are allowed on the ferries with an additional surcharge.
Why take the trip across the Gulf of Finland?
Most people would assume tourism, which was the case for us. However, one thing you will notice on your return journey is the number of Finns getting on to the ferries with large amounts of alcohol. Much like the rest of Scandinavia, Finland has exceptionally high prices for alcohol which is compounded by the monopoly on alcohol store sales held by the government enterprise called Alko. This means that there is a complete grip on alcohol prices and the ability of citizens to purchase the beverages as a means to reduce consumption. However, pop across the Gulf of Finland and as soon as you step off the ferry you'll see warehouses that openly sell alcohol due to a lack of similar law in Estonia. It may seem counter intuitive, but load up a small hatchback of alcohol combined with free movement and no customs checks equals a way to bypass Finland's anachronistic legislation.
I doubt if you are reading this you are planning to travel to Tallinn just to buy a case of the popular canned gin-based drink Hartwall OriGINal but to actually see a bit of the place. Once off the boat, head towards Vanalinn, the Old Town, which is around 20 minutes walk by foot. Vanalinn is home to the key sights during your visit and where you will want to spend most of your time whilst in Tallinn. The key sites include:
Estonian Parliament and Toompea Castle
A slightly odd looking Parliament but beautiful view across the city at Toompea Castle Hill whilst being able to take in both the old and new portions of the metropolis.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Part of the Eastern Orthodox faith but far closer to Russian style than those seen in Finland. Unfortunately we was not able to go inside on this occasion.
Tallinn City Wall and Hellemann Tower
Imposing walls surrounding the Vanalinn built around the 13th century to protect the inhabitants from impending external attack.
Walk around the picturesque streets
Tallinn City Museum
Discover Tallinn's past from the medieval period through the Soviet-influenced time to the present day at this small and manageable museum.
Raekoja Plats (Old Town Square)
Whilst we visited, there was a number of live events on in the Raekoja Plats so take a look and try out one of the surrounding coffee shops or bars.
1980s Electronic Music fan? Try DM Baar
Named after the 1980s band harking from my home county of Essex, it was strange to find a bar dedicated to the band Depeche Mode. Each to their own!
Give Estonian food a try at Golden Piglet Inn near the Raekoja Plats
Estonian food is very similar to much of the food across Central and Eastern Europe but it was equally tasty and the quality at Golden Piglet Inn was top notch!
Should you visit Tallinn?
Would Tallinn be the top of my list of cities to visit? Most likely not and we had seen most of the sights Tallinn has to offer after 7 hours in the city. The city is quite small and outside the Old Town could be a new development in any city in Europe. That being said, if you can create a 2-in-1 city break combination of Helsinki and Tallinn, it creates a great opportunity to tick off two scenic cities in one holiday. Finnair can offer some great prices on connecting flights so if you are not travelling to Tallinn for alcohol, consider booking a flight via Helsinki. A way to drop the price could be:
- Fly early from London (or any European city) to Helsinki
- Have a sub-24 hour stopover in Helsinki as anything over one day is chargeable
- Explore Helsinki and stay in a cheap hotel near the airport
- Take your connecting flight to Tallinn and stay for a day
- On the return trip, break your trip again via Helsinki with a sub-24 hour stopover to explore more of Finland
Following this will give you a long weekend break across the two cities and minimise how much you spend - particularly as you won't be buying two separate itineraries.
What else would you recommend in Tallinn or wider-Estonia?