Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
Canadians now need a visa to go to Estonia, even on a day trip. The cost for this is 50mk, a recent photo, a copy of your ticket and your passport. It takes about a week. I suspect that this has something to do with the European Union and those who live outside of the European Union are the ones who need visas. People from Finland do not need one. The number to call is (09) 622 0288. The people in this office speak Estonian and Finnish. I am not sure if they speak English. It is best to do this well in advance of your trip!
Carmen Boudreau-Kiviaho (Apr 99)
From March 1st, 1999, tourists from the Schengen countries of the EU (Germany, Austria, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece) will no longer need a visa to enter the three Baltic States.
Estonian Air has re-activitated its connection between Tallinn and Frankfurt (Germany). It leaves on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdsays twice a day from Tallinn to Frankfurt and returns on the same day. On Sunday there is only one flight from Tallinn to Frankfurt and back (valid until March 29, 1999).
The Germany embassy in Tallinn has moved. The new address and phone numbers are : 11, Toom-Kuninga Street, EE-15048 Tallinn, tel: 627 5300; fax 627 5304
Volker (Jan 99)
As of 24th July, 1998, prices for visas issued at the border have risen from 210 EEK to 800 EEK. Get your visas before hand, saves you a lot of money. Also the Baltic Express doesn't run anymore, in fact there's no train traffic between Tallinn and Riga, though there are buses.
Billy (Aug 98)
Visa rules have changed recently and Canadian citizens now need a visa to enter Estonia, but Americian citizens do not. Visas can be easily obtained when you arrive at the ferry terminal in Tallinn - just remember to bring a passport photo and after filling out a two-pay form at the terminal, you can get your visa. A visa for 18 years and over costs about 90 Finnish Markka; under 18 is free.
Kerek Paauw (July 98)
The Estonian consulate in Kasarmikatu 28, Helsinki, Finland has moved. The new address is ItΣinen Puistotie 10, Helsinki, Finland.
I paid 210, EEK for a single entry visa at the harbour in Tallinn. At the Estonian embassy in Helsinki they told me that the prices at the border were the same as at an embassy. Officially, you have to show documents which prove that you have health insurance valid for Estonia. The insurance can also be obtained at the border - it is said to be cheap.
Reiner Kurz (May 98)
The Australian Consulate in Tallinn, Republic of Estonia, has moved to new premises. The address is : Australian Consulate c/- Age Com, Gonsiori 21, EE0001m, Tallinn (372-6) 466090; fax (372-6) 410479.
Consular Newsletter, Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade (Apr 97)
Most Scandinavians and all Baltic people, smoke. The anti-smoking movement does not appear to have made the same inroads as it has in other parts of the world and some forms of public transport, particularly trains in Denmark and the Baltic ferries, are little more than containers used to transport second-hand smoke from point A to point B, with a side trip through your lungs en route. Smokers, like pit-bull owners and JehovahÆs Witnesses, simply cannot understand what youÆre complaining about, and your only option may be to smash a window with that little red-painted hammer hanging on the wall.
Holders of student cards get substantial discounts on pretty much everything going - those of us unfortunate enough to work for a living get gouged mercilessly every way we turn. The scale of this injustice is now so colossal and widespread that travellers are advised to get a student card if they can.
Matt Anderson, Canada (Mar 99)
Otepaa is full of tales. If you like this kind of folklore you should make a stop here and explore the city and check if the tales are true. For example, Armuallikas or Verilate (next to the Puhajaru)- it is said that if you drink the water from Armuallikas in a silver beaker on a midsummers night it gives you an overwhelming and permanent love. It's also said that the water relieves pain and cures the sick.
If you are driving from Estonia to Latvia it's better to check in advance which border is open. Some borders don't know about car rental agreement, especially because Latvia requries special insurance for the car.
(Jan 99)
There is a new catamaran service from Finland to Tallinn, Estonia called the Nordic Jet Line. The cats are very comfortable, very quick (great for people prone to sea sickness). Each cat holds 430 passengers and 55 cars. For further details contact Nordic Jet Line, Kanavaterminaali K5, PL 134, Fin-00161 Helsinki (tel) 358 9 681 770, fax 358 9 260 9244, email : booking @njl.fi.
Sheridan Pettiford (Oct 98)
If wanting to travel to the Baltics by ferry from Stockholm, don't waste time with travel agencies - go straight to the central station where Estline and Viking line both have offices where you can book tickets for same day travel.
Forget about purchasing a Baltic states pass from Campus Travel. It proved impossible to validate and nobody seemed to know what it was.
In Stockholm I had booked a ticket from Tallinn returning to Stockholm and had been told that I could pay for it in Tallinn. What I wasn't told however, was that paying for the ticket in EEK would cost around ú7 more than paying for it in SEK. Beware.
Lois Briard, UK (Sept 98)
There is a great service from Berlin to Shiastokai/Sestokai, but it's chaotic after that with the demise of the Baltic Express service. We got to Riga via Kaunas, and that took the time it should have taken to get to Tallinn. As far as we could find out, the line to Tallinn is permanently closed, the damage to the rails too expensive to fix. There are plenty of buses however from Riga to Tallinn.
The Baltic Rail Pass has again been withdrawn owing to problems. If it does get sold again, it would be invaluable to have a Russian translation as well as the National ones as most of the people working on the trains don't seem able to read Latvian/Lithuanian etc. Kaliningrad has ceased to be included. This meant we had to buy a ticket in Vilnius from the border of Kaliningrad to Kaliningrad, but a sleeper from Vilnius to Kaliningrad. No chance! Sleepers, in fact, were complicated to arrange throughout the trip. So complicated that often they forgot to charge us. Despite all the hassles, it was, however, certainly cheap, even for just Latvia and Lithuania - and no queuing for tickets.
Mrs. Kate Hammond, UK (Sept 98)
The tourist office in Tallin is satisfactory. Most of the large restaurants leave copies of their menus there which is useful because you can quickly eliminate restaurants outside your budget.
Breda Fell, Ireland (July 98)
Helsinki is a great city with a booming nightlife, but Tallin in Estonia, is also not to be missed. The cruise to get there is worth the trip alone and for young people you should have no trouble meeting fellow travellers with similar interests.
The best shopping in Tallin is the Russian market - ask a cab driver to take you there - they all know it.
CH Doyle
The Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany will be eliminated at the end of March, 1998 and it is not clear when and if it will be resumed in the near future.
Iris Brokling - Estonia (Mar 98)
Since November 1997, the Baltic Express ( Balti Ekspress) from Tallinn to Warsaw no longer runs daily. It now leaves Tallinn on even days at 5:20 pm and from Sestokai on odd days at 10.17 pm. In Sestokai you have to change trains.
Iris Brokling - Estonia (Mar 98)
Anyone planning a visit to Estonia can get a tremendous amount of information by contacting the Tallinn City Tourist Informaiton Office, Mundi 2, EE001 Tallin, Estonia ( 372-631-3940; fax 372-631 3941 email : Tallinn@netexpress.ee ;web site www.tallinn.ee.
John Osman - Japan (Jan 98)
The Baltic Express, which runs from Tallinn to Warsaw has just been cancelled temporarily due to major repair work on the railroads. They expect to have things running sometime in the Fall.
Steve Kokker, LP author (Sept 98)
The Baltic Express doesn't run anymore, in fact there's no train traffic between Tallinn and Riga, though there are buses.
Billy (Aug 98)
If you are planning on taking a ferry to Estonia via Tallinn, the capital, from Helsinki, Finland, but do not plan on returning, it is cheaper to purchase a return ticket for a one day trip at 75 Finnish Markka than to buy a one-way ticket (120-130 Finnish Markka).
Derek Paauw (July 98)
I travelled to St Petersburg from Tallin by train. There is now only one train per day - it leaves Tallin at 2010 (arrive St. P at 0654) and leaves St P. at 2310, arriving Tallin 0816. I shared a coupe with Estonian citizens on both legs of the journey - both of these chaps were frequent travellers and were quite amused when I locked the door shut. One of my travelling companions told me that the only other person he had seen do this was a Russian. Apparently security is good on this train service because it only stops in Narva in North Estonia. There are also at least four guards on this train - there was certainly one per first class carriage. Russian customs were dreadful when entering Russia and awful when leaving - but at least they did not bother with the currency declarations.
Colin Viney - (May 98)
