Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tallinn 3 night stopover

We are flying Finn Air into Helsinki, and have a 3 night stopover planned this January.





We were planning to get the ferry straight over to Tallinn and spend 3 nights there.





What ferry cmpanies will be runnign over this period?





What would you recommend we visit based on this time of year?




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Hi,



pls check www.tallink.ee for ferries.





You should walk in the oldtown, maybe go to the opera or ballet.. (www.opera.ee), tickets are cheap.



Or visit Estonian Historical Museum.. chep and intresting.



Art Museum KUMU is not my favorite, but its an opion also.



Its cold and naybe the weater is not perfect, otherwise i would recommend walking in Kadriorg and visiting Open Air museum . We also have Sightseeing tour bus.



Then you can go to shopping..





WElcome



Hellin




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The Old Town is always good - you can take warming coffee breaks while you walk. I%26#39;d also suggest booking a short guided tour - I%26#39;ve heard that come companies also run shorter options in winter time.



See www.travelmerchant.eu or www.estravel.ee for ideas.




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Removed on: 7:27 am, October 15, 2009

Tallinn to Riga via Valga

Hi





I%26#39;m coming to Estonia for Easter, and will fly back to the UK from Riga a week later. Since I have the time and love trains, I plan to do Tallinn to Riga by train. Problem is, I can%26#39;t understand the Estonian rail site - the plan is to hop off the ferry from Helsinki in the early afternoon of Easter Monday, and get a train as far as Valga.





This raises two questions - is there an afternoon train to Valga? If there is, does Valga have somewhere close to the station to stay for the night? Even tripadvisor comes up short in telling me that, so hopefully there is someone here who knows.





I guess another question is - if not Valga, is there somewhere else on the line south from Tallinn I should consider stopping for the night?




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I%26#39;m afraid there are some bad news. It looks like the repair works on the Elva-Valga railroad are not quite finished. That%26#39;s probably the reason, why you couldn%26#39;t find the train to Valga on the website.



You could take the train from Tallinn to Tartu and continue on a bus to Valga. Tartu would be a good place for spending the night (and looking around a little). The last trains from Tallinn to Tartu leave 17.58 and 19.17.



I suppose, you should check if the train goes from Valga or Valka. It%26#39;s a twin town, Valga on the Estonian side, Valka on Latvian. It%26#39;s no problem really, it%26#39;s a small town.



For the bus schedule, see www.bussireisid.ee. It%26#39;ll also provide scehdules to Riga, if the other idea proves to be too complicated.




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For lodging in Valga, the town has a web page, but only in Estonian.





Säde külalistemaja (guest house) looks like it is near the station (Jaam in Estonian).





Contact information is provided and generally they all speak English. Also can read and write e-mails in English.





For information on railroads, this site is fantastic:



http://www.seat61.com/




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BTW link for Valga accomodations is at:





http://www.valgalv.ee/et/turistile/Majutus




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As mentioned, there are no direct trains to Valga from Tallinn - but, if you want to keep on the train as much as possible which covering ground from Tallinn to Riga then you can get a train to Tartu and a connecting bus to Valga (www.bussireisid.ee). The Estonian rail site is not in English (even though there is a tab for it) but they seemed to have just changed it, it%26#39;s clearer now, and the thing to find the Tallinn Tartu timetable is to click on %26#39;sõiduplannid ja hinnad%26#39; (timetables, prices) on the right-hand column and that will lead you to your route choices. If you want to stay overnight in Tartu, (lots of accomodation on www.tartu.ee )the 12.30pm bus the next day will get you to Valga in time for the Riga train at 17.29, but you will have few hours to kill then and it gets you to Riga quite late. There%26#39;s very early trains to Riga from Valga in the morning (5.26 and 10.27) (www.ldz.lv) which you could take if you stay in Valga - you can pay in Estonian kroon or in Latvian lats on board. There is a hotel across the road from the train station called Hotel Sõde I believe, but I have not stayed there and it looks somewhat iffy. There%26#39;s a posh hotel on the edge of town as well, called the Metsis - newly renovated and possibly worth the extra and a bus or a cab can bring you back to the train station (either to Valga, or Lugaži in Latvia, as from that hotel the distance to either train station is negligible). Link for hotel: http://www.hotellmetsis.com/. For a time short enough to stop to check a couple of things out, I would probably choose Valga as things are more conveniently located. There%26#39;s a great museum there on the main street, ground floor is art, and the two other levels are a nature museum and a permanent exhibition of the Valga/Valka divide and the towns history under Soviet rule. While staying in Valga you have the added bonus of visiting the twin towns and seeing the marked difference in culture and development between the two last/first towns in either country.




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Thanks so much for the replies - unfortunately I have just caught up with the last two, and really wish I%26#39;d had the last one to guide me.





As it is, I am in Tartu and glad of it, it seems a very nice place and can get a bus which will get me into Valga at 9:45, with the train south to Riga at 10:27. This raises one final question - where in Valga does the bus drop off. I%26#39;ve been told 5 km from the rail station, but suspect/hope that is old information, dating to when the trains didn%26#39;t come over the border from Latvia.





Thanks.




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The bus drops you at the train station, which is also the bus station.




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Removed on: 10:16 pm, October 21, 2009

two questions

1. Anyone have an idea where I can cash a traveler%26#39;s check in Tallinn? The banks don%26#39;t cash them here!





2. Anyone been to the Tallinn zoo? Is it worth a look?





Thanks




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What travelers cheque are you trying to cash? If it%26#39;s American Express, Swedbank (Hansa) is a partner with AMEX so will cash it for you no problem. It%26#39;s pretty strange that you had trouble cashing it, but maybe it%26#39;s not international? You could try the American Express travel office on Suur-Karja in Old Town. As for the zoo, well I haven%26#39;t made it there myself but keep meaning to - it%26#39;s supposed to be cool for kids but not sure I would make a day of it. There are much cooler animal parks around the countryside.




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I prefer Helsinki zoo. It has some rare species like Przewalski%26#39;s wild horse and it%26#39;s in a great island setting.




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I was trying to cash an AMEX travelers check at Swedbank but they told me they dont cash them there. They didnt ask what kind it was so maybe the girl just didnt realize that they cash those? Maybe I will try again at a different location.





Thanks for the help!




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Yes I would go to a bigger branch - some of the Hansabanks in malls etc don%26#39;t have the same facilities. I went to a small one in a shopping centre a few months ago and they wouldn%26#39;t change me a 50 dollar note.




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unfortunately, no one exchanges the travelers checks here I have found out. Some of the hotels will take them for payment if you are staying there (but not for their spa or restaurant). I even checked the AmEx website and they don%26#39;t even know of anywhere that will cash them. Drats.




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I even had problems with my Amercan Express Gold card in Estonia.





With their system you can%26#39;t get authorization there.





I used it to check into a hotel. Needed authorization. They could not get it and were told to call England. The clerk had to explain to Amex that Estonia was a country. Ended up having to call customer service back in Canada to sort out.





So much for don%26#39;t leave home without it.





BTW I checked Amex Canada and it also didn%26#39;t come up with a location. There%26#39;s a bunch in Helsinki though.




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How odd. Will they accept it as a deposit into a client account?




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BTW I%26#39;ve had little problems using Amex in major establishments in Tallinn.




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Amex works as long as the merchant doesn%26#39;t need to confirm.




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No they won%26#39;t accept as a deposit into account. That%26#39;s what I was trying to do initially. The girl even checked with her supervisor (she was the one who told me travel agencies will cash them but I have called several and they don%26#39;t). I guess I will have to wait and cash them in FIN and then exchange into kroon...which sucks cause I lose money twice in the double exchange but it is the best option I have now.

Where to eat and drink in Tallinn

Have booked to go to Tallinn next week for a few days and have noticed that everyone seems to be saying that eating and drinking are quite expensive. Anyone got any good tips for reasonably priced decent bars and restaurants. We are are staying in the Hotel Bern at 10 AIA.




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Hey ,





Me and my boyfriend always eat at %26quot; Nimeta Baar%26quot; it has good pastafoods and other good foods aswell + quite cheap alchohol + good atmosphere :) and its in the old town so nice location aswell . It%26#39;s the one place i would definently reccomend ! :)




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I enjoyed Vanaema Juures (Grandma%26#39;s Place), Rataskaevu 10/12. It%26#39;s not far from the main square. Good Estonian food, excellent value for money, and service couldn%26#39;t have been better when I was there. It%26#39;s small and popular, so you need to book ahead when you arrive if you intend to eat.




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We went in Jan this year and didn%26#39;t find it expensive at all. We ate in a few places in the old town just off the main square and it was all good food and very reasonable prices.




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www.balticsww.com/tourist/estonia/bars.htm



this is a list of bars in the city,I don%26#39;t think any of them were that cheap but maybe a bit cheaper than Britain



The Beer House was great for food and their range of beer made on the premisis is great,though the constant German brass band music might drive you mad.the stunning waitresses in their rather skimpy outfits more than make up for it.( the guys looked quite cute too)



Hell Hunt was a good place to realx in and they have their own beer which was fine



Nimeta Bar (Bar With No Name): was a great place to watch football or any other sport,email the owner Andy and he will let you know what is on when.very lively place at night.lots of cocktails and shots at decent prices ( our favourite place)



Nimega Baar (Bar With a Name): just a few yards from Nimeta bar,nice enough place but no atmosphere at all,very very quiet when we were in there.



St. Patrick’s: great place with great special offers on the local beer.didn%26#39;t spend an evening there but stopped by late afternoon twice for a couple of drinks.



i think we may have tried a few other bars but these are the ones i can remember.




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Hotel Bern has a good restaurant and also there%26#39;s one directly opposite.




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I tried Vapiano today and it was quite good and reasonably priced. They make the pasta right in front of you with whatever ingredients you want or you can get a good pizza there as well.





I am looking forward to trying Vanema Juures soon as I hear good things about that as well.





If you like Indian food, Elevant is also worth a try.




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Removed on: 3:18 pm, October 22, 2009

nightclubs

I don%26#39;t remember it so difficult in Norway, of course, I was younger then (and probably bolder). Certainly it is not as easy as in Finland though!




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I´ll reccomend you a very nice and very popular place in Tallinn it´s called BonBon nightclub. It´s very prestize and superb place where usually are people more grown up if you know what I mean :)



Visit their website: www.bonbon.ee Etrance is about 9-10 Euros.




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sorry this was meant to go as a reply on the other nightclubs post for Tallinn not a new thread.




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:) it happens :)






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yes, especially when you are calling back home on skype and %26#39;multi tasking%26#39; LOL





maybe I will see you at bonbon some time. I have also heard Molly Malone%26#39;s is a good place for 30-somethings but I think that is more touristy?




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:=)



Molly Mallone is yes more for tourists and its a Bar-pub!




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Removed on: 5:19 pm, October 18, 2009

Tallinn - Helsinki over Easter

Hi,





I%26#39;ll be in Tallinn from 10th April to 13th April (over the easter weekend) and would like to visit Helsinki for a day trip. I%26#39;m wondering which is a better day for the Helsinki Trip. Saturday or Sunday? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. :)



Thx!




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More places will be open on Saturday. Fri and Sun are public holidays.




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Hi there,





I will also be in Tallinn and Helsinki over Easter. Our current plans are to catch the ferry to Tallinn on Easter Saturday in the afternoon, stay overnight, do some sightseeing on the Easter Sunday and then head back to Helsinki on Sunday afternoon. Will anything at all be open on Easter Sunday or are we advised to change our plans?





Thanks!!




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At Easter Sunday almost everything will be closed. Take a look at Helsinki Travel office web page if you%26#39;d found anything interesting.





www.helsinkiexpert.fi/index_english.html




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Hi



I would stay in Tallinn a couple of nights at least, there is far more to see when you are wandering about than in Helsinki.



In Tallinn it doesn´t really matter if museums etc are closed because the city is a living museum.



Jackie




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There%26#39;s always the fortress islands of Suomelinna in Helsinki. They%26#39;re certainly worth a stroll around.




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Probably Saturday, as in Estonia Easter Sunday is business as usual.




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Take plenty of money to Helsinki. It is very very expensive. We paid £8 GBP for 1 bowl of soup!!!!!!!!




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I would imagine that was from somewhere very touristy, and an exception to the rule. I always find Helsinki pretty good value - in fact in some cases cheaper than Tallinn!




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%26gt;We paid £8 GBP for 1 bowl of soup!!!!!!!!





Being clueless is expensive everywhere. There%26#39;s no reason a day in Helsinki should cost an arm and a leg.




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Thx for all the suggestions! I%26#39;ve bought tickets to Helsinki using the linda line on saturday. will be going over to Suomenlinna on the same day too. Hope the timing is not too tight!

Tallinn to Stockholm

Am wondering what would be the best way to get to Stockholm from Tallin after having spent a few days in Helsinki prior to visiting Tallin.Haven%26#39;t seen much discussion on this in the Tallin forum.



All suggestions welcomed.



Thanks






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There%26#39;s a daily overnight ferry which is a good way to approach Stockholm - cruising through the beautiful archipelago





http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/




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Really appreciate that information.Thank you once again.




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Removed on: 5:18 am, October 20, 2009

Ferry to Stockholm

What is the best ferry to Stockholm ? Lost the link of some company, forget the name. Have just decided to go in August, trying to put trip together. Should I make reservations now for rooms ? been to Europe many times but usually in the Spring or Fall. Starting my trip in Finland, then to Tallin, heard so much about how great this place is, will three nights be enough? What about a inexpensive or moderate price hotel near or in Old Town.Thanks everybody, this web site has always been a life saver for us. Danny and Kay




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Hello Danny %26amp; Kay





Tallinn is one of Europe%26#39;s orst kept secrets. It%26#39;s a gem. Three days will be fine.





There are lots of hotels to chose from depending on need. I can recommend the Imperial Baltic, which is in the Old Town. www.speedhotel.com offers good rates. Or try www.hotelclub.com





Checkout the Tallink Silja Line ferry. http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/ It operates nightly. Cruising into Stockholm through the beautiful archipelgo is a great experience. It%26#39;s bookable online, but don%26#39;t be put off when you get to the end of the proceedure and they refuse to accept payment. Just email them with your booking ref and they%26#39;ll confirm your reservation. You can pay onboard, or at the harbour in Tallinn in advance.





bon voyage






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Hi



The Tallinn to Stockholm trip is great, we%26#39;ve done it several times.



As the previous poster says you can try booking it online but I usually phone them. All the operators speak beautiful English and are really helpful. We%26#39;ve managed to join their loyalty scheme, ClubOne, and it gives you about 25% off every trip with a one off payment of 10 euros, so it%26#39;s well worth it. We always have a problem paying in advance and they are always happy for us to pay either at the port or their office in the middle of Tallinn.



Do book the buffet dinner it%26#39;s very reasonably priced and has masses of choice.



We often stay in the Reval Central hotel when we visit Tallinn, it%26#39;s only a few minutes walk from the Old Town and is very convenient for airport busses etc.



A slightly more upmarket choice is the Scandic Palace which is at the edge of the Old Town and where we%26#39;ve stayed a couple of times. Both serve a good breakfast and it%26#39;s worth booking superior rooms in either of them.



Our other favourite hotel is the Pirita Top Spa, which is nowhere near the Old Town but it has a special charm of its own. If you call them to book direct you can usually get a discount. It is near the beach and is a Spa hotel with a swimming pool and lots of strange sounding treatments. The food is abysmal, but somehow that%26#39;s part of its %26#39;specialness%26#39;



Wherever you stay I%26#39;m sure you will love Tallinn.



Jackie




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Removed on: 4:27 am, October 20, 2009

Nightclubs in Tallinn which clubs will you recomend

Hello,



I^m going to Tallinn this summer and Iwonder which nightclubs you would recomend for a 40 year old male who like to talk with the locals rather than dance with the other tourist. In other words I%26#39;m looking for a nightclub where I can meet locals and where it%26#39;s possible to talk too, not just load music.




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Yeah good luck with that...Estonians are not easy to meet or very approachable. Maybe they will be more so with alcohol...




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It%26#39;s been a while since I%26#39;ve been clubbing in Tallinn but you DO need to be proactive in starting conversations. Isn%26#39;t it the same in Norway?




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Yes, it%26#39;s the same in Norway,but I was thinking more of which clubs that have mostly young people (18-20 years old) as I think those will not be the right clubs for me. So my question is at which nightclubs can I met people about 30-50 years old, or at which nightclub will they be in majority.




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Then you need a club, but more quiet where to talk :)



Few places to reccommend:



1. http://www.amigo.ee/



2. revalhotels.com/en/…Bonnie-and-Clyde



3. http://www.bonbon.ee/ - very nice club, but quite loud music





These are the places for 34-40 y. people





Good luck!



Let us know where did you went or visit them all.




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I would say if it is not easy. Most of the clubs have too loud music and include very young people ( 20-30). Amigo (in Hotel Viru) and Bonny%26amp;Clyde (in Hotel Olympia) have older people (25-50), but the music is still so loud that you can not really speak.





When you are looking for place which has such kind of %26quot;independent travelers%26quot; feeling, where you can enjoy nice but not too loud music and just start talking with different people without being looked strange. And which has both mixture of tourists and locals, locates in the center and has good pricing. Unfortunately there is no such kind of ideal place in Tallinn.





But what come closer, I would propose Clazz - http://www.clazz.ee/CLUB/program.html



this is small lovely club and restaurant. If you are going to have full dinner there, it is a bit too expensive, but the music scene is very good.



check their program -http://www.clazz.ee/CLUB/program.html





Kuku klubi - www.kukuklubi.ee - but it is in Estonian only. It is actually very old club for artists and writers - operating since 1935. It was closed club for long time but now it public for everybody. The serve meals with good prices during the days. There are also parties in the evening and this club stays open for quite long. I suggest you to check it out.





Both of them are in very good location in center of Tallinn




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Removed on: 12:31 am, October 24, 2009

manchester to tallinn

Hiya, my husband and I really want to travel to tallinn,there are no direct routesfro manchester though, what would be the easiest or most pleasant route to take, any advice? thanks.




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Hi



Fly to Stockholm and travel by boat to Tallinn.



Have good trip



Jackie




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My preferred route from Manchester is to Helsinki(direct)and then to take a fast ferry (c.2hrs)from there to Tallinn. This can be pre-booked.





The last time I went I flew from Manchester via Prague. There are probably other indiredt routes, too.





An alternative is to take the shuttle to London, from where you can fly from Gatwick with AirBaltic via Riga. If you%26#39;re willing to flog out to Stansted, there are direct flights to Tallinn.




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I%26#39;ve flown Finnair from Manchester to Helsinki and then Finncomm from Helsinki to Tallinn. 1st flight 3 hours, 2nd 20 minutes! Found that OK and Helsinki airport is easy to negotiate.







I have also flown with Lufthansa via Frankfurt which was OK too -both flights about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.







My partner has also flown with KLM via Amsterdam and found that OK too.













As you probably know Frankfurt and Amsterdam are big airports so I would say they would be more stressful journeys than through Helsinki




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Removed on: 5:18 pm, October 22, 2009

manchester to Tallinn

I%26#39;ve flown Finnair from Manchester to Helsinki and then Finncomm from Helsinki to Tallinn. 1st flight 3 hours, 2nd 20 minutes! Found that OK and Helsinki airport is easy to negotiate.



I have also flown with Lufthansa via Frankfurt which was OK too -both flights about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.



My partner has also flown with KLM via Amsterdam and found that OK too.





As you probably know Frankfurt and Amsterdam are big airports so I would say they would be more stressful journeys than through Helsinki






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sorry I meant to reply to another thread rather than open a new one!!! duhh.....





can this be closed down please




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Removed on: 7:20 pm, October 20, 2009

Booking ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki in advance

Just wondered if any discounts are available if booking ferry tickets from Tallinn to Helsinki well in advance - we%26#39;re going in August.




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Why not try the ferry operators%26#39; websites?




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Hi,



no discounts for early bookings. And no need to book in advance.





Welcome




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At least Linda Line gave discounts for advance bookings a couple of years ago. I don%26#39;t know about this season, but it%26#39;s worth keeping an eye on the ferries%26#39; websites. But there is no advantage in booking months in advance, particularly considering the number of operators who%26#39;ve pulled out of the route recently. Competition%26#39;s tough.




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Hi



If you are thinking about using Tallink, then try and join their ClubOne membership, it gets you about 25% off all their fares.



It costs 10 euros but we got our money back on less than one trip.



Jackie




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Removed on: 12:39 am, October 23, 2009

Euros in Tallinn

I am arriving at 22.55 in Talinn next month and taking the ferry to Helsinki in the afternoon the next day.



Will there be moneychaging facilities at the airport at that time? I guess there should be an ATM but as I don%26#39;t need to change very much (hotel and ferry ticket already paid; 6hr Tallinn card I could pay by credit card), I would rather avoid this if I could - I hate the minimum charge imposed for ATM withdrawals.



1)I was just wondering if I can pay for the airport bus to town in Euros (I don%26#39;t mind if the rate in not good as it%26#39;s only a few Euros anyway). Is this possible?



2)Otherwise, does anyone know if there is any chance of purchasing some kroons somewhere in Central London without pre-ordering?



3) Finally, if I don%26#39;t change my remaining kroons in Estonia, can I change them to Euros in Helsinki at a fair rate? Or is it essential to change back all remaining kroons in Estonia itself?






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You can use Estonian crowns on the ferry, which will also have an exchange office.




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You can%26#39;t pay in euros on the airport bus into town. There is an exchange place in the arrivals area (before passport control) when you can get kroons. You will need exact change for the bus (12 eek last time I took it).




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There are exchange places all over Old Town but you are better off going to a real bank for a decent exchange rate. (They advertise a decent rate, still less than the banks, but ok on the front but when you go in, you find out that is only the rate for a large exchange and they give you a lousy rate. As an example, they were advertising 15.15 on the door but offered me 14.0 inside...I got 15.35 at the bank the same day).




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Removed on: 8:20 pm, October 23, 2009

Best night clubs in Tallinn

Hi!



Want to go to Tallin over the next weekend. Which are the best night clubs or bars at the moment? Haven%26#39;t been to Tallinn for ages. We%26#39;re a 30 yrs old couple from Riga and want to have a couple of really wild and fun nights! (Any suggestions about centrally located hotels? Currently looking at week-end packages at Reval).




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Hey...





You should definitely go to Club Bonbon and Privé. I can highly recommend Privé on a Saturday night and it stays open till at least 5am...so a fun and wild night guaranteed!




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I%26#39;d recommend Levist Väljas (open until 5-6am) and Von Krahl. Both attract a young %26quot;hippy%26quot; crowd and play very good music. Prive is a bit more expensive option.





You can find more info about all sorts events (a kind of weekly personal review) from here:



http://www.tiidumaa.ee/tallinn-events






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Removed on: 1:52 am, October 28, 2009

Day trips from Tallin

Wife and I will be spending 3 0r mabye 4 nights in Tallinn during end of August. What are some day trips we could do using trains or buses(my wife loves the trains) We will stay extra day to do a day trip. We have 6 days to split up between Helsinki and Tallin, should we spend equal at both places or not? thank you for the advice, Danny and Kay




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Six days for Helsinki and Tallinn, and you%26#39;re thinking about day trips?



Porvoo%26#39;s a nice day trip from Helsinki with historical interest. You can get there by boat or bus, and there are a couple of museum trains operating from Porvoo in the summer months. …porvoo.fi/en/…museum_train



But really, six days is pushing it for Tallinn and Helsinki, unless you only want to rush through a check list of cliché sights and move on. Myself, I%26#39;d take 4 days in Tallinn and 2 in Helsinki.




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I agree with JtF, who never steers me wrong when it comes to advice about Estonia and Finland. If you absolutely want to do a trip to get out of the city for a bit, EstAdventures does a nice day trip to Lahemma National Park.




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Lahemaa offers you lovely countryside and historic manors. If you are more interested in city life, you could take the morning train to Tartu and spend a day in the academic capital of Estonia (must-sees: St John%26#39;s church, Dome hill and Dome church, university, old town). There are also organized excursions. For a picturesque historic summer resort, go to Haapsalu (no railway traffic at the moment) Must sees in Haapsalu: former train station, Ilon Wikland%26#39;s museum (she is the original illustrator of most Lindgren%26#39;s books), bishopal castle, painter Evald Okas%26#39;s museum, old town.If you want a glimpse at the lost glory of Soviet and pre-Soviet times, try Narva and Narva-Jõesuu in Eastern Estonia.




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We had 7 nights in Tallinn last year and did 2 trips with Est Adventures.





The first was a trip to Eastern Estonia where we visited Toolse Castle, Kalvi Manor House, Rakvere Castle and even climbed a slag heap! It was not your typical day out but a great chance to see some of the less well known parts of Estonia.





Our second trip was to Laheeman National park and Palmse Manor.





Est Adventures are run by a young Aussie guy with maximum group sizes of 8.





Not strictly a trip out of Tallinn but Kadriog Park and St Peters Palace are well worth a visit too




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Removed on: 2:20 am, October 29, 2009

shopping and good cofee place

Hi.





we are some friends that are viseting Tallin this weekend,and were hoping for some good shopping,food and deliceius coffe. Were is the best places to go???



Is the Viru Center any good? Thank you:)








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It rather depends on what you%26#39;re planning to shop for. You might find the Stockmann department store worth a visit.





The Old Town has plenty of charming cafés. The coffee is rather darker roasted than in the Nordic countries, rather like German coffee.




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HI!





Viru Center is good for shopping.



For Tallinn there is all together almost the best shops and also new shopping center is abot 5-10 minutes from Viru Center is Rotermanni center.



Good discounts also right now!




|||



Hello,



Kristiine shopping center is also a good place for shopping, usally cheaper than shops in the Old Town. Another shoppingcenter to consider is Ûlemestee (near the airport).





Some places to get good coffe and pastry is; Cafe Bogapott, Tristian and Isolde to mention two, but there are a lot to choose between so I recomend to look at www.inyourpocket.com and their recomondations.




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I recommend also Kristiine Center, 3 km from center or Ulemiste center- near the airport. They are cheaper than Viru center, but big enough.



Welcome




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I like Cafe Pierre in Old Town for a nice spot for coffee...they also have amazing hot chocolate. It is in a quiet little courtyard off of Vene in Old Town and it is a very charming atmosphere to catch up with friends.




|||



Hello,





If you have Norway citizenship, do not forget that there are many opportunities to benefit from Tax Free Shopping in Estonia. The affiliated stores are displaying well-known Tax Free Shopping logo.




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If I want to shop clothes then I go to Kristiine -http://www.kristiinekeskus.ee/ (you can go there by trolley from city center)





If I need something for my house interior then I have found lot of interesting things from Järve Keskus - http://www.jarvekeskus.ee/





Ülemiste is also good if you have shopping mood... There you can find everything :)





But it is hard to give advice if you don%26#39;t put concrete thing what you need :)

Vytis Tours

Has anyone used Vytis Tours to go to the Baltic states? If yes what was your experience with them and when did you use them?



thanks

Korsaar restaurant

Booked Korsaar restaurant (the same building with Beer House). Any comments on food, prices, atmosphere, etc.? Is there any dress code. Thanks a lot in advance.




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It%26#39;s a pirate style restaurant, and they have done a very good job at decorating the place. From sharks in the acquarium and skeletons in the smoking corner to custom design tableware. The atmosphere is festive, but it has a slightly carnevalesque touch. The food is good, but quite expensive. It opened last year, so it has probably maintained its standards. And has, by the way, been nominated for best newcomer in the restaurant scene 2008.




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I found them online and it looks cool from what I can tell but I did not see prices. What is %26quot;quite expensive%26quot;?




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Korsaar is really very nice restaurant. Food and atmosphere were fantasic! Serving was so and so, but the prices were quite high. But I can say, that it was worth it.




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Removed on: 1:27 pm, March 18, 2009


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you can visit the web www.korsaar.ee . There you will find the prices :-)))

Shopping for crystal

Once upon a time I remember hearing about good quality crystal for reasonable prices in Tallinn. Is this still the case? If yes, what are good places to shop at? Preferably within old town, or close by.




|||



Estonia is not known for crystal (think Czech Republic for good crystal).





Estonia does have good amber, though.




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I just have one day and hopping over to Prague, or Poland is not an option. I will be in Helsinki for the rest of my trip.





I know for sure that people have bought crystal while in Estonia, but this is years ago and it was still a budget destination. I have not visited for over 10 years, so I am not sure how times have changed.




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There is a beautiful crystal store right on the main street going into Old Town (down the street from McDonald%26#39;s on the same side). It is all imported (mostly from Germany and CZ I think). The prices in there seemed reasonable to me...I bought a few small things to bring back as presents. The lady there is very nice (I think she is the owner?) but she doesn%26#39;t speak alot of English.




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Tallinn%26#39;s reputation as a good place for buying crystal is from Soviet times, when the export-import connections between Soviet countries were tight. So there was a lot of Czech crystal in Estonian shops. Unfortuantely sometimes it was all there was. Now the situation is somewhat different, obviously.



Shops - the one on Viru street, some tourist traps on Toompea, a very odd place on Narva road (next to Uni of Tallinn) also supermarkets like Kaubamaja and Stockmann sell still that superb quality Bohemian crystal. Prices have gone up, sorry.



As Castleblanca mentioned, now Estonia has the reputation of an amber country. Practically no amber found in Estonia! It%26#39;s all imported from Lithuania, and also from Latvia.

3 nights or 4 in Tallinn

Thinking of visiting Tallinn in October and wondered if there were enough sights to keep us busy for 4 nights??




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There are indeed.




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Tallinn%26#39;s old town is quite small and it is possible to see it in a day. Having said that there are lots of side streets and each day you will discover somewhere new.





A short tram ride from the old town there is Kadriog Park and St. Peters Palace. From here you can also visit the song bowl and there is a fantastic museum dedicated to Estonia%26#39;s independence - look out for the old statues of Stalin!





You can also take a day trip to Helsinki.





We spent 7 nights in Tallinn which gave us a chance to see a bit more of Estonia but for a city break I would say 4 nights is perfect.




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In Kadriorg don%26#39;t miss KUMU art museum. If the weather is fine you can easily spend an entire day in and around Kadriorg. The song festival grounds were already mentioned. In a kilometre%26#39;s distance you%26#39;ll also find ruins of St Birgit%26#39;s convent and Olympic Centre (1980 OG were in Moscow, but the regatta was held in Tallinn). The museum mentioned in the previous post is Maarjamäe loss, a part of History Museum. Don%26#39;t miss the Maarjamäe Memorial park next to that. It%26#39;s an amazing sight once you climb up the hill.



Along the same thematic lines is the Museum of Occupations in the city centre.



A possibility for a day trip - Rocca al Mare open-air museum just outside Tallinn (regular bus connection). It%26#39;s a lovely forest/park, where you can take a look at old rustic architeture. It%26#39;s quite something, especially the wooden church and the windmill.




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If this is your first trip to estonia then definitely I suggest 4 night stay... If you come beginning of October then weather is nice still and you can look around...





I try put here down some ideas for 4 days trip - of course it depends what excactly you would like to see and do...





1st day: Getting to know old town, having some quick lunch in some small cafe in old town and climbing up to toompea and trying to find all 7 sightseeing platforms (this is tricky even for locals sometimes..) Afternoon you can go to Occupation Museum what is quite near to Toompea and then dinner in some nice and romantic place... For nightlife there are lot of clubs in Tallinn, but as I have been last 3 years with children at home mainly then I don%26#39;t know too much about nightlife...





2nd day: wisiting Kadriorg park - you see our President%26#39;s living place and also there are really nice just to walk... You can have picnic near sea and then walk to Pirita Convent and then have a dinner in some cafe having view to sea and old town...





3rd day: Go to Õismäe - there is Zoo and also Free Air Museum where you can see how Estonians lived years ago... If you have some friends with you then you also can go to Skating Hall...





And for last day you already can find by yourself something:





http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/eng



http://www.visitestonia.com/index.php?page=2




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Thanks for all your replies. Going to book for 4 nights. Looking forward to it already!




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Enjoy! I have been here a month and I%26#39;m not sick of Old Town yet.





A few other suggestions for things to do:





1. Book a private sauna with pool at Sokos Viru or Olumpia (costs a little more but has a great view)





2. Take the %26#39;Secret Tunnels%26#39; tour...it doesn%26#39;t cost very much and it is interesting. It is a one hour tour. Even many of the Estonians don%26#39;t know about these tunnels and their history. My coworkers were asking me about it the other day cause they saw my pictures.




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We had a week there and only went outside the town once (to Laahemaa). Loved the town.





This may be of interest:





http://homepage.mac.com/wasleys/estonia_mw/





Michael




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We went for 4 nights in january,its a great place But may i suggest you take the ferry to helsinki for a day trip its well worth it.

Hotel near city center and ferry from Helsinki

Can anyone please recommend a hotel easily accessible to the ferry from Helsinki (hydrofoil) and close to the city center? We are 2 adults likely to arrive early-mid-July. Something reasonably priced, not dirt cheap nor expensive, just middle of the road. Many thanks in advance for you input.




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Hi.





I was looking for something just as you described, and I%26#39;ve booked at the Go Hotel Shnelli (http://www.gohotels.ee/?lang=en). You can check the reviews on Tripadvisor and other sites as I did. It sounds pretty good to me (I%26#39;m also visiting in July).



Hope this helps.





KJ




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Metropol hotel will suit on both counts.




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Viru, Nordic, Metropol, City POrtus, Domina Ilmarine.. They are close to harbou and old towm. You can choose by price, even cheap hotel are nice in Tallinn.



Scnelli is in railway station, close to harbor also, but railway station in neiberhood is not the very good choise.. i guess..




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Rotermanni or the Metropol.




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Revel hotel is where i am staying and its right on the harbour and 5 minutes from the old town.




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I can recommend Kalev Spa Hotel %26amp; Water Park www.kalevspa.ee



Its about 5 min walking from port. Just in the Old Town area! Price includes: accommodation, breakfast, unlimited use of Water Park, gym and saunas!



If You have any questions - let me know!



W.R



Kadi Luha



+372 6493 303




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hotelg9.ee/index.php?page=kontakt%26lang=2





very near to city center and ferry




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I can recommend the Baltic Hotel Vana Wiru. It%26#39;s located in the Old Town, easily accessible by foot from the harbour. Here%26#39;s their web page: http://www.vanawiru.ee/index.php?lang=fin




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Hi



The Reval Central hotel is near the port, fairly cheap, a five minute walk from the Old Town, two minutes from a massive shopping centre, the rooms are clean, nice and large if you get a superior room, the breakfast is good and there is free internet.



we%26#39;ve stayed there several times and it has been consistantly good.



Jackie




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I like the Sokos Viru...and they have a great private sauna and pool that you can reserve.

Villa Hortensia/ferry to Stockholm

Is the Villa Hortensia a good choice for lodging? Has anyone taken the ferry from Tallin to Stockholm? I am interested in taking the overnight ferry %26quot;Baltic Queen%26quot; on a Sunday night. Good/bad idea? Thank You. Larry




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The ferry is ok and modern. baltic queen is quite new, has been operating since autumn 2008. Tallink ships tend to be rather pomp. on the good side - it also makes them rather spacious. check the tallink website for photos of cabins and other info. Sunday night should be ok, probably not too many people. The only other option is flying.



about Villa Hortensia - it%26#39;s in Old Town, very central. If I%26#39;m not mistaken it%26#39;s in the part pedestrian part. villa is part of romatic artisans%26#39; courtyard called Meistrite hoov (www.hoov.ee). lovely atmosphere, small shops, best chocolaterie in tallinn. never stayed in the villa, so can%26#39;t really comment on the lodginings.

Phone/Internet service

We will be in NZ from Nov. to Feb. and want to keep in touch with family back home in Canada. Can anyone recommend pay as you go phone plans and also how we can use internet services there on our lap top. We won%26#39;t be anywhere that we can subscribe to phone or internet. Mainly we will be in the Coromandel area. Thanks for any help!




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Try reposting this query. It%26#39;s mysteriously wound up in the Tallinn (Estonia) forum. We don%26#39;t know much about NZ phone plans over here.



Good luck!

tallinn`sstatue

I want to learn about Linda statue




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Well, there%26#39;s a really great site for searches called Google. Go to Google and type %26quot;Linda statue Tallinn%26quot; in the search box and you%26#39;ll find all there is to know.



Of course, you could also ask someone to do it for you.




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Acording to your suggestion,I found that,thanks.

Racism in Tallinn?

I%26#39;m planning a week%26#39;s trip to Talinn with a friend in October.





Having just read a post in the Latvia forum about serious racism in that country, as an Asian from Hong Kong myself, I%26#39;m concerned if the same exists in Talinn (or Estonia in general) given the similarities in these two Baltic countries.





Any expert/locals/expereienced people who may give me some insight on this? Any safety concern for people of different race visiting Estonia?





Many thanks.




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Hi,





I have been to Tallinn three times, I am brown-skinned and some of my friends are black-skinned. You may get some curious looks from locals, but on the whole everyone is wonderfully friendly and welcoming in Tallinn. Learn a few words in Estonian (Hello, how are you, thank you, goodbye, etc) and the locals will warm to you even faster.



My black friends have had one or two comments, but nothing serious and the fact we are returning in August for a fourth trip, tells you what we think of Tallinn.





You%26#39;ll have a wonderful time in Tallinn :)




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There have been a few incidents, but I think they gained that much (local) attention rather because of their exceptionality. Even there is some racism (unfortunately, there always are some people with narrow minds), the public display is unlikely. Unless Estonian lads get very drunk, then they can get out of control. But then there is no difference, which minority one belongs to - if you are black, Asian, gay, a woman or just have wrong smile :). Yes, there are probably some bars that one should avoid, but I suppose anyone in the right mind would avoid them. Can%26#39;t give you any names, because I just don%26#39;t know. Well, and dark alleys and strange neighbourhoods.



Given Estonian history, Asian people should be less concerned than black. Former Soviet Union (that Estonia belonged to) had a number of Asian republics. And people in Estonia are more used to their looks and ways that they are to black people. Unwanted staring in the streets is less likely. And compared to the situation in Moscow, which (as reports say) is getting increasingly unpleasant for minorities from Soviet Union%26#39;s former Asian republics, the attitude here is based on other grounds. The republics had a similar fight for freedom that created a certain bond.



Common caution is good everywhere, but there is no reason to be scared. I hope.




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Honestly, I don%26#39;t see many Asian people here in Tallinn too often but when I do, I do not see them treated any differently. I definitely don%26#39;t think you would have to fear for your safety or anything like that. But, to be honest, I have heard anecdotally that there is more racism in Tartu...I can%26#39;t speak to that directly because I haven%26#39;t been there yet.




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I am also brown skin and visit Tallinn about 15 times. I dont have any problems!




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There were black students at the Naval Academy in Tallinn even in Soviet time (1970s). Nobody gave them a second glance, so they were obviously a familiar sight.



Tallinn is one of Europe%26#39;s major tourist attractions nowadays, and you would have to have green skin or two heads to attract any attention in the Old Town or any other of the areas where tourists spend practically all their time.



I wouldn%26#39;t advise you to go out to the grotty Soviet-built multistorey suburbs, though. But that goes for white people, too.




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I saw a black guy on the tram to work today here in Tallinn. People were looking at him a little and he seemed uncomfortable...I wanted to walk over and say to him %26#39;don%26#39;t worry, they look at me here too!%26#39; (and I am white but I am still different)





I saw two Asian girls on the street the other day asking directions and a girl was politely telling them how to get where they were going. This is major in Tallinn to have someone give you directions...so I don%26#39;t think there was any thought one way or another about them being Asian, but it did make me think of your post.




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John, the black guys in the naval academy made all the heads turn in the 70s-80s. In all connotations embedded in the phrase :)



There weren%26#39;t so many of them, so back then they were a sight. Odd and hot. Outcast and loved. But that was a long time ago. And in a very different country called Soviet Union.

Do I need to book ferry to Helsinki in July

Hello



We have to catch the morning ferry to Tallinn on the 6th July as we have an afternoon flight out of Helsinki. I guess I would like to buy in advance for soem piece of mind but I have tried Viking Lines email about four times without any response. I was thinking they would be cheapest as we have two kids uner 12 who should be free or at least 50%. I am mindful it is peak season and a Monday morning ferry - I am wondering will be ok to buy tickets as foot passenger on the day or keep trying to advance purchase.



Thanks.




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In July there are very few cancellations due to bad weather. As there are a good many operators on this route, I shouldn%26#39;t worry about pre-booking, even with your flight in mind.



In hundreds of crossings on this route I%26#39;ve only once had a slight problem getting on (solved by moving up one class). That was on Linda Line, which ran the smallest vessels on the route, and on the first Saturday of the sailing season - i.e., I was asking for trouble. So basically there is no lack of capacity on this route.



For peace of mind you might check out several ferry lines%26#39; timetables to be sure you have an alternative as backup. Or, since I assume you%26#39;ll be in Tallinn the day before, you could book it a day in advance.




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I would be careful as the song festival, Laulupidu, runs July 3 to 5, 2009, so people may be travelling back on the 6th.




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It%26#39;ll be quite enough to book it on arrival. The slower ferries have enormous capacity.

Kajaani and area

we will be staying in an apartment near Kajaani for 10 days beginning May 23. We will rent a car and would like to see the area. What do you recommend? Maybe a train to Lapland also?




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Kajaani%26#39;s in Finland and you%26#39;ve posted in the Tallinn (Estonia) forum. No problem, a lot of the same people hang out in both forums.



Kajaani is an area of great natural beauty and not a whole lot else. Kajaani castle won%26#39;t delay you for long as it%26#39;s little more than a few ruined bits of wall. Most of the other tourist attractions in the town are of interest only to Finns, if anyone. In other words, a car will be a very good idea.



The surrounding area offers quite a lot for outdoorsy types. You can hike to the Russian border (where some naughty people slip across to pose for pictures on the %26#39;wrong%26#39; side), for example.



Take a look at this website: http://www.kajaaniregion.fi/zones.php?la=uk




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Thanks for your reply. We love nature, but will not be doing a lot of hiking. Is is worth it to drive or take a train to Lapland? If so, which is better?




|||



If there%26#39;s some specific sight you%26#39;re keen to see in Lapland it might be worth the trip, but it%26#39;s not the best month for just admiring the scenery. On the other hand, you won%26#39;t have any problems with mosquitoes, unlike the warmer months.



The lakelands south of Kajaani are a better bet at that time of year, in my opinion.




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Thank you so much. You have been extremely helpful.

Best place for overnight stay in Helsinki?

We will arrive in Helsinki airport at 10:00 pm and plan to take the ferry next morning to Tallinn around 10:30. Where would you suggest spending the night for such a short time and for ease of getting the ferry?




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Any hotel close to the main railway station, because the bus to the Tallink ferry leaves from the bus station adjoining the train station on the western side. The route is number 15A and the buses leave regularly and drop you right at the terminal.




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There are 3 main companies that operate the Helsinki-Tallinn line. If it%26#39;s a Tallink ferry, then the tip about staying near the Railway station is perfect. Bus 15A from the station takes you to West harbour. There are several hotels in the vicinity - Seurahuone and Sokos Vaakuna are the closest.



If you take a Viking Line ferry, then Scandic Marina is the closest. or Eurohostel if you look for budget accommodation. If you take Linda Line, then staying near railway station is still a ok choice, because you%26#39;d probably need to take tram 3T to the terminal. So Vaakuna, Seurahuone, but on the tram route you%26#39;d also find eg Sokos Presidentti and Scandic Simonkentta.




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Thank you so much for your very helpful info. I have booked at Solos Hotel Vaakuna. Another question. We plan to take the ferry to Tallinn, spend only 1 night and take the ferry back to Helsinki for 2 nights. Since we have such a short time, do you have a recommendation for which ferry to take? Is one faster that another? Do I need to book ahead of time?




|||



I%26#39;d take one of the high-speed ferries (1½ hours) such as Linda Line. Viking Line has a 2-hour service on a larger and more comfortable vessel which is less likely to get cancelled in bad weather. You could check out wind conditions on the eve of your sailing and decide accordingly.



There%26#39;s no need to book in advance but Linda has had discounts in the past for people booking ahead. Check their website closer to the time.




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Thanks. We are looking to being in your beautiful country this Friday.

City Tour tickets

Is it possible to buy a city tour ticket from Tallinn harbor upon arrival?




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What I would recommend you to do is to buy a Tallinn Card. It gives you free public transport, free entrance to museums, discounts at cafes, restaurants and for entertainment etc. Also you get the city tours for free. I found more information about it here: www.tourism.tallinn.ee/fpage/tallinncard.




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Sorry, the link in my previous post does not work right: the full stop in the end should not be together with the link. Try this: www.tourism.tallinn.ee/fpage/tallinncard




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Can I use Euros in Tallinn? If not, where can I exchange money?




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You cannot use Euros in Tallinn (a few small shops will take them but officially the Euro is not used here). Do not exchange them at the easy exchange places...they advertise one rate on the door then give you a worse rate inside. Go to a real bank if in Tallinn or you can exchange them on the ferry.




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I wouldn%26#39;t bother with the Tallinn Card if I were you. You have to be an absolute glutton for museums to get your money%26#39;s worth.




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For one afternoon, and one morning, should we take a city tour, or just walk the city on our own? We leave Fl in the morning. I hope to have access to computer in Finland.




|||



I have to recommend taking a tour for Old Town...you can walk around on your own but unless you have a good guidebook, you won%26#39;t really know what you are looking at. I like to know the history of these beautiful buidlings. I took a really good walking tour of Old Town with City Bike (www.citybike.ee) that wasnt very expensive and was only an hour and 1/2. I don%26#39;t recommend a %26#39;whole city%26#39; tour though...lots of boring stuff that you probably won%26#39;t even care about. The Kadriorg area is nice if you have time in the afternoon, but you don%26#39;t need a tour for that...just take the tram marked %26#39;Kadriorg%26#39; and get off at the last stop.




|||



Thanks for such good information.




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There%26#39;s a suggested walking tour of Tallinn at





http://www.brentjes.com/tallinnwalk.html

weekend in Tallinn

Need a bit of help please a group of 6 guys 4 black 2 white from London, are looking at going to Tallinn, i would just like to know do they any rnb clubs there, and secondly my mates who are black, are great friendly guys, but are bit concerned about the racial issue, which they fully understand in eastern contries, so they just want to know, is it really bad, or just the usuall being looked at, and how are the girls towords black guys, as they would like to just party with the girls




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inyourpocket.com/estonia/…tallinn.htmlgives up to date info on nightlife, incl reviews. In general Estonian girls are more open-minded than guys when it comes to racial issues. In a club you may need to watch out for drunken lads, (especially if you have found a gorgeous girl), but that%26#39;s it.




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is it true that the night life goes till 6am? :)




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Estonian nightlife starts 11pm and goes until morning :) Before 11pm there is no mean to go clubs - just have some beers and get ready...





ABout racial issues - yes we have them but not so much... If you are moving in city center and won%26#39;t go to discover in Kopli or Lasnamäe local russian pubs then I guess it is not more dangerous than in London or anywhere else in Europe. Of course drunk people can have a not nice comments but just ignore them...

Telephone / Internet Service

We will be in NZ for 3 months from Oct. to Feb. and want to keep in touch with family back home in Canada. Can anyone recommend a good pay as you go phone plan and also advise on how we can use our lap top while there.




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Please post the message in th NZ forum, you are more likely to get a reply from there. This forum is for Tallinn, Estonia.




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This is the second NZ post to the Tallinn forum this week (different users)...I wonder why this is happening...




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given that forums are organized by continents or part of the world (europe, asia, central america etc)it is odd. is tehre another estonia out there :)?




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Maybe post is here because Estonians are so proud that Skype is here :) And as skype is best solution to marilyn problem then it is right place somehow...





www.skype.com - really good to have this... Last time I was in India I had long chats with my grandma and this cost me some pennies :)

Weather Info

Can anyone advise what the weather is like in the first week of October.



Tks




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http://www.wunderground.com/




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thanks John




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I give one local site:





http://ilm.ee/




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Usually begining is still warm - we call it Old Ladies Summer... Nights are already cold so some warm clothes with you but quite often on daytime you still can walk with shorts or dress....





But estonian weather is nonpredictable... There have been end of May when we made snowmans on the garden and there have been beginning of May when we already swimmed on the sea :) So be prepared for everything :D

cheapest ticket from Helsinki to Tallinn

which ferry company offers the cheapest round trip ticket from Helsinki to Tallinn and back Helsinki in June?




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Linda Line is the cheapest of the fast ferries (1½ hours each way). Eckerö Lines is often the cheapest of the slow boats (3+ hours each way), but there are frequently special offers which change the picture. If every cent counts, check the websites of Tallink, Viking and Eckerö for the best price of the day.




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Thanks a lot, are there locker facilities at the Tallinn ferry terminal or nearby for backpackers like me?




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Can%26#39;t remember - check the ferry operator%26#39;s website. If there%26#39;s no mention of it, try emailing them. A politely worded note in English, not too long, usually gets a reply.




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yes, there are lockers. And D terminal (that%26#39;s the terminal for Tallink%26#39; ships) even has an old-fashioned storage room. All info on terminals can be found at http://www.ts.ee/?k=3%26amp;p1=10%26amp;t=passengers - the port of Tallinn%26#39;s site.



Linda Line is kind of sensitive to weather. With a bit of wind that trips are cancelled. Keep an eye on the round trip offers, Viking tends to surprise with excellent offers.




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I went with Viking and got my trip for 500EEK round trip (about $41 US)....my friend just came from Helsinki this weekend on Linda Line and paid $47 one way. So check the websites before you book.

tell me about tallinn!

Hi All,





Just got to thinking about going to Tallinn this August. Can someone tell me what it is like here? What is there to see/do for a few days? We will be likely combining this with a few days in Helsinki.





Thanks!








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Do a little basic research with tourist websites first. These TA forums are better with more specific inquiries.



This site should give you something to get your teeth into: http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/




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There are lot to see... I just recently made some day-trip plans... They are not spellchecked yet but I guess it doen%26#39;t matter so much...





…veebimajutus.ee/582-day-trip-in-tallinn-dis…



…veebimajutus.ee/536-day-trip-in-tallinn-dis…





Also 1 day you will definitely will sped in Old Town...





And Tallinn in August is beautiful... It really is :)




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Tallinn is beautiful. The people are not super friendly like in Stockholm or Oslo, but in Old Town they are nice enough for a few days%26#39; visit. Old Town is worth seeing for sure...Kadriorg area is also a nice day visit (15 minutes from Old Town by tram) or the Zoo/Outdoor museum is a good day visit (you can combine these two since they are in the same area).





Have a hot chocolate at Cafe Pierre...a drink at Drink...eat at Elevant (if you like Indian food) or Peppersack (I like the food better than at Olde Hansa) and make a stop at a grocery store or convenience store to try kohuke....do not miss the kohuke, it is a big deal here.

1 day visit to Tallinn

We are only going to be in Tallinn for 1 day from our cruise. Is it possible to avoid tours and walk from the ship to Old Town on our own?



Thanks for your advice.





Florida






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Absolutely! It is an easy walk from the harbor into Old Town. There is so much to see in Old Town but if you don%26#39;t do a tour or do some homework, you won%26#39;t know what you are looking at. So you may want to pick up a guidebook or good tourist map before hand if you want to skip the tour.





FYI: I am a Floridian as well (living here in Tallinn) so feel free to PM me if you have any questions or need suggestions for stuff to do.




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We also will be in Tallinn for a day (10 am - 6 pm) during the cruise in July. We%26#39;d like to get good city photos from Patkuli %26amp; Kohtuots viewpoints before the crowd, what time of the day should we get there? How long dose it take to get there by foot? Thank you.




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Thank you so much for your help. Please, I will take any advice you have to offer on what is best to see in such a short time. %26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; What part of Florida?...Venice for us.



Thanks again for your advice.




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If you really want to see it all, or at least a good overview, I would recommend a tour (Citybike offers a good walking tour...I have taken it and then given the same basic tour to friends visiting the city. See citybike.ee). But if you really want to avoid the tour, these are some of my favorites:





1. Be sure to see the town hall square in Old Town and Vana Toomas. However, skip the cafes on the square cause the are very busy. Go down Vene street to Vene 8...there is a quiet courtyard with a cafe called Cafe Pierre...they have an excellent hot chocolate and cappucino.





2. Restaurants: if you want a nice lunch, I recommend Beer House (more traditional food), Elevant (if you like Indian Food) or African Kitchen. These are 3 of my favorites in the Old Town area.







3. You have to see: Alexander Nevsky cathedral, Oleviste Church, Niguliste Church (this one is worth going into). It is also a nice view to climb Vana Toomas if you are not claustrophobic or have trouble with stairs (there is no elevator...lol!)





I am from Orlando...the happiest place on Earth!




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01 Parkers,





I%26#39;m on a cruise in July and also only in port one day in Tallinn. On the Cruise Critic web site, look for the Ports of Call Board for Northern Europe. Someone has posted a proposed self-guided walking tour from the port through Old Town, with pictures and descriptions of the buildings. It looks pretty good and is in PDF format, so easily downloadable.




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The walking tour and good information can be found at the Brentjes family page (I have no affiliation).





www.brentjes.com





The walking tour of Tallinn is at





http://www.brentjes.com/tallinnwalk.html




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In addition to KD%26#39;s overview - Olde Hansa is a good place for lunch. It offers unique medieval dishes. Yes, it%26#39;s tourist oriented, but it%26#39;s one of a kind experience. And tastes good.



In addition to the birds-eye views from Toompea (Patkuli etc; and they are breathtaking), St Olaf%26#39;s church (Oleviste) offers a beautiful view. in I5th century St Olaf%26#39;s used to be the tallest building in N-Europe. But you must be up for climbing.



Off the beaten track - walk along the town wall from Suur-Kloostri street to Tolli street (on Kooli, Gümnaasiumi and Laboratooriumi streets respectivley). Some towers are open and you are welcome to visit, take a look at the Ukranian church and enjoy a cup of coffee at the Horse Mill (that%26#39;s where you%26#39;ll end up). If you like the milieu, then have lunch around the corner at Le Chateau restaurant (Lai street 21). It is in musketeers%26#39; style gives you a taste of North-European Baroque. In the same building complex you%26#39;ll find Tallinn City Theatre (you can pop in their main building on Lai 23 and see what a medielval merchant%26#39;s house looked like). It should actually give you a rather good feel of Tallinn without crowds and extensive climbing.




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Some other options for lunch are Hell Hunt and Karja Kelder which both offer traditional Estonian pub grub and good beer. I thought the food and beer (particularly the %26#39;Tume%26#39;) were better in both of these than the Beer House which felt more like a Bavarian theme pub.





For something different you could try Kompressor which serves cheap and filling pancakes.




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I too will be doing a 1 day tour off a cruise ship...so thanks for the advice in this thread. Is there a guidebook you can recommend?





PS - I was just in the Happiest Place on earth!




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Well, be prepared for a sharp contrast...this is NOT the happiest place on earth. The people can be nice once you get to know them but alot of them are aloof at first. Some of the restaurants at Old Town (Olde Hansa, Peppersack, Elevant) usually have friendly staff because they are used to dealing with tourists.





There are some online links about Estonia and Tallinn that you may find useful...I have them on my website at the bottom including the Tallinn webcam:







anamericanextrovertinestonia.blogspot.com/

Car hire or bus Parnu to Kuressaare to Tallinn

I am travelling from Riga to Parnu to Kuressaare on Thursday in mid July



I will stay in Saareema Thursday and Friday then go to Tallinn on Saturday.



What is the best way to travel. My choice is bus or should I hire a car.



Should I go by bus to Kuressaare then hire a car just on the island and then bus to Tallinn?



Any advice and recommendations are appreciated




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There are going buses from Pärnu to kuressaare 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 18:40 and 20:30





Trip last 3 and half hours.





There are more that 10 buses going to Tallinn from Kuressaare.





Excact information you will get here: www.bussireisid.ee/index.html…





And I suggest to take bus - on summer time there are sometimes really big lines of carst trying to get ferry and you can wait half a day... With buses you can go fast :)




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However. once on Saaremaa, best to rent a car if you want to travel around. Buses are limited.




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I found Saaremaa bikable (and I%26#39;m mid-fifties and a tad overweight). If you%26#39;re in reasonable shape, you might consider this alternative as you get a real close-up view. To cover the longer stretches, buses will take a bike if they have room (I only had to wait for the next bus once).



There%26#39;s a bike hire place near the bus station.

Someone has been at Kaupmehe 8 Guest House?

Hello!





I%26#39;m going to Tallin on June and i%26#39;m going to stay at Kaupmehe 8 Guest House. I want to know if someone has been there because I%26#39;m trying to contact the administrator and he doesn%26#39;t answer and i%26#39;m a bit worried.





Thank you!







Buenas!





Voy este mes de junio a Tallin y me alojo en el hostal Kaupmehe 8. Según pone la web no hay recepción y hay que contactar con el administrador para concretar llegada y tal. Llevo ya unos días intentando contactar con el y me es imposible. Me gustaría decirle nuestra hora de llegada y hacerle algunas preguntas como por ejemplo, si al no tener recepción, nos dejará una llave de la Guest House o como será.





A ver si alguien me puede ayudar.





Muchas graciaS!

Parnu!

Hi All,





We are thinking about visiting Tallinn in August. Would Parnu be feasible for a day trip, or even a 2 day trip (i.e. how many hours/miles is it)? We are 3 travelers in our mid-twenties, and it seems like this might be a great party and beach spot.





Thanks!




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The beach season is likely to be over by then, though you may be lucky. Don%26#39;t book ahead, check the weather at the time before deciding. An alternative is Tartu, Estonia%26#39;s second city and the leading university town. No beach but plenty of parties!




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Pärnu is our summer capital and in AUgust it is better place to go than Tartu... (usually i am fan of tartu, but not in summer :p)





From Tallinn to Pärnu is 130km and there is lot of buses going there... Ticket is around 10USD a way...





Beach is fantastic - at weekends little bit crowded if you go central beach... Festivals and happenings every weekend - starting usually on thursday... Summertime Pärnu is not very cheap but same time not too expensive... So why not :)




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www.visitparnu.com should satisfy your curiosity. If you like beach and partying, then Pärnu is the place to go. If you want something more quiet, then i%26#39;d recommend Haapsalu. The season for Tartu (although I%26#39;m a fan) starts in September, with the universities.




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I disagree with you there, Irvik. Tartu has a lively scene in the summer, with street cafés and interesting restaurants serving the tourist trade. The architecture is attractive year-round, too, and there%26#39;s no better way to admire it than sitting outside with a cool beer in hand.

week in NZ

hello all, am coming to nz early december, have 7 days fly into alk and out of wlg. would like to hire a car - looking for best things to see and do. want to head up to bay of islands as will be driving not too sure where best to stay as want a day or 2 in wellington before fly out. any info would be greatly appreciated. also thinking of a thermal spa treatment???? thanks in advance




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Wellington and NZ is opposite side of earth from Estonia... There are not many points in world what are so from eachother than NZ and Estonia :)





So I strongly recommend to put this question up to NZ forum :)




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oops yeah sorry bout that.. was in too many windows.




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Actually, we get a lot of postings about NZ here in the Estonia forums, dzingel. It seems to be some kind of glitch.

Parnu, Tartu, or Kuressaare Day Trip

Parnu, Tartu, Kuressaare,Which one of these day trips would you suggest. If we do Parnu or Tartu, we plan on using train one way and bus back, of course Kuressaare would be bus roundtrip. All three cities look great wish I could see them all. We may do two of the trips, depending on how much time we have left. Have 4 full days in Tallinn. Thanks, Danny and Kay




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If the weather%26#39;s good, Pärnu is an excellent bet as the beach is its top attraction. You will have seen better beaches, however.



Kuressaare has a great castle (which Americans usually appreciate more than our humble northern beaches) and some other cultural sights. It may not be for everyone, but I found the neighboring war cemeteries for Soviets and Germans killed in the bitter fighting for this corner of a foreign field deeply moving. Windmills and other photographables abound. The meteor crater a short drive out of town is either breathtaking or a hole in the ground, according to your taste (I go for the former but understand other viewpoints, too). Kuressaare takes more getting to than the other towns (unless you fly), but the ferry to the island can be fun.



Tartu has a much more urban feel in the quaint, Germanized, Central European sense. Fine 19th century architecture and the polished atmosphere of a major local seat of learning.



In other words, all these places are very different in tone. Take your choice.




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If you plan one day trip then maybe going to Kuressaare is little bit too much... I suggest there spend at least 1 night...





Tartu at summertime is tricky - if there doesn%26#39;t happening something special then it can be really empty... It is nie ity but maybe not best time to go there is summer...





Pärnu could be for one day trip best option... I suggest to take bus as Pärnu rail station is far away from ceter and there are more buses than trains going there...





But choice is difficult as all 3 places are great ... Maybe you should be in Estonia little bit longer :)




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It%26#39;s too bad that you don%26#39;t have more time. Tallinn has a nice old town but you need to get out of Tallinn to really see Estonia.





Kuressaare would be good to also travel through Saaremaa. You will see old windmills and other sites on the drive.





Kuressaare is also a very nice town,quite compact so you see a lot of it. The market. town square, cafes, and the Windmill Tavern.




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As I live in Pärnu I should reccommend it, but if the weather fails, then there is not much to do here. It depends when you arrive, because there obviously are various events taking place in the summertime. In the summer Pärnu is the main attraction in Estonia. Maybe you could specify your arrival date so I could check up if there are any upcoming events.





I had a quite nice time in Saaremaa just last year, but I believe that you need at least 2 days there. I find Kuressaare a bit more attractive for tourist, because it is much more historical and the nature in Saaremaa is just breathtaking. Also on the way to Kuressaare there is much more to see, the route from Tallinn to Pärnu is quite dull. So I would vote for Kuressaare.




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We will be traveling to Kuressaare on August 26,27,or 28. There is an 08:05 departure on Estonia Air we are planning on doing then taking the bus back to Tallinn, so as not to make the day so long traveling. Thanks Danny and kay




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Thanks for the feedback and enjoy your trip!

Possible Trip to Estonia from Chicago

I am contemplating going to Estonia after seeing a movie last night about all their music festivals. Can someone tell me if they have music festivals every year or are they staggered? What are the best music festivals to attend? I love baroque music and the music of the country. I don%26#39;t particularly enjoy opera or organ music. Also, are you better off flying into Tallinn and then taking day trips or starting from another country and going to Tallinn for a few days?





Thanks.





Donna




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There is an annual song festival, and this is probably what you%26#39;ve heard about.



http://www.laulupidu.ee/eng/welcome/





Whether you fly direct or not depends on your economics and logistics. It may be beneficial to fly to Helsinki (Finland) as Finnair occasionally has some great offers. Helsinki is only 50 miles from Tallinn. Fares vary a lot, so shop around and check out alternative routes.




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The major song festival is held every 5 year I believe. There is one this year, and the next one is 2014.





From the page John provided, the following dates are given:





XXV Song Celebration / XVIII Dance Celebration , July 2-5, 2009



XI Youth Song and Dance Celebration, July 1-3, 2011



XXVI Song Celebration / XIX Dance Celebration, July 4-6, 2014



XII Youth Song and Dance Celebration, June 30 - July 2, 2017



XXVII Song Celebration / XX Dance Celebration , June 28-30, 2019







As shown, there are other festivals, like the youth festival in other years. As well, there%26#39;s other festivals not shown on the list.

The best of Estonia (nature)...

The best of Estonia (nature)...





I am planning a 2 week Estonia trip, after a 2 week Latvia trip this summer. I want to focus on pristine nature, and the great outdoors. If you know of any places off the beaten track (especially since I am going in summer, and I don%26#39;t want to go to touristy places, especially tourist traps, rather quiet, untouched natural areas of Estonia. Anyways, if you live in Estonia, and are fond of nature, photography, and hiking, please help me. Thanks.





WHAT I%26#39;M LOOKING FOR:



1) memorable/dramatic scenery, landscape photography, or specifically where to find the best (viewpoints, vistas, natural views, panoramas, etc..)



2) also looking for the unique outdoors, and other amazing, breathtaking views?





WHAT I%26#39;VE FOUND SO FAR:



-Tartu area, Elva Vitipalu Lake, Võrtsjärv Lake (northern or western shore), Karula National Park, Haanja National Park (access from Otepää)



-Parmu area, Soomaa National Park , Matsalu National Park



-Saaremaa, Angla windmills, Kuressaare, Vilsandi National Park



-Hiiumaa island (ferry from Haapsalu), Sääre Tirp (Kaasari)





Thanks again




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There was just a recent article about places in Estonia.





Soomaa National Park came out on top.





See: http://www.soomaa.com/





The srticle can be found here,



www.eas.ee/index.php…





Another spot off the beaten path is the island, Kihnu