You may be preparing for your trip to Helsinki and have not thought about how easy it is to get to Tallinn from there, which would allow you to visit the capital of two different countries during the same trip.
This route is popular with tourists and business travellers alike, and there are two main options for getting there: by ferry or by plane. Both alternatives have their advantages and disadvantages, so in this article we’ll compare both means of transport so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Read on to find out how to get from Helsinki to Tallinn!
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Going by ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn
This first option is, without a doubt, the most successful, since its cost is not excessive (later we will see how to get a better price), the journey only lasts about two hours and there are a good number of connections that allow you to better organize the trip and seize the day in Tallinn.
What ticket to buy to go to Tallinn
The first thing you should know is that there are two types of ferries. Some take you to Tallinn and they are the ones that interest us in this case, while the second type is party boats that approach Estonia without actually docking at the port, so you will not be able to visit the city. The type of trip that is offered is usually well indicated and the tour guides can also tell you which one to buy, so you just have to be a little attentive so as not to make a mistake when buying the ticket.
Another point to note is that several companies offer this service and their boarding points, both in Helsinki and in Tallinn, are different. Therefore, you will have to look closely at the boarding point indicated on your ticket.
How to buy the ticket: companies and buying advice
Three companies offer a regular ferry connection between Helsinki and Tallinn: Tallink Silja, Eckerö Line and Viking Line. The first has the newest ferry, the Megastar, so the ticket is usually a little more expensive than in the case of the other two options.
The price varies depending on the season in which we are. During the summer months, the trip will be a little more expensive (about 60-80 euros round trip) and, on the contrary, if you visit Helsinki during winter, the ticket will be cheaper and the round trip Return can cost you about 10 euros only.
The same happens in the case of the weekend. Finns take advantage of the weekend to spend the day in Tallinn and buy alcohol because it is cheaper in Estonia, so the ticket price is also higher compared to what you can find during the week.
Finally, it is advisable to purchase the ticket directly from the ferry company and avoid intermediaries who increase the price. With any of the three companies, you can buy your ticket through their website and print it on the machines that you will find in the port.
Where the ferry departs from in Helsinki and Tallinn
As we have said before, the three companies have different boarding points in the two cities, so it is important to know the exact place where the ship of the company you have chosen docks. Below we indicate the points of each of the companies in each port:
Tallink Silja Terminals
The Tallink Silja Ferry departs from West Terminal 2 (Länsisatama 2 in Finnish) in Helsinki. To help you find your way around, the exact address is Tyynenmerenkatu 14. The west port can be reached on foot from the centre. There, Tallink Silja uses a modern-looking grey building in case you travel with Megastar or Star, while if you travel on the Europa ship you will use the brick terminal.
Terminal D is the one used by Tallink Silja in Tallinn and its address is Lootsi 13. This is close to both the city centre and the old town.
Where the Eckerö Line ferry docks in Helsinki and Tallinn
The Eckerö Line ship also departs from West Terminal 2 (Länsisatama 2) in Helsinki and its address is Tyynenmerenkatu 14. As we have said before, the port can be reached on foot from the city centre. There, Eckerö Line uses the modern grey building as its terminal.
In Tallinn, the ferry docks at Terminal A and the address is Sadama 25/2. Besides, it is important to note that Terminal A is closer to the old part of the city.
Viking Line’s ferry departure location
The ferry docks in Helsinki at the Viking Line Terminal which is located at Katajanokanlaituri 8, very close to the market square and right in the centre of the city.
Viking Line in Tallinn, like Eckerö Line, uses Terminal A, whose address is Sadama 25/2, and which is closer to the old town compared to Terminal D, used by Tallink Silja.
Finally, we share with you the timetable and calendar section of Tallink Silja, Eckerö Line and Viking Line so that you can check the exact travel times when you travel to Helsinki.
Going from Helsinki to Tallinn by plane
This way of travelling to Tallinn is less recommended than the ferry, since the travel time is longer and there is no time to see the city in a day, so you would have to settle for seeing only some of the important places or spending an overnight in Tallinn and turn it into a two-day trip.
The flight lasts just over 30 minutes, but to that time we must add the cost of travelling from the centre of Helsinki to the airport, the waiting time at the airport itself and the journey to the centre of Tallinn. The cost of the flight and the rest of the trips will also be higher than that of a ferry ticket.
Will you take advantage of your trip to Finland to visit Tallinn? Tell us in the comments and, if the article has helped you, we encourage you to share it on social networks using the icons that you will find just below.