This page explains how to travel by train or ferry from Tallinn to other European cities. 

Information current for 2024 Click here for journeys starting in another city.

bullet pointI want to go from Tallinn to...

     

Riga

 

Vilnius

 

St Petersburg

 

Moscow

  Warsaw                          
  Helsinki   Stockholm   Copenhagen   Oslo   Gothenburg                          
 

Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London or anywhere in central & western Europe


Train travel within Estonia

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Tallinn to Riga

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Tallinn to Vilnius

In a few years time the new Rail Baltica project may make this a routine journey by fast direct train.  But in the meantime it is indeed possible to make this journey by train via Riga, if you want to avoid a lengthy journey in a long-distance bus.

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Tallinn to Stockholm

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Tallinn to Helsinki
Eckero ferry Helsinki to Tallinn

An Eckero Line ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn.

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Tallinn to Warsaw

In a few years time the new Rail Baltica project may make this a routine journey by fast direct train.  But in the meantime it is indeed possible to make this journey by train via Riga & Vilnius, if you want to avoid a lengthy journey in a long-distance bus.

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Tallinn to St Petersburg & Moscow

Trains are currently suspended, originally due to Covid-19 now due to sanctions.

The former operator GoRail discontinued its original Tallinn-Moscow sleeper train in May 2015, and also it's up-and-down attempts over the years to run Tallinn-St Petersburg train, citing a significant drop in passengers between Estonia and Russia due to the economic situation.  I'm pleased to say that RZD (Russian Railways) stepped into the breach and restarted a smart modern Tallinn-St Petersburg-Moscow sleeper train in 2015, which they have named the Baltiski Express.  The times are shown below - note that unusually, it serves different stations in St Petersburg depending on the direction.  If you get any photos of this train inside or out, please let me know!

 Tallinn ► St Petersburg, Moscow

 

 Moscow, St Petersburg ► Tallinn

 Baltic Express 

Cancelled

 Baltic Express 

Cancelled

 Tallinn 

depart

16:00 day 1

 Moscow Leningradski

depart

22:15 day 1

 St Petersburg Ladozhki

arrive

23:58 day 1

 St Petersburg Moskovski

depart

06:25 day 2

 Moscow Leningradski

arrive

09:30 day 2

 Tallinn 

arrive

12:45 day 2

Runs daily in summer (June-September) and at other holiday times.  Reduced to 3 per week at other times.

On board:  1st class Spalny Vagon 2-berth sleepers, 2nd class kupé 4-berth sleepers, 3rd class platskartny open-plan sleeping-cars & ordinary seats.

Fare between Moscow & Tallinn:  Moscow-Tallinn with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon costs around 12,000 rubles (about €160).  In a 4-berth kupé compartment costs around 6,835 rubles (about €91).  A cheap bunk in a 3rd class platskartny car costs around 4,200 rubles.

Fare between St Petersburg & Tallinn:  Around 1,293 rubles (€19) in a seat.

St Petersburg Moskovski is shown as St Petersburg Glowny (Gl.) on rzd.ru.  Moscow Leningradski is also known as the October station (Okt.).

How to buy tickets:  You can buy tickets in either direction at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru, a bit quirky, but it works.  May reject some overseas credit cards.  Or you can easily book online using the Real Russia online booking form here, in plain English but with a small mark-up.  This train is e-ticketed, you print your own ticket.  You can also buy tickets at the station, of course, but pre-booking is better.

  The train between Tallinn, St Petersburg & Moscow

4-berth kupé sleeper.

 

The Tallinn-Moscow train.  Courtesy of Boon Ming Ng

The train between Tallinn, St Petersburg & Moscow   Seats on the Tallinn-St Petersburg-Moscow train

The Go Locomotive in Estonia.  Courtesy of Boon Ming Ng.

 

The Tallinn-Moscow train.  Courtesy of Boon Ming Ng

Traveller Ben Fairclough reports, from a journey from St Petersburg to Tallinn on this train:  "The train seemed to arrive in St Petersburg as number 34, split in the station then depart as number 33.  Platform 5.  We were in a seating carriage with high proportion of western travellers.  Half the seats in the carriage were rear facing -Americans beware!  However, it was a smooth journey.  The carriage was relatively new but not the newest.  The seats recline quite far, but unfortunately no tables at seats or electricity outlets.  Hot and cold water was available as per normal in Russia.  The sleeper carriages all seemed to be of the newest we'd seen in Russia. 60:40 split of sleeper carriages to seats cars.  The train stopped at 9:40 for Russian passport control and moved on for a minute or so to the Estonian border, finishing at about 11:05.  Apart from being woken rather abruptly the passport staff were generally as pleasant as one comes to expect.  Although I didn't see it I'm pretty sure the engine changes at the border. The train left and arrived on time."

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Tallinn to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo

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Tallinn to Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, central & western Europe

Option 1, Tallinn to central & western Europe via Warsaw

Option 2, Tallinn to central & western Europe via Stockholm


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