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.
I want to go from
Tallinn to...
Train travel within Estonia
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Modern local trains link Tallinn with various Estonian towns including Viljandi, Valga, Tapa & Tartu. Many of these trains now feature air-conditioning, power sockets for laptops & mobiles and even free WiFi.
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For times & fares, see www.elron.ee, change Eesti to English top right.
Tallinn to Riga
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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Day 1, travel by train from Tallinn to Riga, see the Tallinn to Riga page.
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Day 2, travel from Riga to Vilnius, see the Riga to Vilnius page.
Tallinn to Stockholm
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An excellent overnight ferry links Tallinn with Stockholm every second night with a range of comfortable cabins, bars, restaurants.
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For times, fares & tickets see the Direct Ferries website or www.tallinksilja.com.
Tallinn to Helsinki
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Several ferry companies operate ferries from Tallinn to Helsinki, crossing 2 to 2½ hours.
There are 6 or 7 sailings every day, fares from just €19.
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For times, fares & tickets use the Direct Ferries website as this shows operators, or see www.tallinksilja.com & www.eckeroline.com.
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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Step 1, travel from Tallinn to Riga, see the Tallinn to Riga page.
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Step 2, travel from Riga to Vilnius, see the Riga to Vilnius page.
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Step 3, travel from Vilnius to Warsaw by daily train as shown on the Vilnius to Warsaw page.
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!
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.
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."
Tallinn to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo
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Step 1, take a ferry to Stockholm as shown above. Transfer by taxi, bus or metro to Stockholm Central Station.
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Step 2, take a train from Stockholm Central to Oslo, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Malmo or anywhere else in Sweden, Denmark or Norway. You'll find more detail on the Trains from Stockholm page. I'd allow 3 hours between ferry and train in Stockholm.
Tallinn to Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, central & western Europe
Option 1, Tallinn to central & western Europe via Warsaw
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Step 1, travel from Tallinn to Warsaw as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw to anywhere in central & western Europe as shown on the Trains from Warsaw page.
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For Tallinn to London, see the London-Tallinn page as this covers travel in both directions.
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You might also consider taking the ferry to Stockholm, train to Copenhagen, and onward train to Hamburg, Amsterdam, and so on. See the ferry to Stockholm section above, then see the Trains from Stockholm page.
Option 2, Tallinn to central & western Europe via Stockholm
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Step 1, sail overnight from Tallinn to Stockholm by ferry as shown above. I'd allow 3 hours between ferry and train in Stockholm.
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Step 2, travel from Stockholm to anywhere in western & central Europe as shown on the Trains from Stockholm page,