This page explains how to travel by train or ferry from Tallinn to other European cities.
Information current for 2025. Click here for journeys starting in another city.
I want to go from
Tallinn to...
Train travel within Estonia
Modern air-conditioned trains link Tallinn with various Estonian towns including Viljandi, Tapa, Tartu & Valga. The trains now feature power sockets for laptops & mobiles and even free WiFi.
For times, fares & tickets see elron.ee, change Eesti to English top right.
Ticket sales only open 10 days ahead. 2nd class tickets are only good for the specific train you book, but you don't get an assigned seat. 1st class tickets are also only good for the specific train you book, but in this case they include an assigned seat.
Above, an Estonian train at Tallinn Balti Jaam (Baltic station).
Tallinn to Riga & Vilnius
From 2030 the Rail Baltica project should make this a fast journey by frequent train on a new line. In the meantime, in January 2025 the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian railways co-ordinated their timetables to offer a comfortable daily train service between the 3 Baltic capitals, see the Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius page.
The Valga-Riga-Vilnius train, arrived at Riga.
Tallinn to Stockholm
An excellent overnight ferry leaves Tallinn every second day at 18:00 and arrives in Stockholm Värtahamnen at 10:30 next morning.
The ferry is run by Tallink, check sailing dates & buy tickets at www.tallink.com or using the Direct Ferries website.
The m/v Baltic Queen offers a range of comfortable cabins: E-category inside cabins are below the car deck, I recommend paying for a B-category inside cabin or ideally an A-category outside cabin with sea view. There are also deluxe cabins and suites, all cabins have toilet & shower. There is a large buffet restaurant (Grande Buffet), 3 à la carte restaurants (Gill House, Aleksandra, Chef's Kitchen), 2 pubs, and (of course!) a sauna. Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails into Stockholm past the many islands of the Stockholm archipelago.
In Tallinn, the ferry sails from the D-Terminal, a 22-minute 1.7 km walk from Tallinn's old town square or a 26-minute 1.9 km walk from the railway station (Balti Jaam). Alternatively, tram 2 links the the railway station with the harbour tram stop, a short walk from D-Terminal, the tram accepts contactless payment.
At the D-Terminal, walk in and go straight up the escalator to the first floor. Go to one of the touch-screen check-in machines and click Check-in. Scan your ticket QR code and out pops your boarding pass. Starting 3h before sailing time you can go through the automatic check-in gates and enjoy a coffee or beer in the departure lounge. From around 1h45 before sailing time you can walk through another boarding pass check straight onto the ferry. Painless! Check-in closes 30 minutes before sailing time.
In Stockholm, the ferry arrives at Stockholm Värtahamnen ferry terminal. On arrival, walk 800m to Gärdet metro station and take the Tunnelbana (metro) to T-Centralen (Central Station). The walk is clearly signed (see walking map) or just follow all the other foot passengers! The Tunnelbana accepts contactless bank cards, you can just touch in and out. Or take a taxi from the ferry terminal to Central Station.
Tallinn D-Terminal, used by the Tallinn-Stockholm ferry.
Sailing from Tallinn, with the old town's spires still visible in the distance.
Above left, dinner in the Chef's Restaurant, the most upmarket option. There's also the Grill House restaurant if you like steak, or the Grande Buffet all-you-can-eat option with a wide variety of food. For breakfast I recommend the buffet breakfast in the Grill House restaurant, a step up from the Grande Buffet breakfast.
Above right, make sure you go up on deck next morning as the ship passes through the beautiful Stockholm archipelago. Wonderful!
Tallinn to Helsinki
-
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.
-
For times, fares & tickets use the Direct Ferries website as this shows all operators, or see www.tallink.com, www.eckeroline.com or www.sales.vikingline.com.
-
In Tallinn, Tallink ferries sail from the D-Terminal, a 22-minute 1.7 km walk from Tallinn's old town square or a 26-minute 1.9 km walk from the railway station (Balti Jaam). Alternatively, tram 2 links the the railway station with the harbour tram stop, a short walk from D-Terminal, the tram accepts contactless payment.
At the D-Terminal, walk in and go straight up the escalator to the first floor. Go to one of the touch-screen check-in machines and click Check-in. Scan your ticket QR code and out pops your boarding pass. Starting 3h before sailing time you can go through the automatic check-in gates and enjoy a coffee or beer in the departure lounge. From around 1h45 before sailing time you can walk through another boarding pass check straight onto the ferry. Painless! Check-in closes 30 minutes before sailing time.
Eckero & Viking Lines sail from the A-Terminal, just west of the D-Terminal and a tad closer to the city.
-
In Helsinki, Eckero and Tallink arrive at Helsinki West Terminal 2, a 46-minute walk from Helsinki station or 51-minute walk from Helsinki cathedral. Viking Line arrives at Katajanokka ferry terminal which is closer to the city centre, a 18-minute walk to the cathedral or 32-minute walk from Helsinki railway station.
Viking Line's Viking XPRS at Tallinn A-Terminal.
A Tallink ferry leaving Tallinn. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Nicholls.
An Eckero Line ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn.
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, avoiding a lengthy journey in a long-distance bus.
-
Day 1, travel from Tallinn to Vilnius by train, see the Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius page.
-
Stay overnight in Vilnius. The inexpensive Stay Vilnius hotel is a 6-minute walk from the station. The Conti Hotel Vilnius is a 9-minute walk from the station towards the old town. The Grotthuss Boutique Hotel is in a historic building on a medieval street in the old town itself and only an 11-minute walk from the station. All get great reviews.
-
Day 2, travel from Vilnius to Warsaw by daily train as shown on the Vilnius to Warsaw page.
Above, the Vilnius-Warsaw train service involves a simple cross-platform change at Mockava from a Lithuanian train to a Polish one.
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.
Tallinn to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo
-
Step 1, take a ferry to Stockholm as shown above. Transfer by taxi, bus or metro to Stockholm Central Station.
-
Step 2, take a train from Stockholm Central to Oslo, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Malmö 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
-
Day 1, travel from Tallinn to Vilnius by train, as shown on the Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius page.
-
Stay overnight in Vilnius. The inexpensive Stay Vilnius hotel is a 6-minute walk from the station. The Conti Hotel Vilnius is a 9-minute walk from the station towards the old town. The Grotthuss Boutique Hotel is in a historic building on a medieval street in the old town itself and only an 11-minute walk from the station. All get great reviews.
-
Day 2, travel from Vilnius to Warsaw by daily train, as shown on the Vilnius to Warsaw page.
-
Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. Eisenhower & De Gaulle have stayed here, amongst others. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. See the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
-
Day 3, travel from Warsaw to anywhere in central & western Europe as shown on the Trains from Warsaw page.
Option 2, Tallinn to central & western Europe via Stockholm
-
Step 1, sail overnight from Tallinn to Stockholm by ferry as shown above. I'd allow 3 hours between ferry and train in Stockholm.
-
Step 2, travel from Stockholm to anywhere in western & central Europe as shown on the Trains from Stockholm page,