Tallinn Transportation
Tallinn Taxi Services
During your stay in Tallinn you might need to use a taxi. Tallinn’s taxis are private and owned by several companies. They are competing with each other and this has a positive effect on the prices. A taxi is quite inexpensive, 0.45-1 euro per kilometer.
You can pay for taxi services it Tallinn in cash, and 2 companies (Tallink and Tulika) also accept credit and debit card which is perfectly secure. You will be charged 2-4 euro for the beginning of the ride, plus mileage.
Official taxis in Tallinn charge you only according to meter. In addition, official taxi’s in Tallinn are obliged to provide you with a receipt on request. If the driver refuses to provide you a receipt you can refuse to pay. This is the law. Should any problems arise you can easily dial the police by dialing 110 or 112. The call is free of charge and can be done even without a SIM card.
How to choose the right taxi in Tallinn
When choosing a taxi, be sure to read the price list. Unofficial taxi drivers could try making you pay the evening rate and charge you 10 or 20 times above normal. In this way you can go the same distance for 5-6 Euro by an “honest” taxi, or for 50 Euro by an illegal taxi.
Normal fees for taxi services in Tallinn
Start of the trip 2-4 Euro
1 kilometer 0.45-1 Euro
You can tip your driver as you wish. Usually you simply round up to the nearest Euro cents for the driver.
It is best to use the official taxis to avoid any unpleasant situations. We recommend Taxify, which is a mobile app to order a licensed taxi online.
We recommended the following Tallinn taxi services:
Tallinnk, Telephone: +372-640-8921
Tulika, Telephone: +372-612-0000
Takso 24, Telephone: +372-640-8927
Car Rental in Tallinn & Estonia
Estonia is a small country. Relatively small. It is small enough to go around in 1 or 2 days, but too big to walk from side to side. There are many fascinating places to visit.
There are islands, castles, manor houses, nature highlights, and cozy small towns. For example, a drive to the Saaremaa or Hiiumaa islands will take at least 1 day and the distance will be around 500 kilometers, or 280 miles. The drive to Tartu is around 400 kilometers, or 220 miles.
One of the most convenient ways to travel is a renting a car in Tallinn or Estonia. The condition of the roads in Estonia quite satisfactory so it will not be a bumpy ride and you will not have to worry about the vehicle. Fuel prices are European, 1.4 eur per liter, but most of the cars have economic diesel engines which use about 5 liters per 100 kilometers.
Renting a Car in Estonia is very simple and there are many companies offering car rental services. You need to have a valid drivers license accepted in the European Union (USA, Canada, and Australia for example, although a Chinese license doesn’t work) and about 200 Euro as a deposit for the car, this money will be returned to you after you return the car intact. As with most of the world you need to return the car with a full tank of gas.
We recommend you not to violate the traffic and parking rules, when returning the car, the company will check the data base and you will have to pay the fine even if you got the ticket an hour earlier. Also, Estonian police do not take bribes.
All you need is to make a list of places you want to visit, rent a car Tallinn or other town in Estonia, upload your coordinates to the GPS and off you go!
Parking in Tallinn
If you drive a car in Tallinn, private or rental, you will most likely have to pay for parking. Parking rules are quite complicated and before leaving your car parked somewhere, you should find out who owns the parking spot and pay for it.
There are three private parking companies in Tallinn and also city owned parking lots.
Where to park a car and the parking fees
The Tallinn city center is divided into 3 parking areas, where rules and prices are different. The parking information boards are in Estonian, so the best way to find out how to pay for the parking in your particular place is to call +372-651-1530. This informational phone number is available on the weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Inexpensive car parking in Tallinn
In the center of Tallinn we recommend you 2 parking lots on the border of Old Town, where you can park 24/7 and pay by cash in Euro.
The first parking lot is located on Kaarli pst 2. This parking lot is guarded. Parking fees start from 8 Euro for 24 hours.
The second parking lot is located in the area of the port and the address is Mere pst 10. The fee starts from 2 Euro for 24 hours for a regular car or 4 Euro for a bus using 2 parking places. The parking is not guarded.
Following our recommendations you can save time and money.
The fine for violation of parking rules starts from 32 Euro.
Navigating in Tallinn
Driving and navigating in Tallinn is pretty simple. But extreme attention should by paid to driving in Old Town. Many streets of the historical center are for pedestrians only. You can tell that by the small signs that read “No entry for cars.” GPS often doesn’t know the signs and gives you directions which can end up with you having to pay a 200 Euro fine. So watch out for these signs in Old Town.
Good luck on the roads!