Travel

Travelling to Estonia

The main international airport in Estonia is Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, which offers direct flights from most major European cities. For airline and schedule information, please visit the airport’s website. From Tallinn numerous buses and trains depart to Tartu. Direct buses connect Tallinn Airport to Tartu city centre in 2.5 hours, more info on Lux Express website.

You can also fly directly to Tartu Airport from Helsinki with Finnair, which operates two flights per day. The flight takes about 45 minutes. If you choose this option, you will arrive just 10 km away from Tartu city center. For more information, please visit the airport’s website.

Alternatively, you can fly into Riga International Airport, which offers a wider selection of international flights. From Riga, you can reach Tartu by bus (the journey takes about 4 hours).

You can reach also Estonia by ferry. Regular ferry connections operate between Tallinn and both Stockholm and Helsinki. The main ferry operators are Tallink Silja Line, Viking Line, and Eckerö Line.

Travelling to Tartu

You can comfortably reach Tartu by car, train, bus, or plane.

From Tallinn to Tartu

The connection with Tallinn offers numerous options, with frequent buses and trains departing daily.

Bus: you can take a bus to Tartu from Tallinn Bus Station or Tallinn Airport. The journey takes about 2.5 hours. Lux Express buses run daily from 5:40 AM to 11:30 PM. Tickets can be bought up to 6 months in advance online, from the ticket booths in Tallinn Bus Station or directly from the driver (if there are available seats). No physical ticket is needed, simply show the QR code from your smartphone. For more information, please visit Lux Express’s website.

Train: you can also take a train to Tartu from Balti Jaam (main railway station) or Ülemiste train stop (about a 15-minute walk from the airport). The journey takes about 2.5 hours. Trains run daily from 6 AM to 9:30 PM. Tickets can be bought up to 2 weeks in advance online, from a ti or directly from the ticket conductor on the train. NB! Only first-class tickets guarantee a seat. No physical ticket is needed, just show the QR code on your smartphone. For more information, please visit Elron’s website.

From Riga to Tartu

Bus: you can take a Lux Express bus to Tartu from Riga International Airport or Riga Bus Station. The journey takes about 4 hours. The buses run daily – 2 times a day from Riga airport and 3 times a day from Riga Bus Station. Tickets can be bought up to 6 months in advance online or directly from the driver (if there are available seats). No physical ticket is needed, simply show the QR code from your smartphone. For more information, please visit Lux Express’s website.

Train: you can also take a train to Tartu from Riga. There is one transfer in Valga and you need to buy two separate train tickets. From Riga to Valga you can buy tickets up to 10 days in advance from the Vivi online system and Vivi app or directly from the conductor on the train. More information can be found on Vivi’s website. From Valga to Tartu you can buy tickets up to 2 weeks in advance online or directly from the ticket conductor on the train. NB! Only first-class tickets guarantee a seat. No physical ticket is needed, just show the QR code on your smartphone. For more information, please visit Elron’s website. More information about the train connection between Riga and Tartu can be found here.

From Helsinki to Tartu

Plane: you can fly directly to Tartu Airport from Helsinki with Finnair, which operates two flights per day. The flight takes about 45 minutes. Flights to Tartu depart Helsinki at 1:50 PM and 11:55 PM. If you choose this option, you will arrive just 10 km away from Tartu city center. Express bus No. E1 (Airport Shuttle) operates between Tartu Airport and Tartu city, a single ticket costs 5 euros. For more information about the flights, please visit the airport’s website or Finnair’s website. Info aout the Airport Shuttle can be found here.