@birminghampost that is a well reasoned argument by @johnmorrishello Time for London Birmingham Airport? http://t.co/KQPMoQym
Flight Summary
Tallinn is one of those cities that really has cleaned up when it comes to low-cost flights, so it is well connected to all the usual suspects, including the likes of Liverpool, Luton and Stansted.
As the three small Baltic states have only risen to prominence relatively recently, there have never been direct flights to Tallinn from Heathrow Airport, and given the tight pressure for slots, this is unlikely to change.
However, there are still several relatively major airports which don't offer any kind of direct Tallinn flights, but a good range of flight connections available via cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam.
Additionally, there is another option which is well worth exploring if you fancy turning your trip to Tallinn into a to city break.
Less than two hours away across the water is a Finnish capital Helsinki, another architectural gem which is so often overlooked. Whereas Tallinn has a delightful old town around his castle, Helsinki is very much more modern affair with some great early 20th century buildings.
Unfortunately, Helsinki doesn't have the same offering of cheap flights that Tallinn does -- in fact, a number of low-cost routes have been cancelled in recent years, but it should still be possible to fly into Tallinn and back from Helsinki, using Norwegian Air Shuttle flights into Gatwick Airport.
Destination Summary
Tallinn is the beautiful capital of Estonia, generally the most progressive of the former Soviet republics.
Due to its proliferation of cheap bars (and strip clubs) Tallinn has become increasingly popular with stag parties in recent years, so if you are looking for a quiet break then it is best to visit during the week.
Quick Facts
- Airport Code: TLL
- Alternative Name: Ulemiste
James Says
A reasonable range of direct flights to Tallinn is available from various UK airports, mostly with low cost airlines. What about airports which don't have a direct link?
Connecting flights
Tallinn is not particularly well connected with other European airports, but you should be able to find flights via Frankfurt, Copenhagen, or perhaps other Baltic cities such as Stockholm or Helsinki.
Alternative options
Although, you should have no problem finding connecting flights to Tallinn from most UK departure airports, thanks to flights with KLM via Amsterdam, these can clearly be a little bit pricey for the budget traveller.
Looking at the map, the most obvious option might be to take a ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn.
The ferry journey between the two capitals takes two hours and there are six sailings a day. The price for ferries to Tallinn starts at €23 (approximately £20), rising up to €38 (£34) for peak weekend sailings. This is certainly an attractive way to enjoy a short break in both cities, but it is still only really viable if you live near airports in London or Manchester, as there are no other flights to Helsinki from UK regional airports.
Taking flights to St Petersburg might sound like a more enticing option, but the journey from St Petersburg to Tallinn is much more cumbersome than the journey between Tallinn and Helsinki or even the Latvian capital Riga.
When it comes to flights, it is the latter, which is by far and away the best connected from other UK regional airports which don't offer direct flights to Tallinn.
Unfortunately, there is no regular rail service linking Tallinn to St Petersburg or Riga, so you will have to go by Eurolines bus.
Allow at least 4 1/2 hours to travel between Riga and Tallinn by bus -- there are typically seven services each day, costing €12 (approximately £11) each way.. By contrast, there are eight or nine buses each day between Tallinn and St Petersburg, with a journey time of at least five hours.
Your Comments (2)
Jonboy73
Warrington Warrior
They wanted €750 minimum for the privilege - I thought these routes were being operated by Flybe? Surely by now they have heard of one-way pricing? Forget it, I'll just stick with Tallinn, and do Helsinki on a separate visit.