Estonia
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Travel Tips
If you have a Pocket PC with wireless LAN functionality: take it with you! Internet and wirless LAN zones are widely available, most of the free of charge. In Pärnu we even saw a kiosk which had a wireless LAN zone!
Andreas & Cornelia Ort, Germany (Sep 05)
Tallinn: There is a brand new Museum of Occupation which is located on the edge of the old town (8 Toompea Str.). It's a modern building where you can find the history of the country from 1940. Everything is presented in 6 or 8 20 minutes long documentary films which are in English or Estonian. The entrance fee was around 1-2 EEK which is nothing. It's a great place when its raining and you have nothing to do and of course, a great place for those who like history.
Anna Sikala, Poland (Sep 05)
20th of August is indeed a public holiday in Estonia (Day of the Restoration of Independence). However, this is a bad day for tourists, since all attractions, sightseeing and other events are closed that day. You cannot climb the towers of churches, visit museums, hire bikes etc. in Tallinn. Even the tourist information centre is closed. The Alexander Nevsky cathedral and the Toomkirik were opened, the latter only for tourists after 3pm.
So if you have one day to spend in Tallinn, don't pick August 20. Don't expect performances of artists, festivities or fireworks either. On the other hand, that day was remarkably calmer than the other days, because the Estonians seem to celebrate this holiday at home.
Robby Hoskens, Belgium (Aug 05)
Moving About
If you are actually arriving to Tallinn by bus, there is a chance that it first stops at the ferry terminals before heading to the bus station. Since you'll most certainly be heading for the old town, you will be better off getting down from the bus at Terminal A which is only a 10-minute walk from the city walls versus a sweaty 25-30-minute walk from the bus terminal!!
Steve Taylor (Dec 05)
In using the Estonia Latvia & Lithuania guide, I found that the website for the bus schedules throughout Estonia (http://www.bussireisid.ee/index.html) is now in English if one clicks on "ENG" in the upper right hand corner.
Lesley Holmes, USA (Nov 05)
Tallinn: Behind the Viru mall, at A.Laikmaa Street there is a bus stop for a bus no 52 - the only bus which can get you to the Central Bus Station. You have to get off at the corner of Tartu Maantee and Odra Street.
Anna Sikala, Poland (Sep 05)
Notes on ferries: There are always good deals to be had. For instance, I was fortunate to pick Tallinn's anniversary (September 15th) as my travel day. I got a one way ticket to Helsinki for 60 EEK (€4-5). The Viking Line trip from Helsinki to Tallinn was a stomach churner for 3 hours, but worth it at €15. Plus, the band was pretty amusing - when they repeatedly fell into their mic stands due to the wavy conditions, they did not even falter on their chord changes!
Jordan Mitchell, Canada (Aug 05)
Scams & Warnings
May I just draw your attention to the fact that Estonia has the highest HIV infection rates in Europe.The country was at the centre of an epidemic only a couple of years ago. I personally realised that the level of awareness is very low and I feel that a notice to all travellers in the area would help the situation.
Anonymous, UK (Dec 04)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
I want to strongly recommend the Endla Nature Reserve in NE Estonia. I was there on a sunny autumn day and it was full of local people with buckets picking loads of cranberries and other berries. We ate these until our hands and tongues were purple. You can can for long hikes along wooden walkways (in some places, gumboots would be a good idea) and the place has incredible colours - yellows, reds and blacks. Really worthwhile experience, as is Estonia in general.
Anonymous (Sep 05)
Rakvere: Although Rakvere is not a place you 'have to' travel to, it might be a convenient stop-over if you are travelling eastwards or clockwise in Estonia, starting from Tallinn. At least there is a castle to see. Inside you have a playground for children with various activities like pony riding, shooting arrows or simply watching a blacksmith. There is also a gallery of helmets and swords throughout the centuries which you can wear and touch and 'play' with. A bit strange is the dungeon and torture chamber - its worth a smile for adults, not really recommended for children and free of charge. The tourist office close to the central bus station is helpful and there are at least to nice cafés.
Andreas & Cornelia Ort, Germany (Sep 05)
The Town of Saku: Saku beer is unavoidable in Estonia, so why not see the town that bears the same name? You can get to the town of Saku by jumping in a small combi-bus (i.e. Toyota van) at Viru Square in central Tallinn. It's bus #206 and it leaves every half an hour. It's about 16 kilometres from the centre. It's a delightful little town and you can visit the Saku museum on site of the country's largest brewery.
Jordan Mitchell, Canada (Aug 05)
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