How to Get Around Tallinn: Public Transport, Taxis and Costs
Trams and buses rule the day; a contactless card beats buying single tickets; Bolt owns the night. Here's every option ranked by speed and budget.
Tallinn is compact — the airport sits 4 kilometers south, and the medieval Old Town is reachable on foot or tram from anywhere central. But the city's transport system works best when you know the three rules: validate every single time you board (inspectors conduct random checks and the fine is €40), tap a contactless bank card or preloaded card at any orange validator inside the vehicle, and download Easy Transit or the official Ühistransport app before you arrive. What you use depends on when you arrive, how long you're staying, and whether you mind paying a small premium for convenience.
Ranked by practicality and cost, starting with the moment you land. Public transport operates daily between 5:00 a.m. and midnight; night buses run Friday and Saturday from 00:30 to 03:30. Single tickets are €2.00 (valid for one hour with transfers); a 24-hour day pass is €5.50. For most short trips, paying per ride with a contactless bank card is simpler than buying a pass. For anything longer than three days, the €2 Ühiskaart card (available at post offices and R-Kiosks) becomes worth the investment.
Tram 4 from airport to Old Town
Tallinn Airport (4km south) · Tram · €2.00 one-way, €5.50 day pass, runs 05:00–00:45
Tallinn Airport sits just 4 km from the Old Town. In practice, you reach central Tallinn within 15–20 minutes of leaving the terminal. Take tram number 4 (Lennujaam – Tondi) for this journey. Running every 7 to 10 minutes from Monday to Saturday, and even on Sundays and public holidays, the service is frequent. The last tram from Tallinn Airport departs at 00:45, with the first city tram at 05:00. Arriving in daylight with a single bag. Use your contactless card or grab a Ühiskaart from the kiosk at the terminal.
Bus 2 from airport to city centre
Tallinn Airport (4km south) · Bus · €2.00 one-way, €5.50 day pass, runs 05:00–00:30
The most popular and cost-effective method is by public bus, with routes 2 and 2A connecting the airport to key locations in the city, including the central bus station and the Old Town. The journey takes about 12 minutes and is the cheapest way to travel from Tallinn Airport to the city centre at 2 euros. Buy your ticket at the R-Kiosk in arrivals or tap your bank card at the validator on board. If you're arriving late or traveling with heavy luggage, this beats the tram.
Bolt from airport (if cash is no object)
Tallinn Airport to city centre · Ride-hailing app · €7.00–€12.00, 15–20 min, available 24/7
Bolt's airport-to-Old-Town fare runs €7–€12 with 2–5 min waits. Bolt — the ride-hailing giant that was born in the Estonian capital — holds the largest share of the market and operates side by side with Uber. Bolt operates city-wide and is downloaded and set up like any other rideshare app: register with a card or Apple/Google Pay, drop the pin, choose the ride category (Bolt, Comfort, XL, Green), and track the driver's arrival on the map. Only use this if you're arriving at 1 a.m., traveling with three people and luggage, or prefer not to figure out the tram.
Contactless bank card: tap and go
Any tram, bus, or trolleybus in Tallinn · Payment method · €2.00 per 1-hour ticket, no card purchase needed
The quick and easy option is to pay for each ride with a contactless bank card inside the vehicle at any validator. Tap the front-door validator with a contactless bank card or phone — you automatically get a 1-hour ticket for €2. You cannot load multi-day passes onto a bank card, but for hopping on and off during a single day, this beats queuing at a kiosk. Each tap will purchase a 1-hour ticket and accumulate into a 1-day ticket if you take enough rides in one day.
Ühiskaart (green card) for 3+ days
Available at R-Kiosks, post offices, online · Reusable smart card · €2.00 card + pay-as-you-go or pre-loaded passes
The Ühiskaart, popularly called the green card, is the city's contactless smart card. You tap it against the validator when you board, and the fare is deducted from a prepaid balance — or, if you're a registered resident, the journey is free. The card costs €2 once and can be topped up at R-Kiosks, post offices, and online. Buy one on arrival if you're staying three days or longer. If you're only doing 4–6 tram rides over 3 days, paying individually (€1.50 each) is cheaper than buying a day pass. The Pilet24 day ticket (€5) only makes sense if you're doing 4+ rides in a single day.
Ühistransport app (buy QR tickets)
iOS, Android · Ticket booking and journey planning · €2.00 per ticket or multi-day passes from €5.50
Visitors typically pick a single ride (valid for one hour with transfers), a day ticket (24 hours of unlimited city travel), or a multi-day pass via the Ühistransport app. Download before arriving and buy tickets digitally — no waiting at kiosks. Digital app users must specifically use the front-door scanner to register the QR code correctly. The app also shows live timetables and journey planning for all routes.
Easy Transit app (live arrivals, no data)
iOS, Android · Real-time journey planning · Free, no subscriptions or ads
See live updated arrival times for the nearest bus stop. Go to any place from a search or choose on a map. Save often-visited places to bookmarks, to plan a route with a single touch. No ads, no purchases, no data collected. Locals prefer this over the official app for speed and simplicity. Load it before your trip and tap it whenever you need to know if your tram is coming now or in six minutes.
Night buses (Friday–Saturday, 00:30–03:30)
Six routes from Balti Jaam station · Late-night public transport · €2.00 per ride, same validation rules
Six night buses depart every 30 minutes from 00:30am to 03:30am on Saturdays and Sundays. The same rules and ticket requirements apply to both day and night buses. Tallinn has six night bus lines: route 91 to Mustamäe, route 92 to Väike-Õismäe, route 93 to Pelguranna, route 94 to Priisle, route 95 to Viimsi center, and route 96 to Vana-Pääsküla. These are a genuine alternative to Bolt if you're heading home to outer suburbs after midnight; validate your ticket or face the €40 fine.
Bolt for in-town trips (preferred over Uber)
Download app, tap destination · Ride-hailing (ride-only, not scooters here) · €3.50–€8.00 typical city ride
Bolt was founded in Tallinn, and it shows. The app has deeper roots here than anywhere else in Europe — it's the default ride-hailing choice for locals and visitors alike. Tourists who arrive assuming Uber works here the same way it does in London or New York regularly wait twice as long and pay more than they needed to. As a primary transport option in Tallinn, though, it consistently underperforms Bolt in availability, wait times, and price competitiveness. Download Bolt before Uber if you have both; driver availability and fares favor it overwhelmingly.
Licensed taxis (metered, visible rates)
Taxi stands at hotels, ferry terminal, airport · Metered taxi · €10–€15 city rides, rates posted on yellow sticker
All licensed taxis must use the meter, if the driver claims it's broken or has a flat rate, exit and report the car number to MUP (Tallinn Police). Each taxi's rates are posted on a yellow sticker on the car's right rear window. The cost usually consists of a base fare (starting fare) plus a per-kilometre fare. Taxis parked outside Old Town gates sometimes use a tampered meter that jumps faster than the legal rate. Insist on a reputable company's car or agree on a fixed fare before starting. Reliable companies include Tallink Takso and Forus Takso; use Bolt instead unless you trust the driver.
Share this article
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation. Only registered users can comment.
No comments yet. Be the first.