TRAVEL INFORMATION
Visa
Citizens of the EU/Schengen and most other European countries, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and many other countries do not need a visa to enter Estonia. Visas are however requested, e.g., from citizens of Russia, the Ukraine. Exact information on the regulations in force at any given time is available from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.vm.ee).
Should you need a visa to attend ADBIS 2005, you must indicate so in your registration form. We will only issue visa invitations to those registrants whose payment we have received in full.
Getting to Tallinn
There exist direct flights to Tallinn from Amsterdam, Berlin (Tegel and Schönefeld), Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Kiev, Copenhagen, London (Gatwick and Stansted), Manchester, Milan (Orio al Serio), Moscow, Oslo, Paris (CDG), Prague, Riga, Stockholm, Vilnius, and Warsaw. For information, see the web homepages of Tallinn Airport (www.tallinn-airport.ee) and Estonian Air (www.estonian-air.ee). The city is 2 kms from the airport and you reach it either by taxi or bus No. 2 (timetable). From Helsinki, there is also the helicopter service of CopterLine (www.copterline.com).
For ferry connections from/to Stockholm and Helsinki, see the web pages of Tallink (www.tallink.ee), Silja Line (www.silja.ee), Viking Line (www.vikingline.ee) and Eckerö Line (www.eckeroline.ee). Fast boats are also operated by Nordic Jet Line (www.njl.ee) and Linda Line (www.lindaline.ee).
From Vilnius and Riga the Eurolines coach service is the practical travel option (Euroline bus timetable). More information on international coach connections at the web page of Eurolines (www.eurolines.ee).
Time
Estonia (just as Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, ...) uses Eastern European Time, EET, which is one hour ahead of Central European Time, CET, in other words GMT+2. Currently we also have daylight saving time, so it is GMT+3.
Electricity
The electricity supply is 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.
Money and banks
The currency in Estonia is the Estonian crown (EEK). The EEK is pegged to the EUR at the rate of 1 EUR = 15.64664 EEK.
Credit cards are widely accepted in Tallinn and other cities. You may be required to present your passport or driver's licence as proof of identity when paying with a card. Bank offices and currency exchange points are numerous and have very reasonable opening hours. Cash advances are also possible from ATMs. The most widely accepted traveller's cheques are Am Ex and Thomas Cook.
Postal services
Postage on letters (up to 20 g) [postcards] within Estonia is 4.40 [3.60] EEK, to the Baltic and Nordic countries 6.00 [5.00] EEK by air mail and 5.50 [4.50] EEK by surface mail, to the rest of Europe and the former USSR 6.50 [6.00] (only air mail is possible), to the rest of the world 8.00 [7.50] EEK (only air mail is possible). Air mail post has to be marked with blue "Prioritaire / Par avion" stickers.
Post offices are open during the normal shopping hours. Stamps are also sold in newsstands. More information from Eesti Post (www.post.ee).
Phones
As of 1 Feb. 2004 area codes are not used anymore in Estonia. Previously there was an initial 0 included in area codes that had to be dropped when calling to Estonia from abroad. For example, a number expressed in the old format such as (07) 654 321 has now become 765 4321.
For international calls to Estonia: dial the prefix for intl. calls (00 in most countries), then the country code 372, and then the subscriber's number.
For international calls from Estonia: dial the prefix 00 for intl. calls, then your country code, etc. Calls within Estonia: just dial the full 7- or 8-digit subscriber's number.
The emergency number (fire brigade, ambulance) is 112. For police only, dial 110.
There are three GSM operators in the country: EMT, Elisa (RLE) and Tele2.
Payphones abound in Tallinn but they accept Elion phonecards only (there are no coin-operated payphones). The three different cards cost 30, 50 and 100 EEK and can be bought from newsstands and supermarkets.
Internet
Internet cafes with terminals in Tallinn include: Espresso (Estonia pst 7, 15 EEK/30 mins, 2 terminals), Cafe Demini (Demini shopping center, Viru 1/Vene 2, 20 EEK/30 mins, 4 terminals), Kohvik@Grill (Aia 3, in WW Passaazh shopping center, entrance from Vana-Viru, 15 EEK/30 mins, 4 terminals). Other places: Arvutisaal (Vana-Posti 2, 2nd floor, 30 EEK/1 hr, 6 terminals), Tallinn Central Library (Estonia pst 8, free of charge), National Library (Tõnismägi 2, 7th floor, 10 EEK/15 mins). Internet terminals/Internet access in some form are offered also by most hotels.
For those carrying a laptop, there are more than 200 public areas of Wireless Internet access in Tallinn. About half of these are free, to use the others, one has to pay (Elisa (Uninet), 10 EEK/24 hrs, the ticket is valid throughout all Elisa WiFi areas). This is normally done with a mobile phone (the cost is charged to the calls bill).
The free WiFi areas in the city include: Viru Keskus (shopping center, Viru väljak 6, SSID: elion, mailserver: mail.neti.ee), Cafe Pegasus (Harju 1, SSID: pegasus, mailserver: mail.neti.ee), Cafe Gateway (Suur Karja 17/19, SSID: baargateway, mailserver: mail.neti.ee), Kaheksa Bar (Vana-Posti 8, SSID: Kaheksa, mailserver: mail.online.ee), Mauruse Pubi (Estonia pst. 8, SSID: maurus, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Cafe Moskva (Vabaduse plats 10, SSID: uninet, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Kohvik@Grill (Aia 3, in WW Passaazh shopping center, SSID: uninet, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Cafe Popular (Vana Viru 6, SSID: popular, mailserver: mail.neti.ee), Sushi Bar Silk (Kullasepa 4, SSID: silk, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Stereo Lounge (Harju 6, SSID: stereojaam, mailserver: mail.wavecom.ee), Cafe Balti Sepik Aroma (Pikk 12, SSID: balti sepik, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Cafe Balti Sepik Mocha (Vene 1, SSID: balti sepik, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Cafe Balti Sepik Aroma (Müürivahe 14, SSID: balti sepik, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Cafe Balti Sepik (Süda 1, SSID: uninet, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), Cafe Balti Sepik (Narva mnt. 6, SSID: esperan, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee), National Library (Tõnismägi 2, SSID: raamatukogu, mailserver: mail.neti.ee), Tallinn Central Library (Estonia pst. 8, SSID: lugejad, mailserver: mail.uninet.ee).
A clickable map with all public WiFi areas is available at www.wifi.ee.
Getting around in Tallinn
The public city transportation system of Tallinn, consisting of bus, tram and trolleybus traffic, is quite efficient. There are many lines and operate frequently. Most stops have timetables (affixed to the stop signpost) and many also have a map of the transport system on display (in the waiting booth). Tickets are available from drivers, from special city transportation ticket stands as well as newsstands. Tickets are validated by a ticket punch located in the vehicle. Buses, trams and trolleybuses all operate under one ticket system or a special ticket. A completion ticket in addition to an ordinary ticket is required in an express bus. A ticket is valid for a single journey and costs 15 EEK when bought from the driver and 10 EEK when bought from a stand; a set of 10 tickets costs 80 EEK.
A searchable and scalable public transportation map is available here.
Some of the recommendable taxi companies are: Tulika Takso (www.tulikatakso.ee), phone 1200 or 612 0000, E-takso/Takso 1700 (www.takso.ee), phone 1700 or 605 9700, and Peretakso (www.peretakso.ee), phone 16111 or 646 0006. The charge is typically 7 EEK per km.
Tourist information
A searchable and scalable online map of Tallinn is available from the website of Tallinn City Government, www.tallinn.ee.
For tourist information on Estonia in the Web, check the web pages of the Estonian Tourist Board (www.visitestonia.com). For tourist information specifically on Tallinn, check the web pages of the Tallinn Tourist Board (www.tourism.tallinn.ee). InYourPocket.Com's unofficial Estonia and Tallinn pages (inyourpocket.com/estonia/, inyourpocket.com/estonia/tallinn/) make an even more useful reading. For an in-depth background info on Estonia, we recommend the Estonian Institute's www.estonica.org.
The Tallinn Tourist Information Center is located at Niguliste 2/Kullasepa 4 in the middle of the Old Town. September opening hours: Mon-Fri 9-18, Sat 10-17, Sun closed.
