Getting to Tartu
Arrival to Estonia
Getting to Tartu from the Tartu Airport
Getting to Tartu from Tallinn by express bus
Getting to Tartu from Tallinn by train
Once in Tartu, how do you get to the dormitory, university or your apartment?
Tartu is situated in southern Estonia and connects to the world through recently reopened Tartu Airport and Lennart Meri Airport in Tallinn.
The distance between Tartu Airport and the city center is about 10 kilometers.
The distance between Tallinn, Estonia's capital, and Tartu is approximately 200 kilometers, or about 2.5 hours by express coach or car.
Tartu Airport has connections to Helsinki.
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport has direct air links to numerous cities, including the nearby Baltic capitals, Riga and Vilnius. It is also easy to fly in direct from Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Kiev, London, Moscow, Munich, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Warsaw.
From Stockholm and Helsinki, there is also a ferry connection to Tallinn. It is especially frequent from Helsinki, hence planning your route through there will not add much to the total duration of your trip.
Apart from that, Estonia has bus links with major cities in Germany, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic countries. Due to the relatively short distances, coach trips from Riga and St. Petersburg are a good alternative to air travel. Both cities have direct connections to Tartu.
Getting to Tartu from the Tartu Airport
Airport Shuttle bus leaves from Tartu Airport to the city in about 15 minutes after the plane has arrived, but also waits for anyone who needs the ride to the city. And if booked earlier picks you up from anywhere in Tartu and takes you to the airport.
For a fee of 4 EUR the shuttle will drop you off at any place in Tartu city and the ticket can be bought either in cash or with a debit/credit card from the driver. More information: Airport Shuttle
The taxi stop is also located in front of the terminal. The taxi might cost around 10 EUR to the city center.
Getting to Tartu from Tallinn by express bus
There are some express buses which also take passengers from the Tallinn Airport (stop "Tallinna lennujaam" in Estonian) on their way to Tartu. You can find most Estonian bus lines on the web site www.tpilet.ee. If you wish to get on the bus at the airport, it is advisable to buy the ticket in advance (online, printing out the ticket yourself).
From Tallinn airport to Tallinn bus terminal: Tallinn bus terminal is situated quite close to the only airport Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport and you can take a taxi or public transportation to get there. As Tallinn airport is a relatively small one, it is easy to find the area where public transportation and taxis are waiting in front of the building. It is a short distance by taxi and it should not cost you more than 5 EUR to get to the bus terminal. It is also possible to use public transportation, bus No. 2 from the airport stops not too far from the bus terminal (the "Autobussijaam" stop), but you still have to cross 2 intersections to reach to the bus terminal. 1-hour ticket on Tallinn public transport (can be bought from the driver) costs 1.60 EUR.
See the directions here.
From Tallinn sea port to bus terminal - It takes a little bit more time to get to the bus terminal from Tallinn sea port (http://www.ts.ee/) and it's easier to get there by taxi. Tram No. 2 (towards Ülemiste) or bus No. 2 takes you to Tallinn bus terminal (the "Autobussijaam" stop) from the port, but you still have to cross 2 intersections to reach the bus terminal. 1-hour ticket on Tallinn public transport (can be bought from the driver) costs 1.60 EUR.
From Tallinn bus terminal to Tartu - Buses leave almost every 30 minutes from 5.45 in the morning (5.45 a.m.) until 23.00 at night (11 p.m.). You can find the timetable in English. Tickets cost approximately 10 EUR and can be purchased from the ticket office inside the bus station or from the bus driver. To get a student discount, you need to show your International Student Card (ISIC). Carrier SEBE offer discount for people under 26. It will take you 2.5 hours to reach Tartu. Buses are comfortable and most of them have WiFi.
If you arrive late in the evening you should spend the night in Tallinn. There are different hotels and hostels where you can find accommodation in Tallinn
Getting to Tartu from Tallinn by train
Trains for Tartu from Tallinn train station leave 3-4 times a day, and it takes a little more than 2 hours to get to Tartu. The train station is situated just outside the Tallinn Old Town and sea port, a taxi or tram No. 2 (from the sea port) can take you there ("Balti jaam" stop). Trains are rather comfortable and you can use WiFi in the first class.
Once in Tartu, how do you get to the dormitory, university or your apartment?
If it is your first time in Tartu, it is best to take a taxi to get to your final destination in the city. Most taxi drivers speak some English and all taxis are equipped with meters. Once you get comfortable in Tartu you will learn how to get to places by public transport, by bike, or on foot! A bus ticket costs 1 EUR if you buy it from the bus driver and is valid for one ride.
Tartu bus terminal is situated near the center of town and is close to the student dormitories and the University Main Building. The best way is to use a taxi, it should not cost you more than 4 EUR to arrive at Raatuse Student Residence. See the directions here.
Tartu train station is a little bit farther from the city center, for first time travelers it is best to take a taxi from there to your destination.
The University Main Building, Ülikooli St. 18, is conveniently located in the city center, close to the northeastern corner of the Town Hall Square and just a few minutes' walk from the Tartu bus terminal or Raatuse Student Residence. You will find the International Student Service on the first floor of the building (turn left, room 104).