Travel Information
Travel Information
General Travel Information
You can travel to Estonia by plane or by ferry. The planes land at Tallinn airport.
Taxis and buses go from right outside the airport. If you want to travel directly to Tartu, you can either take a taxi or bus no. 2 from the airport to the bus station. The bus is a bit tricky: it stops about 100 m from the bus station, and the bus stop is called “Autobussijaam”. Of course, you can ask the driver to tell you where to get off. When asking for directions, keep in mind that the younger generation (18–35) generally speaks and understands English, while older people may not.
You can buy bus tickets from the R-Kiosks (look for their logo) or on the bus. Remember to punch the ticket once you’re on the bus.
The taxi should cost no more than 150 EEK from the airport to the bus station.
The Port of Tallinn has a less informative web page that can be found at www.portoftallinn.com, but the same bus (no. 2) goes from the port as well. There is also a direct bus from the Port of Tallinn to Tartu. It only goes once a day, at 11:30 p.m.
Tallinn – Tartu
Buses leave for Tartu every 15–30 minutes in the daytime, but seldom in the evening. You can check the timetable, but it is easier just to go there and jump on the next bus. Buses to Tartu cost 140 EEK for adults and 125 EEK for students with ISIC cards. The official travel time is 2 hours 25 minutes.
It is also possible to travel between Tallinn and Tartu by train. A first-class ticket costs 140 EEK and you get coffee and Internet access. The normal price is 115 EEK, and even cheaper for students. The train station is a bit farther away, so take a taxi. Trains go at least twice a day, Mon-Fri at 7:46 a.m., Fri and Sun at 1:55 p.m. and 7:59 p.m., and every day at 4:50 p.m.
A Note on Taxis
Travelling by taxi is comparatively cheap in Estonia. It is almost too cheap, but drivers take advantage of unwary tourists, so you should take some precautions. The best way is to simply ask the driver how far your destination is, then ask the driver to show the official price table. You can calculate the estimated price on the Taxis in Tartu page.
Exchanging money
1 EUR = 15,64660 EEK
We recommend you exchange most of your money either at home or when you reach Tartu. Whatever you do, do not exchange more than necessary at the airport or other tourist places. You can have a look at the exchange rates at Tavid, Hansabank, SEB Ühispank and other banks to get an idea of what normal exchange rates are in Estonia.
Tartu
Tartu is a small town in the southern part of Estonia. It is the oldest town in Estonia (established 1030), second in population (100 000) and widely known by the University of Tartu (established 1632). An interactive map of Tartu can be found on the following webpage:
The conference takes place in the centre of town in the Main Building of Tartu University. The majority of hotels are within walking distance. For further information about the conference location, please look under Conference Venue.
The public town transportation system of Tartu is quite efficient. 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). There is an online travel planner. Tickets are available from drivers and from newsstands (the same R-Kiosks as in Tallinn). They have to be punched on the bus to be valid. The tickets sold in stands are valid on the lines operated by GoBus only (lines no. 1–22, usually a big bus). The price of a ticket is 16 EEK if bought from the driver, and 13 EEK if bought from a stand. Lines operated by Automen (lines no. 31–34, a small bus) have their own ticket system and price table.
