Tallinn: An overview - Part 7

Travelling around Tallinn is fairly easy. The Old Town and surrounding areas can be explored on foot easily but you will need to use public transport or a taxi to reach some distant sights such as Kadriorg Park, Kumu Art Museum, or the Estonian Open-Air Museum. Tallinn has buses, trams, and trolley buses. Be careful to avoid a common mistake by remembering that they reuse the same numbers; so bus #2, tram #2, and ttrolleybus#2 are totally different routes. Maps and schedules are posted at the stops. As you approach a station, you’ll hear the name of this stop; that is then followed by the name of the next stop. So check where you are and don’t get off one stop too early.

You can buy a single ticket from the driver for €1. 80, however, if you will be taking more than three rides in a day it will be better to buy an Ühiskaart smartcard. You can buy one for €2. 50 at any yellow-and-blue R-Kiosk convenience store which are everywhere. You then load it up with credit, which is deducted as you travel. You pay €1. 20 for any ride up to 1 hour, €3. 50 for 24 hours, €6 for 72 hours, and €8 for 120 hours. The good news is you can share the card among multiple people for single rides.

Taxis in Tallinn are handy, but it is easy to get over charges unless you are careful. The safest way to catch a cab is to order one by phone which is what most Estonians usually do or ask at your hotel.
Tulika is the largest company and both predictable and fair prices. Currently, in 2017 there is a €3. 85 call charge plus €0. 69/kilometre, this changes to €0. 80/kilometre from 23:00 until 6:00. Tallink Takso is another reputable company with similar fares. If you plan to use them a lot you might want to download their App.

Cabbies are required to use the meter and give you a meter printed receipt. If you don’t get a receipt, it’s safe to assume you’re being ripped off and legally don’t need to pay. Longer rides around the city, such as from the airport to the Old Town should not cost more than €10.

If you have to catch a taxi off the street try to go to a busy taxi stand where lots of cabs are lined up. Before you get in, take a close look at the yellow price list on the rear passenger-side door. It should show that the base fare is €3-4 with a per kilometre charge of under €1. If the rates are higher than this move to another cab.

Secondly, check that there is a photo ID license attached to the middle of the dashboard. Rates must be posted by law however they are not capped or regulated.

The most common scam, which is legal, is to just list an inflated price on the yellow price sticker; which can be as much as €3/kilometre. The driver waits for a tourist to get in without noticing and if you do so you have agreed to his posted rates. This type of individual cab tends to lurk around tourist areas hoping to catch the unwary traveller.

Continued in part 8