The Finnish capital of Helsinki and the Estonian capital of Tallinn lie almost directly opposite each other across the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea.

grand white church by the seagrand white church by the seaHelsinki’s magnificent skyline | Tapio Haaja

Although Estonia spent much of the twentieth century under Soviet rule, the two cities have long shared close cultural and historical ties. The Estonian language belongs to the Finnic language family, which helps explain why connections between Finland and Estonia have always remained strong.

During the Soviet era, travel links between Helsinki and its southern neighbour were limited. Today, however, frequent ferries make the journey between the two capitals easy, with the crossing taking around two hours. In fact, Helsinki is now home to Europe’s busiest sea passenger port, with millions of passengers travelling between Helsinki and Tallinn each year.

How far is it from Helsinki to Tallinn?

The distance from Helsinki to Tallinn as the crow flies is not very far at all – a mere 87 kilometres across the Gulf of Finland.

old town Tallinn covered in snowold town Tallinn covered in snowTallinn covered in snow | Ilya Orehov

However if you’re looking at the Helsinki to Tallinn distance by road, it’s a whopping 760 kilometres via St Petersburg in Russia.

And the full Helsinki to Tallinn via St Petersburg journey is a non-stop drive of around ten hours. 

The length of the drive, however, is less of an issue than the fact that you have to cross the border from Finland into Russia, then from Russia back to Estonia. 

This is a complex procedure at the best of times, that involves visas for most nationalities, and is currently not advised due to the war in Ukraine.

How to get from Helsinki to Tallinn

So, if you’re considering how to go from Helsinki to Tallinn, driving is not really an option at the moment. 

Pre-Covid, travelling by train was a possibility with a change of trains in St Petersburg.

Four trains a day ran from Helsinki to St Petersburg, taking about three and a half hours, and one train a day ran from St Petersburg to Tallinn, taking about six hours.

However, since Covid and the subsequent war in Ukraine there are currently no international trains running via Russia. 

Plans have been drawn up to build a 100km tunnel – the world’s longest underwater tunnel – beneath the Gulf of Finland.

The Helsinki to Tallinn tunnel will reduce the train journey time between the two capitals to about 20 minutes and do away with the need to cross Russia! 

However, its completion is many years away so currently, by far the easiest, quickest – and frankly the most fun – way to travel between Helsinki and Tallinn is by ferry.

Three companies run the busy ferry route from Helsinki to Tallinn.Three companies run the busy ferry route from Helsinki to Tallinn.20 mins from Tallinn to Helsinki | Argus fin (CC)

Three main companies serve the route – Viking Line, Tallink and Eckerö Line – with up to fifteen crossings a day between them, and journey times vary from two to three and a half hours.

For full details of the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry timetable plus Tallinn to Helsinki ferries, click here.

How much does the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn cost?

The fares for the crossing vary depending on the time of day, time of year, how far ahead you book, how long you are staying, which company you choose and how fast the ferry is. 

So realistically, you can expect to pay anything between €10 to €150 return. For a full overview of ferries and fares from all three companies, click here.

Which ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn is the best rated?

The Estonian company Tallink Silja has the most modern ships that run between Helsinki and Tallinn. They are slightly faster and tend to cost a little more.

The quickest way from Helsinki to Tallinn in Estonia is by ferry.The quickest way from Helsinki to Tallinn in Estonia is by ferry.The faster option | Sergei Gussev

The Finnish companies Eckerö Line and Viking Line both run slightly older but perfectly comfortable ferries.

Tallink Silja’s newest ferry Megastar generally gets the best reviews, but in truth all the ferries are fine, and which one you take will probably depend on the price and time that you want to travel.

It’s worth noting that the three ferry companies don’t all use the same terminals in Helsinki and Tallinn, so check beforehand which terminal your ferry leaves from.

Can I do a day trip from Helsinki to Tallinn?

A day trip to Tallinn from Helsinki is most definitely doable and is a great way to explore the Estonian capital’s UNESCO-listed old town and medieval sights.

There are several options for departure times, but for the optimum amount of time in Tallinn, you should take the 7.30am ferry from Helsinki and return on the 7.30pm ferry from Tallinn, which gives you nine hours to explore the city. 

Can I travel overnight from Helsinki to Tallinn?

Although the journey itself is relatively quick, you can do a Helsinki to Tallinn night cruise that leaves Helsinki in the evening, sails to Tallinn and moors up there overnight before sailing back to Helsinki in the morning.

Taking the ferry to Tallinn is a fun day trip from Helsinki.Taking the ferry to Tallinn is a fun day trip from Helsinki.Arriving in Helsinki | Markus Trienke

You can book a variety of cabins, all en-suite, ranging from a small inside bunk-room to a large sea-view cabin with double bed, and prices are very reasonable. 

In fact, with fares starting at about €65, this can be one of the cheapest ways of spending a night in Helsinki! Note that this type of ferry doesn’t give passengers any time in Estonia, so don’t book it if you want to get off the boat and see Tallinn!

Alternatively, you can spend a fun Finnish Friday night on the Helsinki to Tallinn booze cruise.

Since alcohol is so much cheaper in Estonia than in Helsinki, it’s a popular weekend outing for Finns to take the Friday night ferry to Tallin, stock up on cheap booze there and party the night away on the way back!

Where to stay in Tallinn

If you’d rather stay overnight in Tallinn itself – and the city really is worth spending some time in – here are a few decent accommodation options near Tallinn’s port.

old town with coloured buildings and cobblestone street in Tallinnold town with coloured buildings and cobblestone street in TallinnCobblestone streets in Tallinn | Ilya Orehov

Citybox Tallinn

The new Citybox Tallinn is a bargain for a hotel of this type. Its stylish Scandic-style decor looks smart, and the simple rooms are basic, but comfortable. 

But it’s the location that’s the real bonus, right by the port – some rooms even have views over the harbour – yet just a few minutes’ walk from the old town.

Hestia Hotel Europa

For a little more luxury, the four-star Hestia Hotel Europa is right on the harbour front. Some rooms have balconies looking over the waterfront, and a generous buffet breakfast is included in the price.

Harbour Hostel Tallinn 

And for a real budget stay close to the port, the good-value Harbour Hostel Tallinn has basic rooms sleeping up to four – ideal for a family – in a good location near the port.

Ready to cross?

Travelling between Helsinki and Tallinn is fast, affordable and refreshingly straightforward — whether you’re heading over for a day trip or continuing your journey through the Baltic region. With frequent ferries and minimal travel time, it’s easy to see why this route is one of northern Europe’s most popular crossings.

Have you made the trip yourself, or are you planning to do so soon? Share your experience or questions in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.

See also:
Six fun boat trips from Helsinki
Five fun day trips from Helsinki
The ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki