Planning a bus trip to Tallinn from St. Petersburg? Perfect solution! Tallinn is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and the bus is the best transport on this route. Find out in our report on prices, tickets, timetables, border crossings and ways to save.
Bus carriers
The most popular bus carriers are Lux Express and Ecolines... The buses are comfortable, there is a toilet, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, sockets, coffee, water. The journey takes 6-8 hours. Arrival at the bus station at: Lastekodu tn. 46. The difference between companies is only in price, place of departure and schedule.
For a trip to Europe from St. Petersburg, we chose Lux Express: they have a convenient schedule, a suitable departure point for us, the lowest prices, excellent buses. The service is good. Several years ago I traveled from Tallinn to St. Petersburg by Ecolines bus - I was pleased with the trip.
It is faster and a little cheaper to find a ride on the popular BlaBlaCar.ru service. There are usually offers from St. Petersburg to Tallinn for every day, the average price is 700 rubles.
Prices
Prices for bus tickets to Tallinn from St. Petersburg are quite low:
- Lux Express - from 690 rubles (promotions are often held);
- Ecolines - from 1100 rubles;
- Temptrans - from 900 rubles.
If you follow the promotions and sales, you can buy tickets for a penny at all - discounts can be up to 70%.
The ticket price depends on the time of departure and the date of purchase: the earlier you buy, the cheaper. On holidays, the cost of tickets to Tallinn increases and there is no need to expect discounts.
For comparison, the prices for train tickets to Tallinn from St. Petersburg: a seat from 1300 rubles, a reserved seat from 2200, a compartment from 2500 rubles. As you can see, getting to Tallinn by train is much more expensive. By plane - it is completely unprofitable.
Schedule
Lux Express... Departure from the bus station on the embankment of Obvodny Canal, 36. There are 9 bus routes from St. Petersburg to Tallinn per day: 6:45, 8:15, 10:30, 13:15, 16:00, 17:00, 18:10, 22 : 30, 23:15. You can buy tickets on the website.
Ecolines... Departure from the Vitebsk railway station (near the park, the intersection of Zagorodny prospect and Vvedensky channel). From St. Petersburg 5 flights per day: 6:45, 10:00, 15:20, 17:00, 22:30. Purchase tickets on the website.
There is also a company Temptrans... The departure and arrival points are the same as Lux Express. 3 flights per day: 9:20, 16:30, 23:25. Tickets can be bought at busfor.ru.
Look for interesting excursions in Tallinn on Sputnik and Tripster. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Tickets
Bus tickets to Tallinn are bought online on the official websites of carriers in a couple of minutes.
Bus tickets are suitable for obtaining a Schengen visa - checked repeatedly on personal experience.
Tickets can usually be shown on the phone screen, but we recommend having printouts. You also need to have a Schengen visa and a passport. Please arrive 15-20 minutes before departure.
The border
Around the middle of the bus journey from St. Petersburg to Tallinn, you will cross the border: Ivangorod (Russian side) and Narva (Estonian side).
How is crossing the border? The bus arrives at the border point, all passengers get off, border guards check passports and visas, put stamps, they can also check luggage, but not always. The procedure is the same on both sides of the border. On average, this takes 1-1.5 hours. There are toilets and waiting rooms at the border points (on the Estonian side everything is better, neater and newer).
Don't forget about compulsory insurance policy for entering Europe. To search for and buy the most profitable travel insurance, we use the online service Sravn.Ru - 5 minutes, and a policy suitable for Schengen is on hand.
Conclusions
Bus is the best way to get to Tallinn from St. Petersburg. Choose the carrier, the departure station of which is more convenient for you to get to, as well as based on the schedule and prices. Lux Express and Ecolines often have promotions, and if you plan your trip in advance, you can save money.
How to save money?
Life for budget travelers. Cheap but almost extreme!
Do you want to visit Tallinn and spend a minimum of money? Try to plan your trip as follows: leave St. Petersburg late in the evening, spend the night on the bus, walk around Tallinn all day, and go back in the evening.
- pros... You will be able to save on the hotel and save time.
- Minuses... You should not count on a serene comfortable sleep - although the seats recline back, it is still far from a bed. Also, do not forget about border control in the middle of the night.
Similarly, you can go to Lithuania, Latvia and Finland.
My experience... As a student, I traveled like that. I traveled in night buses from Berlin to Warsaw, from Warsaw to Kaunas, from Vilnius to Tallinn. On the same trip I took day flights from Kaunas to Vilnius and from Tallinn to St. Petersburg. Survived! I was worn out, but I made my first Eurotrip, spending a very modest amount for the whole trip. There were many impressions! However, I do not plan to repeat such feats yet.
By the way, hotels and hostels in Tallinn quite inexpensive by European standards. Check out the offers on Roomguru. We found a nice hostel The Knight House right in the Old Town - € 30 for a double room. Quiet, clean, safe, great location - we liked it.
