Helsinki To Tallinn Ferry – All You Need To Know

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When I started planning my trip to Tallinn I actually had no idea that Helsinki was so close. I knew that Estonia was next door to Latvia, and Lithuania was close by. That’s why a lot of people choose to travel through the three Baltic states in the same trip. In fact, that’s how I ended up adding on a trip to Riga, Latvia. It was so close that I couldn’t let the opportunity pass to visit. So imagine my excitement (and my bank account’s horror) when I discovered how easy it would be to get to Finland. There’s a Helsinki to Tallinn ferry operating every day.

Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia. It is a port city on the Baltic sea, sandwiched between Latvia and Russia. Tallinn is at the Northern tip of Estonia and has such a varied past. It has a heavy Russian influence which makes it a rather interesting place to visit. The old town is a maze of cool medieval cobbled streets that lead you around some of the city’s best features. The old town square, the castle, multiple cathedrals in differing styles. And a steep winding road that leads up to the peak of the city where you can look down on the orange roofed buildings of the old town and see all the way to the sea. I found plenty of amazing things to do in Tallinn and getting here from Riga, Latvia was really easy. Read more about how to get from Riga to Tallinn by bus.

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki is the capital city of Finland. It is located on the opposite side of the Baltic sea from Tallinn, and is also a major port in the area. Finland is a country which often gets discussed with the neighboring Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Although the country has more in common in terms of history with the Baltics. Until 1917 when Finland became an independent nation, Finland was part of the Russian Empire, and before that was under Swedish rule.

How to get to Helsinki from Tallinn

You can fly from Tallinn to Helsinki, but why would you when there’s an even better option? I am trying to cut down on my flying time if I can. If there’s another option that works then surely that’s got to be a little better for the environment. With the time it takes to get to the airport, check in and allow enough time before your flight, it’s just as easy and quick to take the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki.

Helsinki to Tallinn ferry options

There are a few ferry companies that serve the Tallinn-Helsinki route. The first is the Tallink-Silja line which is a Finnish cruise ferry operating through the Estonian shipping company Tallink. They have the highest frequency of sailings at 7 a day. Viking Line, a Finnish company has 21 sailings each week and is comparable in price to Tallink-Silja. Then there’s Eckerö Line, another Finnish company. They only have 3 sailings per day but are generally the slightly cheaper option. I went with the Tallink-Silja ferry, so that’s the one I’ll be talking about here.

Tallink-Silja Ferry cost

The ferry cost varies depending on how early you book, and how popular the sailing you want becomes. I managed to get my ticket from Tallinn to Helsinki for 29 EUR including all taxes. Most tickets range from about 25-35 EUR each way. Although there is a cheaper option if you are just doing a day trip. Simply select the day ticket option and you can get a return journey for about 30 EUR. A really good deal.

What time is the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry

The ferry runs multiple times a day in each direction, approximately every 2-3 hours from 7:30am to 10pm. There are about 7 sailings each way per day. This made it really easy to find a time that worked with my schedule. I would be checking out of my Tallinn hotel by noon and couldn’t check into the hotel in Helsinki until at least 3pm so the 1:30pm ferry arriving at 3:30pm in Helsinki was perfect. For those planning a day trip in either direction you could take a 7:30am ferry (arriving at 9:30am) and take a 7:30pm ferry back (arriving at 9:30pm). Plenty of time for a full day of exploring either Tallinn or Helsinki.

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

How long does the ferry take

The ferry took only 2 hours from end to end. I had enough time to get some food, sit down and read a book and in no time we were there. Given that you need to allow probably a couple of hours if flying, this was still probably the faster way of traveling to Helsinki. There are a couple of departures I found that were 3.5 hours, which is on the Silja Europa, a cruise ship. There are cabin options on here as well as an overnight option. The 2 hour ferry is your best bet though. In fact, you could conceivably do this as a day trip if you wanted.

Where is the ferry terminal

In Tallinn the ferry terminal is very close to the city. For me, staying at the Swissotel Tallinn just outside the old town, it was a 5-10 minute drive. It cost me about 10 EUR in a taxi and I was there way earlier than I needed to be. In Helsinki the ferry terminal is also close to the city, although it was a little busier there and took me about 15-20 minutes to get to my hotel, the Hotel Arthur. I was told by my taxi driver that it is not always that busy but there is a lot of freight traffic between Tallinn and Helsinki, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time.

What services are on the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry

The ferry journey is only 2 hours so it will be over before you know it. It would be easy for Tallink-Silja to have a very basic ferry service, with no real amenities since people are not on there for long. But the vessels are very nice, well taken care of and clean, and with some good amenities. It was a really comfortable journey. I was on the Tallink Megastar.

Food services on the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry

On the Megastar vessel there are a number of food services. There is a breakfast buffet if you are on an earlier sailing. This is 13 EUR per person. For day time departures there is a full buffet with hot and cold options (and lots of vegetarian dishes) for 26 EUR per person. There’s an à la carte restaurant with entrees 20-30 EUR each. The Megastar even has a Burger King if you want some cheap fast food.

I went to the Coffee & Co. cafeteria and got a sandwich. There are other light bite options such as salads and pastries, and they serve Starbucks coffee. All the vessels have this many good options. The Silja Europa has more sit down restaurants since it is used for the overnight cruise.

Luggage storage on Tallink-Silja

I was on a larger trip around Europe so I had a suitcase and a backpack. Easy enough to leave with your significant other, or friend if you are traveling with someone. But I was traveling alone. Which means that on a lot of public transport options I would be tied to my bags for the journey, unable to go anywhere.

Not on Tallink-Silja link ferries. There is a handy luggage service where you can leave your larger items for 2 EUR. There are also some lockers for smaller items and bags for 2-3 EUR. This at least means you can go for a walk around the ship, visit the outside decks and not have to drag your luggage everywhere. Note, the luggage room is open at the start of the journey to drop off bags and reopens 30 minutes before departure. It isn’t open the whole time.

Shopping options on Tallink-Silja line

Despite the short journey there are a lot of shops on board the ships. I expected a small gift shop or convenience store and instead found there were a number of shops to choose from. There’s the Lobby Shop which is the kind of shop you would expect – sells a bit of everything, great for a snack, magazine or small gift. Then they other shops selling alcohol, souvenirs, cosmetics and even a deli selling a lot of food items. The retail options on the Star vessel are more limited, but still enough for what you will need on your short trip.

Planning your Helsinki to Tallinn ferry journey

So you know you’re now going to travel between Tallinn and Helsinki. And I’ve fully sold you on the idea of the ferry instead of a flight. So now what? Well let’s look at how to get your ticket and all the other practical information for your journey.

Buying a Helsinki to Tallinn ferry ticket

Buying a ticket is so easy. You can go to Tallink-Silja’s website and book directly there, or you can go to Direct Ferries and compare all three of the major ferry services between Tallinn and Helsinki. When you book your ticket through Tallink-Silja, simply select which route you are looking for (in this case the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry). Then select your direction and if you want a one way option. That’s what I did since I was going from Tallinn to Helsinki.

There’s a tab for Day Ticket which you should use if you’re doing a round trip in one day. When you select your time it will show the vessel you will be on. Then you can select if you want to add on a dining service, and if you’re happy with a seat on the ferry or would prefer to upgrade to a cabin.

Providing advanced information

Before you travel on the ferry you will need to provide additional information. Your full name, date of birth and your nationality. I provided this information when I bought my ticket. But you can also add it later if you wish as they will send you a link in your email confirmation so you can check your confirmation. Although they don’t collect passport information, you need to check you have the right documents for both countries you will be visiting. There was no passport check for me. It doesn’t often happen in Europe, but your passport still needs to be valid and you should have any appropriate visas.

Arrival at the terminal

I didn’t check in online in advance, but did make sure to show up at the terminal ahead of the trip. I allowed an hour as recommended. But in reality as long as you’re there 30 minutes before I think you’re good if you’re just a foot passenger. You need more time if you are driving onto the ferry with your car. The terminal in Tallinn had a cafe and that was about it. It was a nice, clean terminal, but there wasn’t much to do except wait so I wouldn’t arrive as early next time.

Boarding process

All of the departures are displayed on boards in the terminal. They will show you which gate you need to go to for boarding, and verify the destination so you can make sure you’re looking at the right one. Boarding opened about 30 minutes before departure. Since I was traveling on a Monday in December it was not really that busy. We were all boarded in 10 minutes and I had time to get my food and sit down before the ferry even left. Boarding will close 20 minutes before departure so don’t be rushing for the door. Get there in plenty of time.

Arrival process

Ahead of the ferry docking the luggage room is open if you want to get your bags. As the ferry docks it’s easy to follow the crowd off the vessel, and through to arrivals. There were taxis waiting outside the ferry terminal in Helsinki so it was easy to find a ride. If you use Uber, you can book your car as you get off the boat and you’ll be directed where to go to get picked up. The traffic around the Helsinki ferry terminal was busy, and the city is largely made up of narrow one way streets so Uber might be a cheaper option than a taxi since my taxi spent some time in traffic.

How easy is travel on the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry?

So easy. I booked my ticket about 3 weeks before I traveled and got the departure I wanted. If you are traveling in the summer you might want to look at booking a little earlier as it could be busier. The whole process was way smoother and quicker than flying. Less stressful too. I left my hotel in Tallinn at 12:30 and I was at my hotel in Helsinki at 4pm. I had a nice meal on the ferry, relaxed on the uneventful crossing, and added another country to my list. If only they’d stamped my passport!

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you taken the Helsinki to Tallinn ferry? Let me know if you traveled on one of the other vessels and how it differed.