Getting Around, Tartu Travel, Transport and Car Rental
(Tartu, Tartumaa, Estonia)
The Old Town area of Tartu is filled with interest and really the best way to travel around this part of the city is on foot. However, if you need to travel further afield, or quickly between attractions, public transport is readily available in Tartu and comes in the form of buses, operated by 'Go Bus'.
Bus transport in Tartu is cheap and reliable, and therefore extremely popular with those visiting the city. In total, there are more than 20 different bus lines, allowing you to travel to your chosen destination with relative ease, whether it is in the city centre or one of the surrounding suburbs. There are even a handful of night-time buses if you are out and about after hours.
Tartu Airport (TAY) / Arriving by Air
Address: Torvandi Sjk, Tartu, EE-61701, Estonia, EE
Tel: +372 73 09 210
Located around 8 km / 5 miles to the south of central Tartu, the airport is easy to reach and lies off the Valga Highway. Tartu Airport is extremely close to the village of Ulenurme and is therefore also often referred to as the Ulenurme Airport. This is a fairly small facility and serves mainly domestic destinations in
Estonia and connect cities in
Russia, such as
Moscow and
St. Petersburg.
Tallinn Ulemiste Airport (TLL) / Arriving by Air
Address: Lennjujaama 2, Tallinn, EE-11101, Estonia, EE
Tel: +372 06 05 8888
Tallinn Ulemiste Airport is the premier transport hub in Estonia and as such connects many international European destinations. Ulemiste Airport is an important facility for Estonia Air, which is by far the most significant airline operating here, connecting around 20 destinations. The airport is connected to Tartu by regular bus transport, with a total journey time of around three hours.
Car Rental
Many visitors flying into Tallinn Airport choose to travel into Tartu by car, hiring their vehicle from one of the plentiful transport rental agencies operating at the airport, such as Avis, Europcar and Hertz, amongst others. Cars can also be rented within Tartu itself, such as City Car (tel: +372 523 9699) on the Joe, and Sixt on the Ulikooli (tel: +372 744 7260), both of which will be happy to pick you up if you give them a call. Tartu Tourist Office on the Raekoja Plats is a good place to obtain a current list of all the car-hire companies currently operating within the city environs.
Buses and Coaches
The main stop for city buses in Tartu is along the Riia Maantee, which is located opposite the historic department store known as the Kaubamaja. Long-distance bus transport is also available and
Tallinn is the most popular destination, with several buses travelling to and from this capital city every single hour, throughout the day, from 06:00 until as late as midnight. International bus tickets can be purchased from the Eurolines office, which can be found within the Tartu Bus Station, along the Soola Tänav.
Trains
The city's train station is located just a short stroll to the west of the Toomemägi, along the Vaksali Tänav. Tickets are available for purchase directly on the trains themselves and timetables can be found outside of the station. Each day, four trains travel to Tallinn (two and a half hours), while less frequent train transport also connects Estonian destinations such as Elva (50 minutes) and Valga (two hours). Business travellers may wish to consider travelling first class, since you will not only enjoy more room, but be able to connect your laptop to the Internet.
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