Tallinn and Helsinki Trip: Costs & What to Expect
Every trip starts with planning, especially if you want to save money while still having the best possible experience. We are no different. In this blog post, we share all the details from our trip to Estonia and Finland, including how much it really cost, how we got around, and what to expect along the way. From wandering through Tallinn’s Old Town to exploring Helsinki and crossing the sea by ferry, this guide focuses on the experiences that go beyond just ticking off landmarks. It might not be the most glamorous post, but it is a practical one, and hopefully a helpful one if you are planning a similar trip. We also answer some of the most common questions we get about traveling between Estonia and Finland, so you know exactly what to expect before setting off on your own adventure.
Getting to Estonia: Flights and Ferry Options
Traveling to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is straightforward and well-connected. The city has many direct flight connections from across Europe, and thanks to its seaside location, it is also easily accessible by ship from Helsinki or Stockholm. Both options are popular and work well depending on your itinerary.
We arrived in Tallinn by plane, flying directly from Vienna. We booked our flight tickets about two months in advance, which helped keep the price reasonable. The listed price was for two people, as plushies, naturally, travel for free.
| Item | From-To | Departure | Arrival | Total Price | Price/Person |
| Flight Ticket | Vienna-Tallinn | 6th of April | 6th of April | €219.00 | €109.50 |
| Tallinn-Vienna | 10th of April | 10th of April | €109.50 |
Where We Stayed in Tallinn
Tallinn is a charming city best known for its medieval Old Town, cultural scene, and modern comforts. Choosing the right area to stay can really shape your experience. We usually prefer accommodation close to the Old Town, ideally within easy waddling distance of the main sights. When we know we will be exploring on foot most of the day, having the option to pop back to the hotel for a short break makes a big difference.
On this trip, we stayed at the CRU Hotel, located just a few steps from Viru Gate. For us, it was the perfect base. The hotel itself is full of character, blending historic charm with comfort, and it also houses the CRU Restaurant, which is listed in the Michelin Guide.
Our room was at the far end of the hotel, and getting there felt a bit like waddling through old castle hallways. It added to the atmosphere and made the stay feel extra special, very much in tune with Tallinn’s medieval vibe.
We stayed for four nights, and the total price for the room was €350, with breakfast included. For a hotel in such a central Old Town location, we found this to be very good value. Breakfast was served on-site, making mornings easy and relaxed before heading out to explore the city on foot. Having everything within walking distance, plus a comfortable place to return to after long days of waddling around Tallinn, made the stay even more worthwhile.
What Other Expenses to Expect in Tallinn and Helsinki
Beyond accommodation and flights, there are a few additional expenses to keep in mind when visiting Tallinn and Helsinki. How much you spend will, of course, depend on your travel style, but it helps to budget for transport, attractions, and the occasional souvenir.
One cost we planned for in advance was the ferry ticket between Tallinn and Helsinki. We booked a round-trip ticket for two people, with penguins traveling for free as usual. The total cost was €78, which worked out to €39 per person and covered both crossings on the same day.
| Item | From-To | Departure | Arrival | Total Price | Price/Person |
| Boat Ticket | Tallinn-Helsinki | 8th of April | 8th of April | €78.00 | €39.00 |
| Helsinki-Tallinn | 8th of April | 8th of April | €39.00 |
Another expense to expect is public transport, especially in Tallinn. We bought the Green Card directly at the airport and topped it up with a credit card. Each card required a €2 deposit, and we added a €10 credit per card. In total, we spent €24, which was more than enough for getting around the city during our stay.
Overall, these additional costs were very manageable and easy to plan for, especially when booked or arranged early. Factoring them into your budget ahead of time will help avoid surprises and keep your trip running smoothly.
What We Spend on Food
Food is another expense to plan for, and the final amount really depends on your eating style. We usually budget more for food because we love trying local cuisine, visiting restaurants, and leaving room for desserts and snacks along the way.
Since breakfast was included with our hotel, we only needed to budget for lunch, dinner, and snacks. During our stay, we visited three sit-down restaurants, ate at local markets, and treated ourselves to a few sweet stops in between. In total, we spent around €400 on food for two people.
It’s worth noting that this amount also includes our one-day trip to Helsinki, where we spent €113 on food (out of the €400 mentioned). One of the restaurants we visited was CRU Restaurant, a Michelin-listed restaurant that is slightly more expensive than average. If you are staying only in Tallinn and skipping Helsinki, you can subtract that portion from the total.
Overall, food costs can be easily adjusted depending on whether you stick to casual eateries and markets or include a few higher-end dining experiences.
Admission Tickets and Souvenir Spending
The last expenses to factor in are entrance fees and souvenirs. In our case, we did not spend much on admissions, as we mostly waddled around and enjoyed the atmosphere of Tallinn and Helsinki without rushing from sight to sight.
We spent €30 on admission to the Estonian Maritime Museum. The rest of our budget in this category went to souvenirs. We spent €95 on keepsakes, including three penguins 😅, postcards, magnets, and a few small mementos to take home.
Overall, this part of the budget was easy to control and really depends on how much you enjoy museums and souvenir shopping.
Total Trip Cost: Tallinn and Helsinki
That’s about it when it comes to expenses. When we added everything up, including flight tickets (€219), accommodation (€350), travel expenses (€102), food (€400), and other costs such as admissions and souvenirs (€125), the total cost of our trip came to €1,196.
This total covers our stay in Tallinn and our one-day trip to Helsinki, giving a realistic picture of what a combined Estonia–Finland city break can cost for two people.
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If you want to learn more about what to explore during your trip to Tallinn, check out our detailed guide here: What to See in Tallinn: A Complete Travel Guide. Tallinn is a beautiful medieval city that honestly took us by surprise and quickly became one of our favorite European capitals.
You can also find a full list of the restaurants we tried and recommend in Tallinn here.
To learn more about the Green Card and how to get around Tallinn easily, have a look at our dedicated post here: How to Get Around Tallinn.
Don’t forget to explore our other blog posts from Tallinn and Helsinki as well. We hope they help you plan your own trip with confidence. And if you want to follow along on our next waddling adventures, make sure to follow us on Instagram.
Whether you are wandering the cobblestone streets of Tallinn’s Old Town or admiring the elegant Art Nouveau architecture in Helsinki, there is something for every kind of traveler in these two vibrant cities. With a short, scenic ferry ride between Tallinn and Helsinki, it is easy to experience the best of both worlds in one trip. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your adventure and enjoy an unforgettable journey across the Baltic Sea.
Pack your bags and waddle on!
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