The Estonian diaspora talks a lot about its ancestral home. And since Estonia re-gained its independence in 1991, Estonians have been able to travel back. So if you’ve never had the chance to visit, it can feel like an itch that needs to be scratched.
Here are some things to keep in mind and prepare beforehand if you now have the opportunity to visit Eesti for the very first time, or for the first time on your own.
Timing: Choosing the best time of year depends on what your preferences are. Want to see outdoor concerts and stroll on the beach in Pärnu, Estonia’s summer capital? Go in the summer. Would you enjoy brooding in a tavern and enriching your intellectual side at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival? Go in November. Are you seeking the energy of student life? Visit Tartu at the end of April. Keep your eye on sites like the Visit Tallinn calendar to inform your decision.
You can always mix and match, splurging in one place and economizing elsewhere.
Logistics: When buying flight tickets, try using ca.kayak.com to find the best deals. More connections (i.e. more time to read on the way) can free up more money to spend when you’re there.
Accommodation-wise, hostels are best if you’re looking to pay less and also make friends. A range of quality hostels and hotels can be found on booking.com, with rewards given when you book several times. You can always mix and match, splurging in one place and economizing elsewhere. Airbnb has some great deals for apartment and house rentals (especially for large groups), but if you pay less here, be prepared for quirks like looking for your name taped onto a fence or the host’s friend handing off a pair of apartment keys to you as they speed past on a bicycle.
Upon arrival, Canadian, American, UK, and Australian passport holders won’t need a visa to enter. You can stay in Estonia for a total of 90 days within a 180 day period. Of course, travellers with an Estonian or other EU passport have even more ease of movement.
Currency and spending: You’ll end up using your debit or credit card most of all, but have a little bit of cash (Euros) on hand just in case. You might need it if you buy a souvenir from a small vendor or an honesty shop in a rural location.
It helps to plan your daily spending so that your trip stays within budget. How much you will need per day and per person depends on if the trip is on a shoestring or more luxurious. Still, at the time of this article’s publication, on average travellers recommend 130 CAD (88 EUR) per person per day for purchases like meals, transportation, entry into tourist sites, and events at night like live music or theatre. Some days you’ll spend less, some days you’ll spend more. Account for extra spending on days where you will do specialized activities like a spa session or a guided tour. If you bullet-point a day-by-day itinerary with your must-do activities and key dates, not only will you manage to fit everything in, but budgeting will be even easier.
Technology and communication: Bring along at least one two-pronged type F plug adapter for your electronics. You likely won’t need a power transformer for phones and laptops, because the chargers themselves are often dual voltage. For other appliances, though, check to make sure they work on a 230V supply voltage before plugging them in.
As Estonians often mention, WiFi networks are widely accessible and give you options for browsing and messaging (WhatsApp, Messenger, email).
However, you may want to access the internet on-the-go and in remote areas for directions and so on. You could use data roaming from your existing phone plan, but this cost will add up.
Instead, one option is to buy a prepaid SIM card for mobile data within the arrivals area of Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport as soon as you land. Alternatively, you could purchase an eSIM plan. Airalo offers a package of 3 gigabytes of data for 30 days for $24 USD (33 CAD).
It’s also advisable to plan such get-togethers earlier in your trip so there’s less anticipation throughout your trip, and in case you’ll want to do part of your sightseeing with the people you meet.
Then you’ll need to collect all of the phone numbers and/or email addresses of family members and friends in Estonia whom you are planning to visit and meet up with and begin communicating with them.
Try to position your trip so that you’re there for at least one weekend, to enable family reunions that include working-age people and those with children. You may wish to choose a restaurant or café that accepts reservations for get-togethers of large groups, to make such meetings more possible. It’s also advisable to plan such get-togethers earlier in your trip so there’s less anticipation throughout your trip, and in case you’ll want to do part of your sightseeing with the people you meet. Let them know when you will be arriving so that some of your family and friends might be able to show you around places they enjoy in Eesti. Your first visit there can be an especially social one!
Stay tuned for part two of this article for tips on language, sharing memories, gift-giving, activity planning, and transportation.
