Is Talinn a good place for a short city break?

[anyquestions1]

From an initial look Talinn appears an interesting place, but I know very little about it. Would be going with DH, DS (age 15) and DD (age 12). I am not an "adventurous" traveller! Does Talinn feel safe for tourists? We have visited touristy places in London and Paris and got on fine there. Can anyone tell me how Talinn would compare? Also, how easy would it be for someone who doesn't know any Estonian to navigate their way around? Do most/many Estonians know some English? Any advice appreciated.

I haven't been since 2004 but I absolutely loved it. I felt very safe. Much more safe than London or Paris. It was very easy to navigate and most Estonians spoke English.

It's of course not close to London or Paris scale, a lot smaller, but the old town is lovely and there's plenty do do for a weekend city break.
Yes it's safe for tourists and you can easily navigate with just English. Only thing is that the weather can be a little unreliable. When were you thinking of going?

Thank you for the reply. Has anyone been more recently? I am conscious that places can change in character over time.

Cross-posts there. Was thinking of April. Can cope with a bit of rain, but would be more wary of danger of things grinding to a halt due to snow.

Yes, it's a beautiful city & feels very safe. I was there a couple of years ago with teenagers a similar age to yours and we loved it. In the touristy area lots of people speak English. It's very different to London or Paris as it's so much smaller. I'd love to go back.

Generally in April you would not expect snow storms any more (there was one in 2003, so not unheard of, but not normal). But the city is used to the snow so must be really exceptional circumstances if anything grinds to halt.

Thank you for the replies. I am quite happy with going somewhere much smaller than London or Paris provided there are enough interesting places to keep us occupied over 2-3 days. What is public transport like? Or is it small enough that most places are within walking distance if you base yourself in the centre?

The city is small enough to walk around, but there is a decent public transport system. It's well geared up to tourists as it's a popular port on Baltic cruise itineraries.

Taxis are quite cheap as well, you can get the Taxify app that works very well. taxify.eu

I was there in July 2015. It is very small and it feels safe. Everyone spoke English

We went in April 2008 for our first holiday as a couple, and loved it. It was cold but all the better for supping mulled wine in cave bars pre kids, can you tell?! lovely old town, friendly people (although weirdly a bit devoid of inhabitants when we went!) and great food. The medieval experience was a bit of fun, and I recommend the honey wine. Very fond memories. Dh subsequently had one of his photos used by the estonian tourist board to advertise Tallinn

Op, can I ask - are you flying direct to Tallin? I can only see flights that have long stops!

We're flying from Gatwick with Easyjet. Ryanair also fly direct from Stansted. As far as I know (having spent some time googling) those are the only direct routes from the UK. Another possible option would be to fly to Helsinki. There are regular ferries between Helsinki and Tallinn.

I have been twice. 2007 and 2015.

The old town was still just as beautiful and magical on my second visit. It's my favourite City. Reasonable, great restaurant, very easy to find your way around, friendly and the locals were lovely.

In 2007 had a direct flight, but last year we flew to Finland as it was cheaper, had an over-night stay near the port and did the ferry. It took about 3 hours and was a right hoot. There was a big group of U.S. and we went in the bar for a drink and ended up laughing our heads off at the. I go and karaoke. Not our think but a giggle all the same. The ferry's are huge, with shopping and restaurants.

Tallinn is very safe ( well as safe as any european city ), very compact and easy to navigate around, majority of the people speak english, if in doubt go towards a younger generation, the standard of english at school is high.

I wouldn't fly to Helsinki unless you want to spend some time there too. The flights from Stansted and Gatwick are pretty cheap. Tallinn airport is literally 15 minutes drive from the old town and you are in the center of everything.

Public transport is reliable and cheap as long as you take the right bus or tram)) Tickets need to be purchased before boarding from shops/kiosks, taxis are plenty around. Sightseeing, pubs, bars, restaurnats, small shops, a few museums in the town, you can try to go to Kadrioru park and Pirita if the weather permits.