6.9.2025 | Estonia

Public Transport Downtown From Tallinn’s Port

Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Andrei Chertkov, Ellen Rudi / Tallinna Strateegiakeskus

It’s easy to get from the port to the city centre in Tallinn using public transport. A day ticket costs €5.50, a three-day ticket €9, and a five-day ticket €11. But remember: you cannot buy a ticket from the driver. In this article, we’ll explain the tram lines and payment methods.

From the Port to the City Centre by Tram

Tallinn has five tram lines. Tram line 2 runs via Tallinn Port’s A Terminal. The stop at the port is called Vanasadam, and the line’s final stops are Kopli, and Suur-Paala.

In the city centre, line 2 passes through the A. Laikmaa stop, located in front of Viru Keskus.
Lines 1, 3, and 4 also pass through the Hobujaama stop, which is next to Viru Keskus.
Line 5 stops in the city centre at Viru and Vabaduse väljak.

More information about tram services is available here.

From the Port to the City Centre by Bus

The best way to reach the city centre is by bus line 25, with a stop located on the D Terminal side of the port. The stops for line 25 in the central area are Raua, Paberi, Hotel Olümpia, Liivalaia, and Kosmos.

There is no direct bus from the port to the airport. Bus line 2 goes to the airport, and its stop is at the Balti railway station. Tallinn’s main public transport bus terminal is located in the Viru Keskus bus terminal. Public transport also runs via the Balti railway station.

Different ways to buy a travel ticket

You can purchase a travel card for Tallinn public transport, for example, at R-Kiosks, or at the information desks in grocery stores. The green travel card, or Ühiskaart, which costs €2, can be loaded with money or tickets. It is presented to the card reader inside the vehicle.

You can also purchase a ticket as a QR code from tallinn.pilet.ee or the mobile app pilet.ee. The ticket is sent to your email. When boarding the vehicle, show the code on your phone screen or on paper to the card reader. The QR code reader is located by the front door. The QR ticket is valid for one trip only, meaning there is no transfer right.

A one-hour ticket for €2 can be purchased from the ticket reader by using contactless payment with a bank card. The payment terminal that accepts bank cards is located at the front of the vehicle, near the driver. Hold your card against the reader. A green light will indicate if the payment was successful.

You can pay with MasterCard, Maestro, Visa, or Visa Electron cards. If you want to pay for tickets for multiple passengers at once, use the arrow keys to select the number of tickets—up to five—then press OK. Confirm the payment by holding your bank card against the ticket reader again.