Flying to TARTU

Finnair is providing a direct flight from Helsinki Airport to Tartu. Currently, this is the only international plane route to Tartu.

• Departure from Helsinki Vantaa Airport to Tartu Airport:
  at 13:50 and arrive at Tartu Airport at 14:35 every day of the week except Saturdays. 
  at 23:55 and arriving in Tartu at 00:45 are also available.

• Return flight from Tartu Airport to Helsinki Vantaa Airport:
  at 06:00 and arrive at Helsinki Vantaa at 06:50 every day of the week except Sunday. 
  at 14:45 and arrive at 15:35 in Helsinki every day of the week except Saturday.

Once you have arrived at Tartu Airport, you can reach the city centre using the E1 bus that operates between the airport and city centre following the flight schedule. Tickets cost 5€ and can be purchased from the bus driver using a contactless bank card. The schedule and list of stops can be found here. Departure times from the airport are approximate, as the bus waits for all the passengers to disembark from the plane before leaving. Alternatively, you can call a taxi (as detailed further down this page).

Flying to Tallinn (the capital of Estonia)

Tallinn Airport offers direct direct flights to numerous cities. Low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Wizz Air also fly to Tallinn.

You can choose between a bus or train to travel from Tallinn to Tartu. You can board the Tallinn-Tartu bus directly from the Tallinn airport every 30 minutes. We strongly advise buying tickets online in advance and downloading them to a smartphone. 

The main train station (Balti jaam) is located just outside the Old Town, however, the station closest to the airport is Ülemiste. Trains run about 10 times per day. Note that the ticket can be purchased 14 days in advance only, the schedule is unlikely to change from week to week.

Other connections

• You can reach Tartu from Riga airport, about 250 km from Tartu. LuxExpress provides bus connections. Buses depart from Riga airport three times a day and from Riga central bus station four times a day. For return flights, coach operator LuxExpress also provides a night bus service between Tartu and Riga. Buses depart every evening from Tartu at 23:55, bringing passengers to the centre of Riga early the following morning and arriving at Riga Airport at 4:20.

Calling a taxi

In Estonia, most people use smartphone apps like Uber and Bolt for taxi services.

Regarding Tallinn, the most common (but not necessarily the cheapest) taxi companies include Forus Takso (1200, +372 6 120 000), Elektritakso (1918, +372 588 588 00).

Regarding Tartu, the taxi companies are listed here. We recommend Elektritakso (1918, +372 588 588 00) or Forus Takso (1200, +372 7 300 200).

Tartu offers a broad range of accommodation options, most of which are within easy walking distance of the University of Tartu main building and the historical city centre. A variety of accommodation options available if needed: Stay longer in Tartu and Tartu County - Accommodation

The pre-bookings have been made at the following hotels and conditions: 

Hotel Dorpat, address: Soola 6, Tartu (next to the Bus Station)
SGL room with special price 67,00 €/per night

Hotel Soho, address: Rüütli 9, Tartu (near to the University of Tartu main building)
SGL room with special price 60,00 €/per night

• Pre-bookings for the period 4 – 10 May 2025 are valid until 1 April 2025. 
  
• Universities are expected to book their accommodation by contacting the providers directly and using keyword. 
• Payment is on spot by guest if not agreed differently.