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Travel Information

The University of Tartu is Estonia's leading centre of research and training. It preserves the culture of the Estonian people and spearheads the country's reputation in research and provision of higher education. UT belongs to the top 3% of world's best universities. The conference will be hosted by The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies which combines both top-level research and strong teaching capacities on all three levels of higher education. The department is based at Lossi 36 in the city centre, within walking distance of all the local tourist attractions, shops and restaurants.

See the map with all of UT's buildings. The Graduate Student Conference events will be held in buildings 1, 2, 12 and 13.

Tartu is situated in Southern Estonia and connects to the world through Tartu Airport and Lennart Meri Airport in Tallinn. The distance between Tallinn, Estonia's capital, and Tartu is 186km, or about 2.5 hours by express bus or car. 

 

Travelling to Tartu

By Air

There are a number of options for those wishing to fly, depending on your location.

  • Tartu Airport has flights five times a week to Helsinki (Finnair). The distance between Tartu Airport and the city centre is about 10km.
  • Tallinn airport has direct air links to numerous cities. In addition to the nearby nearby Baltic capitals, Riga and Vilnius there are currently non-stop flights to Amsterdam, Bremen, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Istanbul, Kiev, London, Moscow, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Warsaw. Low-cost carriers such as EasyJet and Ryannair also fly to Tallinn.
  • Riga airport is about 245km from Tartu. There are several bus connections a day that go directly to/from Riga airport, Luxexpress and Ecolines.

By Ferry

There are ferry connections from Stockholm and Helsinki to Tallinn. From Helsinki there are multiple departures with different companies. The ferry line to Stockholm is overnight.

By Bus

For heartier travellers, Estonia can also be reached by bus from major cities in Germany, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic countries. 

Travelling from Tallinn Ferry Station to the Bus Station

  • If you arrive by ferry, the easiest way to get to the bus station, is to take a taxi. Tram number 2 (in the direction of Ülemiste) or bus number 2, will also take you there (the Autobussijaam bus stop). You can buy a ticket for €2 from the bus driver. Ticket information, and timetable. If you arrive late in the evening you can spend the night in Tallinn. For more information, see Tallinn in Your Pocket.

Travelling from Tallinn Airport to Tartu

  • By Express bus from Tallinn Airport: The bus departs almost every hour from 07:05 to 21:05. The journey is about 2.5 hours and a single ticket costs about €8-12. Tickets can be purchased online and printed out in advance. This is advisable, as buses are often already full when they leave Tallinn's central coach station. Additionally there is a machine near the airport bus stop where you can purchase tickets on arrival. It is recommended to purchase these at least 15 minutes before the bus is due to arrive. Express buses (Lux Express which leave on the hour) have individual entertainment screens, allowing you to watch movies, listen to music, play games, etc. The console operates with standard headphones, or you can purchase headphones from the driver.
  • From Tallinn Airport to Tallinn Bus station and city centre: If you decide to stay in Tallinn before leaving for Tartu, you can take bus number 2 to central Tallinn. The bus departs from the airport bus stop around every 20 minutes and a ticket costs €2 (purchasable from the driver). A taxi into town should not cost more than €10-15.  Ticket information, timetable and directions.

Travelling from Tallinn City Centre to Tartu

  • By bus from Tallinn bus station to Tartu: Buses depart almost every 30 minutes from 05:45 until midnight (timetable). Ticket prices range from €6-12 and can be purchased from the ticket office inside the bus station or from the bus driver. On most inter-city buses discounts are available for passengers under 26 with an International Student Card (ISIC). The travel time to Tartu is 2.5 hours. Most buses are equipped with Wi-Fi. Express buses (Lux Express) also have individual entertainment screens, allowing you to watch movies, listen to music, play games, etc. The console operates with standard headphones, or you can purchase headphones from the driver.
  • From Tallinn by train: Trains to Tartu leave five times a day, and take roughly two hours. The train station (Balti jaam) is located just behind the Old Town. From the sea port, take tram number 2 in the direction of Kopli, (the 'Balti jaam' stop). If you are at the airport and prefer travelling by train, you can catch the Tallinn-Tartu trains from the Ülemiste train stop, which is about 15 minutes walk from the airport terminal. To get to the stop, exit the airport terminal and head down the main highway toward Tallinn. Behind the big shopping centre, you can see the railway tracks and the small shelter. All trains to and from Tartu stop at Ülemiste. However, from the airport it is much easier to take the bus, as the bus stop is right outside the terminal, and it brings you closer to the centre of Tartu.

Travelling from Tartu Airport to the City Centre

  • Airport Shuttle Bus: The airport shuttle bus, departs about 15 minutes after a plane lands, but also waits for anyone who needs to travel to the city. The shuttle will drop you off at any place in the city and a ticket costs €5. Tickets can be bought in cash or with a debit/credit card from the driver. If you purchase a ticket in advance for the return journey to the airport, the shuttle picks you up from any point in Tartu. Otherwise, call the bus company the day before to arrange a pick-up.
  • Taxis are located in front of the terminal and cost about €12 to the city centre.

Getting to the University when you arrive in Tartu

Tartu bus station is near the city centre, close to the student dormitories and the University's main building. It is easiest to walk to the centre. Just follow the river bank until you reach the Town Hall square and the Arch Bridge (Kaarsild). To get to the University's main building, go behind the Town Hall and turn right. To get to the Raatuse Student Residence, go across the river and through the park If you are arriving by train, Tartu train station is a little further from the city centre, so it is best to take a taxi to your destination. Buses 7 and 20 will also take you into town. Tickets can be purchased directly from the bus driver for €1.50.