£9 bus from RIGA, Latvia to TALLINN, Estonia
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- Опубліковано 31 гру 2023
- Hi everyone! Firstly, wishing you all a very happy 2024. Let's make this year a great one! This is episode eight of my Baltics plus Finland series in which I travel to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland.
In this video, I take a bus from Riga, the capital of Latvia, to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. I hope this gives you a great idea of what to expect of this five hour journey (it was supposed to only be 4.5 hours, but we were delayed due to traffic), especially if you are planning a trip to this part of the world yourself.
The video starts with me leaving my accommodation and walking to the bus station. My accommodation was less than 10 minutes away on foot, and I arrive just after 9am for my bus that was scheduled for 10am. In the bus station, I tried to decipher the Latvian information board, but failed - I did note there are two buses scheduled for a Tallinn departure at 10am though. Luckily, the information desk came to my rescue and gave me information about which platform to go to.
I then grab a quick coffee at a coffee shop inside the station, before talking about my trips in the Baltics and that this will be my third visit to Tallinn. I mention that my last trip to Tallinn was one of my favourite travel experiences to date, which is a big statement, but shows how highly I rate the Estonian capital.
I get onto the bus, grabbed a seat but swapped my seat for a group who wanted to sit together. At least I still have a window seat, albeit a bit dirty. Nonetheless, I provide some snaps from the window seat and also shows my legroom and other features of the bus.
At 12 noon, two hours into our journey, we stop at a station for a quick coffee and toilet break. After ordering a cappuccino and noticing the Estonian souvenirs in the shop, I realise that we might actually already be in Estonia (a fact confirmed by the barista). Of course, given that both Latvia and Estonia are in the Schengen area, there would not have been a formal border crossing.
Back on the bus, I notice how much traffic and, in particular, trucks there are on the road. See how many you can count! We finally arrive at Tallinn bus station at 3pm, 30 minutes after the scheduled arrival time. I decide I need a stretch of legs and walk the circa 30 minutes to my accommodation in Tallinn Old Town.
Along the way, I show more of Tallinn City Center, the area away from the Old Town or tourist trail, and get an idea of the architecture and transport in this part of the city. Whilst walking to my accommodation, I also give further thoughts about the bus journey itself, as well as some comparisons with the Vilnius-Riga bus journey I did earlier on my trip. Here is a link to my vlog where I travelled from Vilnius, Lithuania to Riga, Latvia: • £14 bus from VILNIUS, ...
I finally arrive at the Viru Gate in the Old Town and my accommodation, which is less than two minutes on foot from the gate. I give a quick tour of my room, how much I paid and the view from the window. I then decide to have a well-earned rest, which is where the vlog ends.
I hope you enjoy this video! If you haven't done it yet, please give this video a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Also, please leave a COMMENT in the comments section. This is free to do so, and it really helps me out. I don't have a marketing team or a production budget - I am only a one-man band, and need all the support I can get to continue making videos such as these, for you to watch for free!
Here's to more upcoming adventures in beautiful Tallinn, so do watch out for those vlogs too.
Happy exploring!
Willie
About buses... When travelling in the Baltics, the best choice is always to choose Lux Express, the Estonian bus company with the largest fleet in the Baltics.
Your bus unfortunately was some kind of cheapest one.
Lux Express buses always have your seat booked, free coffee and tea, toilets, multimedia screens with movies and music, high speed WiFi available. Some buses also have a lounge area where you have a personal seat with a table and no one sitting next to you.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, Aleks! Appreciate it. Yes, I've heard the bus company you mentioned is a great choice when visiting the Baltics. Even so, I had a great view of the beautiful snowy landscape from the window seat of the less luxurious bus :)
@@MiracoloItaliano2.0 your rant makes no sense? Who are you responding to?
@@MiracoloItaliano2.0 Restart your bot, Ivan :)
Yeah, I would advise you not to say that "sauna is more of a Finnish thing" or even worse "Estonia copied the sauna" to any Estonians :D The Sauna tradition originated from times before the Estonians and Finns actually split from each other to two separate nations (we were one nation 2000 years ago and still are closely related). And Finns know that they don't have any more "claim" to the sauna as we do, don't worry about that :)
I was adding a bit of South African sarcasm to the vlog ;) I also know about the wife carrying rivalry with Finland!
@@willieexplore To be fair, the wife carrying competition is a thing that is generally unknown to the public but it is indeed said that we are big rivals in that sport :)
@@laurienator ok then, Lauri! Thanks for watching!
I took the same FlixBus from Kaunas to Tallinn just a few months ago, luckily got the green bus with the logos, wifi and clean windows, not a white replacement one so luckily the seat I chose for an extra euro or two, existed and no one sat there. It was better but absolutely terrible to sleep in. Definitely didn't have a stop where ever you stopped, but did have a stop in Pärnu, a lovely old couple who sat behind me went on a holiday there. Did have a passport check before Pärnu though, stopped for about 40 minutes and 2 guys might have continued their journey in a Police van. The Lux Express one was driving ahead of us and got to Tallinn on time. In fact, Lux Express is a lot more comfortable for sleeping.
About saunas, they are probably older than the time Finns, Estonians, Livonians, Karelians etc. separated from each other so the traditions are pretty much the same, but Estonians didn't really have a voice to introduce their traditions for the most part of the last century so the Estonian traditions about saunas, vikings and so on are more associated with our neighbours who share similar traditions but got to live in the free world at the time these things gained popularity.
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment and sharing your experiences with us. As for the bus, I never thought of the white bus as the replacement, but I think you are onto something there! I managed to get the green one from Vilnius to Riga and had wifi on that one, so that would make a lot of sense. As for the sauna thing, I am sure there is a lot of friendly banter between Estonia and Finland ;)
@@willieexploreNot much banter from people who think the covid rule of 2m was restricting our natural 6m social distancing policy, but we do have a sort of fair trade operation going on that Estonian criminals go to live in Finland on their own free will to commit petty crimes there and Finns travel to Baltics for cheaper alcohol.
beautiful tour 😊thanks for sharing and a happy new year🎉
Thank you so much! All the best for 2024 to you too :)
I’ve been to Estonia in 2023 I loved it 🇺🇸
Wonderful place to visit! Thanks for watching :)
Another bargain bus ride, Willie👍. I have to say I know nothing about Tallin but it appears to be a popular place so I am looking forward to seeing it. As for which I preferred of the last two, I would have to say Riga. Best wishes for 2024!
Happy 2024, Sheila! Hope this is a wonderful year for you :) I am looking forward to showing you some of Tallinn in the upcoming vlogs. Lots to see! Riga certainly is a great choice ;)
Like 41 👍
Greetings from Naples, Florida. That was awesome! Nice bus ride, and we enjoyed your walk. Look at all that snow! Thank you for sharing with us, Happy New Year! 💯
Thank you very much for watching and for your kind words! Hope you have a wonderful 2024 as well in Florida!
Brilliant video Willie thanks for showing this opportunity to view and informative subject thanks!
Thank you Simon! All the best for the new year my friend!
Willie lekker bus trip! Groete op die nuwe jaar!
Dankie Tosca! Lekker vyf ure gewees in die vreemde
Hi Willie ... have a very happy, productive, safe, and fun new year!! Can hardly wait to see where you're off to next!
And a very happy 2024 to you too, Jim! Hope it is a wonderful one across the pond. Cheers as always for watching and commenting!
Happy New Year Willie!🍺🍺 Very fascinating for me to get to see Tallin as I’ve never been to Estonia despite being half Estonian! Looking forward to more!
Good times ahead my friend! Make sure you stay tuned for the rest of the series, you will really enjoy the Tallinn videos I'm sure :)
lekkerbly willie, en geniet die klein vakansie daar, gelukkige nuwe jaar ook!
Baie dankie David, hoop dit is 'n wonderlike jaar vir jou ook! Maak dit 'n grote. Willie
Hello Willie, Enjoyed the journey and the landscape through dirty windows, lol. All that snow wow! Hope you have a great time and I will be with you throughout your time in Tallinn: Kiwi from Virginia.
Hello Swanoaks, happy 2024 to you! The snowy landscape is not a common sight in the Southern Hemisphere, so even through a dirty window it was magical! Glad you're looking forward to the Tallinn videos. All the best!
Tallinn looks quite wealthy, could potentially have higher living standards than UK if not for 50 years under soviet occupation
I'm not an expert on living standards statistics, but Tallinn is an extremely impressive city - the Silicon Valley of Europe!
The living standards are ALREADY better than some parts of western Europe despite the 50 year long occupation.
Estonia the Baltic Tiger - it is a nice documentary about Estonia in YuuTuube.
Great journey but a little cold for me. I remember monitoring these places way back in the Soviet Bloc era.
Hi Chris, happy new year to you! Yes, might be too cold for one of your walks :)
Tallinn is freeeezing right now. Take care!
Stay warm my friend! And all the best for 2024 :)
God, it looks bloody-cold!🤺🇦🇺🐊🦘
It was not warm, let me tell you! Cheers for watching and all the best for 2024 :)
@@willieexplore, I enjoy your program Willie: ...... at Christmas Australians are going to the beach and diving into their swimming-pools. All the best for 2024!🦘
@@edwardrodgers9383 really appreciate the kind words Edward! It's the same in South Africa, definitely a very different Christmas and New Years experience!
09:05 You are on border crossing Ainazi (LAT) - Ikla (EST)
That's great! Thanks for letting me know :)
Hey Willie , good to see you made it to Talin safely . I can't wait to see more of the wonderful city .
I wish you a Happy new year all the best to you and your family 🙏👊
And a very happy and prosperous 2024 to you too, my friend! Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Let's make this year a good one!
TALLINN!
Sauna culture in Estonia is as old as in Finland.
I know mate, a bit of South African sarcasm there ;)
Hello, what kind of coat did you wear for that trip? Do you recommend any brand?
Hi! I wore two coats and thermals, and sometimes another layer in the form of a sweater or jersey. I'd definitely recommend good thermals.
@@willieexplore As you've experienced it before, do you think it's a good time to explore Vilnius, Riga, Tallin and Helsinki in January? Thank you.
@@VeganTeacher it is always a good time to visit this part of the world :)
Am I mistaken to guess you are originally from South Africa? My next question being Cape Town or Johannesburg?
Hi mate, yes I'm from South Africa. Grew up in various parts but predominantly around the Cape Town area and, in particular, Lambert's Bay. I have some vlogs on my channel about Lambert's Bay if you're really interested :)
@@willieexplore I knew it. Thank you so much! I thought I detected an Afrikaans accent. I suspected Dutch at first but the effortless flow in the way you speak English swayed me towards South Africa.
Remember: the capital of Finland is Helsinki, and the capital of Estonia is Tallinn......
Haha, thanks for the spot Emmerentia! Wish I could employ you as a proofreader :)