Travelling to Tartu

By air

• Tartu airport has flights from Helsinki seven days per week (Finnair).
• Tallinn airport has several direct flights, you can find the destinations here. The flights are operated by Lufthansa (from Frankfurt), Finnair  (from Helsinki), SAS (from Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo) and several destinations by Nordic Aviation Group. The low-cost carriers that fly to Tallinn are Easy Jet and Ryanair.
• Riga airport has numerous flights from different cities carried out by Latvian company Air Baltic, but also Ryanair and Wizz Air offer low-cost flights.

By ferry

• Tallinn can be reached by ferry from Stockholm. The trip is overnight and operated by Tallink.
• From Helsinki there are several ferry companies (e.g. Tallink, Eckerö Line and Viking Line). It takes around 2-5 hours to reach Tallinn, depending on the company.

By bus

• From Tallinn airport you can reach Tartu by bus. It takes around 2,5 hours and the tickets can be purchased here. We recommend to buy a ticket beforehand, as the buses might be sold out before arriving to the airport stop. Also, the purchased ticket should be printed out as some bus companies do not approve electronic tickets. If you do not wish to buy a ticket beforehand, you can purchase it at the self-service ticket dispenser. The machine accepts card payments. The tickets are from 7 EUR to 12 EUR, depending on the bus company.
• From Tallinn coach station there are buses to Tartu almost every half an hour. You can reach the coach station from the port or airport by bus or by taxi (the bus stop is Autobussijaam). The bus tickets to Tartu can be purchased here. The tickets are from 7 EUR to 12 EUR, depending on the bus company. Most buses from Tallinn are equipped with Wi-Fi. Lux Express buses also have individual screens to watch movies, listen music or play games. The headphones can be purchased from the driver before departure.
• From Tartu airport there is a shuttle bus that takes you to the city center. The bus leaves approx. 15 minutes after the arrival of a flight. Passengers are driven to the address in Tartu they request. The price is 5 EUR and can be paid with cash or credit card to the driver.
• From Riga airport you can take an inter-city bus to the coach station (bus nr 22) and then an international bus line to Tartu. Some international buses also stop at the airport. The trip from Riga to Tartu takes approx. 4 hours and the tickets are around 12-17 EUR. The bus companies operating between Tartu and Riga are Lux Express and Simple Express.
• From the major cities in Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Russia and the Baltic countries there are few bus lines that can take you to Tartu, for example Ecolines, Lux Express and Simple Express.

By train

• From Tallinn you can reach Tartu by train within two hours. The train goes around 4-5 times a day (depending on a week day) and the departure is in Tallinn train station (Balti jaam) which is located next to the Old Town. The train also stops near the airport (the stop is called Ülemiste), which is about 15-20 minutes walk from the airport. In order to reach the stop, exit the airport terminal and walk towards the main highway. On your right hand you will see Hotel Ülemiste and if you keep walking that direction, soon you will reach a big shopping mall. The train stop is right behind the mall. All trains going to Tartu stop there. On a train there is a sign Tartu, Valga or Koidula. All other trains do not go to Tartu. The price for the train ticket is 10-12 EUR and it can be purchased from the ticket seller after entering the train.
• From Riga you can also take a train to Tartu, but on the border of Latvia and Estonia you will need to change the train. From Riga to Valga the train is operated by a Latvian company and from Valga to Tartu by Estonian company. Therefore we suggest to use the bus connection between Riga and Tartu as it is more convenient.

From Tartu bus station to the Old Town

The bus station of Tartu is situated right in the center of the town, close to the Old Town, sudent dormitories, most of the hotels and the conference venue. To reach the Old Town, the easiest is to walk. After coming off from your bus, you will see Dorpat Hotel right next to the station. Behind the hotel you can find a river. Walk with the river on your right until you come to the arched bridge. The main square should be on your left.

From Tartu train station to the Old Town

The train station is about 20 minute walk from the Old Town. You can also take a bus nr 20 from the bus stop outside the train station. You should come off on the fourth stop (Kaubamaja). Cross the street and walk straight in order to reach the Old Town.