From Helsinki there are ferries leaving frequently every day of the week. Here are some of my own opinions about them.
Linda Line
This is a catamaran leaving many times a day, and the trip only takes 1,5 hours. This is not an "entertainment" ship, but it is a good way to get fast from A to B. Since it is so small it depends upon the strength of the wind if it will travel. But if you have bought a ticket you can come and get a "free-pass" ticket to any other ferry without extra charges. Also it does not travel wintertime or when there is a lot of ice in the springtime.
The prices vary veru much depending on which time and day you want to travel. But they have student prices and are in general quite cheap.
But be warned, since it is a small ship you should place yourself in the center of the boat to avoid overstimulation of the internal ear, aka sea sickness and following vomiting.
Also you can't take your car with you on this boat!
Personally I like this alternative the most
+Fast
+Cheap
+No annoying cruise tourist (which are often drunk and want to sing karaoke)
-The urge to throw up
-Half of the year it is not traveling
-Annoying if you get your trip canceled and you have to go to the terminal, get your free-pass and on to a ferry's terminal
Viking Line
In my opinion the second best alternative. This trip takes 2,5 h and is a regular cruise/ferry ship with all those entertainments and the chance to get an own cabin (unnecessary if you do not spend the night in my opinion...). This has only 2 departures per destination.
Again, prices depend on day and time. There are no student prices, but you can get the Viking Line Club card ordered for free and get some discount with it.
+the Finland-Swedish atmosphere, homey
+can be the cheaper alternative
-only a few departures/day
Tallink
Most departures all around the year, the most popular alternative for Estonians. The trip takes 2 hours normally, there are cruise ships leaving once per day which take 3,5hours.
They do not have any discounts, only if you have been able to get a club one card. There are different stages, bronze, silver and gold. Often (at least in Finland) they will offer you a silver card for free. Otherwise you will have to travel for some specific amount of euros to get a higher staged card but also to keep it. Again prices depend from time to time.
Here I have often found the most annoying travelers; everything from a ship full of ERASMUS students to one full of pensioners wanting to sing or dance.
+Good prices after achieving at least a Silver Club One card
+Fastest way wintertime
-Most annoying co-travelers
-Very precise with being in time for boarding the ferry
There is another company, Eckerö Line, which I have never used and takes a lot of time. Many trucks at least used to use this company.
To get around in Tallinn
I usually use Tallink's yellow taxis(you can get a 10% discount with ISIC/Club One cards). Other taxis sometimes want to charge you bigger amounts than they should. The taxi drivers usually know a bit Finnish and English.
Sometime I have also taken the tram, but I can never recall which numbers go to which terminals... This is a cheap way to get around, I think the tickets cost under a euro.
And if you feel like it, you can also walk. The city center isn't that big, and from Tallink/Viking Line terminals it takes approx. 30 min to walk to the bus station and some 10min to all the big shops. Probably the cheapest way to get around ;)
How to get from Tallinn to Tartu
The most convenient way is to take the bus. There is at least one bus leaving/hour, but there can be up to 2-3. The trips takes around 2,5 hours.
Some lines (täistund ekspress) have free internet access which is working very good. Then there is a discount for elderly and people under 26y. Normally this discount is 10% but on Saturdays it is 60%. Full price is just under 10€.
Some lines, called noorte ekspress, are buses for students and other less fortunate ;) These are cheaper, can't recall the prices though.
If you buy a bus ticket it could be good to know some short phrases in Estonian, especially in Tallinn the ladies at the bus station are not willing to talk anything else than Estonian or Russian. In Tartu they are more willing to compromise :)
I have once taken the train from Tartu to Tallinn, but I do not think it is any better than the bus. It takes the same amount of time, costs about the same... The downside here is that the train station in Tartu is not directly in the city center, and in Tallinn we were in trouble since there were no taxis at all waiting at the train station.
Okay, this was my personal opinion about traveling to Estonia, of course from the Finnish point of view. International flights are arriving many times a day in Tallinn. Baltic Airlines has a flight from Tartu to Riga and loads of destinations from Riga. From Stockholm there are daily coming in ferries to Tallinn.
Hope this was of some help, now you can all come and visit me in Tartu!
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