About Estonia

Ever wanted to eat blood sausages washed down with a syrupy liquor of unknown origin, go bog walking and sleep with 80 untouchable nuns and novices? You can do it all in Estonia, the small territory which packs in some charming quirks without ruining your budget.

The early years of independence brought hardship, but Estonia is recovering itself. Despite the rapid changes since it recovered its independence in 1991, there's still a lot of tradition, including a language packed with deep 'oo's and 'uu's and thriving folk shindigs.

Full country name: Republic of Estonia
Area: 45,226 sq km
Population: 1.41 million
Capital City: Tallinn
People: Estonian (65%), Russian (28%), Ukrainian (2.5%)
Language: Estonian
Religion: 23% Christian (Lutheranism and Orthodoxy)
Government: Parliamentary republic
Head of State: President Arnold Rüütel
Head of Government: Prime Minister Juhan Parts
GDP: US$15.52 billion
Member of EU: Yes

A short dictionary for a tourist travelling in Estonia:

Car rent = auto rent

Helpful Contact Numbers

Police: 110
Fire Brigade and Ambulance: 112

Driving restrictions

Persons in the front seat must wear seatbelts; and if the car has rear seatbelts, rearseat passengers as well should be fastened in these as. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0 ‰.

All motorists must use headlights all the time and except in the case of immediate and extreme danger, it is illegal to use your horn in towns and villages

In towns the roads are full of potholes. Main roads outside towns are in good condition, but secondary roads are surfaced with gravel or sand. Driving at night is dangerous: locals often use sidelights only, slow-moving vehicles abound, and goods fallen from vehicles often clutter the roads.

Speed limits

Area	Limit
Outside the City	90 KM/H
In the City	50 KM/H

In summer there are speed limits of up to 110 km/h on selected highways.

Parking

Due to a high incidence of vehicle theft and pilfering, guarded parking facilities should be used.

You must pay for parking in the centre of Tallinn and other main towns. Be careful not to park on tram lines. Due to high incidence of vehicle theft and pilfering, guarded parking facilities should be used. Tallin harbors some zones requiring parking tickets, and wheel clamps are used.

Road Tolls

Estonia has no road tolls for cars.