Welcome to Visit Estonia’s August newsletter.

Our newsletter took a break during July (and we hope you did, too). Now, we’re back with a bang. The autumn season is right around the corner, and with it comes new bus routes, new hotel openings, and new direct flights to Tallinn!

Journalists have also been busy over the summer. They’ve been exploring Estonia’s potential as a destination for trendy “girls’ trips” and discovering the joys of Estonia’s islands.

Lux Express to travel direct from Pärnu to Terminal D

Trips from Helsinki and Stockholm via ferry to Pärnu and Riga have been made even more streamlined and convenient for visitors traveling by bus. Lux Express buses depart daily from Terminal D towards Pärnu at 13:30 and 19:00. Buses to Riga depart from Terminal D every day at 13:30 and 16:30.

The new bus times fit with Tallink’s Helsinki ferry schedule, as passengers arriving from Helsinki can continue to Pärnu with the 10:30 or 16:30 ferries. For those traveling from Pärnu to Helsinki, Lux Express buses will bring them to the terminal in time to board Tallink ferries departing at 13:30 and 19:30.

New hotel openings in Tallinn

Hyatt Place opened this August in Tallinn, conveniently located next to the port and steps from the Old Town. It’s the chain’s first hotel to open in the Baltics. Novotel Living will be opening this September, about a block away from the Hyatt. On the other side of Old Town, near Toompea, Ibis Styles has taken over the former L’Ermitage Hotel. The rooms have undergone a complete makeover, giving the hotel an entirely fresh feel.

Wizz Air opens direct routes from Venice and Kraków

Two new routes from budget airline Wizz Air are making Tallinn more accessible to Italian and Polish visitors during the Christmas season. The Kraków route opens at the end of October, and the Venice route will start at the beginning of December.

These other cities also have direct flights to Tallinn: Amsterdam, Antalya, Barcelona, Berlin, Billund, Brussels, Burgas, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Heraklion, Istanbul, Kärdla, Kuressaare, London (Gatwick, Luton and Stansted), Malaga, Malta, Milan (Malpensa), Munich, Nice, Oslo, Palma de Mallorca, Paris (Charles de Gaulle and Orly), Prague, Reykjavik, Rhodes, Riga, Split, Stockholm, Tenerife, Tirana, Vilnius, Warsaw & Zurich

Estonia is a top biathlon destination!

Winter might seem far away, but Otepää is already preparing to become a top destination for biathletes in 2026 and 2027.

Professional biathletes and biathlon enthusiasts already have these dates in the calendar:

• Biathlon World Cup: 12-15.3.2026
• Biathlon World Championships: 9-21.2.2027
• Biathlon World Cup: 19-23.12.2027

Eager to learn more about Otepää and what the region has to offer visitors? It’s often called Estonia’s “winter capital” for its wide range of winter sports opportunities, but you’ll see it offers plenty of opportunities for active holidays throughout the year.