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Route · Gulf of Finland · Tallink Silja, Eckerö Line, Viking Line

Helsinki – Tallinn ferry

Two capitals, 80 kilometres of water and a timetable that reads more like a commuter line than a ferry service: on an ordinary day 13 ships leave Helsinki for Tallinn, the first at 07:30 and the last close to midnight. The fast Tallink vessels cross in exactly two hours.

2 hrsFastest crossing (Megastar, MyStar)
13 ×Sailings on an ordinary day
3Operators on the route
from €15Lowest per-person fare in our archive
Tallink Silja, Eckerö Line and Viking Line comparedCrossing times from 22 days of our own archiveBooking direct with the operator, no surcharge

Timetable Helsinki – Tallinn

Across our archive from 18 August to 8 September 2026 every single day carried between 12 and 14 sailings out of Helsinki, 286 in total. The pattern barely moves: Tallink Silja at 07:30, 10:30, 13:30, 16:30, 19:30 and 22:30, Eckerö Line at 09:00, 15:15 and 21:40, Viking Line at 10:30 and 20:30. The dates below come live from the timetable.

7-day price overviewLowest fare per person for each departure day
Loading timetable …
Departure Arrival Duration Operator Ship
07:30 09:30 120 min Tallink Silja Megastar
09:00 11:15 135 min Eckerö Line Eckerö Line vessel
10:30 13:10 160 min Viking Line Viking Line vessel
10:30 12:30 120 min Tallink Silja Tallink Silja vessel
13:30 15:30 120 min Tallink Silja Megastar
15:15 17:30 135 min Eckerö Line Finlandia
16:30 18:30 120 min Tallink Silja MyStar
18:30 08:00 (+1) 810 min Tallink Silja Victoria I
18:35 22:45 250 min Tallink Silja Victoria I
19:30 21:30 120 min Tallink Silja Megastar
20:30 23:10 160 min Viking Line Viking XPRS
21:40 00:10 (+1) 150 min Eckerö Line Eckerö Line vessel
23:00 01:00 (+1) 120 min Tallink Silja MyStar
Live data · subject to change Check availability →

The route on the map

South from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn – roughly 80 kilometres, two hours on the fast ships. On a clear day both coastlines stay in sight for most of the crossing.

  • Crossing time2 hrs with Tallink, 2:15–2:30 hrs with Eckerö Line, 2:40 hrs with Viking Line
  • DepartureHelsinki: West Terminal 2 (Tallink, Eckerö) or Katajanokka (Viking Line)
  • ArrivalTallinn Old City Harbour – Terminal D (Tallink) or Terminal A (Eckerö, Viking)
  • Onward from TallinnOld Town about 15 min on foot, airport around 15 min by tram

The three operators side by side

All three sail year round and several times a day. What separates them is the terminal and the fare, more than the ship.

Tallink Silja

Megastar, MyStar and Victoria I

  • Departures from Helsinki07:30, 10:30, 13:30, 16:30, 19:30, 22:30
  • Crossing timeExactly 2 hrs – the fastest on the route
  • Helsinki terminalWest Terminal 2, Jätkäsaari
  • Tallinn terminalTerminal D
  • Fares in our archive€34 to €81 per person, €41 on average

Eckerö Line

Finlandia

  • Departures from Helsinki09:00, 15:15 and 21:40
  • Crossing time2:15 hrs by day, 2:30 hrs in the evening
  • Helsinki terminalWest Terminal 2, Jätkäsaari
  • Tallinn terminalTerminal A
  • Fares in our archive€15 to €65 per person, €21 on average

Viking Line

Viking XPRS

  • Departures from Helsinki10:30 and 20:30
  • Crossing time2:40 hrs
  • Helsinki terminalKatajanokka – closest to the city centre
  • Tallinn terminalTerminal A
  • Fares in our archiveOne figure only, €16 per person

Fares are a sample from our archive (50 values, 18 August to 8 September 2026, per person). They swing widely by weekday and how far ahead you book, and are no substitute for a live quote for your date.

What to settle before you book

On this route the terminal and the departure time shape your day far more than the ship does.

Ferry alongside the berth in a harbour

Helsinki has two ferry terminals, and they are nowhere near each other

Tallink Silja and Eckerö Line sail from West Terminal 2 in Jätkäsaari (Tyynenmerenkatu 14); Viking Line uses the Katajanokka terminal on the opposite side of the city centre. Four kilometres and two different tram lines separate them. Turning up at the wrong one means missing the ship – the terminal is printed on the ticket and is worth re-reading on the day.

View over the railing of a Baltic ferry during the crossing

In Tallinn the Old Town starts at the quayside

Every ship docks in the Old City Harbour: Tallink at Terminal D, Eckerö Line and Viking Line at Terminal A. From there it is about a fifteen-minute walk uphill through the Viru Gate to the Town Hall Square. That proximity is exactly why the crossing works so well as a day trip – no time is lost getting from port to city.

Lifeboat on the deck of a Baltic ferry

Not every sailing is a short hop

Alongside the two-hour ships the timetable also shows sailings of four hours and even thirteen and a half. Those are not slow ferries but overnight runs by Victoria I, which stays alongside in Tallinn and only berths again the next morning. As a plain crossing that is the wrong pick; as a night on board with a cabin it may be the right one.

Practical tips for the crossing

Four things that regularly go wrong on this route.

Boarding closes 20 minutes before departure

The Port of Helsinki sets a hard cut-off at its terminals: access closes 20 minutes before departure and nobody boards after that. As a foot passenger allow half an hour; with a vehicle, considerably more. Gates typically open around two hours before sailing.

Day trip? Book the return leg first

Leave Helsinki at 07:30 and you are in Tallinn by 09:30 with a return as late as 22:30. The bottleneck is never the outbound sailing but the last one back, which sells out first at weekends. Fix the return, then fit the outbound around it.

With a vehicle: Vuosaari is not the West Terminal

Beyond the city-centre terminals there is a crossing from Vuosaari harbour to Muuga, east of Tallinn. It is intended for vehicle passengers only; foot passengers are not carried there. Travelling without a car, book from West Terminal 2 or Katajanokka.

The fare follows the weekday, not the operator

Our sample ranged from €15 to €81 per person on the same route, sometimes on the same day. Tuesday and Wednesday sailings sit at the bottom of that range, Friday and Saturday at the top. If you have flexibility, move the date rather than the operator.

Crossing the Gulf of Finland

Passengers at the railing of a ferry
Two hours is enough for a coffee on deck – the route asks for nothing more.
Wake behind a ferry seen from the after deck
The Gulf of Finland is shallow and usually calm; heavy seas are rare.

Taking your own vehicle to Estonia

Car, camper and bicycle on board

For many travellers the real journey starts in Tallinn: Lahemaa, Pärnu, Tartu, the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Estonia is a country you drive. All three operators carry vehicles, and on a two-hour crossing no cabin is needed.

  • Declare vehicle length and height correctly – campers and trailers are charged by length
  • Roof boxes and rear carriers count towards height or length
  • Vehicle spaces are limited and must be booked with the ticket
  • With a vehicle, join the marshalling lane at least 45 minutes before departure
Book with a vehicle →
Queue of cars waiting to board a ferry

Getting to the ferry terminal in Helsinki

  1. Check the terminal on your ticket – Tallink Silja and Eckerö Line: West Terminal 2, Jätkäsaari, Tyynenmerenkatu 14. Viking Line: Katajanokka Terminal, Katajanokanlaituri 8.
  2. From the city centre – Trams 7 and 9 run from Central Station to West Terminal 2; trams 4 and 5 serve Katajanokka. Either takes around 15 minutes.
  3. Check in – Through the operator’s app, at a self-service kiosk or at the desk. Carry an ID card or passport – Finland and Estonia are both in the Schengen area, but identification is still required.
  4. On board – Access closes 20 minutes before departure. With a vehicle join the lane in good time; the car deck is closed during the crossing.
Ferry alongside the berth in a harbour

The ports on this route

Location, getting there and other connections from both ports.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn take?

Two hours on Tallink’s Megastar and MyStar, the fastest option. Eckerö Line takes 2:15 to 2:30 hours and Viking Line 2:40. Sailings of four or thirteen and a half hours in the timetable are overnight runs by Victoria I, which lies alongside in Tallinn.

How often do ferries sail between Helsinki and Tallinn?

Every single day in our archive from 18 August to 8 September 2026 had between 12 and 14 departures from Helsinki, usually 13. The first leaves at 07:30 and the last at 22:30 or 23:00.

Which companies operate the route?

Three: Tallink Silja with Megastar, MyStar and Victoria I; Eckerö Line with Finlandia; and Viking Line with Viking XPRS. All sail year round.

Which terminal does the ferry leave from in Helsinki?

Tallink Silja and Eckerö Line use West Terminal 2 in Jätkäsaari (Tyynenmerenkatu 14); Viking Line uses Katajanokka Terminal (Katajanokanlaituri 8). They sit on opposite sides of the city centre and are served by different tram lines.

How much does the crossing cost?

Our archive holds 50 fare readings for Helsinki to Tallinn: €15 to €81 per person, €36 on average. Eckerö Line came out cheapest throughout (€21 on average) and Tallink dearest (€41). Vehicles and cabins are extra.

Is a day trip to Tallinn worth it?

It is the normal way to do this route. The 07:30 sailing puts you in Tallinn at 09:30 with a good twelve hours before the last return. The Old Town is a fifteen-minute walk from the harbour, so no car is needed.

Do I need a passport?

Finland and Estonia are both in the Schengen area, so there are no routine border checks. A valid identity card or passport is still required at check-in and for spot checks – a driving licence will not do.

Book the Helsinki – Tallinn ferry

Compare every sailing by Tallink Silja, Eckerö Line and Viking Line – booking direct with the operator, at no extra cost.

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