TALLInn - In Your Pocket

8 BasiCs
Tourist information points
Tallinn Traveller Info C-2, Vana-Posti 2, tel. (+372)
58 37 48 00, tallinn@traveller.ee, www.traveller.ee.
Just steps from the ‘official’ tourist information office, this
alternative tourist information point is run by local young
people for travellers of all ages - albeit geared a little more
towards the ‘youthful’ crowd. They offer their advice on
what’s happening each night on the entertainment scene,
as well as their favourite eateries and which hostels have
vacancies, as well as some inexpensive, alternative tours
(see ‘Sightseeing’ section). QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. J
Tourist Information Centre C-2, Niguliste 2/Kullassepa
4, tel. (+372) 645 77 77, fax (+372) 645 77
78, turismiinfo@tallinnlv.ee, www.tourism.tallinn.
ee. The city’s official tourist information point is the best
equipped to answer any question. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00,
Sat, Sun 09:00 - 15:00. J
Language
Confused? Join the crowd. Estonian is completely
unrelated to Russian, Latvian, Swedish, German or any
other Indo-European tongue. Along with Finnish and
Hungarian, Estonian belongs to the Finno-Ugric group
of languages, thought to have originated somewhere
beyond the Urals thousands of years ago. Luckily, the
younger generation and those in the tourist industry
speak English. You can find some of the more essential
words and phrases on left.
Money
In 2011 Estonia joined the common European currency, good
news for all of the tourists who visit Estonia from countries
that already use the Euro. If you happen to come from a
country that does not use the Euro, it should also be easier
to change your money before you arrive as most banks around
the world stock this currency. Standard Euro denominations
are legal tender, however you may find it difficult to pay with
any bills over 50. All ATMs operate on international systems.
Credit cards are easy to use - major hotels, most restaurants
and a pretty much all downtown shops accept Visa,
Mastercard and EC. American Express, Globus and Diner’s
Club are less common.
Urgent care
The Tallinn First Aid hotline tel. 697 11 45, can provide
treatment advice in English, and if need be, direct you to the
appropriate hospital. If you need cough syrup at 03:00, try
the round-the-clock Tõnismäe pharmacy (see pharmacies).
For dramatic situations that require an ambulance, call tel.
112. Emergency operators speak English.
Key phrases
Hello Tere
Goodbye Head aega
Please Palun
Thank you Aitäh
Excuse me Vabandust
Yes Jah
No Ei
Zero Null
One Üks
Two Kaks
Three Kolm
Four Neli
Five Viis
Six Kuus
Seven Seitse
Eight Kaheksa
Nine Üheksa
Ten Kümme
Hundred Sada
Thousand Tuhat
Push (on a door) Lükka
Pull (on a door) Tõmba
Where is... ? Kus asub...?
How much does ... cost? Kui palju maksab...
Bon appetit! Head isu!
One beer, please! Palun üks õlu!
Cheers! Terviseks!
What’s your name? Mis sinu nimi on?
You have beautiful eyes. Sul on ilusad silmad.
Will you marry me? Kas sa abielluks minuga?
www.inyourpocket.com
Estonianisms
Noh... Well.../Um...
This sounds like ‘No’, but actually just means the speaker
is temporarily tongue-tied
On ju? Eks ju? Right? Isn’t it?
Two interjections that punctuate Estonian speech
Head isu! Bon appetit!
...or ‘Good Appetite’, as you will sometimes hear
Jätku leiba! May there be enough bread!
begins a meal. The polite answer is...
Jätku tarvis. It’s needed.
Jõudu tööle! Power to your work!
Expression of goodwill, used when you come upon
someone hard at work
Jõudu tarvis Power needed
The formulaic answer
Tervist!
Lit. Health!
Gesundheit!/Bless you!
Ole tubli! Take care, be good!
Kuidas käsi käib? How are you?
Lit. How does the hand go?
Ikka käib Still goin’
Typically laconic Estonian reply
Tallinn In Your Pocket tallinn.inyourpocket.com
Public toilets
Study your geometry to avoid an
embarrassing situation: A triangle
pointing down signifies the men's
room (M or Meeste), while the triangle
pointing up is the women's
room (N or Naiste).
Visitors with pressing needs won’t be left with their legs
crossed, as there are quite a few public toilets around the
city. Some can be found at the Viru Gate on Valli (C-3) and
there’s a Swedish-built automatic WC on Toompea Hill (C-
1), nicknamed locally the ‘million-crown toilet’ due to the
public outcry at its construction bill. It can be found next
to the Nevski Cathedral (C/D-1). There’s also a few new
high-tech, self-cleaning ones around the city. The most
central is right next to Tammsaare Park (C-3), and others
can be found at; Toompark near Balti Jaam (B-1), Police
Garden (H-3, on Gonsiori street), Kanuti Garden (B-4),
Piiskopi Garden (C-1) and in Kadriorg next to the Roheline
aas Street parking lot (H-4). However, the fear of being
trapped inside may deter the more easily frightened, no
matter how badly they need to ‘pee’.
Religion
Some locals will tell you that Estonians are all tree-worshiping
pagans at heart, but the truth is that this isn’t a very religious
country at all. There is no state religion, and according to
the 2000 census, only 31.8% of the population claims any
religious affiliation. Of those that do, about 180,000 are
Lutheran and 170,000 Russian Orthodox.
Tax free shopping
'Tax-free' shopping is finally starting to gain popularity
in Estonia and if you are a non-EU resident and plan to
spend over €38 on electronics, clothing or even souvenirs
- it just might be worth trying to claim the tax back. When
Free internet for all
Making the call
BasiCs
By now, most have heard that Estonia is indeed
a pretty tech-savy country. In fact much
of the country is blanketed in WiFi or wireless
internet hotspots. From long-distance buses
to cafeś, pubs and even some shops and
public areas - WIFI is everywhere. For foreigners visiting Tallinn
this means you'll be able to check e-mails, SKYPE with friends
back home or share photos on Facebook using your Android
phone, iPhone or Blackberry - free of charge. Just look for the
orange and black WiFi sign and you're good to go. With all that
free WiFi around, you'll also want to purchase the Tallinn In
Your Pocket iPhone app available here. In Estonia, WiFi information
including WiFi locations is provided by www.WiFi.ee.
making a purchase just present your passport, ask for a
tax-free stamp on your receipt and take receipts along with
unused purchases to the customs office at the airport or
border-crossings into Russia when you leave the country.
At the airport, anything checked into luggage will need to
be claimed at Customs before you enter the security gates,
items in your hand luggage can be claimed from the Customs
booth between gates 5 and 7. Visit www.globalrefund.com
for more details.
Visas
Estonia is in the European Union and lucky citizens can
conveniently enter the country with just a national ID card. All
others need valid passports. You can enter Estonia visa-free
and stay 90 days if you’re a citizen of any EU country, Norway,
Iceland, Switzerland, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand,
Israel, Argentina, South Korea and a number of other countries
listed on the website below. All others, including South
Africans, Russians, Byelorussians and Ukrainians do need
a visa to come to Estonia. Because of the Schengen Border
Treaty, anyone requiring a visa for Schengen countries only
need to obtain a visa from one of these countries in order to
visit Estonia. Anyone staying in Estonia for more than 90 days
(180 days for UK citizens) needs either a residents permit
or a visa, though there are certain very specific exceptions
for EU citizens. For all the details, contact the consular
department of the Foreign Ministry, tel. 631 74 40, or check
their website, www.vm.ee, which has more information than
you’ll ever need.
Making the call
Calling within Estonia To call any number within Estonia,
either from a fixed line or a local mobile, just dial the
number as it’s written. There are no city codes in Estonia.
Mobile numbers Estonian mobile numbers all begin
with ‘5’. Just dial the number as is. Again, there are no
special codes.
Calling Estonia from abroad Estonia’s country code is
+372. Just dial your international access code (00 from
most European countries), then 372 then the number, be
it mobile or land line. That’s it.
Roaming To call any telephone in Estonia from a foreign
mobile account, dial +372 followed by the number, as
outlined before.
Calling abroad from Estonia Dial 00, the country code,
then the rest of the numbers.
October - November 2012
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