Tallinn Warnings Or Dangers Tips by leics Top 5 Page for this destination

Beware squirrels!

I'm not quite sure what this sign means. I saw it at Kadriorg, at the edge of the park.

Does it mean the squirrels may attack vehicles? Perhaps they throw nuts at passing motorists?

Or perhaps they run out into the road....playing chicken, presumably?

Or perhaps it's just the Estonian way of trying to avoid the 'flat-squirrel syndrome' which we see so often on UK roads.

I rather hope it's the latter, but as I din't see any squirrels I cannot be certain!

How to validate

As is often the case abroad, one buys a ticket for public transprt then validates (date-stamps) it once on board.

I knew you had to do this in Tallinn, and I knew the on-the-spot fines for not doing so are high (around 600EEK, I think).

But the first time I got on the bus I was entirely bemused by the validation machine. It took me a while to work out what to do.

Basically, put the ticket into the slot at the top of the green bit, then pull the whole green bt towards you. You'll get holes punched in the ticket.

Some of the newer buses had electronic validation machines, so I suspect the old-style ones will eventually be replaced. But for now, it's useful to know how they work!

Cobbles and lumps and potholes and tramlines Walk Hazards Review

Of course the Old Town is cobbled. But they are huge cobbles, with big gaps between them so really not easy to walk on at all.

And there are plenty of collapsed bits, and holes in the pavements, and bumps in the roads.

And gutters crossing the pavement which are just a little bit too big for my foot (size 5/37) to cross safely, so I had to step over them.

And tramlines which have gaps in, just the right size to catch an unwary heel.

So if you have a child in a buggy/stroller (or someone in a wheelchair) expect to have a difficult time.

And do watch your step, especially if it's icy or snowy when you visit. I nearly tripped more than once, and I'm remarkably sure-footed most of the time.

Counting down the crossing time...... Walk Hazards Review

I've never come across this before, but I think (think) it may actually be a good idea.

At a couple of very busy crossings in Tallinn proper (that is, not the Old Town) the little man goes green to tell you it's safe to cross. That's quite usual.

What isn't usual is the way your seconds are ticked off as you go........29, 28, 27...and so on. And the clicking (for the hearing impaired) gets faster and faster.......so by the time you are nearly at the other side but only have 5 seconds left you really feel quite stressy!

The red lights do it too, to tell you how long you have to wait before you can cross.

It makes sense, of course, and I'm sure it helps to reduce accidents. It just took a bit of getting used-to.