Where to stay in Estonia

Tallinn

• The old town is compact and books out for summer weekends and around Christmas. It is also the noisiest place to sleep, particularly at the weekend.
• Staying just outside the walls costs noticeably less and adds a ten-minute walk. Kalamaja, the old wooden-house district, is the obvious choice and is more interesting than the tourist core.
• Cruise ship days transform the old town. Prices and crowds both spike; the ship schedule is published and worth a glance.

Outside the capital

• Country houses and farm stays are the Estonian speciality, most with a sauna included rather than as an extra.
• The sauna is not optional in the social sense. Being offered one is hospitality, and declining outright reads oddly. Estonians take it seriously and quietly.
• Book the islands ahead in summer. Saaremaa in particular has limited stock and a short season.

Practicalities

• You will be asked for your passport at check-in.
• Nearly everything is booked online in a country this digital, and walk-in rates are rarely better.
• Winter is genuinely cheap and Tallinn in the snow is a different and quieter city.