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Estonia

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Estonia ferry routes & schedules — Tallinn & the islands

Estonia has 24 ferry routes operated by 6 companies across 18 ferry ports. Major operators include Eckerö Line, Kihnu Veeteed, TS Laevad, Tallink Silja Line, Tuule Liinid and Viking Line. Below you'll find crossing times, operators and timetables for each route.

View routes
24
Ferry routes
6
Operators
18
Ports

About

About ferries in Estonia

Estonia is a nation stitched together by ferries. Beyond the capital's busy Baltic crossings to Helsinki and Stockholm lies the real Estonian ferry story: a network of state-supported car and passenger ferries that keep the country's islands — from big Saaremaa and Hiiumaa to tiny Ruhnu and Prangli — connected to the mainland year-round. For islanders these are lifelines; for visitors they are the key to one of Europe's quietest, most unspoiled archipelagos.

The big islands — Saaremaa and Hiiumaa

TS Laevad, a subsidiary of the state-owned Port of Tallinn, runs Estonia's two busiest domestic crossings. The Virtsu–Kuivastu ferry (about 27 minutes, roughly hourly) reaches Muhu island, which is joined by causeway to Saaremaa — so you simply drive across. The Rohuküla–Heltermaa ferry (about 1 hour 15 minutes) serves Hiiumaa. Its modern ice-class ferries sail year-round, but car space fills fast in summer, so reserve ahead through the praamid.ee system.

The small islands

Kihnu Veeteed handles the lifeline routes to the smaller islands: Munalaid–Kihnu (the UNESCO-listed cultural island), Munalaid–Manilaid, Rohuküla–Sviby to Vormsi, and Laaksaare–Piirissaar on Lake Peipus. It also runs the only Hiiumaa–Saaremaa inter-island link, Sõru–Triigi. The remotest islands — Ruhnu in the Gulf of Riga and Prangli near Tallinn — are served by Tuule Liinid, with a seasonal catamaran to Ruhnu and a year-round ferry to Prangli.

The international route to Sweden

Tallink runs the overnight Tallinn–Stockholm cruise ferry, calling at Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, a voyage of around 15 to 17 hours with cabins, restaurants and entertainment. The short Tallinn–Helsinki hop across the Gulf of Finland — one of the world's busiest ferry corridors — is covered on our Finland guide.

Visa and entry

Estonia is in the EU and the Schengen Area. The domestic island ferries are internal transport with no border checks, and the Tallinn–Stockholm route is intra-Schengen. Visitors from outside the Schengen zone — including Turkish passport holders — need a Schengen visa to enter Estonia; photo ID is required at ferry check-in.

Operators

Which companies run ferries in Estonia?

Regions

Ferry regions in Estonia

Coastal travel is local — jump to a region for its routes, quays and timetables.

Ports

Ferry ports in Estonia

18 ports with published ferry connections. Open a port for every route that departs or arrives there.

At a glance

Which Estonia ferry crossings run most often?

The busiest published crossings, ranked by number of listed sailings.

Busiest ferry crossings in Estonia: route, crossing time, weekly sailings and number of operators
RouteCrossingSailingsOperators
Manilaid → Munalaid20m—1
Munalaid → Manilaid20m—1
Kuivastu (Muhu) → Virtsu27m—1
Virtsu → Kuivastu (Muhu)27m—1
Rohuküla → Sviby (Vormsi)45m—1
Sviby (Vormsi) → Rohuküla45m—1
Kelnase (Prangli) → Leppneeme (Viimsi)1h—1
Kihnu → Munalaid1h—1
Leppneeme (Viimsi) → Kelnase (Prangli)1h—1
Munalaid → Kihnu1h—1
Sõru (Hiiumaa) → Triigi (Saaremaa)1h—1
Triigi (Saaremaa) → Sõru (Hiiumaa)1h—1

Timetables

What ferry routes run in Estonia?

24 routes across the network.

Munalaid3 routes
Ringsu (Ruhnu)3 routes
Rohuküla2 routes
Tallinn2 routes
Heltermaa (Hiiumaa)1 route
Kelnase (Prangli)1 route
Kihnu1 route
Kuivastu (Muhu)1 route
Laaksaare1 route
Leppneeme (Viimsi)1 route
Manilaid1 route
Pärnu1 route
Piirissaar1 route
Roomassaare (Saaremaa)1 route
Sõru (Hiiumaa)1 route
Sviby (Vormsi)1 route
Triigi (Saaremaa)1 route
Virtsu1 route

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Saaremaa by ferry?

Take the TS Laevad ferry from Virtsu on the mainland to Kuivastu on Muhu island (about 27 minutes, roughly hourly). Muhu is joined to Saaremaa by a causeway, so you drive straight across — there is no direct mainland–Saaremaa ferry.

How do I reach Hiiumaa?

TS Laevad runs the Rohuküla–Heltermaa ferry, about 1 hour 15 minutes, several times a day year-round. You can also reach Hiiumaa from Saaremaa via the Kihnu Veeteed Triigi–Sõru inter-island ferry.

Which ferry goes to Kihnu island?

Kihnu Veeteed runs the Munalaid–Kihnu ferry, about an hour, from Munalaid harbour near Pärnu, typically two to three times a day with extra summer sailings.

How do I get to Ruhnu?

Ruhnu is served by Tuule Liinid (not Kihnu Veeteed) with a seasonal catamaran, roughly May to October, sailing from Munalaid, Pärnu and Roomassaare on Saaremaa to Ringsu harbour. Book well ahead — capacity is limited.

How do I reach Vormsi, Prangli and Piirissaar?

Vormsi is reached via Kihnu Veeteed's Rohuküla–Sviby ferry; Piirissaar on Lake Peipus from Laaksaare. Prangli island near Tallinn is served by Tuule Liinid's Leppneeme–Kelnase ferry, about an hour.

How long is the Tallinn to Stockholm ferry?

About 15 to 17 hours overnight, run by Tallink with a stop at Mariehamn in the Åland Islands. The cruise ferries offer cabins, restaurants and entertainment, departing Tallinn in the evening every other day.

Do I need to book a car on Estonia's island ferries in summer?

Yes. On the busy TS Laevad lines (Virtsu–Kuivastu and Rohuküla–Heltermaa), car reservations are strongly recommended in summer and at weekends, booked through praamid.ee. Small-island ferries have very limited car space.

Do the Estonian island ferries run in winter?

Yes. TS Laevad's ice-class ferries and Kihnu Veeteed's services run year-round, though small-island frequencies drop in winter and severe ice can occasionally affect the smallest crossings.

Do I need a visa for Estonia's ferries?

Estonia is in the EU and Schengen Area, so domestic island ferries have no border checks and Tallinn–Stockholm is intra-Schengen. Non-Schengen visitors, including Turkish passport holders, need a Schengen visa to enter Estonia.

Is there a ferry between Saaremaa and Hiiumaa?

Yes. Kihnu Veeteed runs the Sõru–Triigi ferry between Sõru on Hiiumaa and Triigi on Saaremaa, about an hour — the only direct inter-island link between Estonia's two largest islands.

Which company runs which Estonian ferry?

TS Laevad runs the big Saaremaa and Hiiumaa car ferries; Kihnu Veeteed serves the small islands (Kihnu, Vormsi, Piirissaar, Manilaid); Tuule Liinid runs Ruhnu and Prangli; and Tallink operates the Tallinn–Stockholm route.

Where do I catch the ferry to the Estonian islands?

Main mainland terminals are Virtsu (for Saaremaa), Rohuküla (for Hiiumaa and Vormsi), Munalaid (for Kihnu, Manilaid and Ruhnu), Laaksaare (for Piirissaar) and Leppneeme (for Prangli). Tallinn's Old City Harbour serves the Stockholm route.

Explore

Ferries in other countries

Reviewed by Serhat Özçelik, Founder & Editor of Ferry Schedule Hub.