My Erasmus Experience in Tallin, Estonia - by Ruth

Why did you choose to go to Tallin, Estonia?

The truth is that Tallin wasn't one of my first options, and I ended up going to Tallin as my level of English only permitted me to go there. I don't regret it now for a second and would recommend it to everyone.

How long did your exchange last? How much were you paid?

Don't trust your grant. It's December now and I haven't seen head nor tail of my grant. The grant also only lasts for five months and my exchange lasts for nine, so you can't rely on this money. Estonia falls into the third category so I only receive about 200 euros a month or something similar. This is a total of 1, 000 euros for the ten months that I'll be here for.

What's the student life like in Tallin?

The university is small but nice. There are lots of students and practically everyone speaks English, so you can communicate perfectly. ESN and the international students association organise lots of events too, which means that you never get bored.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Tallin to other students?

Definitely. Lots of people have asked me, why Estonia? because it's not the most picturesque place. The city is small, but it has a beautiful old town, and it's even prettier now that it's been snowing. It's also not an expensive city so it's good for students. It has everything - you don't have to pay to go into most clubs and the prices of alcohol varies. Beers cost around two euros.

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What's Estonian food like?

I haven't had the chance to try much traditional Estonian food, but from what I've seen it's a combination of Russian and German food. In the university canteen I've been able to try out a few things, and the meat seems to be very good. There's also lots of soup and potatoes.

Did you find it hard to find somewhere to live in Tallin?

The truth is that yes, it was hard, because I didn't get a place in the university halls of residences, so I had to begin my search for accommodation alone, online, not knowing if anything was really close by or not since on Google Maps, everything looks nearby. In the end, I had just a week to go before moving to Estonia and nowhere to live, so I decided to book myself into a hostel called Esti dancing on Sauna Street and continue my search from there. I spent a month living in the hostel and had a good time there. They also had offers for longer stays. I'd recommend it - the kitchen was a bit chaotic and it wasn't always the cleanest place to live, but it was in the middle of the old town and near to the bars, and the people I met there were great. In the end though, a few days before moving to Tallin I received an offer of accommodation at Karu 17, a residence, so I moved there in October.

How expensive is living in Tallin?

My rent is very low. If you don't want to be shelling out lots of money, student halls of residences are the best places to live. I pay 117 euros per month (all inclusive) and you pay 121 euros if you want cable internet. Food, apart from meat, is cheap if you compare it with my home city. I spend around 200 euros a month on food and drink, eating whatever I fancy.

In terms of alcohol, a pack of beers is three to five euros depending on which supermarket you go to. Rimi and Prisma are the cheapest, Viru vodka is 7 or 10 euros for a bottle, depending on how big it is.

How are you finding the language? Have you signed up to a language class at the university?

The language is very complicated, and you don't get any opportunity to practise speaking it at the university as everyone speaks to you in English, and in the street, too. I went to the A1 Estonian classes, and they were good for learning basic phrases which I think are important. People usually like to too when you say hello or goodbye to them in their own language. It's also useful in the supermarket to know what you're buying and what's in the sauces... most of the time, the only translation on the packets is in Russian.

What's the cheapest way of getting to Tallin from your home city?

From Barcelona, definitely by plane. The flight is direct, but you're stuck in the wintertime as there are no flights.

What are the best places for partying in Tallin?

On Mondays, the Red Emperor has karaoke nights (entry is free) and the alcohol isn't expensive there. You also get a free shot. On Wednesdays, everyone goes to club münt (four euros entry plus one euro to use the cloakroom) because drinks are one euro each, meaning it's always really busy. If you don't like noisy places, Noohrus is good, as it has billaird tables and a dance floor. Entrance is also free. Tallin is also full of bars where you can go to any day of the week and have a few chilled drinks. Just on Sauna Street you have Shooters, Labor and other bars. Studio and Prive are normal clubs, but they're too expensive in my opinion as the entrance fee depends on what day of the week it is.

Last of all, there's Hollybood, where girls get in for free.

What about eating out in Tallin? What are your favourite places?

The Dragon Bar is very good for hot wine for 2. 50 euros, and reindeer soup. The starters (cucumbers and garlic) are free and it's a funny place as it's medieval themed.

If you fancy a pizza, there's Davincis, an Italian restaurant which is great and inexpensive.

Then you have Kalev, which you have to go to since it's the oldest café in Tallin. There's also F-hoone, where the menu of the day from Monday to Friday is only six euros for a starter, main and dessert.

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What does Tallin have to offer in terms of culture?

Loads - the tourist information centre runs a free guided tour of the city every day at 2pm.

There are loads of places to visit, such as the prison or the forests and marshes which are very attractive. Other cities nearby worth visiting are Parnu and Tartu.

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