Riga and/or Tallinn?

[Magoo]

I have about 5 days between Oslo and Switzerland in December. I was thinking of going to Riga and possibly Tallinn.
Can I see enough of these places in 2-3 days? I don't know anyone who has been there.

Interests: Architecture, culture, Christmas markets, food.

I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you.

 

[VPS]

If you like Art Deco then definitely Riga but I think you should be able to do both but it will be a bit rushed - love both places

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Tallinn old town is lovely and worth going. 2 days is plenty though.

 

[Magoo]

Thanks for that. Looking at flights now,

 

[Cossie]

We liked both, also Vilnius. There is more to see in Estonia than just Tallinn. It's a small country, transport is good and cheap. Tartu is a nice old university town and so on. Driving was very easy if you are thinking about hiring a car.

 

[RB]

Have visited Tallin & Riga (also saw Vilnius during the same holiday) and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. As others have said 2 days should give you enough time to see each city, although I guess you are going to be getting short daylight hours in Dec. At the time Riga seemed more lively but that could have been the many stag parties (didn't detract from our time there). Tallin probably appealed for the slow wandering around the Old Town & we had a friend who had been born there.

 

[RooFlyer]

Here's my trip report, where I Except in this case it was the conservative government of the United Kingdom which was so critical of our government's inaction that it forced its hand.[/QUOTE]"]visited both. Had a bit over a day in Tallinn and the same in Riga, and got a Luxcoach between the two, which worked well.

Both cities eminently visitable in 3 days. More would be better of course, but you'll get the essentials OK; December will be 'crisp'!

Riga definitely over Tallinn for architecture though! Possibly for food as well. Tallinn is more touristy, but still really nice.

 

[JMEL]

From the food perspective - both cities offer delicious food at dirt cheap prices, but IMHO Tallinn has an even better food scene than Riga, especially if you want to do some fine-dining. Tallinn also has a lovely Xmas market right on its medieval Town Hall Square.

I like both Riga and Tallinn (as well as Vilnius, as others mentioned); both have quite different and equally appealing architecture to enjoy. But personally, I slightly prefer Tallinn for its medieval look and the superior restaurant scene, and I have now been back twice without getting sick of it. I feel that Riga is better in the summer (it was a bit "dead" when I visited in winter), while Tallinn feels lively all year.

To maximise my time when travelling in the Baltics, I usually choose to fly between the Baltic cities using Air Baltic (the Latvian national carrier). If you look out for their sales, it can be as cheap as 19 Euro (plus a fee for check-in luggage) from e.g. Riga to Tallinn, and just a quick 1hr flight. Both airports easily and quickly accessible to/from their respective city centres, for a cheap cab fare.

Since you're interested in good food, as I am, I thought I would pass on this guide which I've used in the past: White Guide | The best restaurants in the Nordics
It's like the Michelin Guide of the Nordics/Baltics and I've found it to be very reliable in selecting good restaurants while travelling around the region!

 

[burmans]

In Tallinn currently and soon to move on to Riga. I can agree the food is great and Tallinn is a very easy place to enjoy. Will be able to tell you about Riga shortly.

 

[fairbasa]

For me it's Tallinn > Riga > Vilnius. As others have said, 2-3 days is enough for either Riga or Tallinn. If you decide to do both, you can obviously fly (Air Baltic) or the buses are excellent also if you jump on LuxExpress.

However, there's lots of other nice things to do in say Estonia besides Tallinn. You could visit the islands like Saaremaa (60eur roundtrip by plane) or the university town of Tartu which has a very different feel to Tallinn.

 

[RB]

For me it's Tallinn > Riga > Vilnius. As others have said, 2-3 days is enough for either Riga or Tallinn. If you decide to do both, you can obviously fly (Air Baltic) or the buses are excellent also if you jump on LuxExpress.

However, there's lots of other nice things to do in say Estonia besides Tallinn. You could visit the islands like Saaremaa (60eur roundtrip by plane) or the university town of Tartu which has a very different feel to Tallinn.

I still remember our visit to Tartu in 2005. We were surprised that the whole town had good speed wi-fi- certainly a step up from what our business at home was coping with

 

[fairbasa]

I still remember our visit to Tartu in 2005. We were surprised that the whole town had good speed wi-fi- certainly a step up from what our business at home was coping with

Yea, Europe and Estonia in particular put us to shame. I remember having a 100Mbit internet connection in Sweden in 2010. I asked a friend what the download limit was and their response was "what's a download limit?"

 

[burmans]

Ok, so now on my second day in Riga so feel able to compare Riga and Tallinn. First and most obviously they are totally different. Riga seems much bigger though in fact is only 50% bigger. I did prefer Tallinn but only slightly, loved the medieval old town and agree the food scene in Tallinn is better. Riga is however noticeably cheaper so your money goes further. Both are worth visiting. Unlike some would not be only spending 2 days in either, we spent 4 days in Tallinn, managed to find plenty to do and sometimes in those old towns just slowing down and enjoying the hassle and bustle flowing around you is part of the experience (at least for me).

 

[Magoo]

Thanks to all who replied. I think I'll spend a couple of days in each, as they both sound quite interesting.

I like the sound of inexpensive dining!