Practical information

 

Estonia is located in Northern Europe in the north-eastern part of the Baltic Sea region.

Area of Estonia: 45 227 km²
Capital: Tallinn
Estonian's official language: Estonian. Estonian belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family. Russian, Finnish, English and German are also understood and widely spoken
The largest denomination is Lutheran (30%) followed by Russian Orthodox (28%), and Catholic (3%). However, only about 20% of Estonians practice any religion.

International telephone calling code: 372
Emergency number: 112 is the emergency number for ambulance, police or fire, and can be dialled free of charge and without a phone card from any public phone.
Time zone: Eastern European Time (GMT + 2 hours). Daylight saving time (GMT + 3) is in operation from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
Electricity: 220 Volts/50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.

Currency
Estonia's currency is called the kroon. It is abbreviated to EEK. Kroons are divided into  cents: 1 kroon = 100 cents (senti). The Estonian kroon is tied to the euro: 1 euro = 15,646 kroons. Foreign currency is easily exchanged in banks and currency exchange offices, as well as in larger hotels and when entering the country at the airport, at ports or at border crossings.

Credit cards and Traveller's Cheques
Visa and MasterCard/Eurocard are accepted in the majority of larger acommodation, catering and shopping establishments. When paying by card you are required to provide proof of identity. the most widely accepted traveller's cheques are Amex, Thomas Cook and Eurocheque.

Banking Hours
Estonia's biggest banks are Swedbank and SEB Ühispank, although various foreign banks also have branches and subsidiaries here. Banks are open, as a rule, from Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. ATMs can be used round the clock and will take all recognised bankcards.

Public Holidays 2008

The majority of shops, banks and government offices are closed on public holidays. The most important public holidays are:
1 January New Year's Day
24 February Independence Day
March/April Good Friday
1 May May Day
May/June Pentecost
23 June Victory Day
24 June St. John's Day
20 August Re-Independence Day
25 December Christmas Day
26 December Boxing Day

Weather
The climate in Estonia is temperate, characterised by warm summers and fairly severe winters. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea. Average temperatures range from +20°C in summer (usually July is the hottest month) to -8°C in winter. Although occasionally the temperature may rise to +30°C and above in summer or sink below -23°C in winter, it is very usual at our latitude. Bring your umbrella and a light raincoat in case of occasional showers. For more info visit www.weather.ee.