The Four Best Electric Scooter Routes in Tallinn

Spring in Tallinn has arrived (trust us, it really is this time), and as the weather changes the great outdoors becomes bearable to those of us who do not have some polar bear DNA.

It also means the return of two-wheeled fun, and like some weird mechanical animals waking from long winter hibernation, the common European electric scooter starts making its appearance on pavements, walkways, and cycling paths across the city. 

Renting or buying an electric scooter and hitting one of the city’s many wonderful routes is quite possibly the best way to explore Tallinn. 

Whether you want to breathe fresh forest air or soak up the culture, there’s something special around every corner, and as Tallinn is such a wonderfully compact place, you can see plenty of it in short trips. The latest generation of electric scooters claims to have a 55km range on a fully charged battery, so you can rest assured that you’ll make it back to your starting point on any of these routes.

 

Reidi Tee to Pirita to the Tallinn TV Tower

 

Telliskivi to Kopli

If you’re absolutely itching to unleash your inner hipster, this route has everything you need. Kick-off in the Telliskivi Creative District keeping a watchful eye out for unicycles, antique baby carriages and men in trousers so tight you can see the engraving on the coins in their back pockets. Then head up Kopli Tee along the same route as the tram. As you leave the affluent and picturesque Kalamaja district behind you’ll see some fascinating derelict buildings and industrial decay. Kopli has (or at least had) a reputation as a dangerous part of Tallinn, but these days the signs of gentrification are everywhere. Nonetheless, this route gives you a great glimpse of Tallinn’s recent past and its booming future. Keep an eye out for abandoned water towers, disused factories, the Kopli Lines, and some of Tallinn’s more colourful inhabitants.

Linnahall to Noblessner

Linnahall squats like an enormous concrete parasite on the edge of Tallinn’s Old Town, crumbling slowly into dust as the area around it is reimagined and rebuilt at breakneck speed. It’s the perfect spot to start a journey of the city’s fastest-changing area, packed with fascinating landmarks, good restaurants, reclaimed industrial buildings and museums. As you head north you can take in the ominous decay of Patarei Prison, stop off at the Seaplane Harbour Museum and head north to Noblessner, a great place to have lunch while people-spotting. A quick sauna and a dip in the sea is the perfect way to prepare for the journey back to the city centre.

City Centre to Open Air Museum

This one is for those who like to take a serious journey, as it is the longest route on this list. Tallinn is well-stocked with cycling paths and this one will take you from Kesklinn to the Open Air Museum and back. While there’s not much of historic value along the way (unless you’re fascinated by the Hipodroom, which unfortunately has zero hippos in it) the route is safe and comfortable and the end destination is definitely worth a visit to get some insight into how Estonians of the past lived.

Whether you’re renting an electric scooter or decide to buy your own, always follow the safety rules and make sure you have insurance, beyond what is offered by the rental companies. Cachet’s City Rider insurance gives you full coverage for both private and rented scooters and costs less per month than any one of these trips would cost you in rental fees.