Bicycle transport and intercity buses in Estonia
While travelling within Estonia, you might sometimes need transport and bring along your bike. Here is useful information and our experience for the 2024 season using coaches.
As you might have discovered already, Estonia is not a very big country, 45 335 square kilometres, a bit bigger than Belgium or Denmark or Netherlands! The longest possible road across the country is 460 km (Sääre at Saaremaa to Narva). Good news is that coach prices are reasonable – usually 100 km around 10 EUR (express costs a bit more and slow ones a bit less).
In general local buses are not fit for bicycle transport. Buses between bigger cities mostly fit for the transport. To look for the connections and schedules, prices and book, you can find all that directly from https://www.tpilet.ee/en/
Google maps alternative is also available, local planning and transportation web: https://web.peatus.ee/?locale=en (click on a map and plan your route), not much use if you need to transport the bicycle.
Detailed information about Bus companies in Estonia, operating scheduled routes.
Lux Express
Our favourite. Most comfortable. They promise to take 4 bicycles between bigger cities with every coach and it is FREE.
From our experience, it is also very comfortable. And free coffee machine, toilet, Wifi.
Here is list of places/stops you can transport your bike with Luxexpress: Fra Mare, Haapsalu Bus Station, Heltermaa, Iisaku, Jõhvi Bus Station, Kaitseväe (Võru), Kanepi, Kilingi-Nõmme, Kose-Risti 2, Kuivastu (port area), Kuressaare Bus Station, Mustvee, Narva Bus Station, Otepää, Paide Bus Station, Palivere, Põlva Bus Station , Pärnu Coach Station, Rakvere Bus Station, Sillamäe Bus Station, Taebla, Tallinn Coach Station, Tartu Coach Station, Tindimäe parking lot, Valga Bus Station, Viljandi Bus Station, Virtsu Port, Võru Bus Station.
NB! Virtsu-Kuivastu and Heltermaa are stops for Saaremaa and Hiiumaa islands!
Good to know!
- Arrive 15 minutes before the departure time to store your bicycle (bus drivers have some cords to secure your bike and also cover (if it is needed)
- Make sure your bike is more or less clean, and remove panniers. Sometimes the front wheel needs to be removed and the handlebars turned.
- You can also transport your bicycle to-from: Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw
To secure your bike place you have to book the ticket in advance, online.
The bicycle ticket booking comes after you have filled in all the rest of your ticket data https://luxexpress.eu/en/
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- Choose destinations, date and time – you will see options and prices
- Choose your seat
- Fill in your personal details – name, e-mail, phone number
- Choose the FREE bicycle place
- Proceed to payment (you will get electronic ticket and no need to print out anything)
All the details in more details from here: https://luxexpress.eu/en/faq/360003971079-Travelling-with/360013514559-How-to-travel-with-a-bicycle/
In case you need to change or cancel your booking:
- your Economy or Standard class tickets can be changed more than 1 hour before the Original departure with paying the price difference between the economy class ticket and the new travel ticket.
- more than 24 hours before the Original departure, the Carrier refunds 100% of the Standard or Comfort class ticket fare (Economy ticket is with discount/campaign price and can not be refunded).
- Get detailed rules from here – https://luxexpress.eu/en/ticket-sales-rules/
Other bus companies:
In general no focus or much mentioned about transporting bicycles. You can not book your bicycle place. In most cases it is still free but it depends if there is enough space in the luggage compartment. We suggest to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure. Travelling on weekdays and midday is also better option as then less people and less luggage.
Tartu Bussikeskus – https://www.bussikeskus.ee/et/regular-services
MK Autobuss – https://www.mkautobuss.ee/soiduplaanid
GO Bus – Rules they that bicycle must be covered or packed in the box – https://gobus.ee/en/bus-routes/long-distance-routes/
Taisto Liinid – Pay 4 EUR per bicycle to ensure your place – https://express.taisto.ee/pagas-ja-loomad/?lang=en
Estonian Lines – https://superbus.ee/
Hansa Liinid – https://www.hansaliinid.ee/en/liinireisid/intercity-lines/
Flixbus – 3 bikes per bus, handled as special luggage, charged 8-18.99 EUR per bicycle. Have to be booked in advance.
Using racks behind the bus or luggage compartment. https://shorturl.at/iBDUZ
Cargobus delivery – Alternative option for taking the bicycle with you is sending it separately by bus. Let’s say you arrive at the bus station 20 minutes before departure and the bus driver says , sorry, no space for your bicycle. You will manage with that 20 minutes to send your bicycle through cargobus and your bicycle will still be travelling to your destination (office next to bus station).
Offices at bigger cities https://www.cargobus.ee/en/terminals/ you can use that service in case there are no bicycle places available in the bus or you perhaps need to go 1 night different place/route without bicycle but want the next day arrive to Tallinn and then can take your bicycle conveniently from Bus station.
You can fill the order form online or show up at the Cargobus Terminal. Downside of that service is that they usually pack it in thin plastic wrapping and it will be a lot of plastic. You have to turn your handlebars and sometimes they also ask you to remove the front wheel.
Pricing: Pärnu-Tallinn around 13 EUR per bicycle + extra 3.5 EUR for over 150 cm and 3 EUR for plastic wrapping. You can get your bicycle from their terminals during opening hours or you can also order courier service to your hotel. Parcel will get a tracking number and you will be informed about the arrival time.