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WELCOME TO TRAVEL TIN

My tales from trotting round the world

ABOUT MY BLOG

Hey, I’m Ian, an experienced traveler and founder of Travel Tin. I’ve lived in Cambodia and traveled throughout my twenties across the globe. If you need advice and tips, I can help with regular posts from budgeting to travel health.

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What Expats Must Know About Riga's Healthcare

What Expats Must Know About Riga’s Healthcare

What Expats Need To Know About Riga’s Healthcare If you’re an expat living in Riga, you will probably sooner or later use the healthcare system, so its important to know…
Is Tallinn a good place for foreigners? Tallinn is rapidly building an expat community, so I thought I'd ask the question, is Tallinn a good place to live? Digital nomads are flocking here in big numbers year upon year, and I’m here to tell you why? And what are the pulling factors of this beautiful medieval city? Tallinn has become popular with nomads because of its accessibility for people to work with high-speed Internet, working spaces, reasonable accommodation rates, and the Digital Nomad Visa, which offers business set up within an hour. I'm 36 years old, and my party days are not as frequent as in my early twenties. I'm halfway molding into a pipe and slippers, oldie, lol! Well, not really, but the attraction of a low population of just 1.3 million and 50% of the land being woodland makes me excited. So below, I made a list of reasons why Tallinn should be on your nomad bucket list (Lifes to short guys take the plunge, you won't regret it). Please keep reading to find out more. A City That With Historical Beauty You may be surprised to know that Tallinn's medieval old town is a UNESCO world heritage since 1997 and is beautiful and charming. You have historical hotspots like Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, The town hall, Toompea St Nicholas Churches, KIek in de Kok. The beauty is incredible, and to see this daily, will make you admire Tallinn even more. If you go outside the Old Town, you will find a vibrant modern city that's full of restaurants, cafes, theatres state of the art offices, and much more. Around the port area is the heartbeat of the city, which has a quirky feel. If you head East of the port, that's where you find new shopping centers and businesses. Also in this area, you have the airport not too far away. How Much Is An Apartment? Overall the city is still cheap to live and pretty reasonable with over costs. You can get a lovely modern apartment for around 700 to 1000 euros. In comparison to over cities in Europe like London, Paris, and Berlin you are paying less. But more expensive than Sofia, Beaucorest, Riga, and other central European countries. A good rule of thumb is the further away from the city center, the cheaper it gets, so it depends on what you're after? Other average spends Milk in Supermarket €.75 ($.91) Meal In Old Town €25 ($30) A Bus to Parnu €7 ($6) Average coffee Price €2.80 ($3.40) Crime- Here's What to Know Tallinn, on the whole, is safe. You never feel unsafe, which is just another reason why Tallinn is so great. You do get some pickpocketing and petty crime, mainly in tourist areas—the three places you need to be careful of are the City center, Lasnamäe, and Kopli. But again, this is rare and shouldn't damper your attitude towards Tallinn. Wear a money belt clip and carry cash if you feel its necessary, but again you will be fine, and theirs no reason to feel unsafe here. Tram, Busses, and Bikes Tallinn has some of the best public transport in Europe and even gives free transport to locals, which is incredible. The network of trams, buses, and trains that Soiduplaan runs (local authority) is efficient and can zip you around the city in no time. The payment system runs from a smart card which you can top up from www.pilet.ee a simple, quick method to get about. You also buy paper tickets for one-way journeys. Tallinn's Foodie Guide Estonia itself is not renowned for its cuisine, but its incredible, and the soups are excellent. I'm a big fan of Borsh (Beetroot Soup). You have to try it! Estonians eat a lot of Mashed potatoes, fish (Salmon Mainly), meat, and vegetables. If I was a critique, maybe you could say the foods not diverse enough, but Estonian food is fantastic, you will love it. Do You Need You Brollie?- Tallinn's Climate Review Estonia has a mild summer overall, and a has bleak winter that gets cold quickly from September. The summer is beautiful with plenty of hiking, beaches, and picnics with highs of 25 degrees with a few rainy days. The winter is cold and dark and gets windy fast. Estonia is one of those countries where you get four seasons in one day. If you are coming to Estonia, pick the summer over the winter. You can do so much more. Internet speed & Where To Work/Network Tallinn has some of the best coworking spaces in Europe, With super-fast Wi-Fi full pretty much everywhere. Two of the most significant coworking spaces are Lift 99 and Spring hub. You get a desk and a nice working space, it's an excellent place to meet people and network. Lift 99 starts at 200 euro's p/m & Spring Hub starts at 160 euro’s p/m. For smaller budgets, you can always find other coworking spaces for 100 euro's a month. If your not after a coworking space, you have a great selection of coffee shops with excellent Wi-Fi. Most coffee shops have fantastic coffee and snacks to keep you working for hours. Tallinn's HealthCare System Overall, Estonia's public healthcare system is quite good, but if you want private medical insurance that isn't too expensive, there are many options. It's also worth mentioning many doctors speak English and have a good training level in inpatient care. Will You Make Friends? – Meet The Locals In general, Estonian people are open and talkative, which is beneficial if you want to make friends. They also a little shy compared to western Europeans You also have a diverse Society in Estonia, which comes from the old Soviet Union days. If you don't have Estonian ancestry, you are considered a bit of an outsider and can't even vote or travel without a visa.If you've never been to Estonia before, you'll probably pick this up when you arrive. Society is a little segregate in a way. But overall, Estonia is on the up and again is and open-minded Give Tallinn a Try? I think Estonia is a real gem of a country. You can have a real positive experience here with the West losing its charm and Tallinn catering to digital nomads superbly. With half the country covered in woodland, its sounds like heaven to me. What you waiting for?

Is Tallinn a good place for foreigners?

Is Tallinn a good place for foreigners? Tallinn is rapidly building an expat community, so I thought I’d ask the question, is Tallinn a good place to live? Digital nomads…
How Safe Is Parnu | A 2021 Update

How Safe Is Parnu | A 2021 Update

How Safe Is Parnu? | A 2021 Update If you’re thinking about traveling to Parnu, you always check how safe a destination is before you go. Parnu is the summer…

Hi, I’m Ian

DISCOVER MY STORY

I started traveling in 2006 when I was 21 and still today it’s the best experience of my life! I grew up in a rural town in England and I couldn’t wait to get away and explore the big wide world.

My first destination in 2006 was Singapour, I immediately felt at home and everything felt right in the moment. The hustle and bustle of a different culture, the smell of food, drinking beer on a skyscraper were the stuff of my dreams. I’ve never been happier in my life.

After I visited Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos the dream continued and every day was a new experience with new foods, temples, lush countryside, and quirky boutique hotels. The variance of my days was tremendous from waking up in Jungles to a tropical island sipping an ice-cold beer 24hrs later. My life experience went through the roof. If your thinking of traveling do it, you won’t regret it!

With all this travel experience I started traveltin to help people who want to take the plunge into travel and seek advice. I really want to help people live their dreams and share knowledge and tips to help you have the best trip possible. Life is too short to twiddle your thumbs, get out and do all the things you want to do.

If you need anything just ask! I’ll get straight back to you.

Ian

Thailands Climate Review - When Is The Best Time To Visit Thailand?
Thailands Climate Review - When Is The Best Time To Visit Thailand?
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