Via Baltica: by car to Tallinn and by ferry to Helsinki
The Via Baltica is a long journey, but a nice one: through Poland, Lithuania and Latvia you go to Tallinn, and from there you are quickly in Helsinki by ferry. Here's what we've researched, with the source to each number. What we could not measure ourselves, we leave open.
Compiled and checked by Arjan (Zuidlaren) · own research, sources on each number below · as of 21 October 2026 · About this page
The route from Utrecht
Tallinn is ± 2,144 km, about 24.2 hours without stops or traffic jams. With children, it quickly turns into three or four driving days; Vilnius and Riga are well on the way.
| Stopover | Distance from Utrecht (one way) | Driving time (without breaks) |
|---|---|---|
| Vilnius | ± 1,677 km | ± 17.0 hours |
| Riga | ± 1,835 km | ± 19.6 hours |
| Tallinn | ± 2,144 km | ± 24.2 hours |
To the ferry port of Tallinn (Terminal D) it is 2,146 km; per country: NL 170 km · DE 499 km · PL 738 km · LT 298 km · LV 260 km · EE 181 km. Fuel back and forth to Tallinn we estimate at ± €531 (6.5 l/100 km Super 95, average price per country, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin 19 Oct 2026).
Vignettes and tolls
- Poland: section toll (e-TOLL) on part of motorways; not calculated, see etoll.gov.pl.
- Lithuania: no vignette or toll for cars (category M1); the road charge applies to buses and commercial vehicles (Via Lietuva,).
- Latvia: The vignette applies to trucks, not cars (CSDD).
- Estonia: the road charge applies to heavy goods vehicles, not to cars (Transpordiamet).
- Germany and the Netherlands,: No vignette or toll for cars on this route.
The ferry Tallinn-Helsinki
Three ferry companies carry cars between Tallinn and Helsinki. According to their own websites, the crossing takes:
| Ferry company | Ship | Crossing | Terminal Tallinn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallink | MyStar / Megastar | 2 hours | DD |
| Tallink | Victoria I | approx. 4 hours | DD |
| Viking Line | Viking XPRS | 2.5 hours (schedule 2:30–2:40) | A |
| Eckerö Line | Finlandia | 2 hours 15 minutes. | A |
Pay attention to the check-in time by car: At Eckerö Line, the car check-in closes 45 minutes before departure. Departure times change by day and season; the port of Tallinn puts them online every day.
💡 Price of the crossing
A price for a family with a car depends on the date, time and load. Price: see official website of the shipping company (Tallink, Viking Line, Eckerö Line).
And then to Finland?
Helsinki is where Scandinavia begins. Our sister site Scandinavië op Reis shows what a trip there costs in the dossier Cost and budget for Scandinavia.
Overnight stops on the way
🏨 Vilnius →🏨 Riga →🏨 Tallinn →
Would you rather fly and rent a car on site? 🚗 Rent a car in Estonia with DiscoverCars →
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Sources and method
- Route Utrecht–Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn (bereikbaarheid.csv) · router.project-osrm.org · Calculated 21 Oct 2026
- Route Utrecht – Tallinn ferry port, own calculation · router.project-osrm.org · 2026-10-21 23:00
- Fuel prices: EU Weekly Oil Bulletin · energy.ec.europa.eu · Price date 19 Oct 2026
- Poland: e-TOLL · etoll.gov.pl · 21 Oct 2026
- Lithuania: via toll (only M2, M3, N1–N3) · vialietuva.lt · 21 Oct 2026
- Latvia: road user charge (vignette) · www.csdd.lv · 21 Oct 2026
- Estonia: Road toll · www.transpordiamet.ee · 21 Oct 2026
- Tallink: Helsinki–Tallinn (MyStar/Megastar 2 hours, Victoria I approx. 4 hours) · www.tallink.com · 21 Oct 2026
- Viking Line: dienstregeling Helsinki–Tallinn (Viking XPRS) · www.sales.vikingline.com · 21 Oct 2026
- Eckerö Line: MS Finlandia, 2 hours 15 min; timetable 2026–2027 · www.eckeroline.com · 21 Oct 2026
- Port of Tallinn: vertrektijden en terminals · www.ts.ee · 21 Oct 2026