The answer
Take tram T2 — €2.00 for a one-hour ticket, every ~10 minutes — from the tram stop at the terminal straight to the city centre and on to the Old City Harbour; T4 runs west toward Tondi and connects onward.
The airport's tram line was shut from 2023 while the Rail Baltica terminal and harbour lines were built, and it reopened 1 August 2026 — now, for the first time, TWO tram lines serve the airport, at 10-minute intervals, from a stop steps from Arrivals.
East-side hotels (Viimsi, Peetri, Priisle)? Buses 47/49/65 leave the same transport centre for the same €2.00.
Night landing on a weekday? Trams stop and night buses only run Fri/Sat & Sat/Sun nights — Bolt/Uber to the centre is typically €8–14 (fares here are not regulated).
⚠️ The traps (walk past these)
Every 2023–2026 guide describes the tram shutdown — it is over
For three years the airport tram was replaced by buses during the Vanasadam line and Rail Baltica terminal works. The line officially reopened 30 July 2026, services started 1 August, and the airport now has TWO tram lines plus a new 110-metre passing track at its terminus. Screenshots of bus-replacement arrangements in older guides are stale.
Do this: follow signs to the tram platform at the transport centre — not to a 'replacement bus'
The €2 ticket is bought on your card — tap once, on purpose
There is no conductor and no cash: you buy the one-hour ticket BY tapping a contactless bank card or phone on the validator. Official rule: accidental purchases are not reimbursed — and tapping a Maestro card places a €10 hold (Mastercard €1) released only at end of day. Two cards in one wallet or express-payment enabled means double taps.
Do this: present exactly one card, switch off express payment, and validate again on every boarding
'Tallinn public transport is free' applies to residents, not visitors
Free travel since 2013 is only for people registered as Tallinn residents with a personalised travel card. Visitors ride on paid tickets — and ticket inspectors fine unvalidated passengers on the spot.
Do this: tap your card the second you step aboard, even at 06:00 with an empty tram
Long-distance coach stops have MOVED because of the next tram build
The airport's own warning: construction works for the NEW tram line mean stops for arriving and departing long-distance buses are temporarily changed — and not all coaches will stop at the airport even on request. Lux Express's Tartu-route buses are the named exception that stop at the airport stop.
Do this: confirm on the signage in the transport centre, and book a carrier that actually stops at the airport