As of February 1, 2024, the primary border crossing between Russia and Estonia, connecting Russia’s Ivangorod and Estonia’s Narva, has been closed for transportation due to repair and reconstruction while remaining open for processing passenger traffic. The closure has prompted changes in how bus passengers heading for Tallinn or Riga should navigate customs, border control, and security checks, as indicated in a press release by Lux Express, the largest coach operator on the route based in Estonia.
The travel time from St. Petersburg to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is just six hours through the Ivangorod-Narva border checkpoint, making it the most comfortable and fastest route. Most travelers have traditionally preferred coach rides, with alternatives like trains, ferries, and planes proving to be less popular and, in some cases, no longer available after losing competition to coaches or being halted for various reasons.
Since the end of February 2022, due to well-known political tensions, Estonia has restricted entry for Russian tourists while still permitting it for certain categories of travelers such as students, relatives of Estonian citizens, non-Russian nationals, clients of medical establishments, etc.
Before the start of the reconstruction, travelers would leave the coach on the Russian side with their luggage and passports, undergo checks on both sides, and then reboard the same coach at the border point to continue their journey to Tallinn or Riga, the capital of Latvia.
The closure of the border crossing for transport has slightly modified this process. Starting from February 1, two buses are now required, and passengers must carry their luggage a bit further.
Here’s how it works now:
- A coach from St. Petersburg arrives at the border and stops 250 meters from it.
- Passengers take their bags and proceed through security, passport control, etc.
- They then head to Petrovskaya square in Narva, where they board another bus that takes them to Tallinn or Riga.
Detailed information and instructions for crossing the border are provided on the back of the passenger’s ticket. By the way, that’s the border crossing where an amazing incident with a crow, a tourist, and a tourist’s passport took place.
Schedule of Coaches St. Petersburg — Tallinn — St. Petersburg
| St. Petersburg — Tallinn (daily) | Tallinn — St. Petersburg (daily) |
| 8:45 | 7:00 |
| 16:00 | 15:45 |
| 23:15 | 23:00 |
Local time.
Stops in Narva, Sillamae and Johvi.
Schedule of Coaches St. Petersburg — Riga — St. Petersburg
| St. Petersburg — Riga (daily) | Riga — St. Petersburg (daily) |
| 11:30 | 07:30 |
| 23:30 | 18:45 (from Riga’s airport at 17:45) |
Local time.
Stops in Narva and Tartu.