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Hitch-hiking during night is quite impossible because there aren't many roads for traveling through country neither people enough long ways they have to drive during night. As it is not big transit country you shouldn't hope on truck drivers neither.

Weather is a lot worse problem than small roads or lack of cars. Winters are cold, snow in midland (harder to walk to good spot), early darkening most time of year, rainy weather sometimes for long periods.

"Thanks to" climate warming it is a lot easier to hitch-hike in winter nowadays. But i wouldn't advise trying it on smaller roads.

Many people from rural places goes to work in bigger towns. That means you can get stuck easily because of night on highway next to turnaway from main road. And no gas station near. It is smart to keep some bread, water and chocolate n your bag. Water is almost everywhere drinkable from tap and wells. Even from lakes. The color of lake water might be brown but that is pure turf water.

In Estonia share their rides younger and older, Estonian and Russian origin people, men and women. Even taxi drivers on their way home (for free). You can expect driver to start conversation in Estonian or Russian. English is widely spoken amongst young and middle aged people. Experiences show that Russian-speaking drivers understand well Estonian even if they don't speak it. And Estonian drivers understand Russian same way.

Estonians love foreign visitors and are very helpful showing the right direction and giving instructions.

Not much money can be saved trying to hitch-hike instead of using public transport. But there are places that have lousy bus connection so hitch-hiking is great help then.

Buses that depart from smaller and bigger towns can be found on [http://bussireisid.ee/index.html?MENU=&KEEL=en].

Only Tallinn is big enough you need public transport to get out of the city: [http://soiduplaan.tallinn.ee/?a=p.routes&transport_id=bus&t=xhtml&l=en].

In Estonia there is national carpooling website that gives the opportunity to the driver to post their journey in search of passenger to share the cost of the ride. And vice versa. The website http://www.kyyt.eu/ which is unfortunately in Estonian language only. Although, it's system is pretty basic as you can scroll search from your departure point (kust) to a destination (kuhu) with a date and # of passengers. On main page there are most recent offers. The page isn't very popular though. Similar system also exists in [[Germany]], [[Belgium]], etc.

I would certainly recommend rather hitch-hiking.

* [[Tallinn]], * [[Tartu]] - inhabitants over 100.000

* [[Narva]], * [[Kohtla-Järve]], * [[Pärnu]] - inhabitants over 30.000

* [[Viljandi]], * [[Sillamäe]], * [[Rakvere]], * [[Maardu]], * [[Valga]], * [[Kuressaare]], * [[Võru]], * [[Jõhvi]], * [[Haapsalu]] - inhabitants over 10.000

Crimes related to hitch-hiking '''are not''' common in Estonia. But a hitch-hiker should be totally sober and avoid cars where is even drunken co-passenger.

In 2005 a (drunken) guy who asked for a ride got beaten and robbed. In 2001 happened same thing, but the hitch-hiker was sober.

And be aware there you are all times. No "shorter cuts" are necessary.

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