Tallinn · Month comparison
November vs May
May ranks #1 overall vs November at #7. Sweet spot of the year: 17 hours of daylight, lilacs in Kadriorg, hotels still under EUR 150, no cruise volume yet.
November
#7 of 12 months
Avoid
PÖFF Black Nights Film Festival (mid-Nov to early Dec) is one of Europe's top 15 — Tallinn's real cultural draw.
- ↑PÖFF (Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival) 200+ films across the city
- ↑Christmas market setup visible on Town Hall Square late month
May
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Sweet spot of the year: 17 hours of daylight, lilacs in Kadriorg, hotels still under EUR 150, no cruise volume yet.
- ↑Kadriorg lilacs and chestnuts bloom mid-month
- ↑Sunset at 22:10 enables walking-tour evenings
| Factor | November | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 2 | 8 |
| Value score | 9 | 7 |
| Crowd score | 10 | 6 |
| Events score | 7 | 7 |
| Atmosphere | 6 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 4°C | 15°C |
| Monthly rain | 65mm | 35mm |
| Daily sunshine | 1hrs | 8hrs |
November trade-offs
- ↓1 hour of sunshine per day — clinically dark month
- ↓Cold rain often turns to sleet
- ↓Christmas market doesn't open until ~Nov 28
May trade-offs
- ↓Baltic still cold for swimming (10C)
- ↓Pre-summer thunder showers can be heavy
- ↓Last week sees first cruise ship arrivals — 2,000 day-trippers
Scores compare months within Tallinn. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →