The only thing better than a European spa break is a cheap European spa break. What’s more, I think I’ve just managed to find one of the best spa break deals out there and went to test out whether it’s too good to be true.
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The Best Cheap Spa Breaks in Europe
There’s been a huge trend in the last couple of years of people travelling in pursuit of an affordable spa trip, often citing how a flight, hotel and spa entry can work out cheaper abroad than the price of a single massage in the UK.
One spa trip that has really caught the attention of the masses is the Therme Bucuresti, the huge spa next to Bucharest Airport.
Whilst I loved visiting that spa, it was very busy and so I’ve been keeping my eye out for other options that deliver both a relaxing vibe and value for money.
And I think I’ve found a great one.
Enter: Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel.
Where is Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel?
Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel is in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. You can fly into Tallinn airport which is around a 3-hour flight from the UK.
Where can you fly direct to Tallinn from in the UK?
- London Stansted with Ryanair
- London Luton with Wizz Air
- London Gatwick with AirBaltic (codeshare with British Airways)
- Manchester with Jet2 (Christmas winter season)
- Birmingham with Jet2 (Christmas winter season)
- Edinburgh with Jet2 (Christmas winter season)
How do you get from the airport to Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel?
There’s a bus you can catch from just outside the airport which takes about 45 minutes and costs 2€. There’s also an option to change in the city centre, and then take another bus to the spa which will also only cost 2€ in total.
There’s also the option to get a taxi which will cost around 8-10€ with a ride service like Uber or Bolt (psst, did you know that Bolt is Estonian?!)
What is the Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel?
Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel is just that – it’s a spa with a hostel attached. Not only can you stay for really cheap, but you get breakfast and unlimited spa access included in the price.
And before all you hostel-haters write this place off (I’m looking at you, James!) let me tell you, this place is nice. In fact, I’d hardly call it a hostel – it’s more like a budget hotel with private rooms with their own bathrooms.
My double room had a desk, TV, kettle and a fridge, as well as some free fruit.
However, the thing that makes it super cheap is that there’s also an option to book a bed with 4 bunk beds and a shared bathroom, meaning if you were after a super cheap group getaway, this would be a great option.
Especially when you remember that breakfast is included in the price and there’s everything from scrambled eggs, cheese, cold meats and sausages to pancakes, mini pastries, cereal fruit and more.
What are the facilities at Tallinn Ring Spa?
Whilst the hostel rooms are on the upper floors, the spa area is on the ground floor. As well as hostel guests, the spa is open to the public and you can buy access at the front desk.
Front Desk
After confirming your room, or paying up for access, you’ll be given a wristband that will allow you to open and close lockers and also use to ‘pay’ for any food, drink or extras whilst inside the spa. You can also rent towels from here, but you are able to use the towel from your room if you are staying.
Lockers
A large modern locker room allows you to store your belongings whilst in the spa, using your wrist band to lock your chosen locker. There’s a toilet inside, as well as mirrors and hairdryers for use as well.
Main Pool Area
There’s one main pool, which has fountains, a hydromassage bed and a rapids-style area. There’s also a couple of jacuzzis, a small warm pool and a splash pool for the kids as well.
As well, there’s lots of loungers dotted around the pool for chilling and relaxing.
Group Training
From Monday to Thursday, there are additional group activities which are included in the price. These include AquaFit, health gymnastics, and sauna yoga. You just need to check the schedule.
Spa-bar
You can grab lunch and other meals in the cafe, which serves sourdough pizzas as well as salads, pastas and burgers. You can even wash it all down with a beer!
Saunas
They have a whopping 10 saunas – from typical Finnish and Russian-style saunas to steamy, salty, and even smokey ones!
They run regular sauna rituals where sauna masters take care of the atmosphere so that you can simply relax. There’s also the option to buy yourself a personal whisk from the spa-bar for 5€ (£4.50).
There’s also a cold plunge, if you can handle it!
Massages
For an extra fee, you can book a massage for 30, 40 or 60 minutes. Prices start at 36€ for half an hour if you book in advance.
How much is the Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel?
Now this is the best bit. You can not only stay but also visit Tallinn Hostel Spa for a really decent price.
Rooms start at around £70 a night, though I’ve spotted it as cheap as £61 a night if you’re booking last minute!
That means that if there’s two of you, you get a night’s stay, breakfast and unlimited spa access for just £35 each. Come on, tell me that’s not a bargain!!!
The rooms for four people tend to cost around £104 a night meaning that the price goes down to £26 each if you don’t mind a bunk bed and a shared bathroom.
What an amazing deal!!
My Experience of Tallinn Ring Spa Hostel
When I spotted just how cheap this spa is, I knew I had to test it out myself!!
After landing in Tallinn at 9pm, I walked 5 minutes from arrivals to the bus stop and waited for the bus. Google Maps was super helpful in telling me what bus I needed to get and as it was dark, I opted to get a bus to the city centre and then swap onto another bus which would get me closer to the spa.
Using the bus is super simple in Tallinn as you simply get on at the front door and tap your contactless card on the machine – that’s it!! This journey cost €2 (£1.74) and lasted 60 minutes and so I was covered for my next bus as well.
On arriving at the hostel, I had to pop in my pin to access the building. Now, as I had booked the hostel through a third party, I hadn’t realised that I had not been sent the code yet and so messaged at that point through booking.com. They were super quick to respond and I got my code within 5 minutes but I’m saying this so you learn from my mistake: make sure you have the code before you arrive!
I then used the same code to access the corridor to the rooms, and then my room.
As for the room, I was really impressed. For the price, I wasn’t expecting it to be as well appointed as it was! Also, the bed was so comfortable.
The next morning, I went down for breakfast and whilst the spread was quite simple, it was more than enough for setting me up for the day. I thought I may have to pay extra for coffee, but we were allowed to use the machine as much as we wanted!
Then, it was finally time to use the spa. I took a towel from my room and then checked out, storing everything in the locker in the spa itself. The spa opens at 11am each day and whilst I was one of the first people inside, there was a steady stream of people arriving in the first hour. It wasn’t busy, but it certainly wasn’t quiet either!
I think this was partly as there were lots of families bringing their babies for an early morning session, and also people arriving ahead of Aquafit at 1230.
I spent my morning in the jacuzzis and chilling out in the main pool, before heading to the Ring Cafe – also known as the ‘spa-bar’ for a pizza €8 (£7) and a beer €4 (£3.50). I was seriously impressed with how good the pizza was!!
I then spent the rest of my time in the saunas, moving from one to the other and even doing a cold plunge of three! I was seriously impressed with how modern and clean this area was – it felt so much more fancy than I was expecting for the price.
Overall, I spent 3 hours in the spa but if I was with others, I expect I could have made the time stretch even more!! I also like how, as it’s unlimited, you could do a session in the morning – go and explore the city – and then come back for an evening session as well.
I think for the price, the value is unreal. It really surpassed my expectations.
However, I feel like I should also point out that if you’re after a big fancy spa with all the bells and whistles, this is not it. This is a very nice small spa which is well used by the locals. Part of me wants to say it had a leisure centre feel, but I fear that detracts from what it is. Basically, it really made me understand that sauna is such an important part of people’s wellbeing in Estonia, and so it makes sense that facilities like this are affordable and available for the community!
Due to this, don’t expect this to be an adults-only space. Not only is there a space for kids in the main pool area, but you’ll find them in the saunas too!
How much would it cost to do this as a cheap spa break?
If travelling as a two, and nabbing some cheap flights, it’s totally possible to do this trip for under £100pp.
For example, I’ve found flights that allow you to stay 1 night and have a full day at the spa, for just £50 return.
Then the bus is just £3.48 to get there and back, and your hotel is only £35 each. That includes your breakfast and your spa access.
That means you can do a cheap spa trip to Tallinn for just £87.98pp!!
And, if there are four of you, it could be as cheap as £79.23pp.
Even as a solo traveller, thanks to a slightly cheaper single occupancy rate at the hostel, you could do this trip for just £116.48 in total.
So if you fancy escaping the UK for a calming spa experience but you’ve only got a teeny tiny budget, get yourself to Tallinn!
