How to Distinguish
- Country-code top-level domain is .ee
- Pedestrian crossings have four stripes
- Local buses often have three panes per window
- Regulatory signs frequently have no border
- Street-name plates often end with “‑tee”
- Numbered signs (speed limits, etc.) tend to face perpendicular to the roadway
- Bollards have circular tops when viewed from above
- Only Estonia writes “zone” signs as ALA
- How to spot the Baltic trio
Signs you can find
Numbered signs stand perpendicular to the carriageway, making the digits easy to read. Looking straight down on a bollard reveals a round cap, unlike Latvia or Lithuania.
Crossings use four bars and many signs lack a border. “ZONE” signage is written ALA. In the comparison below, the borders (or lack thereof) are, from left to right: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Look for orange post boxes branded “EESTI POST” or “Omniva”.
Among the Baltic states, only Estonia uses red-backed chevrons. The two signs on the right are Latvia and Lithuania. (参考文献 Map of European Road Curve Chevron Signs)
Utility poles have distinctive tapered shapes and bracing compared to neighbouring countries.
You might spot vehicles from Bolt, the Estonian-born unicorn. However, Bolt cars also operate in Latvia and elsewhere, so treat this as a soft clue.