Saily in Estonia was less about speed and more about survival — the hotel WiFi clocked 1 Mbps.

Saily, from the makers of NordVPN, offers eSIM data in 150+ countries with a 15% affiliate commission — the highest in the eSIM space. But commission rates don’t matter if the product doesn’t deliver. After a stellar performance in Helsinki (457 Mbps average), we took Saily across the Baltic to Tallinn. The results were more mixed — but in the moments that mattered, Saily saved the day.

Test Location: Tallinn, Estonia

Based at the Hotel Telegraaf (Marriott) on Vene Street in the Old Town. Tests covered the main square, a museum, a market, the bus station, the hotel, and the ferry crossing from Helsinki.

Activation & Setup

Already activated from Finland — the handoff was seamless. Saily connected to an Estonian carrier within seconds of arriving at the port. No toggling, no rebooting, no SIM tray swaps. One of the quiet advantages of a travel eSIM: you don’t even notice the border crossing.

Speed — Six Locations Across Tallinn

We ran six tests spanning the traveler’s day — ferry arrival through bus station departure. The range was dramatic, but the hotel comparison was the real story.

• Ferry (open water): 7.75 Mbps down / 0.42 up — mid-Baltic, ~30 min from port
• Hotel Telegraaf (Saily): 60 Mbps down / 6.66 up — 60x faster than the hotel WiFi, which managed an embarrassing 1.0 Mbps
• Old Estonia (Town Hall Square): 313 Mbps down / 51.3 up — best result, open-air square
• Kumu Art Museum: 116 Mbps down / 16.0 up — inside a modern museum building, respectable
• Bad Habits (Balti Jaama Turg): 7.0 Mbps down / 7.0 up — inside the covered market, thick walls killed the signal
• Tallinn Bus Station: 206 Mbps down / 9.0 up — solid sendoff at Bussijaam

The headline: at the Hotel Telegraaf, Saily delivered 60 Mbps while the hotel’s own WiFi managed 1 Mbps. That’s not a typo. One megabit per second. The WiFi couldn’t load Gmail. Saily streamed video. If you’re staying at the Telegraaf, the eSIM isn’t a backup — it’s your primary connection.

Across all six locations, Saily averaged 118 Mbps down / 15 Mbps up. That’s well below Helsinki’s blistering 457 Mbps average, but still fast enough for anything a traveler needs — and infinitely better than the hotel alternative.

We did re-test the Marriott WiFI at a different time and got 20 up / 20 down so results may vary depending on guest use?

Coverage & Reliability

Saily connected to an Estonian 5G network and held it across most of the city — but Tallinn is smaller and spottier than Helsinki. In the Old Town square, speeds were excellent (313 Mbps). Inside the covered market, they dropped to 7 Mbps. The Tallinn network isn’t bad — it’s just less uniformly blanketed with 5G than Helsinki. Old buildings and market structures create more dead zones.

Zero dropped connections across two days of use. Signal was consistently usable, even at the weakest test locations. Maps loaded, messages sent, photos uploaded — albeit slowly at the market.

Hotspot & Battery

Tethering worked out of the box. Battery drain was comparable to primary carrier usage — nothing unusual. The 25GB plan’s 5GB high-speed cap meant we reserved hotspot for quick tasks only.

Value

At $50 for the 25GB Europe plan ($2.00/GB), Saily’s math works in Estonia even if the speeds aren’t Helsinki-grade. The alternative — 1 Mbps hotel WiFi — makes the value proposition obvious. For travelers based at the Telegraaf (or any hotel with questionable WiFi), Saily pays for itself in frustration avoided.

Tallinn vs Helsinki — The Tale of Two Capitals

Helsinki averaged 457 Mbps across 7 locations on DNA Finland’s dense 5G network. Tallinn averaged 118 Mbps across 6 locations. Same eSIM, same phone, same plan — different country, different network infrastructure. The takeaway isn’t that Saily is worse in Estonia. It’s that Saily reflects the local network it rides on. In both cities, it destroyed the hotel WiFi.

How This Connects to the Seven Senses

• 🧭 Wander (Instinct): Reliable data means following a whim — finding that hidden courtyard, the 4.9-star restaurant three alleys over. Bad connectivity kills serendipity. Even at 60 Mbps, you’re free.
• 🙏 Sanctuary (Spirit): Knowing your connection is private (Saily runs on Nord’s infrastructure) turns a random café into a secure office. Peace of mind is a sense too.
• 👁 Vista (Sight): A working eSIM means Google Maps loads instantly. You’re looking at the city, not squinting at street signs.
• 👂 Cadence (Sound): Music streaming, voice notes to family, the podcast that narrates the city you’re walking through — connectivity feeds the ears.
• 👅 Palate (Taste): The difference between eating at the tourist trap and finding the place with 4.9 stars is a working data connection.

Tested July 17, 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia. Saily Europe 25GB plan ($50). Network partner: Estonian 5G carrier (roaming). Affiliate disclosure: 7senses.ai is a Saily affiliate (15% commission). This review reflects our actual experience.