From Tallinn Rakvere is an easy day trip — 100 km east on the E20. Direct trains (Elron) take 75–90 minutes; buses are slightly slower but more frequent. Both leave from the central terminals in Tallinn, and the Rakvere station is a 10-minute walk from the old town. By car, it's about an hour and a quarter.
The town is a useful stop on the way to or from Lahemaa National Park (40 km north), Narva (115 km east) and the Russian border, or Tartu (165 km south).