Helsinki to Tallinn!

Hi Folks!

We are looking to do a few days in Helsinki followed by a few days in Tallinn in August. I understand there is a ferry that links Helsinki to Tallinn. Is this an easy trip?

i.e. is it logistically easy to get from a central part of Helsinki (i.e. wherever we are staying) to wherever this ferry departs from? Clueless New Yorker here! Thanks a lot :)

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There are two ports, Linda and Viking depart from the centrally located South Harbor, others depart from the West Harbor, a short a cab ride away.

In Tallinn they arrive ~15 mins walk from the center, if luggege, I%26#39;d take a cab. Note; set the price before entering a cab in Estonia, they are known to over charge.

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This trip is hugely popular with visitors to both cities, largely because it is a piece of cake and inexpensive. It%26#39;s only 50 miles capital to capital.

Helsinki is a small city and all ports used by the Tallinn ferries are a short taxi ride from the center. Even an American may well find the distance walkable, heh heh.

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Hi there, there are nowadays 3 companies running the ferrybusiness between Helsinki and Tallinn. You can see the timetables and rates as well ferry presentations in www-pages:

Viking Line / Viking Express

www.vikingline.fi

Tallink Silja / biggest ferries

www.TallinkSilja.com

Linda Line - smallest ferries

www.lindaline.fi (I will not recommend)

It%26#39;s about 2 hours trip oneway; there are restaurants and cafes, money exchange, entertainment, karaoke etc. and tax free liquire shops onboard. Tax free is not real tax free anymore, the price level is about Estonian level = cheaper than in Finland anyhow.

About taxis in Tallinn: the rate is not needed to be negotiated when entering the taxi, all taxis have meter but different companies are using different rates and many of them will try to cheat you for ex. charging the rate in Euros in stead of local krones (BIG difference).

I personally use only white Tulika Taxos that can be trusted, you can easily see the logos in doors.

In Tallin you can also choose the taxi which you want(=trust), even from the middle of the taxi line!

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I am doing a similar journey next month, except it will be a day trip.

What can I feasibly achieve when it comes to sightseeing if I am daytripping in Helsinki?

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A day is enough time to get the feel of Helsinki. You could explore the city center (Kauppatori market place, Senate Square, Russian-built Uspenski Cathedral) plus the Suomenlinna fortress islands. Look back in this forum for past advice to one-day visitors, of which there is quite a lot.

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Hi halankar,

We are regular visitors to Helsinki and love it, IMHO visiting Tallinn is a must do on your list. It%26#39;s very easy to do by just catching a ferry over. The other local%26#39; members have listed all the ferry companies for you.

Also have a look on my traveler%26#39;s list it may give you some extra tips.

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i19176-Getting_…

Have Fun.

EM.

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We just returned from a trip to that area flying from NY to Helsinki. We pre-arranged the Viking Express from their US agent (kenneth@bortonoverseas.com) and selected a private cabin. It allowed us a bit of relaxation for the 2 1/2 hour trip. The ship is terrific and if you enjoy people watching, it is a great adventure.

We pre-arranged for a half-day tour of Estonia and the guide met us at the port. If you have any interest, contact Marius at www.101turas.lt We used his company%26#39;s services for private tours in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All 3 guides were excellent!

Enjoy

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I am planning for a visit to Helsinki for 1 day and Tallinn day trip as well in August. Just wondering about the 3 companies. Is Linda Line not recommended because they have the smaller boat? Or is it because the service is no where as good? Linda Line seems to be faster. But I am looking at Tallink at the moment. Do I really have to prebuy tickets? Or I can just buy it on the day anyway as those ships can take a lot of people?

In terms of distance to the pier I will be staying at Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre. How far walk is it to the pier?

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Linda Line should be avoided if you plan ahead and have only one day when you can travel. As they have the smallest vessels they are more prone to weather (wind and rough sea) conditions and may cancel their services. Viking and Tallink will travel in almost all foreseeable weather conditions. The bigger ships (Viking and Tallink) have naturally also more services onboard (cafes, dining places, bars and bubs, dance clubs, shops etc.)

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This trip is going to be very simple, no worries! I advise you to take Tallink, at tallinksilja.com you can purchase the tickets. Linda line takes only 1,5 hrs, but it is a very small ship and they easily do cancellations if the weather conditions aren´t good, but Tallink is a big ship, and it only takes 2 hrs to get to Tallinn, and you can enjoy the trip and don´t have to worry if the weather conditions aren´t good. In Tallink there will also be a lot of room because the ship is so big, so you won´t have to be purchasing the tickets that early either.

It is easy to get to Länsisatama, the harbor, from downtown Helsinki, just by bus, 15 A if I remember right. You can check the bus stop and bus details from your hotel.

This is how I´ve traveled to Tallinn, and I´ve found it easiest.

Hope this advise helped a bit. Have a wonderful stay!