The Baltics

We said Goodbye to the Emerald Isle and started our trip through the Baltic port cities. First stop… Oslo, Norway. Our flight from Dublin to Helsinki allowed us a 15 hour stopover in Oslo which we were eager to take advantage of. The one thing we weren’t quite prepared for was how expensive it is. The 1.5 mile shuttle service to an airport hotel is approximately $8.50 per person each way. A 24 hour bus & tram ticket is approximately $21.00 per person. And yes, after some intense research this is the cheapest way to get around.

However, upon exiting the train station we immediately loved the city. You can see the historic buildings as well as the very modern ones like the Opera House all in the same panoramic view. We enjoyed exploring the city center on foot and had lunch along the water front just before the rain started to fall.

Then it was off to Helsinki. We rented a flat in downtown which was perfect. The tram, bus and metro system are very easy to use. Our flat was just 1 block from the tram stop. Prior to arriving in Helsinki, we bought the  48-hour Helsinki card with regional access online for 53.80 euros per person. Expensive yes, but everything in the Baltics is expensive. This pass allowed us to experience much more than we could have afforded otherwise. We highly recommend this card to all tourists that go to Helsinki. We picked up our cards on the lower level of the airport.  The regional access included the train to and from the airport as well as all modes of public transportation. We also enjoyed the Hop-on Hop-off bus tour around the city (included). Entrance to the Finland National Museum (included). A 1.75 hour Canal Boat cruise around the islands of Helsinki (included). Lastly, we went to the Suomenlinna Fortress on one of the islands (ferry & museum entrances included).

At the end of our 3 day visit we took the tram to the brand new West Ferry terminal. We boarded a “ferry boat” that would take us across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia. Much to our surprise when entering the boat, it was a cruise ship, really I’m serious. It had 9 decks, multiple bars, restaurants and even live entertainment in several areas of the ship. We opted to snag a booth in the theater where we played cards while listening to a live band and saw a magician act. It was a quite an experience for a 2 hour ferry ride.

The weather on the day of our ferry trip was foggy with constant rain. That made our taxi ride and walk to our apartment in Tallinn less than pleasant. We didn’t get off the ship fast enough so we were unable to get one of the taxis waiting at the port. We had to wait in the queue for 10+ minutes in the pouring down rain until some of them made it back to pick up passengers again. Our tip is to make haste when exiting the ferry ship so you can be at the head of the queue for a taxi.

This may come of a surprise for some of our friends from the hotel  industry but we finally broke down and used Airbnb. Since both have spent our careers in the hotel industry we have tried our best to avoid supporting that business. Unfortunately, it was our best option for a flat in Tallinn within walking distance of old town. We stayed in the Kalamaja district right across from the main train station. I have to admit that it worked out perfectly.

Old Town Tallinn is wonderful with cobblestone streets, little shops, restaurants and history at every turn. We enjoyed just walking around and people watching. The cafes in Old Town are about 30% more expensive than those in the Kalamaja district. There is also a very nice market with fresh fruits, veggies and meats just outside the Central Train Station.

The only public transportation we needed was a public bus to take us across town on our last day to the Central Bus Station.

We are currently on a bus from Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia where our adventure continues…