Helsinki: Go before or after "Best of Scandinavia" tour--and how?

What would save the most time would be to fly from the US to Helsinki at the start of your trip. After you visit Helsinki, take the overnight ferry to Stockholm where the RS tour starts.

The ”long overnight ferry” really isn’t that long. Eating dinner, sleeping, and breakfast take up a good portion of the trip. You also get to enjoy the spectacular scenery in the Stockholm archipelago in the morning hours as you sail into Stockholm. If you fly, you waste time sitting in an airport.

A lot of folks on this site have taken the Ferry from Tallinn Estonia to Helsinki Finland. It runs 7 times a day and takes 2 hours one way. You have some time to study this option. Maybe someone else will have done this and will tell you their experience. I was in Finland when you could visit Russia. Helsinki was much like the Scandinavian cities maybe a bit more relaxed. Bon Voyage!

If the tour starts in Stockholm, it makes sense to do this before the tour. And no, you wouldn't really save much time by flying. Yes, it's a long ferry trip, but you'll be sleeping for most of it. And having dinner and breakfast. And the views of the Stockholm archipelago are well worth it.

But if you're looking to add a place east of the Baltic sea to the tour, my suggestion would be Tallinn. Any particular reason for choosing Helsinki?

We're taking the BoS tour later this summer, starting in Helsinki for 3 nights, then a quick one-hour flight to Stockholm to catch the tour. It seemed to make more sense to add Helsinki to the front of the tour because there were no good flight options out of Bergen.

The Bergen airport just didn't have good choices for us, coming or going. In fact, we decided to add a 3 night layover in Paris on the way back so we wouldn't end with a midnight arrival home.

Thanks to all for your comments, which are leading me to consider three nights in Helsinki upon arrival from Boston, before the RS BoS tour begins. I'm now inspired to look at a day trip while in Helsinki to visit Tallinn as well. My thinking is: "I've traveled all this way to visit this corner of the world, so why not add Helsinki, a world capital with its own 'quirky culture' (Rick's words);" and now your comments have prompted me to read up on Tallinn as well -- so, again, I say "Why not visit here, too, while I'm in the neighborhood?" Then, yes, as you've recommended, I'll explore taking the overnight ship from Helsinki to Stockholm, which will put me at the the right city to meet up with the start of the RS tour--and I'll be well over my jet lag before that first-day orientation meet & greet.
—If anyone does the same route, as I've described, later this year, you are WELCOME to report how it went and any tips for those following in your steps. Thanks again to everyone for their comments.

I'm now inspired to look at a day trip while in Helsinki to visit Tallinn as well.

You can take the ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm or from Tallinn to Stockholm. Rather than do a day trip to Tallinn, you can visit Tallinn and spend the night and then take the ferry to Stockholm (or vice versa).

The overnight ferry to Stockholm is so much better than a flight in my opinion. It would be a shame to travel to Stockholm and not see the beautiful archipelago; the ferry gives you that opportunity.

Laura: GREAT idea, leaving Tallinn for last and then going to Stockholm! Thanks!

One caveat - I think the ferry from Tallinn to Stockholm might operate every other day in May. If it is not operating on the day of your departure, you could do the 2 hour crossing back to Helsinki and then take the Helsinki - Stockholm ferry. Alternatively, since the Helsinki - Stockholm ferry runs daily, starting in Tallinn and then traveling to Helsinki might be more efficient.

Something to consider based on what the ferry schedules are:
- fly directly into Tallinn from the US (you will likely need 2 nights since you will have to deal with the jet lag)
- next take the ferry to Helsinki (2 days/ 1 night)
- Next, the overnight ferry to Stockholm

OR if the ferry schedule works, you can flip the order of Tallinn and Helsinki

I agree that you should visit Helsinki first.

But my reasoning is different. You will be flying in from Boston. Visiting Helsinki first, or Tallinn, or a combination, will allow you to adjust to the new time zone and get over any jet lag.

Helsinki and Tallinn are seven hours ahead of Boston. Stockholm is six.

If you want to do this, my suggestion is that you visit Tallinn first, then Helsinki and then take the ferry to Stockholm. There are no direct flights from Boston to either of the cities as far as I can tell, so if you have to change somewhere you might as well start in Tallinn, it is connected to all major European hubs. Spend two nights in Tallinn, it gives you a bit of extra time to adjust to jet lag, and it is the more interesting city in my opinion.

As Laura mentioned, the Tallinn-Stockholm ferries might not be daily in May. The route currently runs every other day. On the other hand, Helsinki-Stockholm has daily departures with two companies to choose from, Silja Line and Viking Line. There is quite a bit of competition between them, so the prices might be lower and you have two different ships to choose from. The onboard service might also be a bit better since they try to outdo the other.

Here is a timelapse of the views by the way, in case someone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8sFlLhZU4o