We will be making this trip in June 2017 and I see there are three companies that ply the waters between the two. Any tips on which is best? By "best," I mostly mean clean, nice seating...don't need upscale. We won't have a car.
Also, I'm thinking that it is best to make this trip during the day because of the beauty of the area we will pass through? Am I right?
Any input appreciated. Thank you!
We took an afternoon ferry between Helsinki and Tallinn and an overnight ferry from Tallinn to Stockholm in May 2016. One was Silja and the other was Viking and both were good.
The Rick Steves Scandinavia book really helped us figure out the ferry system because it can be confusing. I highly recommend getting that book to help you with your plans!
Thank you Rita. We have friends we will be visiting in Helsinki, and Stockholm too, but am reluctant to ask them so many questions! Thought people here might have experience with the same situation and opinions I wouldn't find in the book.
Rick also has an article specifically about the ferry options and what to expect: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/cruising-in-scandinavia.
I did this trip on Tallink Silja. I got a private cabin. It was perfectly quiet for sleeping. It was clean and comfortable. There was also plenty of party atmosphere for those who sought it out.
I'm guessing most of us on this forum who have done this trip have done it only once, so not too many can offer a comparison based on personal experience as to which is nicest.
To the best of my knowledge, there is only one sailing per day, and it is overnight. But in June it will never be completely dark on this trip. And departure time is about 6pm, so that gives you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery before bedtime. The best scenery is in the first few hours.
Thank you Lane. Appreciate this and the link. I didn't think about the fact it will be light. That's important!
I would take an overnight ferry in June. It will be light until close to 11 pm and most of the scenery is in the Stockholm archipelago. By the time it gets dark, there won't be much to see. The sun will be back up by 3:30 am or so, No need to waste a travel day sitting on a boat. The overnight ferry is a very economical way to travel as you can get a cabin for a price that is often less than a hotel room.
When deciding between Silja and Viking, I'd choose based on price. I've traveled on both lines. On my last trip (2014), I chose Viking because I was able to get an A class cabin for a very good price. We had an outstanding dinner in their Food Garden restaurant.
I'd avoid the C class cabins as they are below the car deck.
Thank you! This is just the info I was looking for. Thank you so much Laura.
