Helsinki - to go or not to go?

I feel that you should take the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. The scenery along the way is stunning, and there are lots fun things to aboard the vessel.

I certainly wouldn't fly from Stockholm to Helsinki. Absolutely take the overnight ferry. It's cheaper than a hotel and is one of the most beautiful scenaries I've seen. If setting aside 2 or 2 1/2 days, I'd use one to see Tallinn for a half day or an overnight and fly to Copenhagen the next day from there. It's a 90 minute ferry from Helsinki. Central Helsinki can be seen in a day or day and half and Tallinn can be seen in a half or 3/4 day. I love Helsinki. Its a small city filled with rich architecture and culture and gives a slightly different flavor over Scandanavia. The harbor/market area is one of my favorites. Lots of outdoor cafes in summer. Russian influence and culture, especially in Tallinn. Definitely worth taking Stockholm and Copenhagen from 7 to 6 days each. In summer, advanced reservations can net you REALLY good hotel deals on very nice business hotels that are nearly empty. Look on tripadvisor for nice hotels and see what deals you can score on their websites.

Michael - Thank you for sharing your feelings (I guess I asked for it!). What ferry did you use? I've seen the Viking ferries described as "party boats", but the Silja a bit quieter. Douglas - I assume you are referring to Tallinn Estonia? So you suggest an overnight ferry ride to Helsinki, then spend the night in Helsinki, take another (shorter) ferry ride to Tallinn the next morning, then fly from Tallinn to Copenhagen on that second day? Intriguing. Just trying to clarify. Mike

I used Silja. Viking has a reputation as being a "party" boat. Confirmed for me when the Viking boat docked along side at a brief stop at an island around midnight. The Viking passengers on deck threw beer bottles (they didn't hit anything) and made asses of themselves:)

I agree re: Silja line; had great/fun eperience when I took the Silja over-night ferry to Helsinki. Had a nice/clean cabin, the food on board was good, there's a fun and relaxing spa with saunas, whirlpools, steam, massage, etc. and the posts above re: the gorgeous scenery along the way are spot-on. Whole thing is inexpensive, too; costs are kept down since most of the revenue is made from the duty-free shops that the Swedes frequent heavily. Helsinki is pretty and I enjoyed having the better part of the day to tour around/sightsee. Is Helsinki worth TWO nights? IMHO, no, but if one has the time to do the side excursion from Stockholm, it's a good bet; and all made very easy and conveinent with the ferry. Enjoy.

Hi Mike I made your trip two summers ago: Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Copenhagen. Be aware you'll need two suitcases. One small for clothes and one large for $. Not kidding here - great trip though. Susan

With careful advanced planning, the Baltic region can be very reasonable, certianly no more expensive than Paris or London. Avoid heavy consumption of alcohol and meals can be reasonable. You could do Tallinn in several ways. One is as you described, day and one night in Helsinki, ferry the next morning, spend the afternoon and second night in Tallinn and fly to Copenhagen the next morning. Or you could spend 2 nights in Helsinki and just do Tallinn as a day trip. Maybe base your decision on flight costs between the two airports? There is also a ferry from Stockholm to Tallinn so you could do that, spend the day in Tallinn and then take the ferry to Helsinki that evening and have 2 nights in Helsinki. BTW - Tallinn is a wonderfully intact Medeival city with great churches, winding hilltside streets, a palace for Czarina Catherine the Great, a cottage for Czar Peter the Great and an funky revitalized warehouse quarter.

I've lived there & yes Helsinki is really nice BUT. Lot's of people go to Helsinki, and lot's of it is kinda like what you will see in Stockholm or Copenhagen. I write it again & again that the ferry to Turku is shorter and stays among the islands A LOT more. It's a much more beautiful ferry route and Turku is a really neat old city with a big castle right on the waterfront. Turku is the old capital city, from back when Helsinki was a village. Also, if you like the out of doors and/or the sea, stop in Åland on your way, maybe spend a little time there. It's fabulous. Also if you want to see something more different from all of western Europe, go to Tallinn. Helsinki is indeed very nice. But Turku and Åland are really special. And Tallinn's pretty cool too.

Thanks to all who responded. Turns out we won't be including Finland on this trip. Sam - I found your advice to be particularly helpful. Next time I have the chance to visit Finland (and I WILL have that chance), I'll be sure to include Turku in my plans. Since I read your post I did some reading about Turku and it sounds very intriguing. Thanks much for your suggestions! Best regards,
Mike

My favorites for Helsinki were the boat from Stockholm and Suomelinna (?) Island. I also enjoyed wandering the downtown area. Is it just me or are Finns the friendliest people in the Baltic area? Not that everyone else is unfriendly (except Russian customs and museum workers), just that the Finns seem to stand out in a positive way. Talinn has one of the best medieval centers I've seen. Definitely worth the high-speed ferry for a visit.

Just returned from Helsinki and Stockholm yesterday. Stayed in Copenhagen last year as well. Helsinki is a great place, I highly recommend a visit. It's not like Copenhagen and Stockholm like one poster her suggests. I find every city I've been to in Europe is unique. This all being said, Copenhagen looks just like Stockholm...