I am planning a trip with my friend for two weeks in October. We are two 30 year old females. We are trying to get to three capitals and are deciding between Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and St. Petersburg
I am planning a trip with my friend for two weeks in October. We are two 30 year old females. We are trying to get to three capitals and are deciding between Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Any feedback on any or all of the cities would be great!
We travel frequently and love to try new areas but this area is new to both of us. We are looking for advice on the cities that are must-see's or passes and how much time to spend in each.
Hi Dejazzaz. I have been to all of these towns. Tallinn is a very beautiful town - cobbllestones, tower walls, small & quaint - definitely my pick. (I stayed at a hotel called Unique Stay - it was well regarded on tripadvisor -cheap & well located) Helsinki is a big city - it's nice enough to see in a day. It's a good place to fly into. Riga is ok, but nothing remarkable. There is a very good museum relating to the war & what the Russian did - very moving. St Petersburg is amazing - you have a lot of history & culture there. It's an amazing place! I don't know how hard it would be as an independant traveller. I was there a few years ago & as part of a tour through Russia. Think have probably changed now as the country opens up.
In summary, Tallinn is really special - I loved it. St Petersburg is big but you'll constantly be in awe. Helsinki is ok, but to get to Tallinn, esiest way is to fly to Helsinki & the catch the ferry over. If you're coming from the UK, some cheap airlines fly to Tallinn. Riga is nothing special.
I was in the Baltics in 2006 so if you want, I can send you my trip report & link to photos. I started in Helsinki (had been there before so didn't really do much) then to Tallinn, Riga etc. Russia was years before so have no stories / pics.
It will be cold BTW!
Enjoy your trip & let me know if you want the pics / info.
I have recently been to all of those cities. St. Petersburg is one NOT to miss. So much to see there. Personally I would skip Helsinki and also see Tallin and Riga. Been to Helsinki twice and there is not too much to see or do other than the Rock Church, Sibelius Monument and the market square. The others three are more interesting in my humble opinion.
Just returned from a cruise that stopped at these cities. Tallin was my favorite. An old cobble stoned city, narrow streets with plenty of shops and resturants, very good food and friendly people. Loved it!!! St Petersburg is a ONCE must see. The Hermatage is hugh and should not be missed, you need one day. Take some tours to see the city and the palaces, well worth it. Do not travel alone, it can be risky. The other cities are just OK. If you miss them nothing is lost. Spend the time in the two mentioned. Have fun.
Riga is very cosmopolitan and fun. I'd recommend including it in your trip. Tallinn is quieter and quainter, so it would be a different kind of experience. I haven't been to Helsinki, but have never heard of anything that made me want to go there. St. Petersburg is, as others have said, the absolute must.
You should not miss St Petersburg and I would spend at least 3 days there to just scratch the surface. We were just there in June and had a fabulous guide that I would highly recommend. Her name is Olga Miniuk and her email address is olga_miniuk@mail.ru. You can tell her all that you want to see or have her put together an itinerary for you based on your time. She is also a translator so her English is excellent and she is expert in the history and art you will see. You will definitely want a guide as much as possible as Russia is very difficult to navigate on your own and very few people speak English.
Agree with the other posts. One suggestion - if you don't want to move luggage for a short stay in Helsinki, you could do it as a day trip from Tallinn. Fast ferries make the crossing in less than 2 hours. Check available transportation options before finalizing your decision. Several years ago, it was easier (and faster) to reach St. Petersburg from Helsinki than from the other ciites; that could still be the case.
To me, Helinski is another generic big city. I would suggest St. Petersburg that I think is magnificent, Tallinn is charming and Riga (the historic center of Riga is a Unesco World Heritage site) as the best choices.
Another not to be missed city in the Baltic is Vilnius, Lithuania. It has a beautiful old town, lots of wonderful little shops, beautiful old buildings and churches, great little restaurants, prices are very reasonable (cheap) and the people were beautiful and friendly - give it a thought also.
St Petersburg is an absolute must. My friends and I were just there in May. We took a 2 day private tour with SPNB tours (there were 8 of us altogether) This tour was stupendous! They employ highly trained, English speaking guides. We had Helen, who also worked as a private guide at the Hermitage and had her degree in Art History and was working on her Masters. We also had them secure tickets for us to the Kirov Ballet at Marensky Palace. A fantastic two days................
I spent four days in Tallinn and loved it. I'd stay at Three Sisters, a boutique property that has an amazing wine cellar. Tallinn is a lovely medieval walled city that has a wide selection of fabulous upper end restaurants, cool bars as well as edgy design shops. If you'd like specific recommendations, let me know. I've also posted about Estonia on my blog. You can check it out for more details.
[This is the definitive answer! Been there and can vouch for statements (ST. Petersburgh ONCE)! QUOTE] Just returned from a cruise that stopped at these cities. Tallin was my favorite. An old cobble stoned city, narrow streets with plenty of shops and resturants, very good food and friendly people. Loved it!!! St Petersburg is a ONCE must see. The Hermatage is hugh and should not be missed, you need one day. Take some tours to see the city and the palaces, well worth it. Do not travel alone, it can be risky. The other cities are just OK. If you miss them nothing is lost. Spend the time in the two mentioned. Have fun. Posted by Ernie Mendillo[/QUOTE]
As others have said, St. Petersburg is amazing and a must-see. However, it is not a capital. If you really want to see 3 capitals as your original question poses, then it would be Riga, Tallinn and Helsinki. I have been to all four cities and found Tallinn the most charming. There are so many things to see in St. Petersburg that you should plan for several days there. Be sure to get your visa for Russia before leaving home. You'll need a Russian sponsor to be able to obtain the visa, but that can be the hotel or a travel agent in Russia.
Thanks to everyone for their feedback- it was much appreciated! We decided to do Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg, AND Moscow. It's an aggressive itinerary but we are really excited!! Another quick question- I am doing research on getting from Tallinn to St Petersburg and I am finding that the bus takes 8 hours!! Has anyone taken the bus before? Is it safe? Were there any problems at the Russian border? Lastly, would it be easier (albeit more expensive) to fly? Thanks again!
I would fly and take one of the big carriers. I was in the Baltics recently and flew Airbaltic which is the state carrier for Latvia. It was a big mistake. I was away from home on a 4 week business trip and had two large bags. They charged me 315 euros for the extra bag. Their standard policy is one free checked bag of 20kg. They then charge 19 euros for each leg of a journey for an extra bag, but your limit is still 20 kg. Anything above that limit will cost you severely, 10 euros per kg for each leg of your journey. On top of that their flights ran consistently late by 30-90 minutes. Avoid AirBaltic at all costs. I would choose Finnair or SAS.
