Ferries to St. Petersburg Russia

St Petersburg, sitting at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea, has been a major port city and an attractive destination for sea travellers for decades. Today, many holidaymakers enjoy the ferries to St Petersburg Russia from Scandinavia; they relax and enjoy the world passing by as they steadily work their way towards their destination.
Ferries to St. Petersburg Russia

Holidaymakers use two main ferry routes from Scandinavia to St Petersburg. Helsinki has the amazing fortress of Suomenlinna, lively festivals, and is one of the trendiest places in Europe to have a night on the tiles. From Helsinki, ferries to St Petersburg take around 12 hours, and sometimes stop at the Estonian capital of Tallinn along the way.

Stockholm to St Petersburg is another popular route – most visitors love the Royal Palace of Stockholm and the city’s old town, as well as exploring the archipelago and enjoying the city’s beaches. The voyage from Stockholm takes longer, at around 37 hours – so travel in style and comfort by booking into a cabin, and enjoying the on-board shops and restaurants. 

There are other methods of getting to St Petersburg, of course, but main advantage of coming by sea is that you get visa-free entry to the city for 72 hours, as there is a visa-waiver program that permits visa-free disembarkation in St.Petersburg for cruise and ferry passengers. This applies if you participate in St. Petersburg cruise group tour program arranged by a local certified tour operator company. If you travel by cruise, you are required to stay on board at night, while ferry passengers are permitted to book a hotel if they choose to stay in St.  Petersburg for more than 1 night. So, both cruises and ferries to St. Petersburg are attractive for holidaymakers, as arranging a Russian visa can be rather time consuming.

The main advantage of using ferries is that travel costs are cheaper than cruises, which call at multiple Scandinavian ports, while it’s still easy to visit other cities, particularly including Tallinn. Ferries to St Petersburg Russia are also an attractive way of getting around if you value your independence, as you can choose however long you would like to stay in a city, as well as planning your own activities.

However, if you are on a budget and want to stay in St Petersburg for 2 or 3 days, then select your mode of transport carefully. Although ferries to St Petersburg may seem more affordable at first, St Petersburg hotels and restaurants can be very expensive, particularly in the summertime. Cruises on the Baltic Sea include accommodation and generally also include most meals, so may offer better value when all your costs are taken into account.

Some people also prefer cruises to ferry as an itinerary is worked out for them, and they enjoy the chance to make friends on board and make the most of the on-board entertainment provided.

Whether you choose to use a ferry to St Petersburg or prefer to join a Baltic Sea cruise, you’ll have a relaxing time on board your ship.

By Natalia Rogachyova on Google+ Liked the article and wish to thank or share? Feel free to click your favourite button or leave a comment.

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