Finland, Helsinki - Cruise between Capital Cities

Relaxing cruises between the capital cities of Finland, Sweden and Estonia are readily available in Helsinki at affordable prices.

While the cruises from Helsinki to Stockholm will take around 17.5 hours to complete, a more relaxing and shorter cruise is between Helsinki and Tallinn. This relatively short hop takes just about 2 hours to complete, each way. This means a day excursion from Helsinki to Tallinn can easily be undertaken by tourists who have limited time to spend on their vacations and would thus prefer shorter stays in each of these capital cities.

Typical cruise ship providing rides between Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn, Helsinki, Finland (2017)

And this was what I did when I was in Finland during spring of 2017. A single day trip, free and easy style, to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Historical Centre of Tallinn was taken without much fuss, any guides or pre-arranged tour packages. I booked my return ferry tickets online about a month before my trip and made my way to the designated Ferry Terminal on the appointed day and time.

The plan sounded simple enough but I did encounter a little hiccup prior to the trip; due to my own failings and over-confidence. I had failed to read my booking details more carefully and somehow ended up at the wrong Terminal on the day of the trip. Upon realising that I had been waiting for my ferry in the wrong Terminal, I had to run all the way to the correct Terminal and just barely made it there in time for boarding. The early morning 200-meters sprint from one terminal to another was an unplanned but exhilarating way to start my day trip to Tallinn. Soon, I was on my way to Estonia.

What's a trip without some little hiccups here and there? These are the stuff that usually made for those more memorable trips. 

Onboard the cruise ship on my way to Tallinn, Helsinki West Harbour Terminal 2, Helsinki, Finland (2017)

Passengers on the cruise ship for the trip from Helsinki to Tallinn, Helsinki West Harbour Terminal 2, Helsinki, Finland (2017)

Cars being driven onboard the cruise ship for the trip from Helsinki to Tallinn, Helsinki West Harbour Terminal 2, Helsinki, Finland (2017)

A cruise ship about to leave its berth in the terminal, Helsinki West Harbour Terminal 2, Helsinki, Finland (2017)

Onboard the cruise ship, there were cabins available for passengers with more expensively priced tickets. Because this was a relatively short trip of only about 2 hours, I decided against paying more and instead settled for the lower priced tickets which cost about 40 Euros for a same day return trip between Helsinki and Tallinn. Passengers who bought these lower priced tickets like myself were not allowed to use the private cabins. There were no allocated seatings onboard. Instead, free seating spaces were available on the open decks and within the cafes inside the ship. All these seatings were based on a first-come-first-serve basis. There were also several retail shops within the ship where passengers may window shopped and purchase merchandises.

If you are visiting Helsinki and only have a day or two to spare, why not do what I did and plan a short day-trip to Tallinn. You will definitely fall in love with the Estonian capital city and cultural hub like I did. Credit cards are readily accepted at all shops and cafes in Tallinn. And if you prefer to use cash, Estonia uses the Euro. Thus, you will not need to grapple with an additional currency in your pockets.

The skyline of Tallinn in the background as the Cruise Ship leaves the Estonian capital city on its way back to Helsinki, Tallinn, Estonia (2017)