VirtualRain

Thanks so much for posting. Doing similar itinerary next year. Question for Tallinn our port has been changed to Muuga (the commercial port for Tallinn) which is some 12km away. Did you use a taxi/transfer company to get into Tallinn? Any info on this port would be gratefully appreciated.

Carole

I'm afraid I don't have any information on Muuga, but I did just post my DIY Report for Tallinn. However, we were fortunate enough to be docked right near Old Town. I do have some taxi contact information in my post that may help... everything is here... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1905344

10. Wandering central Old Town: You can soak in the medieval ambiance and do some shopping by wandering around the areas between the town hall square, Viru street, Catherine's Passage (Katariina Kaik) and the city wall.

11. Viru Gate and Wall Access: After exploring the shops along Viru, stop and visit the gate entrance which is flanked by a couple of ivy covered medieval towers. Then proceed down Müürivahe street (home of the knit market) to the Hellemann Tower where you can access the town wall if you like (3-Euro).

12. St. Catherine's Passage: Continue shopping in the area by exploring the narrow alleys and streets in and around Katariina Kaik which hosts medieval style workshops run by guild artists.

13. City Museum: One of a couple of museums housed in a medieval merchant house. This museum covers the history of Tallinn. Admission 3.2-Euro. Open 10AM-6PM in the summer months. We did not visit.

http://linnamuuseum.ee/linnamuuseum/en/

14. Estonian History Museum - Great Guild Hall: Another museum in a guild hall charting the history of Estonia. Open 10AM-6PM (except closed Wed.). Admission 4-Euro. We did not visit.

http://www.ajaloomuuseum.ee/en/visiting

15. House of Brotherhood of Black Heads: This otherwise nondescript 14th century residential building has a bright red, green, and gold door is often featured on postcards. Worthy of a view/photo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_Blackheads

16. Tower Square and City Wall: Exit the confines of the walled town briefly on Suurtuki street to find the Tower Square and great views of the City Wall and towers.

17. St. Olaf's Church: A 14th century Gothic church that dominates the Old Town skyline. You can climb the tower for a view for 2-Euro between 10AM and 6PM (8PM in August).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Olaf's_Church,_Tallinn

18. Great Coastal Gate - Fat Margaret Tower: If you're following this itinerary, this is where you'll exit Old Town on your way back to the ship. This tower was built to impress and it's obvious. It's FAT. It's home to the Estonian Maritime Museum. You can climb the tower (4-Euro) and visit the museum (12-Euro Combo Ticket) from 10AM-6PM during the summer.

http://meremuuseum.ee/en/paks-margareeta

Note that the points of interest for this walking tour (from the top of the hill back down) are listed in the same order on the Google Map for easy reference.

A special thanks to the folks of this forum who helped me plan my day... it was a fabulous time and one of my favourite stops on this cruise.

7. St. Nicholas' Church (Art Museum): The former church, now art museum with art from the Medieval period. We didn't visit.

http://www.nigulistemuuseum.ee/en/niguliste-museum/niguliste-museum

8. Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats): is the square beside the Tallinn Town Hall and is the hub of Old Town. The town hall itself is apparently the oldest town hall in all of the Baltic/Scandinavia region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallinn_Town_Hall

9. Lunch: If you're hungry at any point, I highly recommend any of the medieval themed restaurants to be found down Vanaturu Kael. Here you'll find Olde Hansa, the Peppersack, (both marked on the map) and a few others. At least Olde Hansa (where we stopped) offers a mix of interior and patio seating and an authentic medieval experience ranging from strange menu items like reindeer and mead, to costumed servers. Just don't be in a rush on busy days… the service can be slow.

Once upon a time... would make an excellent intro to this town.

Tallinn, Estonia, is the oldest capital city in Northern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It boasts a charming walled old town where a visit is like a trip back in time to the medieval period.

Tallinn's old town boasts a number of historic points of interest as well as some interesting shops and restaurants and a great flavour of an age long past. It's predominantly pedestrian only cobble stone streets are easily walkable during a port day. However, it is built on a hill that slops down towards the sea, so it can result in a decent amount of exercise depending on how you approach it.

Here's a photo of Old Town as seen from the top of our ship:

Map:

As usual, I've prepared a Google Map of Old Town Tallinn showing many points of interest, some restaurants, and key transportation options.

My Tallinn Google Map

Other Resources:

This site is a fantastic resource for learning more about Tallinn and the key points of interest…

http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/eng/fpage

Getting into Old Town Tallinn:

On Foot:

The Cruise Pier is marked on the map and it's about 1.5km (1mile) to Fat Margaret's Tower at the entrance to Old Town by foot. This is easily walkable for able-bodied folks. However, if you want or need to minimize the walking you do, there are a few options...

If you want to take it a bit easy, the best thing to do is to take a taxi from the pier to the upper far side of Old Town in the morning. Doing so will allow you to enjoy exploring the town as you work your way downhill and save you from walking both up and down.

Taxi:

If you decide to take a taxi from the pier to the upper part of Old Town, book a taxi in advance from the pier to the Nevsky Cathedral entrance and agree to the rate by email for the 2-3km distance which should be about 6-8 Euro. The taxi companies all have different rates with some being exorbitant. The company I used has an English website, corresponds in English, has reasonable published rates, honoured those rates and was promptly on time at the pier.

Taxi company I used

Here is a list of taxi companies and their rates

Here's some additional information on Taxis in Tallinn

Ship Shuttle:

Apparently there was also a ship shuttle between the pier and the lower part of Old Town (marked on my map) but we never witnessed this in action so I'm afraid I can't offer any insight into how effective this was.

HOHO Bus:

I don't recommend the HOHO in Tallinn simply because the buses cannot access the key points of interest within the walls of Old Town. Both City Sightseeng and another company (Tallinn City Tour) offers a HOHO bus tour for 16-Euro. They do offer access to some points of interest outside of Old Town as marked on their maps, however, none of these are nearly as interesting as Old Town itself.

Tallin City Tour

City Sightseeing

What to See:

There are a number of good walking tour recommendations online. If you're walking from the ship uphill into town and then back, I came across a couple other walking tours (Google Brent and/or Rick Steves with Tallinn to find them).

However, if you do like we did, and start your day at the upper most point of Old Town, working your way downhill to minimize walking and maximize time, then here's my recommended walking tour… (with photos)

1. Kiek in de Kok: If you start your day at the Nevsky Cathedral entrance to Old Town at the top of the hill, Kiek in de Kok is just to the left (east) down Komandandi tee. Honestly, this place is more fun to say than it is to visit. While it translates to "peek in the kitchen" I prefer it's phonetic message. :) Regardless of the name, it's a museum in a tower. I wouldn't bother going in, but this is a good place to start with a photo.

http://linnamuuseum.ee/kok/en/

2. Toompea Castle Tower: If you walk back west along Falgi Tee a few feet you'll get a great view of the castle tower.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toompea_Castle

3. Nevsky Cathedral: Now inside the walls of upper old town, the first thing you'll see is Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which is an impressive example of Russian Orthodox architecture. It's worth a brief (and free) visit inside.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_Cathedral,_Tallinn

4. St. Mary's Cathedral: Not the most impressive cathedral but is very old, dating back to the 13th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toompea_Castle

5. Lookout/Viewpoints: There are two courtyards that offer views of the town and nearby area marked on my map. Visit either or both before heading down.

6. Descending down to the lower part of Old Town: you can take either Plikk Jalg or Luhike Jalg both of which start just behind the Nevsky Cathedral. See the map.

FYI - The tram stop for Vigelands Park in Oslo would be Vigelandsparken, one stop beyond Frogner Plass. The tram stops right in front of the park gates, so there isn't a great reason to get off a stop early. Also, your map only marks one of the cruise piers, and since more and more ships are starting to dock at Fillipstad, that might be worth mentioning.

Thanks for your corrections/clarifications... Google Maps doesn't have the Vigelandsparken stop on their map which is probably why I overlooked it. I've updated my map with this and the other cruise dock location.

BTW, I came across your even more detailed Google map here... you should definitely promote that more, it's a fabulous resource!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I'll try to put together a Tallinn and Zeebrugge report as well when I get time.

We will be in Greece for a 3 day cruise plus a week on land of visiting the sites of Paul the Apostle. What will the weather be like in mid-October? What kind of clothes do you recommend? Beautiful photos!!

Thanks.

If its anything like when we were there last year in Oct it will be warm... T-shirts and shorts. :)

A little change has occured to bus 26 ind Copenhagen.

 

Kalkbrænderihavnsgade is not the stop to use anymore, the main gate to the freeport has been moved further north.

 

Now its Stubbeløbgade busstop that is to be used.

 

 

Also worth noticing is that the freeport terminal (direction Færgehavn Nord or UNICEF) is not served in the weekends.

 

You can however walk from Nordhavn Station through the pedestrian gate at Aarhusgade.

 

 

The new terminal that opens in 2014 (pier number 330) will however not be in walking distance from Nordhavn Station.

A solution to this issue is not made yet but it will either be a shuttle bus or a bus service (most likely route 26).

Thanks. Your helpful information was key to my research. We didn't experience the Freeport bus service first hand so this is a great addition.

WOW! Awesome information. We are cruising in early August, and I had decided in order to save a little money - that Rome would be one of the ports that we do on our own - kind of like an episode right off of the TV show "Amazing Race". I loved your review and am now going to find your other reviews as well! {I have printed this one off to add to my other trip documents. You have done all the homework and been so kind as to lump it all together in one post! Thank you very much!!!

Brenda

Thanks again for all of your posts! We are doing a 6 night princess cruise september 3rd and have found that we will be following your post very close in Rome and Santorini, and the one in Mykonos gave us some good ideas as well! I am always looking back at your pictures to get excited for all of our destinations!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Thanks for the kind words. Glad it may be useful.

Just thought you might be interested to know the flowers in the Piazza Navona photo are alive and well and look even lusher than before ... If I could only figure out how to upload a photo, you could see for yourself LOL

 

Thank you for sharing your amazing photography and insights.

Haha... thanks! I wonder if those flowers are tended by a private individual, a company, or the city. :o

Hi, VirtualRain

Could I ask when you said "We worked our way slowly south through town towards the Gardens of Augustus which offers some fantastic views of the sea stacks and Via Krupp…". DO you mean walking or did you take the bus?

I love your report. It's going to be our guide for our July trip.

Thanks!

As Euro Cruiser says, you get to the Gardens of Augustus on foot walking through Capri Town along it's interesting narrow streets/alley ways.

I set up my own google map and then found this post, your map is almost identical to mine :) I guess I am on the right track!

 

thanks for confirming that Naples->Capri is DIY-able

Good stuff. It's absolutely DIY-able :)

And thanks for all the kind words everyone.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Glad this is helpful.

Thanks for the great report. We are visiting the Greek Isles in the Fall and just purchased an entry level Nikon d5200. Any suggestions for versatile lens to bring?

 

Thanks. :cool:

You likely have an 18-55 lens that came with your camera? That's a pretty good start. If you want to invest in something, then perhaps a polarizing filter to reduce glare and reflections and increase contrast and saturation in bright sunlight?

Virtual Rain, Thanks so much for all of your descriptions/pictures, and recommendations! We rented a car from Tony's Car Rental a little walk from the cable car. These people treated us like family and wanted to make sure we had a great experience, and we did! First we drove to Oia and happened into the restaurant that you liked, Terpsi en Oia for coffee and baklava, great treat! Plus the view made us want to never leave. We walked through the town and loved it...and then the tourists arrived (I know, we are, too). We then traveled across the island to the black sand beaches so we could take a dip in the Meditterean. Spent a while there and enjoyed a couple of Greek beers on the beach. So beautiful and calm. I loved that you could sit on the beach, view the sea along side a mountain. I hope to return one day!

Awesome! I will go back one day as well... it's an amazing place.

This post, and the map, is extremely helpful, thank you!!

 

One question though, did you consider adding any of the beaches to your trip? Or did you see one along the road?

As you may have noticed, we didn't consider doing any beaches there... the cliff side of the caldera has so much to offer and we usually get a beach vacation in the tropics every year so it wasn't a priority for us.

Thanks for sharing lovely photos and excellent report(s). We'll be there next May for 2 nites. Will check into possibly renting an ATV for our last day as our flight back to Athens doesn't leave 'til 7:40 p.m.

Next time I go will be at least for a couple of days/nights.

Colourful buildings everywhere:

Rosenburg Castle:

The Marble Church:

The Palace courtyard:

Nyhaven:

Trying on a Viking Warrior Kit at the National Museum:

That's it! If you have any questions, I'll do my best to try and answer!

Helsinki:

Downtown Helsinki:

Uspenski Cathedral:

Inside Uspenski Cathedral:

Copenhagen:

Central Copenhagen:

The entrance to Tivoli Gardens:

City Hall Square (Notice how McDonalds is advertising right above a Burger King and KFC):

The length of the Vasa:

Looking up at the stern castle of the Vasa:

Central Stockholm:

The waters around Nynashamn

Sailing away past Nakholmen Island with cottages from the 20’s:

Once a light house now a restaurant:

Stockholm:

Old Town:

Royal Palace Entrance:

Drinks at the Ice Bar

Photos

Here are some of my photos…

Oslo:

Oslo Opera House:

The Monument at Frogner Park:

More of Vigeland’s Sculptures:

One of the Viking Ships:

Downtown Oslo:

The Parliament Buildings:

Oslo

(A view of downtown Oslo and City Hall from our Ship)

What to see in Oslo:

The key points of interest for a day in Oslo include (all marked on my map above):

The Opera House – The Opera House is very interesting architecturally. It’s angled surfaces are covered in white marble and are all accessible on foot. We opted to just enjoy the view as we drove by on the HOHO bus in the morning, but it looks like a great place to hang out on a sunny afternoon.

The downtown core – Includes the city hall, lots of interesting shops selling Dale of Norway sweaters and other interesting souvenirs. The downtown core is also home to the parliament building, old theater, and main pedestrian only shopping street (Karl Jones Gate). We spent the afternoon here following a visit to the Viking Ship Museum.

The Royal Palace – Not as splendid as other palaces you’ll see on a Baltic Cruise but I mention it here due to it’s close proximity to the downtown core. Guided tours are available. Their website. We didn’t visit.

Frogner Park – Home to the famous Vigeland Sculpture Arrangement and a great park. I wouldn’t say this is a must visit (it’s just a nice park with some interesting sculptures) but if you really want to see some of the key points of interest in Oslo, I suppose this would be one of them.

Many Museums – Most (All?) of which are located across the bay on Bygdoy Peninsula. I’ve listed them all below with their respective websites. The one with the most appeal to me was the Viking Ship Museum so we chose to visit there. It has the best preserved Viking ships on display anywhere. If you have any interest in Viking history, this is a must see IMHO. Admission is 60 NOK. More Info on the website below.

Here’s a full list of museums on the peninsula with their websites:

Folk Museum

Viking Ship Museum

Fram Museum

Kon-Tiki Museum

Norwegian Maritime Museum

Getting around Oslo

Our Princess cruise ship tied up next to Akershus Castle which I understand is fairly common. This pier is almost a stones-throw from downtown Oslo. It’s a very reasonable walk into town.

Your options for going further afield to Frogner Park or the Museums include the HOHO bus or public transit (specifically tram or ferry). We used the HOHO bus for maximum convenience even though it was a bit more money and found it was reliable and worked well for us. If I was perfectly mobile, I might have opted to use transit. At any rate, here’s some info on both options…

HOHO bus in Oslo:

Your choices include all three of the brands mentioned above. I would recommend the City Sightseeing operation as it’s more reasonable priced and buses were reliable (operating every 30 minutes which was great since stayed at Frogner and the Viking Ship Museum for about an hour).

Here’s the link to the City Sightseeing Oslo website

They offer departures every 30 minutes and should be on the dock right when you get off the ship.

The cost is 20-Euro, 27-USD, 17-GBP, or 150-NOK. Very reasonable. (An Oslo transit day pass will cost you about half this anyway).

We opted to ride the bus to Frogner Park and use that as our first hop-off stop. That allowed us to get there before the park was totally overrun with tourists. We stayed about an hour and then hopped on to get to the Viking Ship Museum where we stayed another hour. We then reboarded for the trip back to downtown Oslo, getting off by City Hall and walking through the downtown core, reboarding to head back to the ship later in the afternoon from Christiania Torv.

Alternative: Open Top Tours Site

Tram and Ferry:

The other option to reach some of the outlying points of interest like Frogner Park and the Bygdoy Peninsula where the Museums are located is to use pubic transit. We didn’t try this, but here’s what my research revealed.

Tram #12 leaves from Rådhusplassen right next to city hall (marked on my map) and heads to Frogner Park with a stop right on the corner of the park (also marked on the map).

The ferry (Line #91) to the museums leaves from Rådhusbrygga Ferry Terminal right in front of city hall. It leaves every 30-40 min and takes 15 min. to cross. It stops at two points across the bay on the peninsula… the first is Dronningen which is closest to the Viking Ship and Folk Museum. The ferry then continues on to Bygdøynes where the other museums are (Kon-Tiki, Fram, and Maritime museums).

You can buy 24-hour tickets using the mobile ticket app RuterBillett, at ticket machines, at Ruter's Customer Service Centre and service points and at many kiosks and shops. If you buy a 24-hour ticket at a ticket machine, the ticket is saved on the disposable Impuls ticket, so you don't need to have a travelcard. Cost is 80-NOK.

Oslo Transit Maps for buses, trams and ferries

Stockholm

(One of the many waterfront views in Stockholm – this is taken from the bridge to the Vasa Museum)

What to see in Stockholm

The major points of interest for a day in Stockholm include (all marked on my map):

Gamla Stan (Old Town) and Royal Palace – on a small island and home to many interesting shops, cafes and restaurants as well as the Stockholm Cathedral and Royal Palace. A good place to find some Swedish Meatballs if that’s on your to-do list. We spent the morning here and had lunch (more on that below) and could have lingered longer here if we had more time… it’s very nice.

Vasa Museum – an amazing display of an extremely large 17th century ship that sank on it’s maiden voyage and was recovered almost fully in tact in the 60’s. It opens at 8:30 AM and the charge is 130 SEK (credit cards accepted). We spent an hour here, but easily could have spent two. Website.

Ice Bar – a must do for drinking enthusiasts visiting Scandinavia. Book in advance on their website to save a bit of money. We spent about a half hour here. Website

Stockholm City Hall – a popular tourist attraction (apparently) although I understand you can only see it on a 45min guided tour only – so it was not a priority for us and we didn’t visit.

There’s obviously a lot more, but if you can nail off these in a day in port, I think you’re doing well and will have experienced the highlights.

In terms of order I would choose to either do the Vasa Museum first thing in the morning, or towards the end of the day (leaving a good hour or two to enjoy it in your itinerary). I understand it’s horribly busy at mid-day. We went around 2PM and it wasn’t too bad. Then I would do Gamla Stan, the cathedral, and Palace during the other half of the day. If the Ice Bar is on your to-do list, it makes perfect sense to stop there between the two (around mid-day) since it’s downtown and on your way from one to the other (unless you’re using the HOHO boats in which case the Ice Bar is not conveniently accessible).

Lunch (Swedish Meatballs anyone?):

If you’re looking to try some Swedish Meatballs, many of the restaurants and side-walk cafes in old town will have just what you want. We tried an establishment with a nice patio in a small busy square and had a great time. It’s location is marked on my map. It’s towards the southern end of old town.

Getting around Stockholm:

Unfortunately, our ship could not dock in Stockholm due to high winds (or a wimpy captain?). So we tendered in Nynashamn an hour away and had to take the commuter train into Stockholm central train station. Since that’s not likely to be the fate of most other cruisers visiting Stockholm, I’ll simply share my research on how I would have got to/from the ship had we been docked at the typical Stadsgarden pier (marked on the map).

Once in central Stockholm, you can easily walk between the main downtown core and Gamla Stan (old town) over one of the connecting bridges. The Vasa Museum is a bit too far to walk in a reasonable time, so I would not recommend trying to do that on foot. There are several options for getting to/from the ship and around town…

HOHO Boat

There are a couple of HOHO boat services that operate in the water ways around central Stockholm. One of them is run by Royal Sightseeing.

Apparently they stop right at the end of the Stadsgarden Pier. The other stops are noted on their website. The interesting thing is that they normally run clockwise around the harbor except first thing in the morning after a cruise ship arrives, they will make a special early morning run directly to the VASA museum. If you want to get to the Vasa museum before a lot of other people and then use the boats to get around later in the day, this could be a great option for a reasonable price.

HOHO Bus

Stromma offers their Open Top Tours (green) branded HOHO service as well as the City SightSeeing brand (See intro notes on HOHO). However, in Stockholm it’s one of the most expensive ports to use the HOHO at 260 SEK (Open Top) or 240 SEK (City Sightseeing) which is about $40. The other interesting thing is that although they share a common route, the two brands run in opposite directions. So be sure to investigate their route maps on their websites to make sure you pick the company that follows your desired itinerary.

Open Top Tours

Website

City Sightseeing

Website

Public Transit (Bus, Tram, Metro)

As with most European cities, Stockholm offers excellent transit services however it can be a challenge to figure it out. Hopefully my research can help a bit. If you plan to use public transit, you’ll likely use a combination of bus, tram, and metro on a day in Stockholm. A 24 hour transit pass is therefore ideal, unfortunately, I can’t offer any advice on where to buy one conveniently when disembarking in Stockholm (as I said earlier we tendered way south of Stockholm and purchased our 24 transit cards there at the train station). If you can find a vendor near the ship, it will cost you 115SEK for the day plus a 20SEK fee for the rechargeable card (which you will discard at the end of the day so it’s a bit of waste). Once you have your card in hand, transit is very convenient.

There’s a transit map here

The three key transit lines you’ll want to familiarize yourself with include the following (all stops for all lines are marked on my Google map as well as the transit map I just linked to above):

- Bus #53 runs past the cruise ship pier stopping on the main road at a stop called Londonviadukten. It passes through Gamla Stan before reaching downtown with a key stop by the central train station. This is your best transit option for getting to/from the ship. It runs every 10 minutes or so. It’s route is on the map above labeled with a red “53”

- Tram #7 is the most convenient way to get to/from the VASA museum. It runs between the museum and the main square downtown (Sergels Torg) regularly and offers some great views of the architecture and waterways along its route. It’s marked by “S” in boxes on the transit map above with a grey dotted line marking it’s route.

- The Metro is perhaps less useful on a port day but you may want to use it to get between downtown, Gamla Stan or Slussen on the south side depending on your mobility, desired itinerary, etc. It’s marked by “T” in boxes on the transit map with stations labeled in blue letters and it’s route in grey.

Helsinki

(Helsinki Cathedral with my GF on the stairs)

What to See in Helsinki

Here are the key points of interest in Helsinki (all marked on my map). Since we were here just after two intense days in St. Petersburg, we opted to sleep in and have a lazy day in Helsinki so we only saw the first three in this list which are all within the downtown core. The other three are outside the core, but would be a reasonable walk or a short Tram ride. There’s also HOHO bus service to all of these (details below).

Places we visited:

Public Market – an interesting collection of vendors along the water front selling various furs, souvenirs made out of reindeer antlers, and jewelry. My girlfriend explored it thoroughly while I sat nearby and did some people watching for awhile.

Uspenski Cathedral – another cathedral atop a small granite hill. We stopped in here for a brief look. (no charge).

Helsinki Cathedral and Senate Square– A striking white domed structure overlooking a giant set of stone stairs and the large public senate square (no charge). We took various pictures here then I enjoyed a coffee and a snack at Café Engle Oy right on the square while she shopped along the adjacent street (Aleksanterinkatu).

Places we did not visit but are very popular:

Church of the Rock – An interesting church that was literally dug/blasted out of the earth. It’s perhaps one of the most popular attractions and 1km from the downtown core. (no charge) Website.

Sibelius Monument – an interesting construction of 600 steel pipes welded together in a wave like pattern to capture the essence of Sibelius’ music.

Olympic Stadium Tower – (5-Euro) Great views of Helsinki. Website.

Getting Around Helsinki:

Most ships (like Princess) dock at the West Harbour which is a ways from central Helsinki. If you’re fortunate enough to dock on the South Harbour, you’ll be a short walk from town but it looks like the South Harbour is primarily used by ferries.

Shuttle Bus Service and Wallking

When we were docked, a local company was offering a bus shuttle service from the pier to downtown Helsinki for 10-Euro ($12USD) return. This is good value in my opinion. The drop for the shuttle is marked on my Google Map. It’s a short walk from there to anywhere in the downtown core and it’s only about a 1km (15min?) walk to the Church of the Rock from there. However, if you’re not into walking and still want to see everything in Helsinki, there’s a couple of HOHO options and Trams.

HOHO Bus

There are two companies operating HOHO service in Helsinki… both charge 25-Euro, depart from Senate Square, and had frequent service from what I saw (as I sat in Senate Square having a coffee for an hour or so).

Stroma has their usual Open Top Tours brand operating in Helsinki with green buses. Link.

Red Buses has their usual red branded buses… Link

If I had to choose one, it would be the Green Open Top Tours brand just because of stories I had heard about the Red Buses company elsewhere (which is not the same as the red City Sightseeing brand). See my guide to HOHO companies in Scandinavia at the top of this thread for more.

Trams

There is Tram info and a map of routes here

Helsinki operates an extensive Tram network. The one of primary interest to visitors will be the 3T. The 3T runs in a figure-8 loop where half the loop (NE and SW) it’s the 3B and the other half (NW and SE) it’s the 3T. The part of the loop that is of interest to visitors, however, is the segment where it runs as the 3T. This is the portion that runs from the market square, through Senate Square, past the train station, by the Church of the Rock, and up past the Olympic Stadium. Key stops of interest are marked on my Google Map.

Tickets are apparently available from ticket machines and tram drivers and mobile phone. At the time of this writing, single tickets are 2.80-Euro.

More Ticket Prices

Tram #9 also comes out to the West Harbor, so depending on what berth your ship ties up at, this may be another option, however, the return bus shuttle service is really good value and probably more convenient.

Copenhagen

(Nyhavn)

What to see in Copenhagen:

The major points of interest for a day in Copenhagen include (all marked on my map):

The Little Mermaid – Personally, I don’t get the attraction to this, but I’m listing it here because I’d feel remiss if I didn’t. For some reason, it’s one of the most popular attractions. :confused: Perhaps my indifference stems from the fact we have a very similar statue on a rock here in Vancouver and people couldn’t care less about it. I dunno.

Tivoli Gardens – is a major attraction with amusement rides, beer gardens, and more. It’s a great place to spend a summer evening which I did once a few years ago when I was in Copenhagen on business. I’d highly recommend it if you’re in Copenhagen pre or post-cruise. This time we didn’t visit as it could have easily consumed our entire day and we had other things we wanted to see on this visit. It’s open from 11AM til midnight or later and it’s 95DKK to enter. Website.

Radhuspladsen (City Hall Square) – Across the street from Tivoli gardens is one of the main city squares in front of Copenhagen City Hall. The famous pedestrian only shopping street “Strøget” starts here

Stroget – The longest pedestrian only shopping street in Europe (apparently). It’s not really that long, you can walk it in about 20-30 minutes. But if you’re a shopper, you will find this to be a great way to spend some time. It runs from Radhuspladsen to Kongens Nytorv square near Nyhaven.

Rundetaarn – a 17th century tower in central Copenhagen that was built as an astronomical observatory with a long spiral ramp to the top (no lift) with great views. Due to being on crutches, we did not opt to ascend to the lookout. Admission is 25DKK… Website.

Rosenburg Castle and the Royal Treasure - This is not really a castle in my mind… maybe more of a palace? It dates from 1624 and is home to the Crown Jewels… 80DKK fee. There are more details on their website… We only visited the outside and took some pictures in the adjacent gardens.

Marble Church – There’s an interesting story and history to this place… Wikipedia entry. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit this, but if you’re passing by, as we were, it’s worth a quick stop.

Amalienborg (Palace) – the winter home of the Danish Royal Family with four buildings framing a large octagonal courtyard/square. You’ll likely be passing through this on your way to/from Nyhaven.

Nyhaven – The 17th century waterfront with the famous brightly coloured buildings and historical wooden boast lined by many bars and restaurants. We spent the late afternoon here enjoying some lunch and beer at one of the many patio dining establishments. There’s also some good ice cream options and great people watching to be had here. Lots of folks were lined up for a canal boat ride (more on that in the how to get around section).

For a limited time:

Viking Exhibit at the National Museum – Thanks to Cruisemom, I was made aware of a special Viking Exhibit at the National Museum in Copenhagen before we departed. I believe it’s there until mid-November when it will move on to the British National Museum. If you’re interested in Viking exhibits, this is a great one to see (and it’s almost free – with a small online reservation fee)… it’s up there with the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo in my opinion. Details are on the website

What order to see these in?

This obviously depends on how you intend to get around, but if you do the public bus and then some walking, the most effective order is probably the order in which I listed these sites above. Start by taking the bus to Radhuspladsen which is right at Tivoli Gardens and the City Hall. From there stroll down the Stroget until you need to veer left (North) for the Rundetaarn and then from there proceed further to the Castle at which point, you can cut eastward towards the Marble Church, pass through the Palace courtyard before running south and ending up at Nyhavn for a snack, lunch or refreshment. Then you can head to Kongens Nytorv for more shopping or to catch the bus back to the ship.

If you happen to go to Copenhagen in the next few months and want to see the Viking Exhibit I mentioned above, book yourself for first thing in the morning and make that your first stop. The bus stops nearby (marked on my map) and then it’s a short walk from there to Radhuspladsen where the rest of my recommended itinerary starts.

How to get around Copenhagen:

As usual, you have a choice of HOHO or public transit.

Canal Boat Tours / HOHO Boat

There are also a variety of water tours you can take. We didn’t look into this as it wasn’t a priority for us, but I did notice that Stroma (the same company that operates a Open Top Tours HOHO buses in Copenhagen) offers a full range of canal boat tours and a HOHO boat... Link

If you want to combine the HOHO Boat and Bus, you can do that too… Link

HOHO Bus

All three companies mentioned in my introduction at the top of this thread operate here. While we opted to utilize public transit, we know several people that utilized the HOHO in Copenhagen. One couple that used the Red Buses company regretted their choice (they just hopped on the first HOHO bus they saw). They said it was run by a Russian company and they were left temporarily stranded when the bus they were on broke down. They had to wait until the next bus in circulation caught up to them. There were not impressed. Hence, I would avoid the “Red Bus” company. Use City Sightseeing (also red buses with yellow lettering) or the Open Top Tours company (green buses).

Here are their websites:

City Sightseeing (175DKK):

Open Top Tours (195DKK):

Red Bus (25 Euro)

Public Transit

City bus #26 runs between the two major cruise piers in Copenhagen (Freeport and Langelinie) and Radhuspladsen (City Hall Square) with key stops inbetween if needed. The nearest stops are marked on my map. The stop near Langelinie is called Indiakaj. The one near Freeport is called Kalkbrænderihavnsgade (LOL). Both are marked on my Google Map along with the location of the cruise piers. They are both a short walk from the ship.

You can see the stops for the downtown buses (including #26) in detail on this map (marked with dots along the route). You will see bus #26 enters the map at the top (which is right near Langeline pier) and traces a route that goes south west to the castle, then south east towards the Marble Church and Palace, and then south west again towards Tivoli and Radhusladsen.

A map covering a larger area (and a bit more unruly to view) is here

Note that although the above map shows bus #26 going along the Langeline pier, it did not do that when we were there. It’s last (terminus) stop is at the turning circle at the Indiakaj stop.

The bus costs 24DKK per person for a single trip (or about 3-Euro). You can buy tickets from the bus driver. The bus driver we had took both DKK and Euro for payment for bus tickets. They don’t carry a lot of change so don’t bring large bills. He spoke English and was happy to remind us where our desired stop was (we wanted to get off close to the National Museum).

Coming back to the ship at the end of the day, the most convenient place to catch the bus is probably at Kongens Nytorv square near Nyhavn. The bus stop is obvious and the bus number is noted on the sign. I’ve also marked a couple of other stops on the map that may be more convenient depending on where you end up. You won’t have to wait long for a bus. However, note the destination of the bus and double-check with the driver that they are going to either Langeline or Freeport as they don’t go to both (I think the buses alternate). And don’t just ask him if he’s going to the cruise ship (LOL) as the answer to that would be “yes” no matter what terminal he’s going to. I think our bus was marked Indiakaj (which is the last stop going to Langeline) or Langelindekaj (from some other account I’ve read) – I don’t recall exactly. I believe the bus going to Freeport will be marked “Færgehavn Nord” which is the last stop on that version of the route.

You may have seen my other DIY reports from in the Italy and Greek forums from past cruises, so I thought I would continue the tradition for my recently concluded Baltic cruise.

The difference this time, is that I’m going to combine the four Scandinavian Capitals into a single report, rather than one for each. My reasoning, is that these ports are often visited together as part of a Baltic cruise so why not make it easy for folks researching their upcoming cruise by putting them all together.

We also visited St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Brugge (Zeebrugge) on this cruise and while I may also do a report on the latter two, we did not DIY in St. Petersburg due to the visa requirement so I can’t really put together anything helpful there.

As usual, much of this information was gathered here in this forum from other folks so a big thank you to the forum regulars that help people with their research.

I also don’t go into a lot of detail on the various points of interest. I recommend Wikipedia and their native websites for more information which is pointless for me to repeat here. I have included links where possible.

As usual, I will post a collection of photos in subsequent posts below.

Maps

I’ve created Google Maps for each city with all the key points of interest as well as where cruise ships normally berth, useful public transit stops, and other helpful points.

Oslo

Stockholm

Helsinki

Copenhagen

Know your Hop-on-Hop-off (HOHO) Bus Companies

Normally, I don’t pay much attention to the HOHO busses in ports of call, but on this cruise, I was still recovering from a fractured bone in my foot, so I was a little less mobile than usual. As a result, I researched the HOHO buses in every port along with walking and public transit options. Here’s what my research revealed about the HOHO buses.

There are usually three different brands of HOHO bus operating in most ports, run by two different companies.

Stromma owns the franchise for the popular “City Sightseeing” brand that uses Red buses with yellow lettering in Scandinavia. They also operate their own brand of HOHO bus (usually green but not always) that runs under the “Open Top Tours” brand. A third brand, “Red” buses, also operates in most ports.

Here’s a picture of each…

City Sightseeing (distinctive red bus with yellow lettering):

Open Top Tours (red or green buses with green logo):

Red Buses (red on white lettering):

In deciding which company to go with, generally, they all seem to run similar routes, if not identical. City Sightseeing seems to be a bit cheaper than Open Top Tours. Based on my research and some stories from fellow cruisers on our ship who got stranded for a time on a broken down bus, the last company (Red Buses) should be avoided. I would recommend City Sightseeing based on their reputation, reasonable cost, and my own personal experience with them.

I’ll provide the HOHO bus websites in my write-up for each city. Most companies offer the option to buy tickets in advance (sometimes at a slight discount) but I wouldn’t bother with that. I can’t see any real advantage in it and the savings are not enough to compensate for the risk of a potential change in plans.

Generally, I think HOHO offers reasonable value for the convenience. I won’t be so adverse to considering them in the future.

Currency:

This is a big question on most people’s minds that are going on a Baltic Cruise… What currencies do I need and how much of each? Although you can use a credit card for nearly everything these days, and ATMs are abundant, I usually take a some cash in each currency for things like bottled water, bus tickets, taxis, a coffee, or any other small thing that might pop up.

For shopping at established retailers, credit cards are great, but if you’re negotiating hard or buying from a street vendor, cash is king. In these cases, I found Euros to be fairly widely accepted across Scandinavia by vendors. You may want to take a lot more Euro or local currency than what I recommend below if you’re intent on shopping.

Here’s a summary of the currency used and my budget for each of these cities (which as you can see is on the minimal end of the scale):

Note that all the Scandinavian currencies exchange for around 5 or 6 to $1CAD or around $17 per $100CAD.

Oslo Currency: NOK (100 NOK ~ $17CAD)

HOHO Bus = 20 Euro

Viking Ship Museum = 60 NOK (although they take credit cards)

What we took: 100 NOK pp + 20 Euro pp (pp is per person)

Stockholm Currency: SEK (100 SEK ~ $16CAD)

HOHO Boat (one stop) = 40 SEK

24hr Transit Pass = 135 SEK

Vasa Museum = 130 SEK (although they take credit cards)

What we took: 300 SEK pp

Helsinki Currency: Euro

Ship Shuttle: 10-Euro

Tram: 3-Euro

What we took: 20 Euro pp

Copenhagen Currency: DKK (100 DKK ~ $18CAD)

Bus: 24DKK each way

What we took: 100 DKK pp

Honestly the HoHo buses aren't really that informative if you ask me.

I did a tour last year with one of the buses and I was quite disappointed.

Very expensive and very little info at each "point" and hardly any info between the points.

 

With public transport you will be more flexible and will get you i.e. Wasa to the Ice Bar much quicker then the HoHo bus who will go to Skansen first

then out to Frihamnen before turning back towards the Ice Bar central station, then past the city hall before getting to the southern end of Old Town.

See this map: http://www.stromma.se/imageengine/cache/u.1789431075.s0.k940.jpg

 

SL bus map: http://sl.se/scripts/kartor-geografiska/7510.Innerstan.2013.html

Thanks, I agree transit has it's appeal. But it's quickly getting beyond ridiculous to plan a day. Where do I get tickets? The SL route planning folks said I could buy a ticket for the tram on the tram. I assume they know what they're talking about (but is not consistent with what I've been told here). That gets me to the IceBar. I assume I can buy a metro ticket to Old Town at the metro station. That leaves the bus ride back from Old Town to the ship. Both the #53 and #96 look like good options. Any ideas where to get a bus ticket in Old Town? Or should I buy a full day transit card when I get off the ship? Is that an option? Is there somewhere there I can do that at 8AM in the morning? It's hard enough trying to plan a day on transit in a foreign country without knowing where you can actually buy tickets for their system! It's frustrating.

EDIT: Bus #96 is not being recommended on any route planners... any idea why?

Thanks all. I'm starting to come back around to the HOHO bus. The transit system in Stockholm sounds good, but it's not easy to figure out nor is it all that affordable. A 24 hr transit pass costs half as much as a HOHO ticket and is not as convenient or informative. :rolleyes:

My only concern is the HOHO buses in Stockholm don't have a great reputation. It seems there are three HOHO buses two of which are run by Stromma (the Red City SightSeeing brand and their own Green Open Top Tours brand) and then there's the other "Red" buses too. I just don't want to get burned waiting an hour for a bus when I want to get moving. Ugh. :(

no not at the stop, as I said search this thread for my posts and you should have links and info about where to buy bus tickets at those locations you want to visit.

My apologies but I had a look and your frequency of posts, made it hard to find... would you mind pointing me to the right post or perhaps repeat what you've said before?

Also, can you or anyone recommend a restaurant in Old Town to sample some swedish meetballs? :D

We leave on our cruise next weekend. I have notes that the HoHo bus is only $32.30 US each, that is what I would do. I had a knee replacement last May and then we went to Nz and Australia. We did HoHo and private tours on that and I was just fine. We plan on taking a taking a taxi first thing to Vasa ($22.94 ea US for Vasa) to miss the crowds then get on HoHo bus. Will have a sheet showing where we want to get off. The Old Town is a must from people who have been there.

I considered the HOHO as well, but it's expensive ($40) and the HOHO bus is not well reviewed in Stockholm. Apparently long waits and bus drivers stopping arbitrarily for lunch or skipping parts of the loop are the norm there. This is why I'm looking at options that don't include the HOHO. I may change my mind for the simple convenience but I'm not going to be happy if I'm waiting an hour for a HOHO bus when the public one is going by every 10 min.

Also the need for pre-purchased tickets also applies to the trams.

So can you buy the tram ticket at the stop by the Vasa Museum. How long us it valid for? Is it usable on buses and metro as well? Thanks!

yeah Stadsgården quay.

 

As for the leg between the Ice Bar and Gamla Stan, bus is also an option

the same goes for the journey back to the ship.

 

For the latter go with either Blue Bus #2 or bus #55 from Slottsbacken towards Sofia get off at Slussen terminal.

 

From Slussen there are several options. Some of the options are buses:

#443 mot Jarlaberg, #413 towards Björknäs centrum, #409 towards Duvnäs utskog, #445 towards Insjön.

For all options get off at Londonviadukten, you can use journey planner to find connections: http://reseplanerare.sl.se/bin/query.exe/sn?seqnr=1&ident=1m.02903552.1373101435&OK#focus

 

Just remember that for buses you will need to purchase bus tickets before getting on the bus.

Search this thread for locations in Gamla Stan where you can buy bus tickets, at Centralen SL have a larger ticket shop on the lower floor.

For subway/ T-bana you can pay when entering the platform.

Thanks... I hadn't considered public busses. I'll look into that also.