Baltic Cruise -- Our DIY Tour (Except for SPB)

[Eeyoredagreat]

Most of the people we met on our recent Baltic Cruise did their sightseeing via guided tours and HO/HO buses. Those options are certainly valid ones, especially for those with mobility issues or a lack of time for pre-cruise research. However, I had the time (and interest) in researching a cruise in which we could explore the ports on our own, except for St. Petersburg, which we visited with ALLA Tours on their 2-day Grand Tour (and which I highly recommend). For those interesting in doing something similar, here's how we did it.

 

Research--The "bible" for me was the Rick Steves "Northern European Cruise Ports" guidebook which I checked out from my local library. (Luckily, nobody else from my area seemed to be making a similar trip because I was able to check this book out multiple times!) This book gave excellent advice on how to get around via public transportation, what sights were most worth seeing, and how to do your own self-guided walking tour.

 

Other sources of information for me were the websites for the tourist information offices in the cities we visited, Trip Advisor and, of course, Cruise Critic. The threads created by Danish Viking (Copenhagen), Travelanni (Northern Germany) and Desdichado62 (Stockholm) were particularly useful.

 

Copenhagen -- Our cruise began in Copenhagen and we arrived there a day in advance. Using the information provided by Danish Viking, we knew how to buy tickets for the M2 Metro from the airport to Kongens Nytorv and using Google Maps, we knew how to walk the few blocks to our hotel, the Wakeup Hotel at Borgergade 9. Not wanting to spend a fortune on a hotel which we would only be in for a few hours (and all the Copenhagen hotels seemed expensive to me), I narrowed my choices to Wakeup, CabINN and the Sommandshjemmet Bethel. I finally chose the Wakeup Hotel at Borgergade 9 due to its location, price, amenities and reputation for quiet. I could not have been happier with our choice. We arrived at the hotel before 9am and were prepared to pay the 20 DKK to store our bags until our room was available that afternoon at 3pm. However, the woman at the front desk said that some “Heaven” rooms (the best rooms on the top floor) were available now for only 100 DKK over what we were paying for our standard room. The option of being able to have a room ready now, take a shower and not have to store our bags for an actual cost of only $12 more (100 DKK – 20 DKK for what we would have paid for bag storage) was too good to pass up. https://www.wakeupcopenhagen.com

 

After getting cleaned up, we headed toward the city center walking down the main shopping street, Stroget, stopping for coffee and pastry (to supplement the sparse breakfast we’d had on the plane). We ended up at Radhuspladsen at 1pm for the walking tour offered by Copenhagen Free Walking Tours (red signs/umbrellas). There were a LOT of people there that day for the tour and they divided us into groups of about 20 people each. Our guide was a young man named Magnus and he was great! For the next 3 hours (with a 20 minute break at Kongens Nytorv for a snack, drink or polse), we walked around the old part of Copenhagen. Magnus took us to a few out-of-the-way places (e.g. the home of Carl Jacobsen, the founder of the Carlsburg brewery) and told us a lot about life in Denmark—high taxes and “hygge”. At 4pm, we had finished out tour at Amalienborg Palace (and tipped Magnus as there is no charge for the tour itself). I highly recommend taking the Free Walking Tour of Copenhagen. (They also offer walking tours of other parts of Copenhagen.) http://www.copenhagenfreewalkingtours.dk/

 

For the rest of this day and the following day, until we had to check out of our hotel, we walked around Copenhagen using the “Self-Guided Walk in Copenhagen” from the Rick Steves book as a guide. His tour went to places that Magnus skipped and we wanted to see them. We ate dinner at the vegetarian restaurant, Riz Raz, in the university district and happened upon a free jazz concert in the park behind Roseborg Palace.

After checking out of the Wakeup Hotel, we headed to the nearby bus stop for the #26 bus which took us to Osterport, Slojfens where we got the #27 bus to Oceankaj. (You can buy your 2-zone ticket for 24 DKK from the bus driver.) Upon reaching Oceankaj, it was an easy walk to the Terminal for our ship.

 

While the only buses you will probably need in Copenhagen are the #26, #27 and #25 (the special Oceankaj bus which only operates on cruise days), for more information on getting around Copenhagen, go to the tourism website, http://www.visitcopenhagen.com

 

Next: Port Stop Kiel—Day Trip to Luebeck

 

Hi Gradut,

 

I am taking the free walking tour offered by Sandeman. Is that the same? Our meeting point is at this Fountain in front of Town Hall square.

[Eeyoredagreat]

Stockholm--From the ship's berth in Frihamnen, it was easy to follow the blue line out of the port area to the road. Right across the street is the #76 bus stop which will take you into the city. You cannot purchase bus tickets from the driver in Stockholm, so you have to buy your tickets in advance. Normally, this would not be a problem at the port, but the automatic machine was not operating and there was only one person at the office selling tickets. Because of the large number of people wanting to buy tickets, it took us about 40 minutes of waiting in line before we got our tickets. Because we did not want to go through this process again, we purchased an all-day ticket for 115 SEK. (We thought we'd have to pay an additional 20 SEK for a re-loadable card, but the woman at the kiosk was selling only paper tickets, so we didn't have that additional cost. If you buy from a automatic machine, you might have to pay for a re-loadable card.) Also, only credit cards could be used at the ticket office, so be sure to have one when you disembark. Also, be sure to pick up one of the free bus maps at the ticket office--it came in handy. .

 

Should you use the automatic machine at Frihamnen to buy your ticket, here are the directions I wrote down from the Rick Steves book:

 

"If you buy from a machine, getting the correct ticket can be tricky:

First, select “English”

Second, choose “Purchase and Load Tickets”

Third, choose “All Tickets”

Now, you have to arrow down past several choices you don’t want to either “Zone A Ticket Full (for a single ride—36 SEK) or “24 Hours Ticket Full” (for an all day ticket – 115 SEK + 20 SEK for card) Note: The 24-hour travelpass is valid for use on the ferries between Slussen and Djurgarden."

 

There are several stops on the #76 line, depending on where you want to start your day. The stops include Djurgardsbron (at the bridge a short walk from the Vasa museum and other Djurgarden sights), Nybroplan, Kungstradgarden (near the Opera House and the beginning of the RS self-guided tour of the modern city), Slottsbacken (by the palace in Gamla Stan), Rantmastartrappan (at the southern end of Gamla Stan), Slussen,, then through Sodermalm and back the way it came.

 

We got off the bus at Slottsbacken and started our day at the free Royal Coin Cabinet museum near the Royal Palace. This is called the "best money museum in Europe" and if you have any interest in coins, you shouldn't miss it. In addition to the free admission, there are free audioguides in English--just ask for one. The staff at this museum was so friendly!

 

After our visit to the interesting coin museum, we went to do the Free Walking Tour Stockholm tour of Gamla Stan which began at 1pm in front of the tram station (T) at Malatorget 13 in Gamla Stan. (Rick Steves also includes a walking tour of Gamla Stan and the modern city in his guidebook.) We met our guide, Karina, who was carrying a blue "Free Walking Tour" sign and our group of approximately 20 tourists took off for a 90 minute tour. Karina did an excellent job of showing us the highlights of Gamla Stan and I thought this was a great introduction to the old city. We saw our dinner tablemates in town on their SPB tour (which was a much larger group than ours) and they told us that they were very disappointed with it. Like all "Free" Tours, we tipped Karina at the end of the tour.

 

After the walking tour ended at 2:30 pm, we walked down to the ferry at Slussen and caught the ferry over to Djurgarden. This was easy to do (the fare is included in the 24-hour bus ticket) and it was enjoyable ride over to the island. We got off the ferry and had a leisurely stroll to the Vasa Museum (and were so glad we weren't going to the amusement park--it was packed since it was such a nice day.) We arrived at the Vasa Museum around 3:30 pm and there were no lines to get into the museum.

 

We started our visit at the Vasa by watching the film which talks about how they discovered and raised the Vasa. It was fascinating and should not be missed. As soon as the film ended, it was time for the 4pm tour (30 minutes long) in English. This tour focused on the ship itself and was well worth taking. It doesn't really matter which order you see the movie and take the tour, but I'd do both.

 

After the tour ended at 4:30 pm, we had another 90 minutes to see the ship and the museum and we needed all of that time. The ship itself is fascinating and the exhibits in the museum are excellent. From the Vasa Museum website, there is an audiotour in English which you can download to your phone or MP3 player. I actually forgot about it until afterwards and listened to it on the ship the next day. It was a good audiotour, but not really necessary since all the signage in the museum is in English. If you want to download the audiotour, go to: http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/visit/mp3-guide/

 

We left the Vasa Museum at closing time (6pm) having spent 2.5 hours there. I would allow at least 2 hours to tour this museum.

 

It was now time to head back to the ship. We walked up to the Djurgardsbron stop for the #76 bus at the end of the bridge and took it to the "Magazin 3" stop. From there, it is an easy walk back to the ship.

 

Just a note on eating in Stockholm--Food is expensive. Our dining tablemates ate in Stortorget (because that's where their SPB tour left them for lunch) and said they spent 600 SEK (nearly $70) for two plates of fried herring and two beers. That made us glad that we had brought our water bottles and a snack from the ship. If you do choose to dine in Stockholm, Rick Steves recommends Grillska Husket–Stortorget 3-- "A cheap and handy cafeteria run by Stockholms Stadsmission, a charitable organization helping the poor. It’s situated on the old square with indoor and outdoor seating (tranquil garden up the stairs and out back). Fine daily specials and a hearty salad bar. Specials available 11am – 2pm. Café with salads and sandwiches open until 6pm." Also, we saw a Vapiano's restaurant near the T-station in Gamla Stan. It's a European chain restaurant which serves Italian food (pizza, pasta, salads) which you order and pick-up yourself (no table service). We eat at Vapiano's in the D.C. area and enjoy it very much.

 

While we had another day in Stockholm, we needed a "recovery" day on the ship so did not go back for more sightseeing. So, on to...

 

Next: Copenhagen--Another Day of Touring and Debarkation

I plan to take the Gamla Stan Walking Tour too, did it end where you have started in front of the train station? I thought it was a 2 hour tour but it looks like it's only 1.5 hours.

[nelderwoman]

St. Petersburg--This was not a DIY port for us. We were not interested in trying to obtain our own visa nor dealing with arranging our own transporation, etc. for 2 days. So, I researched several tour companies and based on our interests, we chose ALLA Tours. I was complelely satisfied with this company--they answered my emails; their staff was at the port on time each morning; they included all the stops they promised in their website; and they got us into all the sites in an expedited manner, especially the St. Peter and Paul Fortress which had a long line of other tour groups ahead of us. (Just be prepared for crowds everywhere!)

 

Helsinki--This port was probably my least favorite port since there seemed to be rather little to see or do there. We arrived at the West Harbour (LMA) and had no problem getting into the old town. Just follow the green line on the pavement out of the port area to the tram stop. A one-way tram ticket costs 2.5 euros if purchased from the machine or 3 euros if you purchase it from the driver. You can also purchase an all-day tram ticket for 8 euros which includes the ferry to Suomenlinna Island. (That's what we did).

 

The tram is #9 and if you are going to Market Square, then ride it to the stop called "Rautatieasema" at the main station. From there, it is about a 8 minute walk to Market Square.

 

You can also take a tram to the Rock Church ("Sammonkatu" stop on #2 tram) and the #2/#3 tram combo is a 1-hour circuit through the city which many use as a sightseeing "tour".

 

Here's a link from the Helsinki Tourism website showing the various tram routes. We found this map helpful and that using the tram was an easy and inexpensive way to get around town.

 

https://www.hsl.fi/en/timetables-and...utes-and-stops

 

We started our day by taking the ferry from Market Square to Suomenlinna Island and walking around for a couple of hours. (We did not pay to enter any of the various museums.) It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors, so we enjoyed that aspect of the island.

 

Upon our return, we somewhat followed the Rick Steves "Self Guided Walk in Helsinki", but there's not very much to see listed on that walk.

 

We started our "tour" by perusing some of the stalls in Market Square and then headed to the Esplanade Cafe at Pohjoisesplanadi 37 (on the north side of the Esplanade) for hot chocolate/coffee and one of the famous Finnish pastries, the cinnamon roll called "korvapuustit". It was DELICIOUS and we sat outside on the sidewalk watching all the people go by as we enjoyed our tasty treats. I'd probably recommend going here rather than the more famous Cafe Kapelli which looked really crowded.

 

From there, we took the tram to the Rock Church (which is under construction on the exterior). A classical pianist was performing inside the church which made our stop even more worthwhile. We then walked to the Kampii Chapel of Silence (not on the RS walking tour) because it intrigued me. It was worth about a 2- 3 minute stop and then caught the tram back to our ship. We considered doing the #2/#3 tram tour, but the sights on the tour, e.g. Finnish Opera House and the Finnish School of Economics just didn't interest us.

 

It's a little sad when the highlight of a port is a cinnamon bun, but that was Helsinki for us.

 

Next: Stockholm

 

 

hi GradUT

This sounds like my day in Helsinki. We will be on P&O Azura on June 15th

If you don't mind may I just confirm a few details with you

 

Is it easy and obvious to find the tram from the port. Can you just buy ticket on board?

Is the tram stop in Market Square easy to find to take us to the Church in the Rock? And to get back to the ship

 

Looking forward to that bun and chocolate

 

Thank you for this, we are anxious to try and do it ourselves, just like to have all details

 

I hope you had a great trip

[GradUT]

hi GradUT

This sounds like my day in Helsinki. We will be on P&O Azura on June 15th

If you don't mind may I just confirm a few details with you

 

Is it easy and obvious to find the tram from the port. Can you just buy ticket on board?

Is the tram stop in Market Square easy to find to take us to the Church in the Rock? And to get back to the ship

 

Looking forward to that bun and chocolate

 

Thank you for this, we are anxious to try and do it ourselves, just like to have all details

 

I hope you had a great trip

 

If you are anxious to do any of the Baltic ports DIY, then I highly recommend you get a copy of Rick Steves Northern Euopean Cruise Ports. That book has tons of helpful information and maps to help you find your way around all of the ports, including Helsinki.

 

1. It is easy and obvious to get from the port to the tram station. Just follow the line.

 

2. As of last year, you could buy tickets on board the tram, but it's just as easy to buy them from the machine (which is what we did).

 

3. I wouldn't say that the tram stops are particularly easy to find without a map. Use the maps in the Rick Steves book or download them or get them from the Helsinki Tourism office.

 

4. We had a FANTASTIC trip, thank you.

[Ultima Thule]

hi GradUT

Is the tram stop in Market Square easy to find to take us to the Church in the Rock?

 

You should take tram #2. The tram stop is next to the Market, between the Market and the fountain so it shouldn't be too hard to find. Just note to take the right direction. There are two platforms in 90 degree angels to each other around the fountain. You should take the platform closer to the Market. A yellow sign shows a picture of a tram and the platform number (431). When the tram stops it should point towards the City Hall (light blue building).

 

Exit the tram at stop "Kauppakorkeakoulut". Go back to last corner, turn left and upwards.

 

And to get back to the ship

 

If you plan to go back to the ship straight from the rock church then you can take tram #2 in opposite direction ONE stop, get off at stop "Kamppi", walk forward to next corner and turn right and change to tram 9. It's the nearest platform so the tram will go downhill.

 

Or if you don't think its worth the effort to take tram #2 for just one stop, just walk from the Rock church to tram #9 down along Fredrick street. It will be 4 or 5 blocks in total, depending on how you count. After two blocks there will be tram tracks on the street. When they eventually turn left around the corner you instead turn right and will find tram 9 platform there.

[NVYN]

Thank you for a very detailed trip report. Our cruise ship also will dock at Frihamnen and we plan to buy the 24 hour SL Travelcard to cover our transportation in Stockholm. However, looks like we would have to wait about 40 minutes at the Tourist Information Center to buy this ticket. You mentioned that the bus stop has a ticket machine but not working! Is there any other option for us? Could you please let me know exactly where is Bus 1 and 76 stop in Frihamnen. Thank you very much.

[GradUT]

Thank you for a very detailed trip report. Our cruise ship also will dock at Frihamnen and we plan to buy the 24 hour SL Travelcard to cover our transportation in Stockholm. However, looks like we would have to wait about 40 minutes at the Tourist Information Center to buy this ticket. You mentioned that the bus stop has a ticket machine but not working! Is there any other option for us? Could you please let me know exactly where is Bus 1 and 76 stop in Frihamnen. Thank you very much.

 

As my report stated, to get to the bus stop for the 76 bus, just follow the blue line out of the port to the road. You can't miss the bus station.

 

The machine happened to be broken the day we were there. I doubt this is the normal state of affairs. So you will probably be able to buy your ticket from the machine. Here's a link to the Stockholm public transportation website with all the info about buying tickets:

 

http://sl.se/en/fares--tickets/