Recommended Northern Europe ports for first-timers?

[Canadian Cruiser98]

We've wanted to do a cruise in the British Isles and/or Northern Europe for a long time, but the amount of options is a little overwhelming, and we don't know much about the region. What are your favourite ports of call in the area, both for history and for attractions? What itinerary would you recommend for first timers?

[macaroni]

I think the Baltic cruise is excellent...st. Petersburg etc. are incredible...leave from Amsterdam would be a bonus.

[LondonTowner]

It depends really what interests you. If it's scenery you like, then I would say do the. Norwegian fjords, if you like history and opulent palaces, then a Baltic cruise. If your family are originally British or Irish, then around the British Isles and Ireland.

 

Last summer we went to Ireland, Iceland, Faroe Islands and Orkneys. We really enjoyed it and during the summer months you get long days.

[GradUT]

Yes, as LondonTowner says, it all depends on your interests. But while the British Isles and most of Scandanavia are easy to tour on your own, Baltic Cruises are great because you are in St. Petersburg for 2 days (and that is not a place I would attempt to tour on my own). Some Baltic Cruises also include ports you probably wouldn't visit but for the cruise but which are neat places, e.g. Tallinn and Kiel (for a day trip to Luebeck which was one of our favorite places). You can even take a day trip to Berlin if you dock in Rostock or Warnemuende, although Berlin deserves at least 3 days itself.

 

Our itinerary on the HAL Eurodam was just about perfect--Copenhagen; Kiel; Tallinn; SPB (overnight); Helsinki; Stockholm (overnight); Rostock; Copenhagen (overnight) and two sea days.

[Pet Nit Noy]

We've wanted to do a cruise in the British Isles and/or Northern Europe for a long time, but the amount of options is a little overwhelming, and we don't know much about the region. What are your favourite ports of call in the area, both for history and for attractions? What itinerary would you recommend for first timers?

 

 

St. Petersburg is probably the favorite port for folks doing a Baltic itinerary. If you book a Baltic cruise, continue to read this board. You will want the experienced cruises who hang out on this board to hold your hand and advise you when you start getting intimidating information from the cruise lines on the topic of visas for Russian ports.

 

The cruise lines will try to frighten and intimidate you by claiming that people not traveling with the ship's excursion department must get their own visas. They use phrases like "touring on your own" while omitting the appealing method of touring with a small group led by a licensed tour company. The tour company takes care of getting the visa for you. You won't be an independent traveler; you will stay with the tour leader. But you won't have to deal with the Russian consulates to get a visa.

 

Frankly, two port of call boards -- British Isles/Western Europe and/or Northern Europe and Baltics will be great resources no matter which itinerary you choose!

Edited March 20, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[TLCOhio]

Yes, as LondonTowner says, it all depends on your interests. But while the British Isles and most of Scandanavia are easy to tour on your own, Baltic Cruises are great because you are in St. Petersburg for 2 days (and that is not a place I would attempt to tour on my own).

 

Super well summarized above and by others for your options and with so much depending on your exact personal interests, travel style, etc. How much are you seeking . . . nature, history, shopping, wildlife, culture, music, food, museums, etc.?? Tell us more!!

 

We super loved the Baltics, especially featuring St. Petersburg. Do NOT do a cruise that only allows one day in this prime Russian city with so much history, charm, culture, architecture, etc. Ideally, like we did, have a cruise that provides three days in St. Petersburg, allowing the potential to also do a day in Moscow as a part of your overall travel plan.

 

Norway and the fjords can be great. Also, consider going all of the way up the Norway coast to the Lofoten Island, North Cape. See more on this exciting and more nature-focused option from my live/blog connected below with lots of pictures and travel details.

 

Although we did do these UK/Ireland travels by cruise ship, the options and potentials for Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, northern France, Bruges, etc., can be very good.

 

Below are a few of my "eye-candy" examples for in and around the Baltics. When we did the Baltics, we departed from Dover/UK, allowing pre-cruise time in the London/Kent areas, plus added time in Stockholm at the end of our 11-day cruise. Lots of options and potentials!! That's the good news, but it can be a little overwhelming to approach.

 

After getting more feed-back and details from you (including your budget and timing flexibilities), we can help make additional suggestions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 195,636 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. And it’s free! No charge or tickets required.:

 

 

 

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.:

 

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

 

 

 

Dancers are shown marching in Tallinn’s festival parade near the stone towers of the famous Viru Gate during our visit. Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia with a population of 440,000. About a third of the country’s population lives here. Tallinn’s Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers some nice shopping options/values here.:

 

 

 

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

[cassie cruiser]

Wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[p_mori7]

We did the Baltics in 2013 aboard CCL Legend.

 

St-Petersburg is a must-see Port-of-Call. Usually a 2 day stop, overnight on the ship. You will need to purchase your Excursion from the cruise line, or use can use a local provider like Alla Tours (which is what we did).

 

The tour provider (either the cruise line or the local operator) will take care of getting you in/out of Russian Customs & Immigration.

 

We also called on (and loved)

• Helsinki (easy to DIY)

• Copenhagen (easy to DIY)

• Talinn (easy to DIY)

• Amsterdam (hired a local bicycle tour guide, fantastic !)

• Berlin (via port of Warnemunde. Alla Tours was our provider here as well).

 

Ask away if you have any questions !

 

:)

[John Bull]

I concur with the others, the Baltic. And with two days / one overnite in St Petersburg, the jewel in a Baltic cruise.

 

One extra important reason:

 

Most of Europe, including the four countries of the UK, can be explored very easily on land - by train or car. Or even a river cruise. And you get to see & experience so very much more than the rushed port days you get on a cruise.

 

But the Baltic would be difficult, time-consuming & expensive to explore by anything other than a cruise - you'd be forever taking flights or ferries to see as much as you can on a Baltic cruise.

Very much like touring Caribbean or Greek islands.

 

JB :)

[kitkat343]

If you have a lot of vacation days, I have seen some combined cruises for the Baltics and Norway (we were traveling with a 3 year old, so this wasn't an option for us), as some of the ships sail both itineraries.

 

We loved our Baltic cruise, and my favorite ports on it were Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg. If you like culture and history, a Baltic cruise makes it easy for you to visit a lot of fascinating cities. All of the cities except St. Petersburg are very easy and fast to get around via public transportation, so if you do a lot of research and know exactly where you want to go, you can really see a lot of things in a short amount of time - in Stockholm, we visited Vasa, then saw the open air lemur exhibit and aquarium in Skansen, then my 3 year old got to participate in Viking games and crafts at the Historiska museum, then we went to the Armoury and the Royal Palace and then we saw a marathon run through Gamla Stan.

[maryogreen]

CanadianCruiser98,

 

I would recommend the Baltics, especially if you want to do a cruise. The typical ports you would visit are wonderful and provide a nice mix of relaxed touring on your own and major sightseeing. I just wrote several blog posts that you may find helpful – two on St. Petersburg and one on Stockholm:

 

http://www.themodernpostcard.com/?p=727

http://www.themodernpostcard.com/?p=770

http://www.themodernpostcard.com/?p=563

 

Copenhagen, Denmark, and Tallinn, Estonia, are also delightful ports, and it's worth looking into a cruise that includes them.

 

Best of luck...and happy planning!

 

Mary

Travel Blog: http://www.themodernpostcard.com

[scorchestra]

A great question that I also have. Thanks for the link to the blog, I just subscribed!

[maryogreen]

scorchestra, You are very welcome! I'm happy to have you as a subscriber! We are now back from a cruise from Lisbon to London, and I have just posted my first blog from the trip on Day 1 in Lisbon.

 

http://www.themodernpostcard.com/?p=974

[cindphillips]

Super well summarized above and by others for your options and with so much depending on your exact personal interests, travel style, etc. How much are you seeking . . . nature, history, shopping, wildlife, culture, music, food, museums, etc.?? Tell us more!!

 

 

 

We super loved the Baltics, especially featuring St. Petersburg. Do NOT do a cruise that only allows one day in this prime Russian city with so much history, charm, culture, architecture, etc. Ideally, like we did, have a cruise that provides three days in St. Petersburg, allowing the potential to also do a day in Moscow as a part of your overall travel plan.

 

 

 

Norway and the fjords can be great. Also, consider going all of the way up the Norway coast to the Lofoten Island, North Cape. See more on this exciting and more nature-focused option from my live/blog connected below with lots of pictures and travel details.

 

 

 

Although we did do these UK/Ireland travels by cruise ship, the options and potentials for Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, northern France, Bruges, etc., can be very good.

 

 

 

Below are a few of my "eye-candy" examples for in and around the Baltics. When we did the Baltics, we departed from Dover/UK, allowing pre-cruise time in the London/Kent areas, plus added time in Stockholm at the end of our 11-day cruise. Lots of options and potentials!! That's the good news, but it can be a little overwhelming to approach.

 

 

 

After getting more feed-back and details from you (including your budget and timing flexibilities), we can help make additional suggestions.

 

 

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 195,636 views.

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

 

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. And it’s free! No charge or tickets required.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dancers are shown marching in Tallinn’s festival parade near the stone towers of the famous Viru Gate during our visit. Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia with a population of 440,000. About a third of the country’s population lives here. Tallinn’s Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers some nice shopping options/values here.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

 

 

 

 

We are considering a Baltic cruise with 3 days in St. Petersburg...wondering if you could share your itinerary for making it to Moscow?

 

 

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[Santiago Sister]

Thank you for your wonderful fotos and great description. I'll have to get on your blog too.

Happy travels!