Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The next best thing to being in Helsinki is getting there. Europe's most enjoyable cruise,
from Stockholm to Helsinki, starts with dramatic archipelago scenery, a setting sun, and a
royal
smörgåsbord
dinner. Dance until you drop and sauna until you drip. Budget travel
rarely feels this hedonistic. Sixteen hours after you depart, it's “Hello Helsinki.”
The Cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki
Two fine and fiercely competitive lines, Viking Line and Tallink Silja, connect the capitals
of Sweden and Finland. Each line offers state-of-the-art ships with luxurious
smörgåsbord
meals, reasonable cabins, plenty of entertainment (discos, saunas, gambling), and enough
duty-free shopping to sink a ship. Of the two, Viking Line has the reputation as the party
boat. Tallink Silja is considered more elegant. But both lines—used mostly by locals for
a quick getaway and duty-free booze run—have their share of noisy, sometimes-irritating
passengers.
