HELSINKI - St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Tallinn - page 117

on non-successive nights if you book a hotel through the cruise line for every intervening
night. If it fits your schedule, this is a good deal.
The fares are cheap because many locals sail to shop and drink tax-free. It's a huge oper-
ation—the boats are filled with about 45 percent Finns, 45 percent Swedes, and 10 percent
cruisers from other countries. The average passenger spends as much on booze and tax-free
items as on the boat fare. The boats make a midnight stop in the Åland Islands—a self-gov-
erning, Swedish-speaking province of Finland that's exempt from the European Union's
value-added tax (VAT)—to maintain their tax-free status.
Discounts: Travelers with railpasses that include Sweden or Finland get discounts on
both lines. Tallink Silja's discount is 20 percent in high season and 40 percent in low sea-
son (available on one-way tickets only, not valid for the more expensive cabins). Viking
Line's 50 percent discount applies only to the transport portion of the fare (not the cabin
cost), so it averages out to about a 30 percent discount on the cheap economy beds and less
on nicer cabins (discounts for early booking, seniors, and families—look for family-cabin
rates). Check the cruise lines' websites for specifics.
Age Restrictions: The boat lines do not permit travel on some Stockholm-Finland
routes by those aged 18-20 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian. This applies
especially to round-trip cruises on successive nights. One-way tickets are usually exempt
from these rules. Websites have more information, but it's really best to contact Viking Line
or Tallink Silja by phone or email to clarify your individual situation.
Reservations
For summer or weekend sailings, reserve well in advance. You'll get a reservation number
and can then just pick up your boarding card at the port. Try to book online with a credit
card. Websites are well-organized and both companies offer online discounts not available
elsewhere ( www.vikingline.fi , www.tallinksilja.com ) . Tallink Silja charges a €5 fee if you
reserve on the phone or at their offices; Viking Line charges €5 for in-person bookings, but
lets you book for free by phone.
If you want to reserve by phone or just have a question, call the companies directly. The
Swedish reservations numbers are tel. [phone] for Viking Line, and tel. [phone]
for Tallink Silja. In Finland, both lines have toll numbers that cost extra to call: tel.
0600-41577 for Viking, and tel. [phone] for Tallink Silja. Drop the first zero if call-
ing from North America. Both companies have sales agents in the US: For Viking Line,
call 800-843-0602 ( www.bortonoverseas.com ) ; for Tallink Silja, call 800-533-3755 ext. 1
( www.tallinksilja.us ) . But it's easy to deal directly with the Scandinavian offices, which are
efficient and English-speaking.
Any travel agent in Scandinavia can also sell you a ticket (with a small booking fee).
Terminals
Locations: In Stockholm, Viking Line has its own terminal (squeezed between cruise
ships) along the Stadsgården embankment on Södermalm (facing the Old Town/Gamla
Stan). To get there, it's easiest to ride Viking Line's shuttle bus from Stockholm's bus sta-
tion right to the terminal (40 kr, departs according to boat schedule). You can also ride
public bus #53 (from the train station or Gamla Stan) or #71 (from the Opera House or