I am thinking of visiting some family in Helsinki. Was thinking of taking a side trip to St Pete, Russia. What's the best way to get to St. Petersburgh from Helsinki flying, boat? This would be in June of next year. Also -- how much time should you spend in St Pete in order to see the main sites and get a feel for the city? Thanks

Train is what people usually use, except business people who fly, . Check www.vr.fi (Finnish Rail), they co-operate with Russian Rail, and give info also about Russian trains. There is an English option on the site.

How long in St. Petersburg? A week.

You can take the ferry to Tallinn and the bus to St. Petersburg. Three years ago, I took the bus from St. Petersburg to Tallinn for about $10. Tallinn is worth a visit.

There is a Russian train and a Finish train that go to St. Pete. from Helsinki.

I took the Finnish train both ways and enjoyed the trip.However it would probably be even more interesting to go via Talinn one way.I spent 4 days in StP and got a good introduction to the wonderful heritage of the city but I wish I had more time.

Finnsov Tours <http://www.finnsov.fi/> might be able to help. We used them 21 years ago (pre-internet) to arrange a trip from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and they did a wonderful job. I'm sure a lot has changed since then, but we were very satisfied with their services and you may want to contact them and see what they have to offer.

There are actually three trains you can take from Helsinki to St. Petersburg - Repin (a Russian train), Sibelius (a Finninsh train) and Helsinki-to-Moscow train Leo Tolstoi, which makes a stop in St. Petersburg. The current daily departure times from Helsinki are: 07.42, 15.42 and 17.42.
A train from Helsinki takes less time than a bus from Tallinn and is, of course, more comfortable. If you do prefer buses, you can take a direct one from Helsinki to St. Petersburg.
Here is a tentative tour itinerary for a four days' stay in St. Petersburg, which would let you see the major sights and give you a general idea as to how much more time you could spend in St. Petersburg:
Day 1 – a panoramic city tour with visits to Peter-and-Paul fortress, St. Isaac’s cathedral and the Church-on-Spilt Blood (approx. 6 hrs.)
Day 2 – a trip to Catherine’s palace in Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) and the palace of Paul the First in Pavlovsk (approx. 6 hrs.)
Day 3 –the Hermitage museum and Usupov palace (approx. 5 hrs.)
Day 4 – a trip to Peterhof to visit the Grand Palace and the fountain park, upon return downtown – an excursion at the Russian museum (approx. 7 hrs.)

Just remember that you need a visa to visit Russia, and you cannot get it AT the border, you have to apply beforehand.

And by all means, purchase your passes to the Hermitage on the internet at their web site before going on your trip (no fixed date is required to purchase). That line outside is LONG, but you get to go right up to the door, go inside, and exchange your voucher for tickets with NO waiting. What a deal! I was skeptical right up to the time we entered the door.
Jane