kja

Thanks for understanding, Pegontheroad! And FWIW, I found my experience in that old Jewish cemetery quite moving, even more so than (for example) finding the marker for Mila 18, which was (when I was there) just that -- a small marker. But I'm sure things have changed, and tower is the real expert on this things.

Pegontheroad

I have managed to snarl up some of the arrangements in regard to Helsinki, ferry, St. Petersburg and (I guess)Helsinki again.

I want this to go to the top so that it's easier to find michele_d's links.

I guess the lesson here is to read AND UNDERSTAND everything thoroughly before you commit yourself.

So far I have flights to Frankfurt and then to Helsinki. I have reservations at a nice hotel in Helsinki and--here comes the problem area--non-refundable hotel reservations at a snazzy hotel in St.Pete, so that my dates there are fixed, even if WWIII starts.

Then I got a little nervous about the ferry, but it looks like that may work out, too. Round trip overnight on the ferry, then an inexpensive plane flight from Helsinki to Tallinin, and then I think I'm good to go for the rest of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Warsaw.

I seem to have given myself a whole month in which to travel, so I may be able to see more of Poland or spend more than 3 days each in Tallinin, Riga and Vilnius.

kja

"here comes the problem area--non-refundable hotel reservations at a snazzy hotel in St.Pete, so that my dates there are fixed, even if WWIII starts" -- Granted, it would HURT to pay for a room that you can't / won't use, but it might help if you can be clearer about what it is with which you are struggling and what you are seeking from us.

BTW, I was in St. Petersburg just after it regained this favored name after YEARS of being known as Leningrad. People were SO pleased that they could finally call their city by the name they preferred! So DO consider thinking of it as St. Petersburg, not St. Pete (which is a place inf Florida).

Pegontheroad

I was briefly in St. Petersburg during the Cold War--maybe about 1968--when it was of course still Leningrad, but had a bad cold and just stayed in bed instead of sightseeing. When I began planning the trip to the Baltics and I saw how close it is to Estonia, I jumped at the chance to go.

I have typed the name St.Petersburg so many times today as I was trying to figure out what I was going to do. That's why I abbreviated. Mea culpa.

I think I've figured out what I need to do, which is why I didn't specify the nature of the problem.

kja

All understandable, Peg -- I just want to make sure that we know how to help you as you plan your time in this fascinating part of the world.

And maybe clue others that there is a reason to say "Saint Petersburg" rather than "St. Pete." ;-)

I'm sure you will have a memorable experience. Let us know what else we can do to make it even more special!

welltraveledbrit

I'm interested to see this thread as I've just booked some frequent flyer flights into Helsinki and out of Berlin in July.

The "no visa" ferry option looks good but it seems there's so much to see in St. Petersburg (last time I was there was a school trip in 1985!) that we might want to stay beyond the 72 hours. It makes for an expensive visa but it also opens up the possibility of taking the train from Hellsinki which takes only 3 1/2 hours. It also means you can leave the city by air, we'll probably take a cheap Air Berlin flight.

Pegontheroad

One problem with the "no visa" ferry trip is that it's round trip. I didn't understand that at first. I'll have to go back to Helsinki and then continue my trip from there.

Good thing I allotted plenty of time for the trip.