St. Peterline ferry from Helsinki to St. Petersburg
 

Hello all,

I am considering taking a side trip from Helsinki to St. Petersburg on St. Peterline, which is an overnight ferry / "cruise". You get the day to see St. Petersburg, then return overnight to Helsinki. The company advertises that the visit to Russia is visa-free because it is less than 72 hours and you are visiting via a "cruise". Apparently, this is a new twist to the Russian visa laws (I think only since 2010).

Here is the link to the company: http://www.stpeterline.com/en/OnBoard/News.aspx

My questions are:

-- Has anyone taken this trip? What is the border like on the Russian side? Do you have to clear customs? Did you have any trouble being "visa-free"? How long were the lines exiting the port / re-entering the port? What time did you have to be back on the boat? Was the boat on time?

-- Did you have any troubles finding the right bus to get back to the port?


Thanks, all!

Can't help you with much of your inquiry except to say that I believe the visa-free rule for short stays was in existence prior to 2010, if that gives you any added confidence or comfort. When I was researching my 5 day visit to St. Petersburg in 2009 I read about it often. I thought that it only applied to 24 or 48 hour stays, so maybe its been extended to 72 now ?

I know that cruise ship day visits are very common and well organised in St.P so you shouldn't have any problems getting to and from your boat or even getting between whatever sights are planned for your day if done with a reputable company. The trade is well geared for tourists. I'd be more concerned about what to cover in just one day. There are loads of interesting things to see and do and even 5 days couldn't cover them all for me. Have fun.

M.

You're right -- one day is definitely not enough for most cities, let alone St. Petersburg, but I still want to squeeze in what I can. :)

Thanks for the info!

No problem.
Should you decide to do the one day exploring on your own and not be part of a tour group, I''m happy to recommend the guide that I used during the 5 days I was there. I myself found him from a recommendation by a trusted traveller on this board and was really happy with him. He had his own car, knew where to take me, had a plan of action ready for me to approve or amend on the first day we met, and was a very pleasant and jovial guy who spoke very good English. And his rates were quite reasonable.

Yes, for just 1 day you might be better off with a tour group, but if I'm sensing from your response that you'd like to see as much as you can in your own time, a personal guide might be the way to go, where you can determine just how much of any one place you want to see, and stay or leave a site at your own convenience before moving on to the next. Once you communicated your interests to him, he'd know exactly what you might be able to fit in to a day and come up with a plan.

In order to be able to use the "visa-free" option you need to get tour-tickets / "blanket visas" from an authorised tour operator, you would not be able to go ashore without them. We went on a Baltic cruise once and the company, which issued the tour tickets for us was Palladium Travel.

I would love to have a recommendation of a private guide, if you don't mind sending along the info. Thanks again!

19cruise80 - thanks for that info, too!

Private guides in St. Petersburg are a great option. They are very reliable, highly educated and knowledgable. However, in order to use the "Visa free" cruise, you must take part in the ship organized excursions. If you choose to have your private guide, you will have to obtain a visa.
Five Stars of Scandinavia, tour operator for Scandinavian Tourism, is now representing St. Peter Line in the US, and can assist you with your travel plans.
The link:
http://5stars-scandinavia.com/st-peter-line.html

You don't have to book the ship's tours to go ashore without visas - any authorised local tour company can arrange that and their rates are usually lower.