Helsinki - Stockholm
 

Hello,

does anybody know if it is required (or wise) to have a reservation for the
crossing by ferry from Helsinki (or Turku) to Stockholm.
I can't find any information about this on Silja Line website. And there's
no possibility of asking through e-mail.
Any info on this subject is welcome.

Thanks in advance,

André Klomp

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

"André Klomp" <[email protected]> wrote:
    : Hello,

    : does anybody know if it is required (or wise) to have a reservation for the
    : crossing by ferry from Helsinki (or Turku) to Stockholm.
    : I can't find any information about this on Silja Line website. And there's
    : no possibility of asking through e-mail.
    : Any info on this subject is welcome.

If I remember it right so Silja Line requires a reservation (because I
suppose Silja Line sells only cabin travels) but if you travel with
Viking Line (cheaper etc.) you can buy just a seat on the boat (so you
don't get any cabin) and that should be possible without a reservation
(www.vikingline.fi).

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

Thanks for the answers, they are helpfull. But maybe I should have mentioned
I travel bij car.
I want to drive up through Sweden and then down at the other side of the sea
through Finland.

André

"Hatunen" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
news:[email protected]...
    > On 20 Jun 2005 20:48:20 GMT, Suvi Koskinen <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    > >"André Klomp" <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >: Hello,
    > >
    > >: does anybody know if it is required (or wise) to have a reservation for
the
    > >: crossing by ferry from Helsinki (or Turku) to Stockholm.
    > >: I can't find any information about this on Silja Line website. And
there's
    > >: no possibility of asking through e-mail.
    > >: Any info on this subject is welcome.
    > >
    > >If I remember it right so Silja Line requires a reservation (because I
    > >suppose Silja Line sells only cabin travels) but if you travel with
    > >Viking Line (cheaper etc.) you can buy just a seat on the boat (so you
    > >don't get any cabin) and that should be possible without a reservation
    > >(www.vikingline.fi).
    > That seems to be essentially correct. I believe Viking has
    > airline-style seating in a dark area for those travelling without
    > a cabin.
    > But it's still a good idea to get your ticket ahead of time. I'm
    > not sure Viking has an unlimited supply of no-cabin tickets, and
    > sometimes the passenger load can be pretty full, for instacne if
    > there's a Finn-Swede football game. This can be done by making a
    > phone call and the ticket, whether cabin or not, will be held for
    > you at the terminal.
    > ************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
    > * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
    > * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

On 20 Jun 2005 20:48:20 GMT, Suvi Koskinen <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >"André Klomp" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >: Hello,
    >: does anybody know if it is required (or wise) to have a reservation for the
    >: crossing by ferry from Helsinki (or Turku) to Stockholm.
    >: I can't find any information about this on Silja Line website. And there's
    >: no possibility of asking through e-mail.
    >: Any info on this subject is welcome.
    >If I remember it right so Silja Line requires a reservation (because I
    >suppose Silja Line sells only cabin travels) but if you travel with
    >Viking Line (cheaper etc.) you can buy just a seat on the boat (so you
    >don't get any cabin) and that should be possible without a reservation
    >(www.vikingline.fi).

That seems to be essentially correct. I believe Viking has
airline-style seating in a dark area for those travelling without
a cabin.

But it's still a good idea to get your ticket ahead of time. I'm
not sure Viking has an unlimited supply of no-cabin tickets, and
sometimes the passenger load can be pretty full, for instacne if
there's a Finn-Swede football game. This can be done by making a
phone call and the ticket, whether cabin or not, will be held for
you at the terminal.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

André Klomp <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Thanks for the answers, they are helpfull. But maybe I should have mentioned
    > I travel bij car.
    > I want to drive up through Sweden and then down at the other side of the sea
    > through Finland.

If you're taking a car, then, yes, you'll probably need a booking in
advance.

Also, you need to decide what exactly you want. The Silja and Viking
ferries are 'floating palaces' that used to lure passengers aboard with
cheap tickets--which passengers then spent a lot on food, drink, casino,
disco, duty-free, etc. The cheap ticket days are gone now but in any
case they never really applied if you were taking a car. If you want to
experience that kind of a crossing and are prepared to pay for it, then
go ahead.

On the other hand, if you just want to get back with your car from
Finland to Sweden, there is a 'no frills' ferry operating from Turku to
Stockholm called SeaWind Line. Fares are much cheaper than the 'fancy'
ships. We've gone with them two or three times and would do it again.

http://www.seawind.fi/index.php?l=eng

cheers,

Henry

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

André Klomp <[email protected]> informed
rec.travel.europe with the following:
    > Thanks for the answers, they are helpfull. But maybe I should have mentioned
    > I travel bij car.
    > I want to drive up through Sweden and then down at the other side of the sea
    > through Finland.

In that case, it might be even more advisable to make a reservation in
advance as the car decks have limited capacity and I believe the cargo
transportation takes good chunk of that. If understood your route
correctly and there is no space on Helsinki-Stockholm boats, you may
want to think alternative return routes like first Helsinki-Tallinn
and then either Via Baltica thru the Baltic states and Poland or
Finnjet ferry to Rostock. Also Hanko-Rostock on Superfast Ferries,
<URL:http://www.superfast.com/Baltic/English/index.asp>, might be
viable option.

--
Heikki "Hezu" Kantola, <[email protected]>
Lähettämällä mainoksia tai muuta asiatonta sähköpostia yllä olevaan
osoitteeseen sitoudut maksamaan oikolukupalvelusta EUR100 alkavalta
tunnilta.

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 00:06:05 +0200, "André Klomp"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Thanks for the answers, they are helpfull. But maybe I should have mentioned
    >I travel bij car.
    >I want to drive up through Sweden and then down at the other side of the sea
    >through Finland.

I'm afraid I've not taken a car on one of those ferries so I have
no idea how that works. Again, a phone call to either Silja or
Viking should work; I believe the phone numbers are available at
their web sites, and are for Finland.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

"Hatunen" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
    > On 20 Jun 2005 20:48:20 GMT, Suvi Koskinen <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >>"André Klomp" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>: Hello,
    >>: does anybody know if it is required (or wise) to have a reservation for
    >>the
    >>: crossing by ferry from Helsinki (or Turku) to Stockholm.
    >>: I can't find any information about this on Silja Line website. And
    >>there's
    >>: no possibility of asking through e-mail.
    >>: Any info on this subject is welcome.
    >>If I remember it right so Silja Line requires a reservation (because I
    >>suppose Silja Line sells only cabin travels) but if you travel with
    >>Viking Line (cheaper etc.) you can buy just a seat on the boat (so you
    >>don't get any cabin) and that should be possible without a reservation
    >>(www.vikingline.fi).
    > That seems to be essentially correct. I believe Viking has
    > airline-style seating in a dark area for those travelling without
    > a cabin.
    > But it's still a good idea to get your ticket ahead of time. I'm
    > not sure Viking has an unlimited supply of no-cabin tickets,
-------------------
It's not unlimited. The number of passengers allowed on-board is the same
as the number of cabin-berths. That number in turn is calculated from
the rescue and life-boat capacity.
That means a no cabin ticket must be compensated with a non occupied cabin
berth normally provided with single or double occupancy in 4 berth cabins or
so.
To have a cabin I can't but recommend an advance reservation as the ferries
are many times fully booked in the summer time.

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

Henry wrote:
    > André Klomp <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Thanks for the answers, they are helpfull. But maybe I should have mentioned
    >>I travel bij car.
    >>I want to drive up through Sweden and then down at the other side of the sea
    >>through Finland.
    >
    >
    > If you're taking a car, then, yes, you'll probably need a booking in
    > advance.
    >
    > Also, you need to decide what exactly you want. The Silja and Viking
    > ferries are 'floating palaces' that used to lure passengers aboard with
    > cheap tickets--which passengers then spent a lot on food, drink, casino,
    > disco, duty-free, etc. The cheap ticket days are gone now but in any
    > case they never really applied if you were taking a car. If you want to
    > experience that kind of a crossing and are prepared to pay for it, then
    > go ahead.
    >
    > On the other hand, if you just want to get back with your car from
    > Finland to Sweden, there is a 'no frills' ferry operating from Turku to
    > Stockholm called SeaWind Line. Fares are much cheaper than the 'fancy'
    > ships. We've gone with them two or three times and would do it again.
    >
    > http://www.seawind.fi/index.php?l=eng
    >
    > cheers,
    >
    > Henry

As Henry noted, the voyage itself is an experience, if you like that
sort of stuff... but the basic trip can be done by Sea Wind. They
advertise as having the shortest bar desk on the Baltic Sea. Also the
shop size was doubled as they moved one wall by a metre... ;-)
A very good option for a family and you can park your car almost to the
cabin door!

Still another option is the Finnlines link from Naantali to Kapellskär.

http://finnlink.fi

Basic ro-ro ships with minimum service, but cheap and OK.

Both Silja and Viking tend to rise their prices during summer, but the
boats are still always full. A reservation is absolutely required if
your schedule is critical. You might get a place even in the harbour,
but I wouldn't bet on that.

And there _is_ a mail link on Silja's page (under "Feedback"). Haven't
tried it though, as I live three kilometres from the harbour...

Markku

Re: Helsinki - Stockholm
 

Markku Ilmanen wrote:
    >
    > Still another option is the Finnlines link from Naantali to Kapellskär.

Blimey. Forgot the World Wide Web!

http://www.finnlink.fi

Markku