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Helsinki cathedral... |
UK to Finland without flying...
It's easy to travel from London to Helsinki by train and ferry, a wonderful 3-day 2-night journey across Scandinavia with a lot to see on the way. It's a great alternative to an unnecessary flight. On this page you'll find a step-by-step guide to planning, booking & making a journey from the UK to Finland by train or ferry, with train & ferry timetables, approximate fares, and the best way to buy tickets.
COVID-19 update: Trains are running between the UK & continental Europe. Eurostar is running a reduced service, but beyond Paris & Brussels train service is close to normal. See COVID-19 travel information.
Train times, fares & tickets...
Which route should
you choose?
London to Helsinki
via ferry from Stockholm
London to Helsinki via ferry from Travemünde
Train travel in Finland: Night
Train to Lapland...
Helsinki to other European cities
by train or ferry
Other European cities to Helsinki by train or
ferry
Helsinki to St Petersburg & Moscow by
train
Helsinki central station
information
Useful
country information
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Train operator in Finland: |
VR, www.vr.fi for train times & fares within Finland. |
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Ferries to Finland: |
www.tallinksilja.com & www.vikingline.fi (Stockholm to Turku & Helsinki) www.finnlines.com (Germany to Helsinki) |
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Railpasses: |
Beginner's guide to European railpasses Buy a rail pass online |
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Time zone & dialling code: |
GMT+2 (GMT+3 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October). Dial code +358. |
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Currency: |
£1 = approx 1.11 euros Check current exchange rates |
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Tourist information: |
www.visitfinland.com. Helsinki metro, bus, tram info: www.hsl.fi. |
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Page last updated: |
12 September 2022. Train times valid 12 Dec 2021 to 10 Dec 2022. |
Which route should
you choose?
There are several good options for reaching Finland in comfort without flying:
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London to Helsinki by train to Stockholm then ferry to Finland: This is the fastest option, with daily departures taking 2 nights & 3 days from London to Helsinki. You travel from London to Hamburg by comfortable daytime trains on day 1, from Hamburg to Stockholm by comfortable daytime trains on day 2, and by luxury cruise ferry from Stockholm to Finland on day 3. You stop overnight in Hamburg and Stockholm. By all means stop off to see Copenhagen or Stockholm for a day or two on the way if you like. This route is the one shown in red on the route map below. Times, fares & how to buy tickets are shown below.
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London to Helsinki by train to Hamburg then ferry from Travemünde to Finland: Take a morning Eurostar to Brussels & onward trains to Hamburg, spend the night there before taking a local train to Travemünde and the daily Finnlines ferry from Travemünde to Helsinki. This route is shown in dark blue on the route map below. Details are shown below.
Interactive map: London to Helsinki by train & ferry...click on a route for train & ferry times from the UK, and how to buy tickets.
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London
to Helsinki via Stockholm
This is the fastest option, with daily departures. You travel from London to Hamburg by Eurostar & onward trains on day 1, stay overnight in Hamburg, then travel from Hamburg to Stockholm on day 2. Take a bottle of wine and a good book, and enjoy a 2-day train ride across Europe on modern & comfortable trains with not an airport security queue in sight. Stay overnight in Stockholm and take the daytime ferry+train service to Helsinki next day. Or spend the day in Stockholm and take the overnight cruise ferry to Helsinki with a comfortable en suite cabin reserved. What's the journey like? Note that the Cologne to Copenhagen sleeper train was discontinued in 2014.
Faster alternative starting 1 September 2022. A new sleeper train from Hamburg to Stockholm means you can travel from London to Stockholm in 24 hours as shown here. Spend a day at leisure in Stockholm, then travel from Stockholm to Helsinki overnight by direct ferry or ferry+train as shown here. I will update this page fully once the new service starts.
London ► Helsinki
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Day 1, travel from London to Hamburg by train, for example...
Leave London St Pancras at 11:04 by Eurostar to Brussels Midi, ICE3 train to Cologne, & EuroCity to Hamburg Hbf arriving 21:14.
Leave London St Pancras at 12:58 by Eurostar to Brussels Midi, ICE3 train to Cologne & InterCity train to Hamburg Hbf arriving 23:16.
By all means travel earlier for more of an evening in Hamburg, see the London-Hamburg timetable on the London to Germany page.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg...
The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by train...
For most of the year you can leave Hamburg Hbf at 08:56 by Danish Intercity train arriving Copenhagen 13:33, then leave Copenhagen at 14:19 by X2000 train arriving Stockholm Central 19:36.
From 18 June to 21 August 2022 you can leave Hamburg Altona (not Hamburg Hbf) at 06:52 by Danish Intercity train arriving Copenhagen 11:33, then leave Copenhagen at 12:19 by X2000 arriving Stockholm Central 17:37. Or you can leave Hamburg Hbf at 10:53 by Danish Intercity train arriving Copenhagen 15:33, then leave Copenhagen at 16:19 by X2000 arriving Stockholm Central 21:38.
You can check train times from Hamburg to Stockholm at www.bahn.de. Trains from Copenhagen to Stockholm cross the impressive Öresund Fixed Link, a tunnel & double-deck road/rail bridge opened in 1999 linking Denmark with Sweden. More information about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey. More information about X2000 tilting trains.
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Stay overnight in Stockholm. Check hotels in Stockholm.
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Day 3, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki by ferry & train...
Viking Line (www.vikingline.fi) sails from Stockholm Stadsgården terminal at 07:45 every day, arriving in Turku at 19:50.
The luxurious Viking Grace or Viking Glory has a range of standard & deluxe cabins, restaurants, bars and lounges. A cabin is optional on the day crossing, but I recommend one as somewhere to nap, shower, relax in private. See map of Stockholm showing ferry terminals. How to reach Stockholm's Viking Line terminal.
In Turku, it's just 100m from the Viking Line terminal to Turku Port station, see map.
A connecting double-deck InterCity train leaves Turku Port (Turku Satama) station at 20:25 & arrives at Helsinki station at 22:56.
This is a boat train specifically timed to connect with the ferry from Stockholm. It has Eko (2nd) & Ekstra (1st) class, a bistro, playroom & various seating options, see more information about this Intercity train.
Update: For 2 years from Autumn 2022, a bus will replace the train between Turku Port & Kupittaa (east Turku), but the bus is well-signed & well-organised. The bus leaves from the car park next to Turku Port station platforms. More information about this Intercity train.
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Alternatively, spend day 3 exploring Stockholm and sail overnight from Stockholm direct to Helsinki.
Silja Line offers a luxurious overnight cruise ferry from Stockholm direct to Helsinki, www.tallinksilja.com, sailing at 16:45 every day arriving in Helsinki at 10:30 next morning (day 4 from London). Their ships are the superb Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony. Viking Line also operates this route, but now only every other day, sailing at 16:30. Their ship is the Gabriella.
It's a very scenic voyage, as the liner sails out of Stockholm past all the islands, see the video. You can have dinner in the restaurant and retire to your cabin, or party all night in the nightclub, it's up to you...
In Stockholm, the easiest way to reach Silja Line's Värtahamnen ferry terminal is to take the Tunnelbana (metro) from T-Centralen (Central Station) to Gärdet, just 3 stops on line T13 towards Ropsten. The Tunnelbana accepts contactless bank cards, you just touch in and out. From Gärdet station it's a easy well-signed 12-minute 1km walk to the Värtahamnen terminal, see walking map. You won't be the only person walking it!
Silja Line also operates a transfer bus from Stockholm Cityterminal (next to Stockholm Central) to the terminal, buy tickets from the ticket machines or from the driver, check times at the Silja Line website. Or you can take a taxi.
At the Värtahamnen terminal, check-in for the ferry is painless: Walk up to one of the self-service check-in machines, click the touch screen for English, scan the ferry ticket barcode on your phone or printout, click to confirm and out pops your ferry boarding pass which is also your cabin key. Go through the automatic gates using the boarding pass and walk onto the ferry.
In Helsinki, it's an easy 1.8 km 23-minute walk from Silja Line's Olympia ferry terminal to Helsinki station. Or if you walk out of the terminal and turn right, you'll see the tram terminus for trams 2 & 3. Buy a ticket from the machine using a contactless bank card, tram 2 will get you to a stop in the city centre a block away from Helsinki station, tram 3 takes a slightly longer route but goes to the tram stop right outside Helsinki station. Helsinki's iconic cathedral is a 1.3 km 16-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
See map of Stockholm showing ferry terminals. See map of Helsinki showing ferry terminals.
Helsinki ► London
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Day 1, travel from Helsinki to Stockholm by train & ferry...
Leave Helsinki station at 05:28 Mondays-Fridays only by double-deck InterCity train, arriving Turku Port (Turku Satama) at 07:40.
This is a boat train specifically timed to connect with the ferry to Stockholm. It has Eko (2nd) & Ekstra (1st) class, a bistro, playroom & various seating options, see more information about this Intercity train.
In Turku, it's just 100m from Turku Port station to the Viking Line terminal, see map.
Update: For 2 years from Autumn 2022, a bus will temporarily replace the train from Kupittaa (eastern Turku) to Turku Port, but it' well-signed & well-organised. The bus arrives at the car park next to Turku Port station platforms.
Viking Line (www.vikingline.fi) sails from Turku at 08:45 arriving Stockholm Stadsgården ferry terminal at 18:55.
The luxurious Viking Grace or Viking Glory has a range of standard & deluxe cabins, restaurants, bars and lounges. A cabin is optional on the day crossing, but I recommend one as somewhere to nap, shower, relax in private. See map of Stockholm showing ferry terminals.
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Alternatively, take a direct overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm & spend a day in Stockholm...
Silja Line (www.tallinksilja.com) offers a luxurious overnight cruise ferry direct from Helsinki to Stockholm every day. The ferry sails from Helsinki Olympia Terminal at 17:00 arriving in Stockholm Värtahamnen at about 09:45 next morning, after sailing past all those islands. A range of comfortable cabins is available. Map of Helsinki showing Silja terminal. If you choose this option, you leave Helsinki the night before (let's call it day 0) but you then get a free day to explore Stockholm (the day we're calling day 1).
Viking Line (www.vikingline.fi) also operates this route, but only every second day.
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Stay overnight in Stockholm. Check hotels in Stockholm.
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Day 2, travel from Stockholm to Hamburg by train...
For most of the year you can leave Stockholm Central at 08:21 by X2000 tilting train arriving Copenhagen 13:25, then leave Copenhagen at 15:26 by Danish Intercity train arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
From 18 June to 21 August 2022 you can leave Stockholm Central at 07:20 by X2000 tilting train arriving Copenhagen 12:24, then leave Copenhagen at 13:26 by Danish Intercity train arriving Hamburg Hbf at 18:02. There's also a later departure at 10:22, arriving 21:58.
You can check train times from Stockholm to Hamburg at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Tip: Click Stopover, enter Copenhagen, click More means of transport and change admit changes to direct connections for both sectors, to ensure a 1-change journey.
Trains from Stockholm to Copenhagen cross the impressive Öresund Fixed Link, a tunnel & double-deck road/rail bridge opened in 1999 linking Denmark with Sweden. More information about X2000 tilting trains. More information about the Copenhagen to Hamburg journey.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg...
The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to London by train...
For example, the earliest departure leaves Hamburg Hbf at 06:46, change at Cologne Hbf & Brussels Midi to arrive London St Pancras at 16:05.
Or you can leave at 08:46 arriving London at 18:06. Or have a leisurely breakfast and leave Hamburg at 10:46 arriving London at 19:57 (21:33 on Saturdays & some other dates), see the Hamburg to London timetable on the London to Germany page.
How much does it cost?
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London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £115 one-way, £199 return standard premier (1st class).
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Brussels to Hamburg starts at €27.90 each way in 2nd class or €56.90 each way in 1st class.
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Hamburg to Stockholm starts at €56.90 each way in 2nd class.
These train fares are dynamic like air fares, so book early for the cheapest prices and avoid busy days such as Fridays or Sunday afternoons.
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Stockholm to Turku by Viking Line ferry costs as little as €15 each way without any cabin accommodation, but you can add various types of private cabin from €13 upwards. Silja Line is similarly priced.
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Turku to Helsinki by train costs starts at €7.90 in Eco (2nd) class or €18.80 in Ekstra (1st) class booked in advance.
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Stockholm to Helsinki by direct overnight ferry starts from around €88 including a bed in a shared 4-berth with Viking Line or €111 with sole occupancy of a cabin with Silja Line. But there are whole range of cabin types and prices, just check both ferry company websites.
How to buy tickets...
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Step 1, book from London to Hamburg (and back, if returning) at www.raileurope.com and add to basket...
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Step 2, book from Hamburg to Stockholm at www.raileurope.com, add to basket and check out...
Booking tips...
Anyone from any country can use www.raileurope.com, it allows you to book all your tickets together in one place in plain English, international credit cards accepted and fares shown in multiple currencies. There's a small booking fee.
Booking for all these trains usually opens up to 180 days ahead, but significantly less than this when the mid-December timetable change intervenes, see more about when booking opens.
Fares are dynamic like air fares, for the cheapest prices book early and avoid busy days such as Fridays or Sunday afternoons.
Eurostar return fares are significantly cheaper than two one ways, so any return journey involving Eurostar is best booked as a round trip. However, with the Brussels-Hamburg & Hamburg-Stockholm tickets a round trip is simply two one-ways, so makes no difference.
A seat reservation is automatically included with every ticket on Eurostar and on Swedish X2000s. However, seat reservations on the German & Danish trains between Brussels & Copenhagen are usually optional, if you want a reserved seat it can be added during the booking process for fee of around €4.50 each way. A reserved seat is a good idea, especially at busy periods, so I'd add one when prompted.
You print your own tickets, or after booking you can load the Eurostar ticket into the Eurostar app, and show the DB tickets on your laptop or smartphone.
After booking you can use the Eurostar Manage Booking system to select an exact seat on Eurostar.
About those tight 20-minute connections at Brussels Midi...
The slick 20-minute connection in Brussels between Eurostar and an onward ICE, sometimes less than this, is usually a recognised connection which lots of people make. It's not usually a problem, especially if you use the Brussels Midi short cut between platforms. Even though the system sells you separate tickets either side of Brussels, you are protected by the Railteam Promise/HOTNAT so if there's a delay and you miss the connection you will be allowed to travel on later onwards trains at no extra charge. Just make sure that if you did miss that 20 minute connection in Brussels, there are later trains that would still get you to Hamburg by close of play that day.
Alternatively, nothing stops you booking an earlier Eurostar than the one which directly connects with your chosen onward ICE, if it has cheaper fares or if you want a more robust connection. To do this using www.raileurope.com, click More options, then enter Brussels (any station) as a via station with a stopover duration of (say) 1 or 2 hours. There are plenty of places for a meal, coffee or beer between trains in Brussels!
If you don't see any cheap Hamburg-Stockholm fares...
Availability of Hamburg-Stockholm tickets is limited, so if you don't find any cheap fares between Hamburg and Stockholm using www.raileurope.com, split the booking like this:
First book Hamburg to Copenhagen at German Railways www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
Then book Copenhagen to Stockholm using either Omio.com (small booking fee, happily accepts overseas credit cards, you can pay in Swedish Kr, £, € and $) or www.sj.se (in Swedish Krona, no booking fee, you can usually choose a specific seat from a seating plan, but it can sometimes be fussy with overseas credit cards). You simply print out your own ticket or show it on your smartphone, or you can choose to collect tickets from the SJ ticket machines at Copenhagen station.
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Step 3, book the ferry from Stockholm to Turku...
You can check sailing dates & prices for both Viking Line & Silja Line ferries on both the Stockholm-Turku & Stockholm-Helsinki routes at the Direct Ferries website. Remember to select '18+' for adults and change With vehicle to No vehicle. The price you initially see is for a basic passenger place on the ferry, you can add a cabin at the next stage. When you book online you will be emailed a confirmation which you present at check-in to exchange for your boarding pass.
Alternatively you can book direct with the relevant operator at www.vikingline.fi or www.tallinksilja.com. You can book individual beds in shared cabins if you book directly with the operator, which is much cheaper than sole occupancy, that's the one thing Direct ferries can't do.
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Step 4, book the train from Turku to Helsinki: If you book the daytime or overnight Stockholm-Turku ferry, you'll need an onward train ticket to Helsinki. You can do this online at www.vr.fi (click 'EN' for English). It's Turku Harbour (Satama) station that you should select.
How to buy tickets by phone...
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Step 1: Buy your train tickets from London to Stockholm. You can buy all these tickets through a number of UK agencies, but the best for this trip is probably Deutsche Bahn's UK phone line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04 (lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings). Click here for a list of agencies and more info on how to book.
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Step 2: Book the Viking Line ferry at the Direct Ferries website or www.vikingline.fi or by phone though its UK agent, Emagine Ltd, on 01942 262662. Book the Silja Line ferry at the Direct Ferries website or www.tallinksilja.com or through their UK agents, DFDS Seaways, on 0871 522 9955.
Let Railbookers arrange it...
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If you want a custom-made trip with train & ferry travel, hotels & transfers all arranged for you, contact Railbookers. Tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out. They get positive reviews and look after their customers very well.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
see
website.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
see website.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 52
see website.
New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or
see
website.
What's the journey like?
1. London to Brussels by Eurostar...
Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph). There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00). There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras (45-minute minimum in Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam) as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train. More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure. St Pancras station guide. Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels.
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A Eurostar e320 at St Pancras. More about Eurostar. |
Standard Premier/Business Premier. Larger photo. |
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Standard class seats. Larger photo. |
One of two cafe-bars, in cars 8 & 9. Larger photo. |
2. Brussels to Cologne by ICE3...
Germany's superb ICEs have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, bistro orders are taken at your seat. 50 minutes after leaving Brussels the ICE calls at Liège, where you can admire the impressive station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava. As you approach Cologne Hbf you'll see the twin towers of Cologne Cathedral on the right, next to the station. More information about ICE3. Brussels Midi station guide. Cologne Hbf station guide.
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An ICE3M to Cologne at Brussels Midi. More information about ICE. Advice on changing trains in Brussels. |
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2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
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Proper china & metal cutlery... I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu. |
Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M... Larger photo. |
3. Cologne to Hamburg by Intercity train...
Germany Intercity trains travel at up to 200km/h (120mph), with power sockets at all seats and a bistro car serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, snacks and hot dishes. On the Cologne to Hamburg route you'll find some departures are operated by high-speed ICEs (usually ICE1) rather than Intercity trains, although the ICEs are no faster than ICs on this section of line. More information about Intercity trains. Hamburg Hbf station guide.
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A German Intercity train. More information about Intercity trains. |
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Dinner in the bistro. The beef ribs were delicious... |
Bistro car. See current month's menu... |
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2nd class seating is usually in open-plan saloons like this, most seats unidirectional, but with some tables for 4. Sometimes you'll find 2nd class compartment cars with side corridor and ten 6-seat compartments Larger photo. |
4. Hamburg to Copenhagen by Intercity train
Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are operated by Danish IC3 trains like this, shown in the timetable as IC for Intercity. See more photos, tips & information about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey. Copenhagen station guide.
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An IC3 Intercity train at Copenhagen. More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
1st class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
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Crossing the Little Belt (Lillebælt in Danish) from Jutland (mainland Denmark) to Funen, the island on which Odense is located. |
5. Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000.
These Swedish 200km/h (125mph) tilting trains link Copenhagen & Stockholm in just a few hours, centre to centre. They cross from Denmark to Sweden over the Oresund Link, a combined tunnel and bridge. On the bridge section you seem to be flying just feet above the water. More information about X2000.
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Copenhagen to Stockholm by tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at Stockholm Central. More about X2000 trains. |
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1st class on an X2000. Larger photo. |
2nd class on an X2000. Larger photo. |
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Bistro seating on an X2000 train. Larger photo. |
Bistro on an X2000 train. Larger photo. |
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Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden... |
6. Stockholm to Turku by cruise ferry & train to Helsinki...
There is both a day service and a night service between Stockholm & Helsinki using the Stockholm-Turku Viking Line ferries.
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The Viking Glory to Turku at her berth in Stockholm. |
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Seaside cabin on Viking Glory. Larger photo. |
A beer at sunset at the vista bar on Viking Glory. |
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Sunset from the Viking Glory. A beautiful way to travel... |
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Turku to Helsinki by Intercity train: This is a double-deck push-pull Intercity train at Helsinki station, with restaurant car, power outlets at all seats & free WiFi. The train would normally go direct to Turku Port station just 100m from the Viking Line terminal, but from 2022 for a couple of years long-term construction work means a bus transfer from Kupittaa (Turku east) to the port. However, the bus transfer is well-signed and well-organised. |
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Ekstra (1st) class. Larger photo. |
Eco (2nd) class. Larger photo. |
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Journey's end: The magnificent Helsinki station. |
...or Stockholm to Helsinki by direct overnight cruise ferry.
An Silja Line ferry links Stockholm with Helsinki overnight every day, and a Viking Line ferry sails overnight to a similar schedule every second day. It's a much more relaxed affair than the Stockholm-Turku route. You can board an hour an a half before sailing rather than 15 minutes before, the ferry sails late afternoon so you have a whole evening on the ship, and there's time for a lie-in and leisurely breakfast with a late-morning arrival. The facilities on board are top-class, from the Grande Buffet to the Lobster restaurant. A full range of cabins is available, including suites.
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The Silja Serenade at her berth in Helsinki. Sister ship Silja Symphony is virtually identical. |
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A class cabin on Silja Serenade. Larger photo. |
Deluxe cabin on Silja Serenade. Larger photo. |
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Grande Buffet on the Silja Serenade. |
Central promenade on Silja Serenade. Larger photo. |
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Good night Sweden! Sunset as the Silja Serenade sails slowly past the many islands out of Stockholm into the Baltic... |
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Good morning Finland! Make sure you're on deck for the approach to Helsinki. The ships sails past the King's Steps on the fortress island of Suomenlinna, past the Finnish WW2 submarine Vesikko and through a remarkably narrow gap between Suomenlinna and neighbouring island Vallisaari to reach Helsinki harbour. This photo was indeed taken from the Silja Serenade! |
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The ferry docks in Helsinki, walking distance from all the sights. Alternatively, a number 2 or 3 tram will take you from the Olympia ferry terminal to Helsinki station in the city centre. |
London-Helsinki
via Travemünde
 Don't fly to Finland, cruise there! A Finnlines Travemunde-Helsinki Star class ferry. Below: A cabin on the Finnlines ferry. Photos courtesy of www.finnlines.com |
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This leisurely option runs every day and takes 3 nights outward to Helsinki, just 2 nights inward back to London. In the outward direction it includes a day at leisure exploring Hamburg, too. Take a morning Eurostar to Brussels and onward trains to Hamburg, and stay overnight. After a day exploring Hamburg, transfer by local train to Travemünde on Germany's Baltic coast, then take the daily Finnlines ferry from Travemünde to Helsinki, a 2-night cruise. This route is shown on the route map above in red between London & Hamburg and in dark blue between Hamburg & Helsinki.
London ► Helsinki
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Day 1, travel from London to Brussels on any evening Eurostar you like.
The last Eurostar currently leaves London St Pancras at 18:04 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Brussels Midi at 21:05, or at 15:04 on Saturdays arriving 18:05, but by all means travel earlier for a pleasant evening in Brussels. Check times at www.eurostar.com.
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Stay overnight in Brussels...
The Ibis Brussels Midi is good & inexpensive, just across the road from Brussels Midi station, or the more upmarket Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi is an integral part of the station itself.
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Day 2, travel from Brussels to Hamburg, leaving Brussels Midi at 08:23 by ICE3, changing at Cologne Hbf onto an IC train arriving Hamburg Hbf at 15:12. Taking this departure allows plenty of time.
These comfortable air-conditioned trains have a restaurant or bistro car, power sockets at all seats, the ICE3 has free WiFi.
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Day 2, transfer from Hamburg to Skandinavienkai Terminal, Lübeck like this:
Take a local train from Hamburg Hbf to Lübeck Hbf, these run every 30 minutes during the day, hourly in the evening, journey time 42-43 minutes.
At Lübeck Hbf, leave the station and follow the signs to the ZOB bus station 100m away. Lübeck is a good place for dinner with plenty of bars & restaurants in the old town 5 minutes walk from the station.
Now take bus 30 from Lübeck ZOB bus station to Travemünde Skandinavienkai Terminal (this is the stop before Travemünde Skandinavienkai - Bahnhof Skandinavienkai). The bus ride takes 30 minutes, the last bus goes around 21:00.
You can check journey times from Hamburg to Travemünde Skandinavienkai Terminal at the German Railways website, just use this link to bahn.de as it has the bus times in its database as well as the trains, or you can find bus information at www.xn--sv-lbeck-95a.de.
Alternatively, take a frequent local train from Hamburg Hbf to Lübeck Hbf, then a frequent local train to Travemünde Skandinavienkai Bahnhof, Lübeck from where the ferry terminal is an 8-minute taxi ride or a 34-minute 2.8 km walk.
At the terminal, walk into the large modern office block marked HAFENHAUS next to the bus stop, with a green neon Check in sign by the front door. After check-in, you go downstairs to a large waiting hall, with a bar/cafe open until 10pm, toilets and a large supermarket open until 01:30 selling alcohol and chocolate.
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Day 2-3, sail from Travemünde to Helsinki on the daily Finnlines ferry, see www.finnlines.com or the Direct Ferries website.
Check-in opens at 21:00, the ship boards from 22:30 to 24:00 (day 2), foot passengers are driven onto the car deck in a minibus. The ship sails at 03:00 (day 3), arriving at Helsinki Vuosaari ferry terminal outside Helsinki at 09:00 on day 4.
The ship is not as glamorous as some other cruise ferries on the Baltic, but it has all the essentials: Comfortable cabins with private shower & toilet and free internet access (but not WiFi, so bring a network cable), restaurant, shop, bar, sundeck, and (naturally, being Finnish) a sauna. It's a very civilised way to travel.
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Day 4, transfer from the Vuosaari terminal to central Helsinki. Helsinki's new Hansa Ferry Terminal in the Vuosaari Harbour is 16 km east of central Helsinki. There is a bus connection (bus 90B) between Vuosaari harbour and Vuosaari metro station. Take the metro from Vuosaari into central Helsinki, journey time 25 minutes. Map of Helsinki showing Vuosaari.
Helsinki ► London
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Day 1, transfer from Helsinki to the Vuosaari ferry terminal, some 16 km east of Helsinki. You can take the metro from anywhere in central Helsinki to Vuosaari metro station, then bus 90B from Vuosaari station to the Vuosaari's Hansa ferry terminal. Map of Helsinki showing Vuosaari.
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Day 1, sail from Helsinki to Travemünde on the daily Finnlines ferry, see www.finnlines.com or the Direct Ferries website.
Check in is between 13:30 & 16:30. The ship sails at 17:30 (15:00 Sundays) and arrives at Travemünde at 21:30 the next day (day 2). The ship is has all the essentials: Comfortable cabins with private shower & toilet and free internet access (but not WiFi, so bring a network cable), restaurant, shop, bar, sundeck, and sauna.
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Day 2, transfer by bus and local train to Hamburg Hbf. Buses link the ferry terminal (Travemünde Skandinavienkai Terminal) with Lübeck ZOB bus station, it's a short walk to Lübeck station, then local trains run every 30-60 minutes to Hamburg Hbf.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg...
The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to London by train...
For example, the earliest departure leaves Hamburg Hbf at 06:46, change at Cologne Hbf & Brussels Midi to arrive London St Pancras at 16:05.
Or you can leave at 08:46 arriving London at 18:06. Or have a leisurely breakfast and leave Hamburg at 10:46 arriving London at 19:57 (21:33 on Saturdays & some other dates), see the Hamburg to London timetable on the London to Germany page.
How much does it cost?
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London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £115 one-way, £199 return standard premier (1st class).
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Brussels to Hamburg starts at €29.90 each way in 2nd class, €56.90 each way in 1st class.
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Hamburg to Travemünde by local train & bus costs around €19 each way.
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Travemünde to Helsinki by Finnlines ferry costs between €120 and €155 (£95-£120) each way in a reclining seat depending on the day and season. However, I recommend a cabin. The fare including a bed in a 3-bed shared inside cabin is between €200 and €287 each way. The fare including a bed in a 2-bed outside cabin is between €279 and €413 each way. Children under 6 go free, and there are reduced fares for children 6 to 12 and youth fares for children 13-17. See the fares at www.finnlines.com or the Direct Ferries website.
How to buy tickets...
It takes several websites so it's best to try a dry-run on all of them first to check prices and availability before booking for real. Here's how it's done:
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Step 1, book the Travemünde-Helsinki ferry at www.finnlines.com or the Direct Ferries website.
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Step 2, book the London-Brussels Eurostar at www.eurostar.com. If returning, book this as a round trip as Eurostar return fares are significantly cheaper than two one-ways. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone.
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Step 3, book Brussels-Hamburg at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking usually opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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Step 4, you can also buy a Hamburg-Travemünde ticket at www.bahn.de, or simply buy it at the station when you get to Hamburg.
How to buy tickets by phone...
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Step 1, buy your ferry ticket: Finnlines telesales number in Germany is 00 49 451 1507 443.
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Step 2, buy your London-Hamburg train tickets: You can buy tickets from Deutsche Bahn on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04 (lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings).
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For onward travel to Tampere & other destinations in Finland, see the Trains from Helsinki page.
Recommended
guidebooks
You
should take a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the
Rough
Guide. I personally prefer the layout of the Lonely Planet, but
others prefer the Rough Guide. Both guidebooks provide the same
excellent level of practical information and historical background.
You won't regret buying one! My own book, an essential handbook
for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and
is available from Amazon with shipping worldwide.
Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk...
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Or buy direct at the Lonely Planet website, shipping worldwide.
European Rail Timetable & maps
The
European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European
Timetable)
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus
currency & climate information. It is essential
for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair
travellers. Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of
publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing
department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and
resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.
You can buy it online at
www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or
www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).
More information
on what the European Rail Timetable contains.
Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south. Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted. See an extract from the map. Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or for £9.67 at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).
Hotels in Helsinki &
Scandinavia
Other hotel sites worth trying...
www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com...
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance...
You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer. It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit. These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I use an annual policy myself. Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & covers you even if the FCDO advises
against non-essential travel.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com.
You
can use
www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across
major insurance companies.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get a Curve card to save on foreign transaction fees...
Banks often give a poor exchange rate, then charge a currency conversion fee as well. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this. The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards. And you can get a Curve card for free.
How it works: 1. Download the app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I use a Curve Blue card myself - I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you £5 cashback through that link, too.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. VPNs & why you need one explained...
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi. In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions. And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN. VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.