Hi everybody! This summer will be the time where I (or more specific - my girlfriend and I) head east as I'm planning a 9-10 day trip round the Baltic Sea. The route is roughly set as so: From Denmark: South to Germany and in to Poland. Across northern Poland, visiting the castle in Malbork before heading in to Kaliningrad (yes I will remember to apply for a visa ). In to Lithuania visiting the Hill of Crosses, on to Latvia and Estonia, where I'll be visiting Tallinn where the Danish flag "allegedly" fell down and "came to life" back in the 1200's. From Estonia in to Russia, round the gulf og Finland before hitting Helsinki where I'll be staying a day. After that a small days ride in a half circle round in the southern part of Finland before ending in Naantali and catching the ferry to Sweden where it's basically southwest on to Varberg and the ferry home. SO..... Having never been in that neck of the woods I was wondering if there were anybody in here with som intel on things to see and perhaps do on the way? Or in other ways be aware of? I.e. situation on wild camping for example? Thanks in advance! (PS....rock on...)
Kaliningrad & St.Petersburg, that's two entries to Russia, you must check your visa options carefully. If it's summertime, then the lake district in Finland (roughly between Lappeenranta and Nurmes) is quite nice.
Thanks! Yes I'm aware of the visa situatuation. When I get closer to the time of departure I will contact the Danish Visa Administration so nothing goes wrong. The route in Finland you write about looks really nice but I'm afraid that the time will not be enough to go up that way. I'm thinking from Helsingfors up to Valkeakoski - Rauma - and back to Naantali. Would that be ok?
"from Helsingfors up to Valkeakoski - Rauma - and back to Naantali. Would that be ok? " Yeah, nothing wrong with that, would be good to choose some smaller roads, though.... and for me, the best part of southern Finland is on its eastern side. But you can find some very nice roads in that southwestern area as well.
Don't forget to book a place in a queue at the Estonia-Russia border (https://www.estonianborder.eu/yphis/index.action). Keep in mind that Russia-Finland border crossing points are heavily crowded at weekends.
I agree with Oldbear. You can easily spend 2-4 hours on russian borders, both entering and leaving a country. Is it worth it? Therefore I would also suggest to skip St.Petersburg and maybe even Kaliningrad. It's great advice to visit estonian islands, allthough I'm not sure is it worth to add second island Hiiumaa to plan - there's not much ferries between Hiiumaa and Saaremaa islands and also ferry from Hiiumaa to mainland will take 1,5 hours (and 2 hours between ferries) instead 35min you need to reach Saaremaa. Better take a round trip around Saaremaa or at least western and northern part of it. Ferry schedule you can find from here http://www.tuulelaevad.ee/index.php?lang=en If you have only 1 day left for Finland, I would also consider night ferry directly from Tallinn to Stockholm and skipping Finland this time. http://www.tallink.com/ Maybe Norway-Murmansk-Karelia-St.Peterburg-Finland next time? Great 10 days trip too.
Suggestion for anyone entering Estonia from Riga(E67): Just before the border there is Neste fuel and fast food, there is a parallel road between E67 and the sea that runs through small villages and merges with E67 before Pärnu. Its paved, curvy and empty.
I second this - rode it (from north to south) last year. The smaller road is much preferrable over the E67.
