Travelling in the Baltics

[otc]

I'm thinking about trying to visit the Baltics later this year. Definitely Riga and probably up to Tallinn and to somewhere else from there. Other possibilities include Lithuania, Helsinki, St Petersburg. Stockholm is an option too, but I would probably save that for a more Sweden-focused trip.

Anyone have any experience in these areas? (@Find Finn?)
Would mid September be problematic weather-wise? Probably wouldn't want to go later than that due to the rapid loss of daylight.

 

[circumspice]

Mid Sept should be fine. A few years ago I did a southern Sweden and Finland trip late August into mid September, and the weather was great. However, the Swedes really consider Sept 1 to be the end of summer, and some of the schedules changed for touristic activities, so you may want to see if that is true there as well.

Its been a decade since I went to the Baltic countries, and was July when I went. All three capitals are worth spending a few days in.

 

[otc]

Looks like it is going to be departing 9/18, returning 9/30 which probably means actually arriving 8/19 and leaving on the 29th...so 10-11 nights...although those could probably still shift a couple days earlier.

Destinations will be
Vilnius, Lithuania
Riga, Latvia
Tallinn, Estonia

With anything interesting that I can find in between them, and potentially a ferry across to Helsinki depending how the timing works.

 

[circumspice]

So August?

You might want to look into spending some time on the Curonian Spit. I spent a couple days in Nida between Riga and going to Vilnius.

 

[otc]



So August?

You might want to look into spending some time on the Curonian Spit. I spent a couple days in Nida between Riga and going to Vilnius.

oops

those should be 9s for september...

 

[Trompe le Monde]

Sept's a good time

Riga: 9/10
Tallinn: 7/10
Vilnius: 5/10
StP: 8/10
Stockholm: 5/10

have fun

 

[otc]

Looks like we will be renting a car and doing some driving (despite reports of crazy-ass drivers and bad roads).
We fly into Vilnius on the 18th and have to make it to our Airbnb apartment in Riga on the 22nd.

Renting a car will give us some access to anything outside of Vilnius we want to see (especially if we tire of Vilnius early), and it will let us stop and see the Hill of Crosses on the way up to Riga.

Would like to go see the Curonian Spit, but I don't know that we really have time to make it to the Lithuanian coast...and mid-late september seems like it is well past beach resort town season.

 

[Wine Snob]

I'm from Tallinn, ask away

 

[otc]



I'm from Tallinn, ask away

If I wanted to take a single day trip (or partial-day) outside of Tallinn, where would I go? Particularly if it is possible by bus/train since we won't have our rental car anymore when we arrive in Tallinn.

 

[Wine Snob]

If I wanted to take a single day trip (or partial-day) outside of Tallinn, where would I go? Particularly if it is possible by bus/train since we won't have our rental car anymore when we arrive in Tallinn.

Not much to do then, with a car you could access some places where the bus/train service doesn't run or runs too irregularly to make 1/2 or a full day count.

Then there is old town, museums and maybe some night life.

 

[Wine Snob]

ot much to do then, with a car you could access some places where the bus/train service doesn't run or runs too irregularly to make 1/2 or a full day count.

Then there is old town, museums and maybe some night life.

 

[otc]

Well, I suppose I could pick up a car then.

We are there for part of a Thursday (morning flight in from Riga) and then all of Friday/Saturday, before taking the ferry to Helsinki Sunday morning.

Haven't decided where to stay yet; probably either find a Hotel or pick out another Airbnb apartment...are there any cool neighborhoods we should look to stay in?

 

[Wine Snob]

Haven't decided where to stay yet; probably either find a Hotel or pick out another Airbnb apartment...are there any cool neighborhoods we should look to stay in?

Old Town or hotels close to there. Swissotel is a bit nicer as a large hotel, but a bit too far from where stuff happens, so to speak.

Kadriorg and Kalamaja are nice if you are looking to pick an apartment, first is a 20s-30s neighbourhood built before WW2. second was just voted as one of the most hipster neighbourhoods in the world and gets some love from The Economist.

 

[otc]



Old Town or hotels close to there. Swissotel is a bit nicer as a large hotel, but a bit too far from where stuff happens, so to speak.

Kadriorg and Kalamaja are nice if you are looking to pick an apartment, first is a 20s-30s neighbourhood built before WW2. second was just voted as one of the most hipster neighbourhoods in the world and gets some love from The Economist.

Looks like we will be staying 3 nights in an AirBNB on the eastern side of Kalamaja, right outside of Old Town.

 

[Wine Snob]

Ah, forgot to check the thread. How was Tallinn and did you like the Kalamaja scenery? I happen to live in the centre of it