Baltics On Your Own

[kruzgal]

We are a family of 4 ( 2 adults and 2 teens) and travelled on Celebrity Eclipse around the Baltics. Before the cruise I used this site and got lots of useful information enabling us to plan our days out travelling independently. I thought I would post our experiences as a thank you, and hopefully to maybe help others with their planning for future cruises. I have concentrated on the travel logistics rather than details of what we did in each port. We took a sat nav with us and put it on pedestrian mode. Before we left home we plotted some of the major places we wanted to get to e.g. the market square Helsinki, to help find our way about. On exiting the ship we would also plot our location so that we knew where we had to get back to! For some ports (Helsinki, Copenhagen etc.) I had contacted the relevant tourist board before travel and been sent maps and tourist information, but there were lots of free maps given away at most ports so it wasn’t an issue.

Bruges

Celebrity stated on their daily newspaper that guests were not allowed to walk from the ship to the port entrance and that anyone wanting to leave the ship had to take their shuttle at a cost of $15 per person for a 15 minute bus ride to Blankenberg station. What they didn't tell you was that if you got off the ship and walked past the coaches towards where the taxis were parked there was a small coach with a sign in the front window 'free shuttle to port gate' provided by the port authority. Unsurprisingly we were the only people on the coach and were immediately taken to the entrance. We got off the coach and turned right towards the tram stop, Zeebrugge Kerk. You need to stand on the near side platform and don’t cross the tracks. There is a kiosk on the other side but it wasn’t manned so we got on and paid the driver which was allowed, although it cost slightly more and they only allow you to purchase a single ticket ( 2 euros per person). We rode to Blankenberg station, a very short 10/15 minute ride, then took the train to Bruges for 3.60 euros per person.We started off using a walking tour in Bruges and then just wandered on our own which was perfect. On our return we bought single tram tickets again from the kiosk opposite the front entrance of Blankenberg station (next to the tourist information and right by the tram lines) for 1.20 euros per person. We rode back to Zeebrugge Kerk, walked back to the port entrance and caught the free shuttle back to the ship.

Warnemunde

We walked the short distance from the ship to the station – turn right when you get off the ship and follow the crowds! We went inside to the ticket counter and bought our Mecklenburg Lander tickets for a day trip to Schwerin. There are ticket machines outside but there was a big queue and so we went inside. They printed off all our train times, platforms etc which was handy. We caught the 10.22a.m. to Rostock then at Rostock we caught the 11.07 a.m. train to Schwerin (the Hamburg train from platform 6). We got off the train at Schwerin hbf and also caught the return train from there. We enjoyed walking around Schwerin, visiting the castle etc. and then did the return journey, catching the 15.53 p.m. train to Rostock and then the 17.06 back to Warnemunde.

Helsinki

There was a shuttle run locally (I believe it was $10 per person) but we had planned to visit Suomenlinna by ferry so wanted to buy the one day travel ticket which included the ferry at a cost of just 7 euros person (3.50 euros for under 15’s). It was a great value ticket and we really enjoyed our day. We docked at the ‘dreaded LMA’ berth but it really wasn’t an issue at all. We walked off the ship and through the large ‘shed like’ blue terminal building. We followed the signs for cruise passengers and the painted line on the ground and walked to the port entrance. The bus stop was right outside and inside the building on the left was the ticket machine, which took euro coins and notes/bills. We bought our day tickets then got on bus 15a to the railway station. We had planned on catching the tram from there to the market square, but it was a lovely day so we started walking towards the market square, which was a very pleasant walk through the gardens down Etelaesplanadi .It is such a short distance it is hardly worth waiting for a tram. At the market look for the ferry with the same ticket machines as the ones where you bought the ticket, as that is the one included with your day ticket. We enjoyed several hours exploring Suomenlinna then caught the ferry back. We caught the 3T tram back towards the station. We had intended to stay onboard and do a circuit, taking in some of the sights, but it was a hot day and the tram was warm. We got off one stop early, had a quick walk around Stockmann’s department store, and then went back to the railway station to catch the bus back to the port. Bus 15/15a goes from stand 20 at the front of the station and having looked at the timetable it seemed they ran very infrequently in the middle of the day, so we went into the station, down the escalator and caught the metro to Ruolhati, all included in our ticket. On exiting the metro station we went to the bus stop in the centre of the road and caught bus 15 back to the port entrance. It was not far, and could easily have been walked, but we had done a lot of walking and since we had the day ticket we thought we may as well use it.

Tallinn

Again there is a shuttle on offer, but we chose to walk the short distance to the town and followed the ***** walking tour that is often recommended on these boards. At the end of the tour we wandered independently before returning to the ship, again on foot. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the ship to the start of the walking tour (the large round tower named ‘fat margaret’). Tallinn is a beautiful place to just wander and soak up the atmosphere, and we really enjoyed our day.

 

Stockholm

We bought one day tourist card tickets to use on the buses at the kiosk on the dock side, just as you get off the ship. We had local currency but they only took credit cards which was fine. We walked towards Gamla Stan, following the road next to the water. It is quite a long walk and another time I might try the hop on hop off boats as they were right by the ship. After going over the bridge towards Gamla Stan there is a bus stop where we caught bus 76 to djurgardsbron, from where we walked the short distance to the Vasa. We went straight in (no queue at around 10 a.m.) and picked up a guided tour in English. It is included in the ticket price and lasts half an hour. We then watched the film about the raising of the Vasa and explored some more before catching the bus back towards Gamla Stan, getting off at Slottsbacken. We walked towards the palace, saw the changing of the guard then wandered around Gamla Stan, stopping for snacks and ice creams. We caught bus 76 back towards the ship – where you get off is slightly uphill but there are steps back down to the main road you walked along in the morning. One thing to note is that under 18’s don’t pay for entry to the Vasa and yet Celebrity charged the full adult rates to over 12’s for their 3 hour Vasa tour, which was £30 (very expensive for what effectively amounted to a 15 minute bus ride to the Vasa and back for under 18's).

Copenhagen

I already had a city map with walking tour sent by the tourist office so we simply followed this from the ship to Nyhavn. We did a 1 hour canal tour which was very good value (we took the boat in the middle- Netto Badene- not the one at the far end ,which costs almost double and is identical except you can hop on hop off). We then carried on with the walking tour, taking a bit of a detour through the main shopping street for lunch before continuing to Rosenborg Castle. We decided to walk back via Nyhavn as the sun had come out and it was a lovely place to sit and have a drink before returning to the ship.

 

Hope this has helped someone for next year! Sorry it has got a bit long! Thanks again to all who helped me with my planning.

[Hlitner]

Great post with lots of good DIY info. We once did a lengthy Baltic cruise without using a single excursion and even had our own Visa for St Petersburg (a rewarding challenge for independent cruisers). Your post just reinforces our own experience (nearly forty years) with DIY trips. Every once in a while we book some kind of excursion which usually demonstrates why we hate excursions :)

 

Hank

[kruzgal]

Thank you for your kind comments! We were equally annoyed with the way passengers were misled in Bruges by Celebrity. Even after we had got off the ship and asked Celebrity staff at the quay we were still being advised to take the shuttle at a cost of $60 for our family of four. It was only by ignoring them and wandering around a little that we found the free bus. Towards the end of the cruise we were asked by a senior member of staff, during the elite cocktail hour, how our cruise had been/whether we had experienced any problems. We made a point of telling him about this and that we felt Celebrity were misleading passengers. He did make a note of the issue but whether anything will change I doubt. Having said that we had no other complaints and had a fantastic cruise on the Eclipse.

[Bobocasey]

Kruzgal thanks for the info we like to do as many ports by ourselves as possible because we can pick and choose what we want to do. Since our idea of fun is not sitting on a bus with 40-50 other people we tend to do our own shore excursions. Have found that we can cover a lot more area without having to wait for slow pokes to get back on the bus. We found the same thing being done on Celebrity in May cruise to Italy. I remember seeing something on TV last year where it was stated that cruise companies not just Celebrity make over 50% profits from the sale of shore excursion. Do you happen to have the web address you sent to for info about the ports you listed?

[kruzgal]

Yes, I do. For Copenhagen I used this one....

 

.....http://www.visitdenmark.com/siteforside.htm and requested a city map that included a walking tour

 

For Helsinki I used the email link on this one ........

 

http://www.visithelsinki.fi/In_English/Visitor/Helsinki/Tourist_Information.iw3

 

They were very helpful and both sent information very quickly. I think it is good to state you are on a cruise and a day visitor so that you only get information that is relevant to your situation

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Thank you so much, it will be very helpful for our trip for next year.

 

Can i ask, what sat. system did you use? Smart phone or GPS? Can you give some details on how you put info on it?

[kruzgal]

We used a GPS but as to how you do it - not my department! We already had European maps loaded and so as far as I know it was a matter of searching for a particular place/street name and then setting it as a favourite. We did this before leaving home. When we got off the ship we would also set our current position before heading out for the day. You just need to remember to put it in pedestrian mode or you could end up walking much further than needed! We didn't use it too much but sometimes it is reassuring to know that you are heading in the right direction!

[Coolcruise02]

Thanks for all the helpful info!

[Harriet1910]

Thank you. Your post is very encouraging showing that everything is doable. I love independent travelling. How did you do St. Petersburg? Did you have a Russian visa?

[kruzgal]

We actually took tours with Celebrity in St Petersburg - very unusual for us. Our two teens were not keen on the idea of a full day on an organised tour so we just did a couple of short tours through Celebrity which we enjoyed. I did look at private tours and got some quotes but they seemed quite expensive and most really wanted us to do a full day so we decided not to bother this time.

[Hockey 123]

Please can any one give any great walking tours from the ships. We are doing it on are own.

We already have the Tallin walking tour already, the one on the website.. We are doing a private St petersburgtours. with Alla tours.

 

We neeed other walking.:) tours

[Hockey 123]

Where did you get your walking tour maps from??? I love your itinery and what you did in the baltics. My husband and I are going May 2012.

[Culham]

We toured with Princess in July and had a wonderful time. We did use this site for ideas and it was very helpful. We used Alla tours in Berlin and the full 2 day in St. Petersberg and were very pleased with the organization, guide's knowledge and transportation. Well worth the investment!The rest we did on our own without any problems. If you like to walk, everything is within reach except Stockholm perhaps. We walked to the local bus stop and took the bus into town. We also had Rick Steves' book which we copied for the various places which was helpful. Also, the ship had daily talks of what to see at the next port with information sheets included. Each port has maps available when you get off which is good to pick up for extra detail.

Please can any one give any great walking tours from the ships. We are doing it on are own.

We already have the Tallin walking tour already, the one on the website.. We are doing a private St petersburgtours. with Alla tours.

 

We neeed other walking.:) tours

[kruzgal]

Where did you get your walking tour maps from??? I love your itinery and what you did in the baltics. My husband and I are going May 2012.

 

I requested the map of Copenhagen with the walking tour from the tourist office before the cruise (see the link in one of my posts above). In Bruges and Tallinn I used the ******** website - not sure if I am allowed to post a link, but just google and you will find it. Have a great trip next year!

[Cornishpastyman1]

Please can any one give any great walking tours from the ships. We are doing it on are own.

We already have the Tallin walking tour already, the one on the website.. We are doing a private St petersburgtours. with Alla tours.

 

We neeed other walking.:) tours

I haven't got any stuff about walking tours, but in case it helps with your planning post # 10 on this http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1456034 has the links to 16 videos I made walking on my own, with the exception of St Petersburg, which were from a tour with Alla. All the best, Tony

[Coolcruise02]

Thanks so much for all the helpful info!

[kruzgal]

Oops - obviously I wasn't allowed to name the walking tour site as it has been starred. What a shame - it was so handy and does not appear to be commercial , just for information. Maybe it was the same people you got the Tallinn tour from?

[Giantfan13]

As for walking tours, cities like Helsinki and Stockholm, you need to use some form of public transportation to get around, so walking tours might not be your best option there.

Warnemunde, you don't need a walking tour as most of the city is along the canal. Most people do not spend their day here but either go to Berlin, Rostock or any of several other places.

 

Just email the Copenhagen Tourist office and ask about walking tours of their city. They should mail you some very good stuff.

 

And go to the library and try and take out any of Rick Steve's books on the Baltics. They include several good walking tours.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Hockey 123]

Kruzgal

 

You have given my husband fabulous info. Thank you so much. We got the walks of Tallin and Brugges. Did you have any problems locating the start positions. I know you had GPS.

I need to know please.

 

Helinski

Did you buy your 1 day ticket ahead a time on the internet?. Is the ferry ride included in the 1 day pass. Is this separate. Wher did you take the ferry.

Did you go to the rock church etc.....

Did you take the ferry back to the ship.

 

Stockholm- Did you buy your i day pass ahead of time? How do we get Gama Stan

 

Noble museum

Did you see the changing of the guards and again the ferry is this a separate purchase. Did you take the fery back to the ship.

 

I notice the tourist office do not send out, they prefer you down load, to bad.

 

St Petersburg,

 

We are going with Alla tours. We do not wish to go to all of the palaces. Is is worth going to area of Cristina Palace without going in the palace.It is not on my top of the list to see. I believe it isTslo Villiage.. I do have are own personal itinery we have made with our interest., but driving to the area without going inside the palace, I am not too sure. We can do some thing else.

 

At night time we are planning to see a ballet.

[kruzgal]

Kruzgal

 

You have given my husband fabulous info. Thank you so much. We got the walks of Tallin and Brugges. Did you have any problems locating the start positions. I know you had GPS.

I need to know please.

 

Finding the start positions in both cases is very easy. We started off following the walking tour in Bruges but ended up just wandering using the pop up map that I had as well. It really doesn't matter as it is quite a small place. We found it nice just to wander.

 

Helinski

Did you buy your 1 day ticket ahead a time on the internet?. Is the ferry ride included in the 1 day pass. Is this separate. Wher did you take the ferry.

Did you go to the rock church etc.....

Did you take the ferry back to the ship.

 

No we bought the ticket from the machine in the port terminal building at the entrance (not the blue shed like building that you walk through when you get off the ship). The ferry ride is included in the ticket. You catch the ferry from the market square. There are 3 or 4 different ferry companies that go from there but you can either ask or look for the one that has the same logo on the ticket machine as the one at the terminal where you bought your ticket.We didn't go to the rock church but it is very easy to do with this ticket as there is a tram that leaves from the market square and rides around past it. It is the 3T/3B and does a circular tour of the city. The route is on the map the tourist information send you. We went on the metro back to the ship but it depends where you dock. We were at LMA - you may be at the other dock? You can find out where you will dock on the internet before you sail by searching port of Helsinki and looking at the timetable. [/color]

 

Stockholm- Did you buy your i day pass ahead of time? How do we get Gama Stan

 

No we bought it as we got off the ship. Again depending on where you dock and your fitness it is possible to walk to gamla stan. Alternatively you can catch the hop on hop off ferry right by the cruise ship, if you are docked in stadsgarden.

 

Noble museum

Did you see the changing of the guards and again the ferry is this a separate purchase. Did you take the fery back to the ship.

 

We caught the bus from the vasa back to gamla stan to see the changing of the guard. we then caught the bus back towards the ship. There don't appear to be any bus stops really near the ship which is a shame but it wasn't far to walk back.

 

I notice the tourist office do not send out, they prefer you down load, to bad.

 

St Petersburg,

 

We are going with Alla tours. We do not wish to go to all of the palaces. Is is worth going to area of Cristina Palace without going in the palace.It is not on my top of the list to see. I believe it isTslo Villiage.. I do have are own personal itinery we have made with our interest., but driving to the area without going inside the palace, I am not too sure. We can do some thing else.

 

At night time we are planning to see a ballet.

 

Sorry but I can't really help with this one as we did ships tours. I am sure you sill have a good time, Alla seem to come highly recommended.

[kruzgal]

Sorry I didn't quite get this right but the answers to your questions are in there!

[Hockey 123]

Kruzgal

 

Thank you so much.:)