One-day tours to Finland and Estonia. Tours and holidays in Finland Tours to Finland for 1 day

Finland is a country in great demand among Russians. Travel here choose:

• fans of ski resorts and outdoor activities,
• single and family lovers of European attractions,
• connoisseurs of wild northern nature.

The country borders the north of Russia, and flying there by plane is a matter of a couple of hours.

Where to go

There is a lot to do in Finland: ski resorts and Scandinavian nature will appeal to lovers of active recreation, sightseeing tours with sightseeing of the country will captivate fans of history and architecture. The most popular among Russian tourists are tours to Finland from Moscow with visits to the following places.

Helsinki. The capital of Finland is a relatively small but very picturesque city that attracts many tourists who want to see the sights. Excursion programs are designed in such a way as to show travelers the main tourist sites in a short time.

Attractions:

• Senate Square,
• Botanical Garden of the University of Helsinki,
• Lutheran Cathedral
• Assumption Cathedral

Tampere. This is a picturesque ancient city, the most famous place of which is Pyynikki Park, which is distinguished by a truly unique topography. There is a summer theater with a revolving hall, allowing you to admire the beauty of nature. An excellent choice for connoisseurs of northern landscapes.

Attractions:

• Nyasinneula observation tower,
• town hall,
• Cathedral,
• Näsilinna Palace.

Naantali. A trip to Finland with a visit to these places is an excellent option for family tours. In Moomin Valley, little travelers meet the heroes of fairy tales, and on Pirate Island they test their courage during difficult trials. Parents and children will remember a few days in a fairyland for a long time and leave a pleasant impression.

Attractions:

• Kultaranta park,
• The gray stone church of Rymättylä,
• Moomin Valley,
• Pirate Island.

Tourists who love wildlife and fishing should visit the many lakes in this country. It’s not for nothing that Finland is called the land of a thousand lakes. Oulujärvi, known for its clear water and abundance of fish, especially stands out among them. You can catch salmon, pike perch and pike here. To make your trip interesting and eventful, you should buy a tour to Finland from a travel agency. Prices for tours to Finland are among the most affordable among Scandinavian countries. This is another reason for the growing popularity of holidays in these places.

You need to know this

• Holidays in Finland require a visa. Usually, the registration is handled by a travel agency that creates a tourist package, but you can do it yourself.
• Finns speak excellent English, so a tourist will feel great if he speaks this language. But the Russian language is also known to many Finns, since Russian tourists regularly visit this country. Many sellers in shopping centers and guides in museums will understand and serve Russian tourists, communicating in their native language.
• Most residents move around city streets on bicycles all year round. There are bike racks and bike paths everywhere. You can rent a bicycle for five euros per day or ten per week. Don't forget to wear a helmet: you may be fined for driving without protection.
• You can drink tap water: it is very clean in Finland.
• Finland is considered the birthplace of Santa Claus: the Santa Claus Village park is located here, which is open even on polar nights.
• Be sure to pay attention to the famous Finnish saunas: they say there are only three times fewer of them in the country than there are people.
• You can save on excursions if you plan a cultural holiday on museum days that are free for visitors.

Description

Finland or, as the Finns themselves call it, Suomi, is a country of thousands of lakes in the east of the Scandinavian Peninsula; tours to Finland are wonderful in winter and summer. Beautiful forests and plains, numerous rivers and cozy beaches make this place ideal for outdoor recreation, as well as for fishing and various sports.

Geographical location

The total area of ​​Finland is 338,424 km². Its neighbors are Russia in the south, Norway in the north and Sweden in the west. The shores are washed by the waters of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. The territory is divided into 12 lan (provinces). Finland also includes the Åland Islands - about 6.5 thousand small islands off the southwestern coast of the country.

Climate

The climate in Finland is predominantly continental. The south-eastern part of the country has the highest average summer temperatures in Scandinavia, and the west coast is one of the sunniest places in Northern Europe. Summer in Finland is quite warm (average temperature +19 +20°C). But winter can be very harsh and the thermometer at this time of year ranges from -3°C to -15°C. In June and July, the water in the lakes reaches +20°C, so these months are the most favorable for visiting the country.

Resorts

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital of Finland, where beautiful nature and a modern city closely coexist. The fourth part of it consists of various park areas, and you can feel the fresh sea wind in the air. The architecture of the city has its own interesting features and you can see both Eastern and Western European motifs in it. The historical center of the city is Senate Square with the majestic buildings of the Cathedral, the University and the Palace of the State Council.

Tampere

Tampere is a stunningly beautiful city, which the inhabitants of Finland consider the most attractive for living. It has more than 20 interesting museums, as well as the Särkänniemi amusement park with rides, a zoo, an aquarium and the Näsinneula observation tower.

Mikkeli

Mikkeli is one of the most important centers of active recreation and sports in Finland. A place where you can visit a large number of amazing water parks and swimming pools, as well as enjoy many attractions. Among them is the country's largest wax museum.

Himos

Himos is a real paradise for all winter sports lovers. This is an ideal place for a family holiday. The most popular ski resort in the country is located here, where, according to tradition, a variety of sports and entertainment events are held annually.

Espoo

A wonderful cozy city located in the south of the country. Every year it attracts a large number of tourists with its fascinating nature and a large number of interesting places. Here is the largest water park in Finland - Serena, the Mormon Temple and much more.

Lapland

Lapland, considered the birthplace of Santa Claus, lies above the Arctic Circle and is considered one of the most amazing places in Finland. Not far from its capital, Rovaniemi, in a cave cut through the Syvesenvaara hill, a Christmas-themed entertainment center called Santa Park is open, as well as fairy-tale workshops and a post office for Santa Claus.

Kitchen

Finnish cuisine has a lot of features, the main of which are fish and meat dishes. Among the most famous and widespread fish dishes: freshly salted or hot smoked salmon (or “lohi”, as the Finns call it), the famous fish soup with cream and herbs, red caviar, which the Finns mix with sour cream and finely chopped onions and serve with toast , as well as rainbow trout or salmon in its own juice.
The main component of meat dishes is game: venison with wild berries, roast with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, Karelian meat in a pot, poultry dishes. For dessert they usually serve assorted berries, buns and jelly. The preferred drink is coffee. It is also worth trying the products of the famous confectionery factory FAZER, which are offered in specialized cafes. Popular alcoholic beverages include homemade beer, various types of vodka (Koskenkorva-Vinna and Finlandia), and berry liqueurs infused with wild berries and herbs (Lakkalikeri, Puolukkalikeri, Karpalolikeri).

Population

About 5.3 million people live in Finland: Finns - 93%, Swedes - 6%, Sami people and Karelian peoples.

Religion

About 87% of residents are adherents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. It is a state religion along with Orthodoxy (1% of the population).

Time and work schedule

UTC +2
Time difference with Moscow: -1 hour. The transition to summer and winter time occurs simultaneously with Europe. Shops are open from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, on weekends - from 9:00 to 14:00. Large stores can be open until 20:00. Banks are open from 9:15 to 16:15 on weekdays. Exchange offices are open longer and seven days a week.

Language

The official languages ​​of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. English and sometimes Russian are also spoken in the tourism sector.

Currency

The national currency of Finland is the Euro (EUR). Currency can be exchanged in banks (the most favorable rate), specialized points, hotels, large supermarkets, airports and seaports, train stations and post offices. You can cash out at ATMs. Plastic cards are accepted everywhere.

Visa regime

Finland is a Schengen country, so you will need a visa to travel there.

Transport message

The country's main international airport is Helsinki-Vantaa. In addition, Turku, Tampere-Pirkkala and Rovaniemi receive international flights. The whole country is surrounded by a dense network of railways. An alternative to the train for traveling between cities in Finland is a bus. Since the country has a fairly long sea coast, as well as a large number of lakes and rivers, water transport is well developed. All ships operate on a schedule that is strictly observed. Helsinki has buses, trams and a metro. Tickets for any of these modes of transport can be purchased at newsstands, at stations or from the driver. Taxi fares may vary depending on the time of day. Both cash and credit cards are accepted for payment. To rent a car, you need a driver's license, at least 1 year of driving experience, a passport and a credit card as collateral.

Finland is so close and so far at the same time. So familiar and so mysterious.

Despite the fact that Finland borders on three Russian regions - the Leningrad region, the Murmansk region and Karelia, this country is significantly different from Russia. You cross the border a little - and it seems that everything looks different... Roads, houses, intersections, gas stations - all this is really different from what we are used to. But it seems that the forest, the fields, the rocks along the road, and the moss in the forest - everything is more European!

It is nature that is considered the main attraction of Finland, and it is for the natural beauty, for the tranquility, for the comfort of Finnish cottages, for fishing on numerous lakes that tourists come to Finland.

But Finland has prepared a lot of interesting things for lovers of excursion routes! Of course, the most popular place among tourists is the capital of Finland Helsinki. Getting to Helsinki is very easy both from St. Petersburg (by train or by excursion bus) and from Moscow (by train from Leningradsky Station). Tours to Finland are especially popular during the holidays: May, June and November. But Russian tourists especially love to go to Finland for the New Year holidays. A magnificently decorated city, Christmas mood, luxurious New Year's banquets in hotels, and after the holidays - Christmas sales - all this awaits tourists when choosing a New Year's tour to Finland.

Helsinki is a beautiful modern European city, with interesting architecture, colorful locals, and unusual sights. "Heart of the City" - of course, Cathedral on Senate Square. Huge, majestic, it impresses at first sight. Its steps are a favorite place among young people and tourists!

Monument to the composer Jean Sibelius- one of the most visited attractions by tourists. It is unusual: it consists of hundreds of pipes of different diameters. It looks unusual and grandiose. You will not see such a sculptural composition anywhere else!

Worth a visit and Suomenlinna fortress, located on the island, and the city zoo, which is also located on the island (ferries run from the pier to both islands). Linnanmäki is a huge amusement park with a Ferris wheel, from which you can see the city perfectly, SeaLife is an interesting oceanarium, where you can see both bright fish from the southern seas and huge aquariums with schools of herring, there is also an aquarium with sharks - and a glass tunnel is made under it.

The Assumption Cathedral, the Eureka popular science museum, the design museum, the amazing church in the rock - all the most interesting and beautiful things in Helsinki are difficult to cover in one, even the most intense, tour!

Most of Finland's attractions are concentrated in the capital, but this does not mean that the rest of the country's cities are not worthy of visiting! The cities of Finland are both large and small, charming and well-groomed; it is pleasant to walk through them at any time of the year and absorb the feelings of calm and tranquility that reign there.

Holidays in Finland also mean trips to the north of the country, to Lapland, to the homeland of Santa Claus! Children love these tours! And adults also enjoy immersing themselves in a fairy tale, riding reindeer sleighs, building snow igloos, playing snowballs and making wishes!

Visa to Finland necessary for Russians. But the Finnish visa regime for Russians follows a simplified scheme. The easiest way to get a Finnish visa is for residents of the Leningrad region, Karelia and Murmansk region. But for tourists from other regions, a visa to Finland is not a problem, it does not require proof of employment (as for other Schengen visas), the procedure for submitting documents is simple, but the easiest way is to order a visa from a travel company when purchasing a tour - in this case the likelihood of visa refusal is minimal.

For many tourists, a trip to Finland is not only excursions, but also shopping! You can buy anything you want in shops in Finland. Most often they buy children's and adult winter clothes and shoes, environmentally friendly products, eco-friendly household chemicals - goods from Finland are always of good quality, some products have a symbol drawn on them - a key with the flag of Finland, it means that the product is intended for the domestic market and is not exported. Tourists prefer such goods (you can’t buy them in Russia!) first of all. Prices in Finland are not low, but during sales periods there are very good discounts, and shopping is profitable.

Tours to Finland for 1 day

The Smak Travel company offers one-day tours to Finland from St. Petersburg.

Finland is located in close proximity to St. Petersburg. A trip to this European country is available to everyone. Especially if we are talking about a 1-day tour to Finland.

We offer:

• original excursion one-day tours from St. Petersburg to Finland;
• shopping and beauty tours;
• tours to Finland from St. Petersburg one day during the holidays.

Finland has all the conditions for relaxation or shopping. The proximity of Finland to St. Petersburg plays a favorable role. Finland is fast and inexpensive.

What kind of one-day tours to Finland are there?

One-day tours to Finland from St. Petersburg can be thematic and sightseeing.

Among one-day express tours to Finland, trips to individual cities such as Turku, Hämeenlinna, Helsinki, Lappeenranta, Tampere, Imatra, Kotka, Porvoo, etc. are popular.

Also popular among residents of St. Petersburg are two-hour shopping tours with stops at shopping centers near Lappeenranta.

How to choose a one-day tour to Finland

Finland is Europe. For someone coming here for the first time, much will be new: a different way of life, architecture, traditions. A one-day tour is ideal for your first acquaintance with this country. For example, a one-day tour to Helsinki - the capital of Suomi. Such a trip will not take much time and will be inexpensive. The cost of a number of one-day tours per person can vary between one and two thousand rubles.

For those who are interested in goods from Europe, a shopping tour is suitable. This tour is also called “Finland for an hour”. You will visit large department stores and markets. When going on a shopping tour, keep in mind that there are some conditions for duty-free import of goods into Russia. For 2020, there are rules according to which one person can import no more than 25 kilograms of goods worth less than 500 euros. There is one more nuance: customs closely monitors whether you are carrying goods for personal use or for sale. If you try to bring several identical TVs, etc. across the border, problems may arise.

The travel agency “Smak-Travel” is ready to offer you any one-day tour. Call and our specialists will advise you on current offers.

What not to forget before traveling to Finland

To travel to Finland you need a visa. Even if we are talking about traveling for one day or an hour. The company’s specialists will assist in obtaining a visa as soon as possible.

For a one-day tour to Finland from St. Petersburg you need:

• valid international passport;
• valid Schengen visa;
• international insurance policy;
• when traveling with children, you will need their birth certificates;
• if the children are not yours, then you will need a notarized power of attorney to remove the child from the territory of the Russian Federation.

How much does a tour to Finland cost?

The cost of a one-day tour to Finland depends on:

• tour programs;
• transport;
• availability of a visa;
• season;
• Goals: sightseeing trip or shopping tour.

Our managers will announce the exact price for the tour. On our website you can see the approximate cost. Check with our operators for more details.

Book a tour to Finland from the company “Smak Travel”

• on our website you will find only current offers on tours to Finland for one day, available in the near future;
• our specialists will answer all questions related to choosing a tour;
• We help with visa and insurance registration;
• the guides who will accompany you are licensed;
• Having many years of experience in organizing tours from St. Petersburg to Finland, we know about all the features of organizing one-day tours.

You can leave an application for a tour to Finland from St. Petersburg for one day on the website or by phone. We will select the appropriate option, taking into account your desires and capabilities.

Today I will talk about bus tours to Finland and their specifics. The fact is that this country has long and firmly established itself in the hearts of bus tour lovers, especially those living in the North-West region. And I know at least a few good reasons for this. Firstly, the close location: you can drive to the nearest checkpoint from St. Petersburg in 3-4 hours, and from Vyborg in 40 minutes. Secondly, attractive prices for tours. Thirdly, of course, there is the need to “roll back” (this is a well-established word among travelers that means receiving the required number of stamps from the country that issued the visa) multi-Schengen, which citizens of the territories closest to the Finnish border are still willingly issued for a year, two, or even more. I’ll be honest: I personally mainly travel to Finland for the latter reason, since I often and with pleasure take the opportunity to travel to other European countries on last-minute tickets, for which it is very useful to always have an open visa in your passport.

The most popular among our compatriots are one-day tours to Finland: in a few hours you can easily explore some cute little town plus buy Fairy and fish in border shops. Those traveling for several days usually combine Finland with some other country.

Bus versus bus: tours or transfers

Before choosing a route, you should be concerned about the following difference: there are, in fact, bus tours, when you are taken to various interesting places, and the guide on the bus tells you all sorts of interesting things about them. And there are just regular (regular) buses that will take you to Finland only “there” or “there and back” without any sound and without stopping while waiting for tourists to drink coffee/get high/buy buns. This point needs to be understood: once in my memory, a company was catching up with a LuxExpress regular bus by taxi and then loudly indignant that they were abandoned on the road.

On the other hand, if your main goal is to “skate”, perhaps a regular bus will be a better option for you than a tour. The same LuxExpress brings very modern and comfortable vehicles to Finland with sockets and personal TVs. It will be more expensive than a one-day tour, but you don’t stop anywhere, aren’t distracted by the guide’s voice, and calmly write your dissertation on soil science during the entire 8-10 hour journey from St. Petersburg.

There is one more detail. If you still choose a tour, try not to get involved with small and dubious companies. The same applies to private taxis and minibuses. The Scandinavia highway (St. Petersburg - Finland), alas, is notorious for its regular traffic accidents. European companies like LuxExpress and Ecolines work according to European standards, which means that drivers there are required to change shifts after a certain number of hours. For many domestic travel agencies, this regime is too expensive. Once, in my memory, a bus (with me inside) rammed a bump stop and went into a ditch due to the driver being tired/sleeping. After which we spent 5 hours in the December night dancing around the stuck transport, waiting for a replacement to be sent.

Prices for tours to Finland, if we are considering large tourist buses, start from 700 rubles. True, a short-term minibus tour can be found for 500 rubles, although you won’t see much in the country for that money (in fact, only a checkpoint and a couple of shops). Regular buses will be more expensive: 550-900 rubles. one way, but such companies often have seasonal discounts.

Customs subtleties

First: if you are traveling to Finland for just a day, then you do not have the right to bring alcohol there in any quantity.

And second: no matter how many days you travel, if you enter Finland by vehicle (a bus, of course, is one) - you should not have more than two packs of cigarettes with you. The last rule is relatively new, and many people are not aware of it.

Shopping on bus tours

In general, bus tours are not the most convenient way to shop in Finland, but it is no secret that many “travelers” look at them that way. Wherever you go, you will probably be dropped off at at least some shops, most often in Finland these are:

• Prisma,
• Lidl,
• Stockmann.

But the most suitable tours for purchasing are trips to Imatra/Lappeenranta. I refer those who are interested in this topic in detail to the article, and here I will only briefly mention the coveted goods and the places where they can be obtained.

Trout and "Fairy"

The absolute hit is, of course, the fish. It literally starts throwing itself into your bags almost immediately after crossing the border - raw, salted, smoked. In fact, raw fish (that has not undergone heat treatment, that is, salted fish too), like meat in the same form, is prohibited from being imported into the Russian Federation according to customs rules. Yes, and you can officially take no more than 5 kg of smoked/canned food back home. But in fact, customs officers turn a blind eye to this, because almost every second person on the bus strives to smuggle this unfortunate lightly salted salmon or trout from Finland, and, in all honesty, it is a sin to deprive people of such pleasure.

The next most popular are general consumer goods, for which bus tourists raid cheap Laplandia and Rajamarket supermarkets. These are household detergents, coffee, olive oil, thermal underwear. For some reason, it is believed that all these goods in Finland are of much better quality than in Russia. Personally, I didn’t notice anything like that; However, it’s really hard to resist buying Fazer chocolates.

In principle, a visit to just two of the most famous border shops: Laplandia and Disa's Fish allows you to satisfy the passion of domestic tourists for trout and "Fairies". A stop with them is included in the program of the vast majority of bus tours in the directions of Imatra/Lappeenranta/. But a visit to Duty Free is more complicated, buses stop there only if the border has been passed quickly, and there is a little extra time left. But just in case, it’s worth knowing that in 2016 Laplandia at the Svetogorsk checkpoint was closed, only the one at the Brusnichnoye checkpoint remained. "

Note:

• For those traveling to Kotka/Hamina/Helsinki/Porvoo: at the Torfyanovka checkpoint there is no “Laplandia” and never has been.
• For those who are generally only interested in Laplandia and Disa's Fish: many travel agencies offer the most stripped-down “Finland for 2 hours” tour. In fact, its program only includes crossing the border, stopping at these two shops and returning back.

Day tours

One-day tours are the highlight of Finland: in fact, you can count on the fingers of one hand the countries where you can go by bus from Russia and return in less than a day. Their prices start from 700 rubles (Imatra, Lappeenranta) and go up to 1500 rubles (Helsinki,), which, of course, directly depends on the mileage.

Imatra and Lappeenranta

The most popular destinations for one-day visa withdrawals may disappoint those who plan to immediately experience the European flair after crossing the border. The truth is that both of these towns are very provincial, quiet and, in general, not very touristy. I combine them under one heading, since going from one to the other is nothing at all, although officially Imatra has its own checkpoint (Svetogorsk/Imatra), and Lappeenranta has its own (Brusnichnoe/Nuijamaa). Often, bus drivers, regardless of the destination city, choose the point where the queue is shorter.

Of this pair it is smaller in size and much more modest. There are no special architectural, cultural or historical attractions there, with the exception, perhaps, of the water slide on the Saimaa Canal, but its inspection is usually not included in the tour program. Most involve a stop of choice at a water park - this is what they go to Imatra for. You should know that the water park is not located in the town itself, but nearby, so if you stay there, you won’t see anything else.

Lappeenranta is larger and busier than its neighbor: there is even a center where you can stroll, and a small cove where you can watch the boats. If you are interested in purchasing, then your choice is definitely Lappeenranta, because it is here:

• Stockmann,
• Lidl,
• Prisma,
• Rajamarket,
• Shopping center "Gallery" with clothes and other non-grocery goods.

Another specific attraction of Lappeenranta is the huge Kirppis second-hand store, located near the Prisma store: hipsters come here for vintage clothes, housewives for household and garden utensils, young parents for children's things, and everyone else for other various sundries.

Savonlinna and Mikkeli

The town is located approximately in the same direction as Lappeenranta, but further away. If a one-day tour for the above-mentioned couple begins in the morning and ends in the evening, then a one-day trip to Sanvonlinna takes a full day (usually leaving St. Petersburg from the evening of the previous day). And even this is not very helpful: Sanvonlinna or the “land of lakes” is, first of all, nature. It makes sense to go there for several days, equipped with fishing rods/nets/tents/friends.

The tour schedule is similar to the Sanwonlinn tour and differs from it only in the nature of the tourist sites. – a former and current military town with corresponding museums and attractions. It makes sense to visit it if you love military history.

Kotka and Hamina

Since these towns are located nearby, they are often combined into a single tour, also one day. It takes longer to get to them than to Imatra and Lappeenranta, but here you can already admire something: various churches, parks, the estate of the Russian emperor and a marine aquarium (in Kotka).

Moreover, Kotka and Hamina are located on the Helsinki highway, so you will have to go there through another checkpoint - Torfyanovka / Vaalimaa. This border point is considered busier than Brusnichnoe or Svetogorsk.

Helsinki and Porvoo

The minimum duration of a bus tour is one day (departure from St. Petersburg in the evening). In this situation, you have about 6-7 hours left to explore the city, which, in principle, is enough to get a basic idea about it. Tourists are usually given a choice: dropped off in the center or sent to a large shopping complex (formerly Itakeskus) on the outskirts. The second option is hardly worth the effort: lovers of shopping centers, as I already said, should go not to Helsinki, but to Lappeenranta.

The trip to Helsinki usually takes the same amount of time as the Helsinki tour and follows the same schedule. The city is quite large and interesting, with an abundance of museums and small designer shops. This, of course, is also not a destination for mass shopping; it is rather one of the “wander/look/find something exclusive” series.

Tampere

Despite the fact that Tampere is located further than all other “one-day” cities for tours in Finland, most companies manage to somehow manage trips there in the same day (well, a little more). The question is how much do you need it. Tampere is a pretty lake town with museums and even beaches, and a wide variety of water cruise options. Again, it’s good to go here for a few days and explore the surrounding area.

One of the most striking Tampereian attractions is the Särkänniemi amusement park (this is where the Eden water park is located). The problem is that all this beauty is not in the city itself, but underneath it, and a standard one-day bus tour takes about 2 hours to visit the water park alone. Which, of course, is offensively little.

Multi-day tours

Those who are willing to spend several days exploring this unusual country have, of course, a much richer choice. Prices for weekend tours range from 5,000–9,000 rubles; tours lasting 3 days or more cost an average of 11,000 rubles.

Trips around Northern Finland (lakes, recreation centers, fishing, sauna), Jyväskluja (autumn light festival), Loviisa (charm of wooden fishermen's houses). Even (untouched wild nature) can be reached by bus (more precisely, you can get to Turku, and from there by ferry - after all, the islands).

The main catch is that you need to really love Finland in particular in order to select more and more new route options for these small cozy places. To be absolutely honest, after you see the first 2-3, they become very, very similar to each other.

Finland + ...

A separate story is combined tours, in which Finland is the place of border crossing and one or two overnight stays. The prices for such trips can pleasantly please tourists who are greedy for the maximum number of countries visited: for example, a three-day Finland + Sweden tour may well fit within the budget of 8,000 rubles. I also used last-minute offers for 5,000 rubles a couple of times.

However, I have to note that almost always semi-bus tours are disguised as ferry tours: it is understood that tourists travel to dry land, then board a ferry in the Finnish capital and sail further - to Sweden, Estonia or Germany. One of the most common combinations of Helsinki + + Talinn usually looks like this. If you look at Finland on a map, you will understand why: getting to the neighboring country by land from there would be too long. I note that ferries are different, and spending the night on a ferry does not always mean sleeping in a horizontal position on a human bed: I also had to sleep in chairs that are not much different from bus ones.

Reminder for bus tourists

In order to avoid surprises, and in general always, in a good way, you need not only to carefully read the tour program, but also not to be ashamed to bombard the manager of your travel agency with questions, and then, already on the way, continue to bombard the guide with them. Due to traffic conditions and other unfathomable circumstances, the actual program may differ significantly from that stated on the website. Although, in fairness, I note that this usually does not happen with large and reputable companies.