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Take the sustainable way home
Take the sustainable way home
Traveling by plane is easy, fast and comfortable. Unfortunately it can also be pricey and unsustainable. Instead of going traveling by flying, why not make your travel back home from Tampere into an adventure and use public transportation such as buses, trains and boats
Traveling out of Finland without flying is unconventional but not at all impossible. More and more people avoid flying due to the high CO2 emissions and look for alternatives. We at ESN FINT want to promote green travels, and have prepared a guide for traveling back home from Tampere without taking a single flight! This way of traveling is more time consuming but has many benefits!
This way of traveling is more time consuming but has many benefits
Possibility to see many cities on the way
Meeting people during the journey
Creating stories and making memories
Take it slow and enjoy the journey
Lower carbon footprint
There are three main options for traveling out of Tampere without flying
Through the Baltics (Boat + bus)
Through Stockholm (Boat + trains)
Through Travemunde (Boat + train or bus)
We are going to present these options with example travel itineraries for the trip from Tampere to Berlin on the 29th of May 2023. All the trip prices have been checked from the marked websites on the 14.3.2023 for a travel that would take place starting on 29.6.2023. The prices are student or youth (under 26) prices. Note that the prices might change.
Option 1: through the baltics
Option 1: through the baltics
Travelling through the Baltics to central Europe happens by bus. The trip from Tampere starts by taking a train to Helsinki and a boat to Tallinn. From Tallinn you can travel forward by FlixBus if you want to be home as soon as possible (example route 1). If you are not in a hurry and want to make your trip back home into an adventure you should consider visiting the Baltic countries while travelling through them. The example route 2 shows a travel option where you stay two days in each of the Baltic capitals + Warsaw. This option is great if you are down to use more time and make the most out of your travels.
Example route #1 : Tampere to Berlin, 31,5h: 86,8 €
Example route #1 : Tampere to Berlin, 31,5h: 86,8 €
Example route #1
Example route #1
29.5.2023: Train Tampere - Helsinki
8:04-9:54, 3,80 €: vr.fi
29.5.2023 Boat Helsinki - Tallinn
11:30 - 14:00, 23 €, booking.tallink.com
29.5.2023-30.5.2023 Flixbus Tallinn - Berlin
17:30 - 14:30 (next day), 60 euros: https://shop.global.flixbus.com/
Tampere to Berlin:
31.5 h, 86,8 €
Example route #2: Tampere to Berlin, 9 days (28h on transport): 104 €
Example route #2: Tampere to Berlin, 9 days (28h on transport): 104 €
29.5.2023 Train Tampere - Helsinki
8:04-9:54, 3,80 euros: Vr.fi
29.5.2023 Boat Helsinki - Tallinn
11:30 - 14:00, 23 euros: Booking.tallink.com
31.5.2023 Bus Tallinn - Riga
09:00- 13:25, 12 euros: https://luxexpress.eu/
2.6.2023 Bus Riga - Vilnius
9:30 - 13:40, 16 euros: https://luxexpress.eu/
4.6.2023 Bus Vilnius - Warsaw
14:15 - 21:55, 24 euros: https://luxexpress.eu/
6.6.2023 Bus Warsaw - Berlin
09:10 - 16:05, 25 euros: https://global.flixbus.com/
Tampere to Berlin total trip time: 9 days
Tampere to Berlin total time on bus/boat: about 28 h
Tampere to Berlin total travel cost: 104 €
Four capitals visited: Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw ☑️
Tips and tricks from experienced ESN FINT traveller who has come to Tampere using this route:
The Lux Express buses are very comfortable and convenient! On board the bus you have an outlet to charge from, well working wifi and unlimited free coffee. On the other hand the Lux Express buses can be late from schedule, which you should take into consideration.
Lux Express allows you to take 5 kg hand luggage inside the bus and max. 30 kg luggage which is accommodated in a luggage compartment of the coach.
Flixbus can however be cheaper and you get a discount with the ESNcard: https://esncard.org/flixbus
All the Baltic capitals are historic and unique cities worth visiting! Tallinn has a smaller and cosier vibe. Riga has many sights, great food culture and cheapest prices. Vilnius has great nightlife and a unique atmosphere of a city between Central and Eastern Europe. Each city has many great hostels right in the centre of the cities.
Option 2: Boat to stockholm
Option 2: Boat to stockholm
When travelling to or from Finland without an aeroplane, this route is the most used. Taking a cruise ship to Stockholm from Turku or Helsinki and continuing from Stockholm by train. The train connections from Stockholm to Copenhagen and Hamburg and even to Berlin or Amsterdam are great! The trains are fast, usually on time and comfortable to travel in. Night trains give you the option to travel long distances without having to spend money on hostels or hotels.
Example route: Tampere to Berlin, 42h: 118 €
Example route: Tampere to Berlin, 42h: 118 €
29.5.2023 Train Tampere - Helsinki
14:04-15:54, 3,80 €: Vr.fi
29.5.-30.5.2023 Boat Helsinki - Stockholm
17:15 - 10:00 (next day), 66 € (Club price): https://www.sales.vikingline.com/
30.5.-31.5.2023 Train Stockholm - Berlin
16:23 - 8:47 (next day), 48 €: https://www.snalltaget.se/en/berlin
Tampere to Berlin total travel time: about 42 h
Tampere to Berlin total travel cost: 118 €
Tips and tricks from experienced ESN FINT traveller who has traveled to/from Tampere using this route:
Check the train from Stockholm from several websites.
https://www.snalltaget.se/en/berlin
https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-times/stockholm-central-to-berlin
The connection to Hambourg from Stockholm is especially good. You can check the overnight train options.
Interrail tickets might become cheaper if you are traveling many days and far away. There are options for seven travel days within one month of time, for example. If you use the Interrail ticket you should make sure to check whether seat reservation is necessary.
Book the ferry as far ahead in advance as possible. Check different boats to find the best price: Viking Line and Tallink Silja. Make sure you are in the ferry terminal 45 minutes before the boat leaves.
Get the Viking Line clubcard in order to get a nice discount. To get the clubcard you have to look into the Finnish website, not the English version.
Option 3: Travemünde boat
Option 3: Travemünde boat
This option might be the most pricey and time consuming because it relies on the long, almost 30 hour, ferry ride from Helsinki to the German city called Travemünde. However, in this ferry you can enjoy the journey while chilling in your own cabin and bed, you do not need to worry about changing trains or carrying your bags around as you can comfortably float on the boat all the way from Finland to Germany.
Example route: Tampere to Berlin, 44h: 279 €
Example route: Tampere to Berlin, 44h: 279 €
29.5.2023 Train Tampere - Helsinki
11:04-12:54, 3,80 euros: Vr.fi
29.5.-30.5.2023 Ferry Helsinki - Travemünde
16:15 - 21:45, 252 €: https://booking.finnlines.com/en
30.5.-31.5.2023 Train Travemünde - Berlin
23:40 - 07:22, 23 €: https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/
Tampere to Berlin total travel time: 44 h
Tampere to Berlin total travel cost: 279 €
Tips and tricks from experienced ESN FINT traveller who has traveled to/from Tampere using this route:
The cabin on the ferry is very comfortable, it includes 3 beds and a private bathroom. And you can bring an unlimited amount of luggage!
Make the sea travel even more comfortable by ordering in advance the meal package (2x dinner + brunch). It costs 75 € if bought online and the food is amazing!
The ferry is for cargo and there are just a few passengers (only about 10 passengers in August 2022), however the one cafeteria on board is nice and there might even be live music
The wifi on the ferry is paid and expensive (7 € per hour)
The ferry arrives inconveniently late in the evening to Germany. When you book trains/buses forward from Travemünde you have to take that into consideration.
You can book the ferry directly at https://www.finnlines.com or through https://www.directferries.co.uk/ and eat61.com has info about this route
Are you taking the sustainable way home?
Are you taking the sustainable way home?
Amazing! Have a safe journey. If you feel like it, please tag us in your Instagram stories to let us know about your journey.
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