To visit Russia, my plan was to first get to St Petersburg, then take one of many daily trains to Moscow and then board the Trans Siberia railway.
And to get to St Petersburg, visa-free for about 3 days, one could board the ferry from Finland, Sweden or Estonia. Initially, I had checked out the ferry schedule but the dates of the ferry didn't fit into my plans. So I decided to take the Allegro train from Helsinki central station to St Petersburg direct. Taking only about 4 hours.
Comfortable seating on the train
In-train magazine
Water is complimentary on the train. Other beverages and snacks are available for purchase on board.
Immigration formalities for both sides, Finland and Russia, are carried out on the train, which is an advantage. The security inspection can be quite thorough as the officials requested to open all baggages in the aisle.
Great scenery en-route
Russian trains !
I would certainly recommend the Allegro train when departing or arriving into Russia as it is a short, comfortable ride, all immigration formalities are done on board and great scenery on the way.
