You’re speeding by frozen lakes, snowcapped mountains and frosty evergreen forests on your journey to the White City of the North- if your thoughts immediately jumped to Game of Thrones, a) you would be mistaken, and b) consider yourself a total nerd.
Fortunately, there’s a better way to traverse the scenic Scandinavian tundra that doesn’t involve dragons or worse, White Walkers. Forget horseback, the new, high-speed Allegro train now offers service from St. Petersburg to Helsinki in an unprecedented four hours.
The Allegro is a seven-carriage train with a maximum speed of 220 kph (Americans, that’s 137 mph- there’s a reason it’s called the Allegro). Inside, there’s a children’s playroom, a currency exchange service, air-conditioning, and a dining room with no less than three bars. Oh yeah, and free Wi-Fi. So go ahead, leave your kid in the playroom, have a beer and watch Game of Thrones on Netflix Instant. The Allegro practically begs it of you.
Once you’ve arrived and you’re now hundreds of miles from St. Petersburg, take advantage of Finland’s charming capital city by admiring its architectural diversity or catching a ferry to one of the surrounding islands. Helsinki is compact enough to explore on foot or by bicycle, so there’s no need to deal with crowded trolley cars at rush hour or costly taxis. If you’re already in Helsinki and have a yen for some Russian grandeur or some caviar why not hop on the Allegro for a short weekend getaway?
The cost of one-way ticket varies depending on the time and date of departure, but second class seats start at around €86 or $111, and first class at around €137 or $177.
For the complete Allegro experience, General Tours offers the Discover Moscow and St. Petersburg package with an optional 2-day extension to Helsinki, which includes a stay in your choice of three hotels, a privately guided sightseeing tour and a Helsinki Card, which grants you access to unlimited public transportation and entrance to many popular city sites and museums.
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