Helsinki - St Petersburg
Ferries to Russia
Helsinki - St Petersburg
Ferries to Russia
We offer a fast way to compare ferry tickets and costs across the world to make your choice smooth sailing. Check out our Special Offers page for discounts on select routes and operators. Remember to book early for the best prices and options!
Yes, Direct Ferries offers a wide range of discounts all year round. When searching for ferries, senior discounts will be automatically applied if they are available. Just select your age range from the passenger options.
Resident discounts are available on a variety of Spanish and Italian ferry routes. Just click on the "Residents" option when this is displayed. The discount is automatically applied to the price. Bear in mind that proof of registration or an identity card with the correct address must be shown at check-in.
Travel requirements can vary depending on the route, so it's important to check what documents you'll need before sailing. In most cases, a valid passport is required when travelling from Helsinki to St Petersburg, along with any necessary visas or national ID cards. Requirements may differ based on your nationality and the destination country’s regulations. To avoid delays at check-in, you can find helpful information for your journey in our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide.
To book your ferry tickets, simply enter your departure and arrival ports and the date you’d like to travel to see all available options and prices. You’ll also be able to view alternative routes and times, so you can find the best deal to suit you.
Look out for early booking discounts or special ticket options such as upgrades or flexi-tickets that allow you to change or cancel your booking. To make your sailing as smooth as possible, make sure you enter all the required information correctly, such as the number of passengers and vehicle specifications.
Once you’ve finalised your booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email. It depends on the ferry operator you book with as to how your boarding pass is issued and collected.
Whilst some ferry operators issue the boarding pass as soon as your booking is confirmed, others may ask you to check in at the port. There’s also the option for online check-in, which can be easily done via the Direct Ferries app, if available.
The ticket desks are usually located near the ferry terminals. To avoid any delays at the port, we’d recommend allowing some extra time to collect your tickets and to check in.
During check-in, you must show your email confirmation, as well as an official photo ID, such as a passport or identity card. You might also be asked to provide documentation for your pet (vaccines, pet insurance, etc.) or proof of residence, if you have booked your ticket with a resident discount.
There could be various reasons why there are no departures from Helsinki to St Petersburg for the date you’ve requested. For example, a temporary timetable change, limited availability or seasonal changes in the timetable. We recommend checking for alternative dates and routes.
The best time to book ferries from Helsinki to St Petersburg is usually as early as possible. By booking in advance, you’ll not only get your tickets at the best available prices, but you’ll also get a better choice of departure times and cabin/seating options.
We’d recommend making your booking at least a few weeks in advance to benefit from the best offers. Bear in mind that prices may vary depending on the season and availability.
More routes than anyone else.
Compare fares, times & routes in one place.
Change plans easily with flexi tickets.
Book e-tickets & manage trips in-app.
Live ship tracking & real-time updates.
Top-rated customer support when you need it.
Located in the Uusimaa region of southern Finland, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, is the city of Helsinki. The capital of Finland is roughly 80 km to the north of Tallinn in Estonia, 400 km to the north of Stockholm in Sweden and 300 km to the west of St Petersburg in Russia. Helsinki is widely regarded as one of the major cities in northern Europe and is the country's main hub for politics, finance, commerce and culture.
Popular visitor attractions in the city include Helsinki's largest museum, the National Museum of Finland. It contains a large collection of historical artefacts that date back to prehistoric times through to the present day. The museum's home, a neomedieval castle, is also a popular tourist attraction in its own right. The Helsinki City Museum, the Finnish National Gallery and the Design Museum are three other museums in the city that are worth visiting.
Helsinki's port, the largest in Finland and the second largest in the Nordic countries, has three harbours and 6 passenger terminals. Ferry services using the port depart to Stockholm in Sweden, Travemunde in Germany and Tallinn in Estonia.
The Russian city of St Petersburg is often referred to by its residents as simply 'Piter' and was formerly named Leningrad. The city has definitely had an interesting past with over 300 years of history, with more than 200 of it as the capital city of the entire Russian Empire. Today, St Petersburg is an amazing city to visit and more than lives up to the vision of Tsar Peter the Great which founded the city in the 1700's. Winding their way through the city is the Neva River and a number of canals, along which you can see grand palaces and a number of other important buildings that date back to the 18th century. St. Petersburg is where Russian ballet was founded and has also been the home of many acclaimed composers, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Many of the best sights in St. Petersburg are to be found around the actual city centre and its main road, the Nevsky Prospekt. If you take a stroll around Palace Square, known locally as the Dvortsovaya Ploshchad, you will see the lovely architecture of the Winter Palace, or alternatively take a cruise on one of the city's canals on a water bus, stopping of at the Mikhaylovsky Gardens en route.
Note: Ferry passengers are allowed stay in Russia for 72 hours without visa as long as they booked their excursion through officially licensed ferry companies.
Exploring Mallorca: Sóller and Port de Sóller
The Best Day Trips from Chania, Crete
The 5 Most Beautiful Towns and Villages in Tuscany
The Most Beautiful Medieval Towns in France
Thailand Without the Flight Anxiety: The Ultimate Land & Sea Travel Guide
Italy to Greece Ferry Alternatives
Budget Day Trips in Italy by Ferry
Helsinki to Tallinn Ferry Travel Guide
Summer Holidays 2026: The Best Destinations in Europe (Part 2)
Summer Holidays 2026: The Best Destinations in Europe (Part 1)
