Tromsø: Polar Nights

Several months ago, I arranged a trip with East West Tours, mostly because the process of obtaining a Russian tourist visa seemed lengthy and prohibitive. I worked with both Dora and Anna to customize a tour package for my family. We wanted to visit highlights: Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg. The ferry, MS Anastasia, was quite well-appointed for a ferry, and the meals were amazing (we had the option that included the breakfasts/dinners as part of the price). Our room for four was very tiny: two sets of bunkbeds with a single walking aisle, little bathroom, and a door, but given we were really only in the cabin to sleep, it was workable. The other spaces on the ship were spacious, and outdoor space ample. Especially in Estonia and St. Petersburg, expect very long lines in passport control; we waited in line in St Petersburg for 2 1/2 hours. Thankfully, the driver and guide that had been prearranged by East West Tours were still there and actually re-arranged some of our two days of activities because of our late start (for instance, we met our wonderful guide Maria at 0900 the next morning instead of 1000, and she worked hard to still get to everything on our itinerary). For the overnight stay in St Petersburg, we were able to leave our regular luggage on board the ferry and just bring overnight bags into Russia, which was a huge help. Drivers we had each day were safe - and drove large vans. After two days with Maria, our brains felt full with so much information about the city of St Petersburg, and we felt like we had made a new friend. Maria had arranged for us to have headsets to allow us to explore the museums and other sites, all while hearing her voice. She knows so much about the city and its treasures - we felt like it was a whirlwind two days, but we had a good taste of the city and loved it. The hotel in St Petersburg was beautiful and so comfortable. We were very pleased with making arrangements through East West Tours, had many of our questions answered before we left, and things went as scheduled. Our expectations were met or exceeded throughout the journey! Thank you

Shauna

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