travelling plan Helsinki/Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania

[Dan D]

Ahoi,

here is my plan for summer holidays in August:

ferry Rostock/Germany - Helsinki/Finland - ferry to Tallinn/Estonia,

from there with a Volkswagen Type 3, ze magic bus, westwards along the Baltic Coast

to Riga/Latvia
to Klaipeda/Lithuania,
ferry back to Kiel/Germany, some side trips to the heartlands included, e,g, Vilnius/Lithuania etc. etc.

Now, here is my concern. Are there any locals out there with travel tips, e.g. beaches, festivals, places of interest?

We could also meet and greet and have a couple of beers/vodka.

[Dowly]

Well, there's Suomenlinna off Helsinki with the submarine Vesikko:
http://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/visitor/museums/vesikko/

[Oberon]

Can add Russia to that list too if you are confident you won't break down...

[Dan D]

That is interesting Oberon, but no thx. I like to have an argument,too and in the end I will get handcuffed and pinned to the ground again.

My plan is to skip the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. I have made my own experiences with Soviet-style border control when I travelled from Romania to Moldova. Also, a friend of mine tried to visit Kaliningrad once with his father who was born there before 1945. He told me that at the checkpoint you have to bribe those 18 years' old boys in uniforms with Kalashnikovs with US dollars, or they won't let you in. I don't need that.

I always wanted to visit Helsinki and I am really looking forward to this. Suomenlinna, that is the sea fortress, UNESCO world heritage site, popular with tourists, right? I will go there.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Dan D

Ahoi,

here is my plan for summer holidays in August:

ferry Rostock/Germany - Helsinki/Finland - ferry to Tallinn/Estonia,

from there with a Volkswagen Type 3, ze magic bus, westwards along the Baltic Coast

to Riga/Latvia
to Klaipeda/Lithuania,
ferry back to Kiel/Germany, some side trips to the heartlands included, e,g, Vilnius/Lithuania etc. etc.

Now, here is my concern. Are there any locals out there with travel tips, e.g. beaches, festivals, places of interest?

We could also meet and greet and have a couple of beers/vodka.

Kiel in August may be possible, which days, do you know yet?

[Dan D]

Lol, you were the last one I would have expected to reply here because Texas is far far away from here.

To answer your question: approx. back to Kiel between 08/22-08/28.

[Penguin]

I'm tied till 8/27, but after that I could head up to Kiel, as I'll be in desperation for holidays. There's a couple of "northern lights" from Germany on here, too.

About Latvia/Riga: I'll be on a party on Friday with German-Latvians and Latvian-Latvians, so I'll ask around to get some insider tips. They always tell me about some great off-the-beathen-path beaches they have, so a relaxing day at the beach is definitely possible there.

[Kapitan]

there is a finnish submarine near helsinki in sumoiland island its on my list to do and in tallin you have the famous submarine lembit which is also on my list both are WW2 era submarines and both saw action !

thats if you like submarines

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Dan D

Lol, you were the last one I would have expected to reply here because Texas is far far away from here.

To answer your question: approx. back to Kiel between 08/22-08/28.

Well, I will be in Kiel Aug 6, but who knows, I may go back around the time you posted. Whats a few miles ?

[Kapitan]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

Well, I will be in Kiel Aug 6, but who knows, I may go back around the time you posted. Whats a few miles ?

Do you know whats even more annoying or worrying that this?

Three years ago i was in texas myself not only was i just probably a few miles from neal i totally missed USS Texas too

August maybe too tight as theres another trip coming up near the same time so i doubt i can make it.

If your in laboe at U995 in the fremahn island is another cold war submarine U11 also while your in Germany take a trip to bremerhaven theres a type XXI (again about hour half 2 hours drive) from laboe / kiel and whilhelmshaven is just accross the water (ferry available) and guess what the German naval museum whilhelmshavn which has the Destroyer molders the U10 and also a mine warfare vessel a biber and some other bits

If your pushed i would say do bremerhavn and wilhelmshavn and leave fremahn U10 and U11 are identicle really that way you get a modern submarine and the Type XXI in (only need an hour or two on the type XXI and maybe a few hours in whillhelmshavn)

[Onkel Neal]

I have been to the Type XXI before, it was cool. This trip will focus on the Type VII. Please don't tempt me or I will be driving all over Germany like I am on vacation or something

[Dan D]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Can add Russia to that list too if you are confident you won't break down...

So, ahem, I guess I have beaten those guys in the video because I walked nude into Russia, repeat: nude; "waving my d in the wind..."

How did I do that? About half of the Courland Spit is Russian territory (Kaliningrad Oblast), the other half is Lithuanian territory. The last village on the Lithuanian side is Nida, which has a nude beach which ends at the border to the Russian part. The border fence at the beach is a bit porous. After a 2 km nude walk I entered Russia, not long enough to get arrested for nuisance and border violation, but at least long enough so that I can say that I have been to Russia.

One does simply walk into Russia-nude.

How was your trip to Kiel, guys?

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Dan D

How was your trip to Kiel, guys?

You can read about it here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...=226918&page=5