Cherry's Nordic Travel Log (1) - A Bumpy Journey from Shanghai to Tallinn
The Nordic trip planned since November 2023 was successfully completed in early October 2024. On the morning of October 4, I landed back in China with a huge number of photos, videos, and memories. At that moment, I deeply missed my mom's pickled vegetable and shredded pork noodles. Now, while juggling work and daily life, I'm busy organizing photos. I estimate that by the time all the travel notes are fully updated, it will be the time for family reunions.
This trip was quite long—from August 28 to October 3. In travel order, my footprints covered Estonia (Tallinn), Finland (Helsinki), Iceland (round the island), Norway (Oslo ~ Tromsø), Sweden (Stockholm and Malmö), and Denmark (Copenhagen). I'll share travel experiences and insights in various posts.
My current plan is to write a separate post for each day's itinerary, totaling about 37 articles. If a day has a lot of photos and information, I might split it into two parts. So the workload is considerable. However, after a trip ends, I always want to write something to remember it. First, when I get old and can't go anywhere, these photos, videos, and words will be the most tangible precious memories. Second, I hope to give travel-loving friends a better understanding of these destinations, helping them avoid detours when planning. After all, completing a long trip smoothly is not easy for most people—less hassle means more energy to experience every moment of the journey.
This is the opening of the Nordic trip. It mainly describes our bumpy process from Shanghai to the first destination—Tallinn—and what we saw and heard along the way. Tips and notes in bold are interspersed throughout the article for your reference.
This section is just to record my ticket change experience, which also reflects the current situation and helplessness of European airlines. For a comprehensive record, the text is a bit long. If you're not interested, feel free to skip.
This was a trip with a long time span and extensive route, so I started planning in November 2023. After consulting many materials and based on my schedule, I finally settled on a framework route. I bought all tickets (including intra-European flights) nine months in advance. Then I booked accommodations, rental cars, some attractions, Schengen visa, and refined all details of the itinerary.
***About Visa: We spent the most time in Norway, so we applied for a Norwegian visa. With all documents complete, the visa came through quickly—about a week after the interview—and we received the Schengen visa from the Norwegian consulate.
Initially, the outbound ticket was Shanghai–Munich–Helsinki, and the return was Copenhagen–Vienna–Shanghai. I originally planned to stay in Finland for 3-4 days, but Finland doesn't snow in September. Even if it snows, the snow in the northern regions isn't thick enough; huskies might drag sleds on muddy ground. Without snow, the Christmas Village would lack atmosphere. And if the icebreaker has no ice to break, that expensive ticket would be wasted. So this time, I decided to just visit Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Coincidentally, my best friend was visiting Tallinn while I was planning and sent me photos of the old town. So I decided to allocate some time from Finland to visit Tallinn, Estonia (a good decision). Changing tickets costs a lot, but since I booked early at a very reasonable price, I decided to take a 2-hour ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn—a bit of a detour, a bit of extra time, but more travel experience.
However, unexpected events struck. One day in March 2024, Lufthansa suddenly emailed that the August 27 early morning flight from Shanghai to Munich was canceled. So, based on my itinerary, I was rebooked to August 27 23:50 LH733 Shanghai–Frankfurt, arriving in Frankfurt at August 28 7:25. My Schengen visa was effective from August 28 00:00, so this change didn't affect my subsequent itinerary. But later, I saw news that Lufthansa canceled some summer flights due to reduced passenger numbers. I started worrying if my flight would be canceled again. Until a week before departure, 'Variflight' still showed the flight as planned. But the more you fear something, the more it happens. On August 20, I received an email from Lufthansa canceling LH733. I was on a high-speed train at the time, discussing rebooking with Lufthansa customer service over intermittent mobile signals. To avoid affecting subsequent plans, Lufthansa rebooked me to August 27 10:55 LH729, arriving in Frankfurt at August 27 18:50, then Frankfurt–Helsinki at August 27 21:00, arriving in Helsinki at August 28 1:30. I even booked a hotel near the central station, planning to take an overnight airport bus to the hotel to recharge, have breakfast at the hotel on August 28, take a short stroll in Helsinki, and then take the afternoon ferry to Tallinn. But this seemingly good rebooking almost ruined our subsequent Tallinn plans.
On the morning of August 27, we arrived at Lufthansa's check-in counter at Pudong Airport at 8 am. We got an 'open suitcase' surprise—Lufthansa regretfully informed us that since our Schengen visa started at August 28 00:00, and we were arriving in Frankfurt on August 27 evening before the visa took effect, Frankfurt Airport would not allow us to enter the transit area to board the flight to Helsinki at 9 pm that day. We had to wait until August 28 00:00 to enter transit. So not only did the Frankfurt–Helsinki flight need to be adjusted, but my Helsinki hotel booking (non-refundable) was wasted. Lufthansa had no flights to Frankfurt or Munich that night—the earliest was on August 28 morning, which would severely impact the subsequent itinerary, and I would also lose the first night's accommodation in Tallinn. After several rebookings before even departing, if I couldn't check into my first destination on schedule, the trip would start poorly and all advance payments would be lost. After negotiation with Lufthansa, they finally rebooked us to China Eastern's August 28 00:00 Shanghai–Frankfurt flight, then rebooked the Frankfurt–Helsinki flight on August 28, ensuring we arrived in Helsinki by noon on August 28. To express apology and compensate for our loss, Lufthansa upgraded us to business class. After all this, only one night's hotel cost in Helsinki was wasted—a satisfactory outcome, though we had to wait 14 hours at the airport.
After clearing customs, having gotten up early and gone through the rebooking hassle, we urgently needed to rest our brains and bodies in the lounge.
This year, every time I come to Pudong Airport, I feel that the number of international travelers is low. Many shops are closed, giving a desolate feeling.
During the day, the China Eastern lounge was bustling, much livelier than the main hall.
The noodle cook was the most popular.
Years ago, I had an expensive and unpleasant spicy meat noodle at a Pudong Airport noodle shop, which made me unwilling to pay for airport dining again. That day, I basically stayed in the lounge, eating, drinking, reading, and napping. The main dish—pickled vegetable and shredded pork noodles with various sides—tasted pretty good. After the meal, I habitually had some desserts, which looked and tasted average.
In the evening, the lights on the tarmac outside started to shine, and boarding time was approaching.
Around 11 pm, we finally boarded the plane. Dinner, a quick wash, and then sleep—the entire flight was surprisingly smooth.
For breakfast before landing, I specifically chose Chinese food. We didn't plan to eat Chinese food for the next 38 days, so I drank two bowls of plain congee.
After disembarking, the jet bridge at Frankfurt Airport felt like time travel—so cool.
The first rays of sunshine in Germany lit up every corner of the airport, making it sparkle.
At 7 am, Frankfurt Airport was still quiet.
We had to go to Area A for our connecting flight to Helsinki. The free airport sky train took us to various areas conveniently.
***Friendly Tip: When connecting, always allow plenty of time, ideally about 3 hours, especially if terminals are far apart—otherwise it's very rushed.
At the end of August, Shanghai was still enduring high temperatures, while Frankfurt already felt like early autumn. The golden sunlight was warm.
I couldn't resist the temptation of the colorful hamburgers and spent €7.8 to treat myself.
***Friendly Tip: Credit cards are widely accepted in Europe, even for using restrooms. Remember to bring a VISA or Mastercard; UnionPay cards are not accepted. Carry some change, but you probably won't need it.
There were many food stalls in the check-in area, selling various breakfast items. The giant free condiment bottles hanging at the stalls were eye-catching.
Around 1 pm, we finally landed at Helsinki Vantaa Airport. From baggage claim to exiting the airport, it was smooth.
***Flight Data (for reference only): Shanghai–Frankfurt: 9,000 km, domestic airline flight time about 12 hours, European airline flight time about 14 hours. Frankfurt–Helsinki: 1,500 km, flight time about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Exiting the arrivals hall at Vantaa Airport, there's a transport hub square. Besides the airport express, many transport options go to the city center. I saw a bus parked on the right, so I asked the driver where to catch the airport express (city bus) to the central station. He pointed behind the bus and then said his bus also goes to the station. Since we didn't have much time in Helsinki, we didn't download the HSL app (public transport ticket app). There were ticket machines near the stop—select the zone you want (ask the driver if unsure). For the central station, select zones ABC. You can pay by credit card, quick and convenient.
***Ticket Price and Travel Time (for reference): Regular bus: €4.10/person one way, 40-45 minutes. Airport Express: €6.80/person online, €6.90/person on board, 30 minutes. Both bus and express stop at the squares left and right of the station.
***Another transport option (online info for reference only)—Taxi. Taxi fares vary by boarding time, number of passengers, and luggage. Weekdays: 6:00-20:00, holidays: 6:00-16:00, base fare €5.90; other times base fare €9.00. Per kilometer charge €1.55-€2.18 depending on passenger count. Distance from Vantaa Airport to central station is 20 km. Fare info for reference only.
The bus ticket looks like this.
The bus was clean, with dedicated areas for large luggage, strollers, and wheelchairs. The bus stops frequently. Above the driver, a screen shows the stop name and arrival time.
***Vantaa Airport–City Bus Schedule (for reference).
Since we had four suitcases and needed to catch the 15:15 ferry, we took a taxi from the square to West Harbour T2—15 minutes, €30—saving some walking. European taxis are really expensive.
Helsinki West Harbour T2 terminal officially opened in February 2017, primarily handling 'Tallink Silja' and 'Eckerö Line' ferry services between Helsinki and Tallinn. It is located southwest of the city center, 4 km from the central station. Take tram 6T or 7 from Eliel Square to Länsiterm. T2—about 20 minutes.
***Helsinki's four ferry terminals and destinations (for reference only): Katajanokka Terminal: Stockholm, Tallinn. Olympia Terminal: Stockholm. West Terminal 1: Tallinn, St. Petersburg. West Terminal 2: Tallinn. ***Map of terminal locations (online reference).
Entering Länsiterminaali (Western Port) T2, the left side has Tallink Silja ticket counters, and the right side has Eckerö Line counters. To save money and if you have no time preference, choose Eckerö Line—cheaper but 15 minutes longer. Since we took Eckerö Line both ways, I can't objectively compare the two companies. Eckerö Line's ships were a bit old but overall fine—with a bar, game room, and top deck with seating for sunbathing and sea views. The two companies dock at different terminals in Tallinn, so when departing from Tallinn to Helsinki, note whether the terminal is A or D.
***Länsiterminaali T2 partial ferry schedule (for reference) and price differences (shown for two people) and travel time. Tickets can be bought online or at the dock.
Tallink ticket machines in the hall.
***Eckerö Line tickets: Show passport when buying at the counter. The back of the ticket prints passenger name, price, and a QR code with ferry info. Scan the QR code at the gate to board. Actual cost: €49/2 people.
The boarding gate at the terminal. After scanning, take the escalator or elevator to the departure hall on the second floor.
When we got to the departure hall on the second floor, it was already empty. Most passengers had boarded. We rushed and finally made it onto the 15:15 ferry, arriving in Tallinn at 17:30—perfect dinner time.
***Friendly Tip: Ferries close boarding 30 minutes before departure, so be ready 45 minutes early, especially if buying tickets on site. If you miscalculate, you'll have to wait for the next ferry. Online tickets are non-refundable if you're late. Nordic people are very punctual—a Norwegian car rental company gave me a memorable lesson. I'll share my experience when I write about renting a car in Norway. The photo below shows Helsinki West Harbour T2. In Tallinn, the departure terminal is Terminal A or D.
***Luggage lockers on the ferry: separate for large and small luggage. Large locker: €5.00 per use, payable by credit card. Keep the receipt with barcode to open the locker.
Passengers go from the waiting room to deck 6 of the ferry. Decks 4-5 are for vehicles. Decks 7-8 have a bar, game room, restaurant, small supermarket, etc. Deck 9 is a sun deck with a bar.
Right after boarding, passengers were on deck sunbathing and enjoying the sea view. There are a lot of smokers in the Nordic countries—many people smoke alone or chat in public places. Nordic smokers tend to throw cigarette butts on the streets, so the main streets of major Nordic cities don't look very clean. After departure, the sea breeze was chilly, so everyone moved to decks 7-8.
Gradually departing Helsinki.
VIKING LING and Eckerö Line both dock at Terminal A in Tallinn's old port. We booked an apartment outside the old town, 1 km from the port. In late August, daytime temperature in Tallinn was over 20°C, so pushing suitcases under the hot sun made us sweat.
Since we planned to take the ferry back to Helsinki at 6 am on August 30, we chose accommodation in the new town across the street from the old town—convenient for taxis and luggage. We booked this apartment hotel because it had an elevator. Many old buildings in Europe don't have elevators, and narrow stairs make luggage handling difficult.
After dropping our luggage, it was already 6:30 pm. Sunset in late August in Tallinn is around 8:30 pm, so we still had two hours to explore the Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Under the sunset, the old town was bathed in soft golden light. Immersed in it, travel fatigue gradually faded away.
For which knight did this carved door once open?
Tallinn has survived the baptism of war, becoming one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the Nordic region and the capital of Estonia.
The stone-paved streets in the old town reminded me of Shanghai's old streets, which locals called 'bombed-out roads' (potholed).
The old town's Town Hall, a Gothic building completed over 600 years ago. Its beautiful spire was destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt in 1950.
***Opening hours: September to May, Monday to Friday, 10:00-16:00 (reservation required); June to August, Monday to Saturday, 10:00-16:00.
Town Hall Square, officially Raekoja Plats, is surrounded by beautiful old buildings. Although most people now moving through the old town are tourists or shop owners, these well-preserved houses still convey a sense of daily life. The square's Christmas market is also quite famous. The square is lined with restaurants, with tables and chairs set up outdoors. On warm, sunny days, it's very pleasant to sit outside and enjoy local cuisine.
I walked around the square and finally chose a restaurant called Tule, directly facing these colorful old houses. I ordered their braised bear meat. The meat fibers were a bit coarse, but it was very tender, served with plum sauce and sauerkraut—very European. The ring of mashed potatoes was enough to fill me up.
Compared to the Icelandic bread soup repeatedly recommended on social media, this restaurant's bread vegetable soup was superior in both ingredient variety and taste. Ice-cold beer is always a good drink to relieve fatigue. Nice!
As night fell, the old town's restaurants were all packed and lively.
In August, the sky over Tallinn after sunset is interesting—it doesn't turn dark immediately but gets a sapphire tint that lasts for nearly two hours before true nightfall.
Travel Notes Directory:
1. Preface
2. Bumpy journey from Shanghai to Helsinki
3. Ferry trip from Helsinki to Tallinn
4. First encounter with Tallinn's old town, originating from the 13th century
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