So excited to share our Russia series with you, beginning with how to visit Russia without a visa! Would you like to visit Russia? If you've already been, what was your favourite experience? 🇷🇺
Yes. Certainly would like to visit St. Petersburg. Since an e-visa is now available for certain passport holders, may just try that in the near future (max visit of 8 days with e-visa).
3 times in Russia. Unfortunately I haven't been to Sgt. Petersburg yet, but I definately will. Viipuri (Vyborg) is on the way from Finnish border towards SgtP but closer to Finnish border: a popular tourism target, and my dad was born there, so I've been there with him, and with some other relatives. Twice went by bus, once by a freshwater ship: a canal goes from Finland to Russia. Travelled with Baltic Sea cruise ships many times, but not to Russia.
Great! We squeezed a lot in 72 hours and I highly recommend St. Petersburg. You'll see in our next videos but it's enormous and so much to see. Also one of my favourite meals I've had :)
Oh wow....that’s incredible. We’ll be in Helsinki in December and I’d love to go to Russia....I had NO IDEA this was even an opportunity we could look at!
Oh, wow, that's awesome you'll be in Helsinki! This would be a perfect way to squeeze in a trip to Russia! Our next videos you'll see more of our 72 hours trip (plus where the ship dropped us off next haha). Maybe you saw already but we made videos about Helsinki too - they're here in this playlist: bit.ly/finlandplaylist. If you have time I highly recommend going up north to Lapland in northern Finland too. It's gorgeous!
Russia Yay. Ok, I'm a day late to the party but it's always worth the wait to see you guys. You're just having way too much fun :)Amazing buffet! Looking forward to the followup episode. James and Kim
Hi Eileen and Marc - that is the most exciting ferry I've ever seen! So much to do that it's a wonder you ever went to bed. What a fabulous experience and entertaining way to connect Helsinki with St.Petersburg. Can't wait to see what comes next
Hi :) Yeah, I was excited to look around because I've never seen anything like it. I really enjoyed being in our cabin and looking out the window at the sea too. Nothing quite like it. Lots more Russia coming soon!
OMG that thing is a ferry???!!! Talk about bad ass !! Was it disguised as a legit cruise ship? Holy geez! You guys are as cute as ever. And I think at the end ..you meant "hit the sack" when trying to say you were going to bed. That room looked so cozy. Russia honestly intimidates me a little...but maybe it shouldn't :)
What a fabulous opportunity! Visiting Russia seems so out of reach for most westerners, and yet would be a dream come true for me. Seriously, that's the best "ferry" I've ever seen! Looks like the awesome food, entertainment and every comfort has been very well thought out. As always, your cheery demeanor makes me feel I'm part of your journey. Can't wait to see how you spend your next 72 hours!!!
I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out to visit Russia last time but hope you'll still get there! Maybe this visa loophole will help. We certainly found it a fantastic way to get in :)
I can definitely see the Wes Anderson vibes! This is a really cool travel hack. I looked into getting a visa to Russia for a few days and it was crazy expensive. The buffet looks great! The photo shoot is so random haha. I've always been put off by the idea of a cruise, but it looks pretty fun for a night or two!
Yeah, it's a great way to get in without all the expense and inconvenience :) I'd never slept on a cruise boat like that before and really enjoyed it. Waking up in Russia was amazing.
haven't been to Russia before but the Baltics region is amazing! I took the "ferry" from Helsinki to Tallinn, and then continued south through Latvia and Lithuania. They are all wonderful hidden gems of Europe.
Wow, that must’ve been a really interesting experience to love there! We made a bunch of videos in Malaysia too :) Not sure if you’ve seen them but we loved visiting your home country ❤️
Wow! I am sooooo excited for you guys!! I was smiling during your entire video, and as usual your vlog made me feel like I was there too. You always have a knack for doing that! That ship looks really fun!! I hope you have an awesome time in St Petersburg. I'm sure you will do everything there is to do & see there, but make sure you don't miss Peterhof Palace...take the hydrofoil there and back because it's way more fun plus you get to see the Lakhta Center in the distance. We went during the World Cup in June of 2018 and because we had tickets to a game, we were allowed to visit Russia without a Visa as well...so I totally can relate to the relief of not having to go through the process or expense of getting a Visa. ENJOY!!!!
Hi Amisha! Thank you!! So nice to see your comment! That's cool that you were there during the World Cup. That must've been an interesting experience. We've already left Russia but it was amazing and we squeezed a lot in - can't wait to share the videos! We saw the Catherine Palace so will have to see Peterhof next time - had to make a choice in the interest of time haha. Peterhof looks incredible. So much to see there! :)
I know exactly what you mean about the interest of time....visiting Peterhof Palace meant we had to miss out on Catherine Palace, haha. It's always hard to decide what to skip. I will now get to visit Catherine Palace vicariously through you guys!
@@amishapandya2623 haha hey, that's true! We'll show you around! That's funny and I'm sure lots of people have to make that choice. Can't go wrong, I'm sure.
Great information! Just watched you St. Petersburg video and learned about the Russian visa hack…so obviously, I had to come over here and check it out! Amy and I are definitely thinking about this now, in order for us to visit Russia in the near future! Oh, and the bonus is we get to hang out in Finland for a bit too! The boat looks awesome…and the food looks great (we’re a food channel)…and to wake up in Russia…wait a minute, that’s awesome! Wow, thanks for sharing this hack!! Safe travels!
I did the 72 hours in St. Petersburg by boat from Helsinki. Nice for a quick taste of Russia without the hassle of the visa application. Outside of the passport check in Russia and exchanging US dollars (I advise using the ATMs for cash) I had a really good time. Especially liked the Hermitage. Not just for the exhibits, but the building itself. Looking forward to your take on the city.
That's cool you've done this too! I agree that the Hermitage was absolutely incredible and the size overwhelming. I was also wowed by the building itself and the history of the palace. That's coming up in our next video :)
Yeah I was about to pause the video and comment about that, but she ended up mentioning it, sort of. The only way to do this is to go with a licensed tour company, so you're right that it's more like a cruise. You can't just hop on a ferry and go by yourself. And technically, the guide is supposed to accompany you the entire time, but in reality, they drop you off in the city center by bus and then give you "free time". But you're only allowed to walk down certain streets. But if someone is just collecting countries, this is the best way to see Russia.
The term "ferry" is very misleading here. You have to book a trip with a licensed tour agency. You can't just hop on a regular ferry and go to Russia by yourself.
о, это очень мило, ребята! С удовольствием посмотрела ваш обзор по кораблю, и очень хочется увидеть ваш обзор по Санкт-Петербургу! Чудесного путешествия!
My sister went to St Petersburg a few years ago with a tour group, its great that they make a visa exception if you only want to go to St. Petersburg, its a big tourist destination right on the Baltic and easy to access, they were probably losing tourists with having a cumbersome visa requirement so they made this change.
Selected nationalities can now get a no hassle free e-visa for St Petersburg and Kaliningrad that allows a less hurried stay and without the restriction of entering by boat. I understand they've planned to introduce an e-visa for the whole of Russia next year.
That's a kind of funny old cruise ship. I hope you don't use this as your only impression of cruising. :) But sweet that you got to take advantage of this to get a visa-free entry to Russia.
WOW! You call this a ferry….But it Looks….Feels…..and Sounds….more like a small (ish) CRUISE SHIP! What a cool idea….You get a BALTIC cruise….Get a Bed …Entertainment….And Meals… Plus….You get to visit RUSSIA, without a Visa……RETURN!!!! So…...WHAT DID IT COST ‘YA?? Oh…..(I loved this video)…..SIGN ME UP!
haha I've never been on a ship like this so I had a lot of fun wandering around and seeing just how BIG it was and how much stuff there was to do. Kinda crazy how it all just floats 😂
@@EileenAldis I agree with you, but a visa is not expensive. we usually plan a vacation for a couple of months in advance and collect documents. I want to go to Norway, but they won't let me go there until next year, I won't be upset, I'll wait.
@@dimmiheev2542 For us this visa-free option was great to enable us to visit Russia on late notice, since we weren't able to plan ahead :) That's awesome you want to visit Norway. We made a video there (just dipping in and out for the first time!) if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/51bw8n-CsRo/v-deo.html Which part of Russia are you from?
Hi Eileen. I am looking forward to visit Russia but the only concern is the visa... I live in Ireland... I can visit Finland without visa because I am holding an European Union passport ( Ireland)) Can you please tell me how to enter Russia from there... Thank you in advance.
Finland is an EU country, so you can visit as a tourist or even apply for employment with your Irish passport, thanks to the freedom of movement. To visit Russia visa free, you can simply book a trip or a cruise from Moby SPL. You will need to both enter and exit with Moby SPL's ferry. Getting back to Finland/Estonia/Sweden is not a problem since you are holding an EU passport.
Oh, I now read your comment properly and saw you were not asking about entering Finland. It seems the Russian visa free cruises are available for all nationalities as long as you are allowed to return to Finland, Sweden or Estonia, and that is not a problem for you as an Irish passport holder.
So excited to share our Russia series with you, beginning with how to visit Russia without a visa! Would you like to visit Russia? If you've already been, what was your favourite experience? 🇷🇺
Yes. Certainly would like to visit St. Petersburg. Since an e-visa is now available for certain passport holders, may just try that in the near future (max visit of 8 days with e-visa).
3 times in Russia. Unfortunately I haven't been to Sgt. Petersburg yet, but I definately will. Viipuri (Vyborg) is on the way from Finnish border towards SgtP but closer to Finnish border: a popular tourism target, and my dad was born there, so I've been there with him, and with some other relatives. Twice went by bus, once by a freshwater ship: a canal goes from Finland to Russia. Travelled with Baltic Sea cruise ships many times, but not to Russia.
Great! We squeezed a lot in 72 hours and I highly recommend St. Petersburg. You'll see in our next videos but it's enormous and so much to see. Also one of my favourite meals I've had :)
That's nice you were able to travel with your Dad. Sounds like you've seen a lot. Hope you enjoy St. Petersburg when you visit! :)
If you have time to go to Moscow make sure to go to the Red Square, Novy Arbat and so much more to list it all. Last visit in 2004
Какая милая симпатичная пара! Приятно видеть таких озорных людей! Добро пожаловать в Россию!
Oh wow....that’s incredible. We’ll be in Helsinki in December and I’d love to go to Russia....I had NO IDEA this was even an opportunity we could look at!
Oh, wow, that's awesome you'll be in Helsinki! This would be a perfect way to squeeze in a trip to Russia! Our next videos you'll see more of our 72 hours trip (plus where the ship dropped us off next haha). Maybe you saw already but we made videos about Helsinki too - they're here in this playlist: bit.ly/finlandplaylist. If you have time I highly recommend going up north to Lapland in northern Finland too. It's gorgeous!
My cheekbones hurt from a smile. Thanks!
aww what an amazing comment! Thank you!! ❤️😄
You guys are so Canadian! I love it! Your travel vids are amazing ❤️
Russia Yay. Ok, I'm a day late to the party but it's always worth the wait to see you guys. You're just having way too much fun :)Amazing buffet! Looking forward to the followup episode.
James and Kim
Hi Eileen and Marc - that is the most exciting ferry I've ever seen! So much to do that it's a wonder you ever went to bed.
What a fabulous experience and entertaining way to connect Helsinki with St.Petersburg. Can't wait to see what comes
next
Hi :) Yeah, I was excited to look around because I've never seen anything like it. I really enjoyed being in our cabin and looking out the window at the sea too. Nothing quite like it. Lots more Russia coming soon!
OMG that thing is a ferry???!!! Talk about bad ass !! Was it disguised as a legit cruise ship? Holy geez!
You guys are as cute as ever. And I think at the end ..you meant "hit the sack" when trying to say you were going to bed. That room looked so cozy. Russia honestly intimidates me a little...but maybe it shouldn't :)
What a fabulous opportunity! Visiting Russia seems so out of reach for most westerners, and yet would be a dream come true for me. Seriously, that's the best "ferry" I've ever seen! Looks like the awesome food, entertainment and every comfort has been very well thought out. As always, your cheery demeanor makes me feel I'm part of your journey. Can't wait to see how you spend your next 72 hours!!!
I look forward to seeing St Petersburg in your next video-----you seem excited too.
Thank you! First St. Petersburg video coming soon!
Love how you guys do your travel vlogs and always enjoy watching you enjoy your every travel. Amazing reviews, hope to see and meet you someday :)
What a great experience. Looks like a beautiful ship. I must put this on my list of things and places to go. Thanks for giving us a glimpse.
It was so much fun and a great start to this Russia adventure!
This is my bucket list! The visa prevented me from doing a last minute trip there a few years ago. The ship sounds like a great way to see Russia
I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out to visit Russia last time but hope you'll still get there! Maybe this visa loophole will help. We certainly found it a fantastic way to get in :)
I really enjoyed this video and finding out you can make a quick visit to Russian. Exciting opportunity not to miss
Absolutely! It’s an excellent way to see Russia without having to get a visa!
I can definitely see the Wes Anderson vibes! This is a really cool travel hack. I looked into getting a visa to Russia for a few days and it was crazy expensive. The buffet looks great! The photo shoot is so random haha. I've always been put off by the idea of a cruise, but it looks pretty fun for a night or two!
Yeah, it's a great way to get in without all the expense and inconvenience :) I'd never slept on a cruise boat like that before and really enjoyed it. Waking up in Russia was amazing.
Ship use to be Viking Line Olympia. Her sistership is Viking Line Mariella, that travels Helsinki-Stockholm line.
Cool! I didn't know that.
haven't been to Russia before but the Baltics region is amazing! I took the "ferry" from Helsinki to Tallinn, and then continued south through Latvia and Lithuania. They are all wonderful hidden gems of Europe.
I totally agree with you! All those countries may or may not be coming soon in new videos...;)
What a cool ship! Great video :)
Thanks! It was a great start to our trip to Russia :)
This is so cool! I love cruising so this would be a great way to see Russia.
I'm from Malaysia... And that's where i studied back in 2007-2011. Oh how i miss that city. Will return hopefully next year and do scandi tour again.
Wow, that must’ve been a really interesting experience to love there! We made a bunch of videos in Malaysia too :) Not sure if you’ve seen them but we loved visiting your home country ❤️
@@EileenAldis hehe i did. Been following you since your 'kuih' sweets vlog back in kota kinabalu.
You have?! That makes my day!! Thank you ❤️
Wow! I am sooooo excited for you guys!! I was smiling during your entire video, and as usual your vlog made me feel like I was there too. You always have a knack for doing that! That ship looks really fun!! I hope you have an awesome time in St Petersburg. I'm sure you will do everything there is to do & see there, but make sure you don't miss Peterhof Palace...take the hydrofoil there and back because it's way more fun plus you get to see the Lakhta Center in the distance. We went during the World Cup in June of 2018 and because we had tickets to a game, we were allowed to visit Russia without a Visa as well...so I totally can relate to the relief of not having to go through the process or expense of getting a Visa. ENJOY!!!!
Hi Amisha! Thank you!! So nice to see your comment! That's cool that you were there during the World Cup. That must've been an interesting experience. We've already left Russia but it was amazing and we squeezed a lot in - can't wait to share the videos! We saw the Catherine Palace so will have to see Peterhof next time - had to make a choice in the interest of time haha. Peterhof looks incredible. So much to see there! :)
I know exactly what you mean about the interest of time....visiting Peterhof Palace meant we had to miss out on Catherine Palace, haha. It's always hard to decide what to skip. I will now get to visit Catherine Palace vicariously through you guys!
@@amishapandya2623 haha hey, that's true! We'll show you around! That's funny and I'm sure lots of people have to make that choice. Can't go wrong, I'm sure.
Great information! Just watched you St. Petersburg video and learned about the Russian visa hack…so obviously, I had to come over here and check it out! Amy and I are definitely thinking about this now, in order for us to visit Russia in the near future! Oh, and the bonus is we get to hang out in Finland for a bit too! The boat looks awesome…and the food looks great (we’re a food channel)…and to wake up in Russia…wait a minute, that’s awesome! Wow, thanks for sharing this hack!! Safe travels!
That's wonderful! Yeah, it's a great hack to visit Finland AND Russia...and eat some delicious food! Our next video is all about food actually ;)
Amazing Russia vlog Eileen well done 😊😊❤️❤️👍👍
Thank you! This was the start of a great Russian adventure!
I did the 72 hours in St. Petersburg by boat from Helsinki. Nice for a quick taste of Russia without the hassle of the visa application. Outside of the passport check in Russia and exchanging US dollars (I advise using the ATMs for cash) I had a really good time. Especially liked the Hermitage. Not just for the exhibits, but the building itself. Looking forward to your take on the city.
That's cool you've done this too! I agree that the Hermitage was absolutely incredible and the size overwhelming. I was also wowed by the building itself and the history of the palace. That's coming up in our next video :)
That ferry seems more like a cruise ship! But such an interesting loophole for getting into Russia. Can't wait for the St. Petersburg vlog!
Yeah, it totally does! Great hack for avoiding the need for a visa. We feel so lucky. First St. Petersburg vlog coming very soon! 😀
Yeah I was about to pause the video and comment about that, but she ended up mentioning it, sort of. The only way to do this is to go with a licensed tour company, so you're right that it's more like a cruise. You can't just hop on a ferry and go by yourself. And technically, the guide is supposed to accompany you the entire time, but in reality, they drop you off in the city center by bus and then give you "free time". But you're only allowed to walk down certain streets. But if someone is just collecting countries, this is the best way to see Russia.
Wow, I'm planning a ferry trip between Stockholm, Helsinki, Talin and Riga. Never thought of adding Petersburg too. Thanks for the video guys.
That's great! Maybe you can add St. Petersburg to the mix. We'll have videos about Tallinn and Riga coming up too :)
The term "ferry" is very misleading here. You have to book a trip with a licensed tour agency. You can't just hop on a regular ferry and go to Russia by yourself.
о, это очень мило, ребята! С удовольствием посмотрела ваш обзор по кораблю, и очень хочется увидеть ваш обзор по Санкт-Петербургу! Чудесного путешествия!
Большое спасибо! Мы рады, что вам понравилось видео на корабле, и мы рады поделиться нашим опытом в Санкт-Петербурге в новых видео :)
My sister went to St Petersburg a few years ago with a tour group, its great that they make a visa exception if you only want to go to St. Petersburg, its a big tourist destination right on the Baltic and easy to access, they were probably losing tourists with having a cumbersome visa requirement so they made this change.
It's certainly a great idea to allow more tourists to squeeze in a lot of sightseeing. Hope your sister enjoyed her tour!
Selected nationalities can now get a no hassle free e-visa for St Petersburg and Kaliningrad that allows a less hurried stay and without the restriction of entering by boat. I understand they've planned to introduce an e-visa for the whole of Russia next year.
That's a kind of funny old cruise ship. I hope you don't use this as your only impression of cruising. :) But sweet that you got to take advantage of this to get a visa-free entry to Russia.
Hi Angie! Yeah, it was an amazing way to visit Russia without having to get a visa. Will have to try some more cruise experiences in the future :)
Enjoy your staying in Russia 💕
В 90ых хотел уехать в Канаду, даже на всякие презентации ходил, рад что не уехал
WOW! You call this a ferry….But it Looks….Feels…..and Sounds….more like a small (ish) CRUISE SHIP!
What a cool idea….You get a BALTIC cruise….Get a Bed …Entertainment….And Meals…
Plus….You get to visit RUSSIA, without a Visa……RETURN!!!!
So…...WHAT DID IT COST ‘YA?? Oh…..(I loved this video)…..SIGN ME UP!
haha I've never been on a ship like this so I had a lot of fun wandering around and seeing just how BIG it was and how much stuff there was to do. Kinda crazy how it all just floats 😂
How much was the ship ticket return with meals? The room looks really good
Мужик похож на рыбака. Шапочка, щетина, только на расслабоне.
Haha! You guys.....Russian Roulette is a VERY different game. Lol. You may end up never playing Roulette again in that version!
What if you go on your own. I think you still need a visa but you do it all online.
How can I apply?
I don't understand why people are so afraid to get a visa. when Russians get European visas, it is not a tragedy.
Hello! I'd say it's just about the time/convenience/cost of getting a visa :)
@@EileenAldis I agree with you, but a visa is not expensive. we usually plan a vacation for a couple of months in advance and collect documents. I want to go to Norway, but they won't let me go there until next year, I won't be upset, I'll wait.
@@dimmiheev2542 For us this visa-free option was great to enable us to visit Russia on late notice, since we weren't able to plan ahead :) That's awesome you want to visit Norway. We made a video there (just dipping in and out for the first time!) if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/51bw8n-CsRo/v-deo.html Which part of Russia are you from?
ola voçe é brasileira ?
Hi Eileen. I am looking forward to visit Russia but the only concern is the visa... I live in Ireland... I can visit Finland without visa because I am holding an European Union passport ( Ireland)) Can you please tell me how to enter Russia from there... Thank you in advance.
Finland is an EU country, so you can visit as a tourist or even apply for employment with your Irish passport, thanks to the freedom of movement.
To visit Russia visa free, you can simply book a trip or a cruise from Moby SPL. You will need to both enter and exit with Moby SPL's ferry. Getting back to Finland/Estonia/Sweden is not a problem since you are holding an EU passport.
Oh, I now read your comment properly and saw you were not asking about entering Finland.
It seems the Russian visa free cruises are available for all nationalities as long as you are allowed to return to Finland, Sweden or Estonia, and that is not a problem for you as an Irish passport holder.
Ryanair plan to add Dublin-St Petersburg to their routes this summer (2020)
@@MrLissu95 Thanks for the great info really appreciated 👍😊
@@nigelmchugh5541 Thanks for the great info 👍😊