Moscow to Helsinki- Overnight Train
At about 10 PM, we boarded our train. We were ready for a two-night travel trip (the first night on this overnight train) that would surpass expectations.
I boarded the overnight train with not many hopes. Those hopes, plus some extra, were fulfilled! We had been talking about this journey for a while leading up to it because the Moscow to Helsinki overnight train trip is well-known and, also, we’d had some bad experiences with overnight travel, so we didn’t know what to expect.
As soon as I got on I could see that I actually really liked the train! The train left at about 10 PM, which was a bit late. We could not explore the train cars or do much before bed. However, there was enough time for me to notice how clean it was!!! Compared to our last overnight travel on the Silja Ship, it blew us away! I was crying tears of joy when I realized that the sheets didn’t have a bug on them, the bathroom wasn’t moldy, and the floor was clear of menacing stains. I had prepared myself for the worst because of our less-than-sanitary experience on the Silja, but this actually wasn’t bad at all! We also walked to the bathroom, which was shared with the other rooms in the train car. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but it was very clean. Also, there was a shower. A shower that everyone takes a turn in. Ick! My mother took a shower, but I was afraid to. When she came out, she said it was really clean, but she was the first person on the train to use it (on our trip). If she says that it’s fine, I’m sure that it was, but the concept of using a shower that everyone else does… let’s just say it isn’t for me.
Once the train started moving, there was a great view out of our window of the passing trees and foliage, and the window was nice and big! Our room was cramped, but it was fun being all together in such a small space. There are four beds and two of them are the top bunks. Also, there’s a table that hides a sink if you pull up the top of it- pretty cool! There’s also a dinner included, it comes in a box waiting for you when you get to your room. Dinner is a juice box, chocolate, and a croissant. We had already eaten our dinner before going on the train because it was late, so the dinner box was more of a snack box for us. The food wasn’t great, but it’s an okay midnight snack.
I enjoyed going to bed on the moving train because it lulls you right to sleep.
When we woke up a breakfast box was delivered to our door. Breakfast was crepes filled with unidentified meat (gross!) and the tartest yogurt you will ever taste. It’s alright, though, if you put the juice box juice into the yogurt because then it’s sweeter. There’s also a dining car, which has real breakfast, like eggs… and they come to your room bringing coffee that you can buy.
We got off the train in Helsinki at around 11 AM, which was a good time for us to get ready in a relaxed fashion. In the time between us waking up and leaving the train, we watched some television on our iPad, and I listened to my audiobook while looking out the window. Overall, it was pretty enjoyable and I felt a lot more comfortable with a whole bed and not just a small chair like I would have on any other train ride.
After this, we took the Silja Ship from Helsinki to Stockholm, which we had already taken in the opposite direction, and then went directly from Stockholm on a flight to Oslo. The airport was easy to manage, and though we would not have normally had to take a plane there, track work was being done and it forced us to take a flight instead of staying on the train.
After a train, a ferry, and a flight, we arrived at our destination…
GET READY FOR MY ADVENTURES IN OSLO!
Hey nice job Dora. Keep up the great work.
Thank you!