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Ferry to Estonia - Tallink silja vs DFDS

Ferry to Estonia, which one to choose? During our recent trip to Estonia, we tried two different ferries, both Tallink Silja Line between Stockholm and Tallinn, and DFDS which we travelled home with, from Paldiski to Kapellskär. Here is our comparison!

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Ferry to Estonia, which one to choose?

There are two routes and four companies to choose from when travelling by ferry to Estonia:

  • Stockholm - Tallinn (with Tallink Silja Line)
  • Kapellskär - Paldiski (with DFDS)

We travelled Stockholm - Tallinn with Tallink Silja (the ferry Baltic Queen) on the way to Estonia, and on our way back home we tried Paldiski - Kapellskär with DFDS (Liverpool ferry), which is both a freight and passenger ferry. So we thought we'd do a little comparison of these two journeys.

Färja till Estland
Kapellskär and Paldiski - not far from Stockholm and Tallinn

Ferry to Estonia - Times

Baltic Queen left at 17:30 from Värtahamnen in Stockholm and arrived at 10:15 in Tallinn the next day. This means there's plenty of time for restaurants, bars and shopping on board.

Liverpool left Paldiski in Estonia at 23:00 and arrived in Kapellskär at 08:30 the next morning. So this ferry is much faster, but if you want, you can have a late dinner and/or breakfast. There are also daytime ferries.

Färja till Estland
Lorries queuing for the Liverpool ferry, from DFDS

Cabins

On the Baltic Queen we had an A cabin, which meant a relatively ordinary cabin with single beds and windows. Quite ok, but nothing extra.

On Liverpool we had an inside 2-person cabin with bunk beds, without windows. Also this cabin was perfectly ok, without anything extra.

Breakfast on board

On the Baltic Queen you can choose between regular breakfast (€13) and "special breakfast" (€19). The special breakfast is really good, so if you want to enjoy an extra good breakfast while travelling by ferry to Estonia, this is always the best option. How about sparkling wine, rum, pâté and good cheeses?

Specialfrukost på färja till Estland

On Liverpool there is also a breakfast buffet, and it currently costs 10,90 euros. This breakfast was not very exciting, but quite ok except that we did not find the coffee or tea very good.

Frukost
Peter thinks about something else during breakfast ...
Frukost på färja till Estland
Can't you smile a little? Ok, a bit stiff ...

Restaurants on board

On the Baltic Queen there are several restaurants to choose from: Grande Buffet, Grill House, Gourmet Baltic Queen, Russian a la carte Alexandra and Fast Lane. We ate at the Russian restaurant Alexandra, and it was really, really good. For starters we chose a tasty tray with quail eggs and various smoked products, and for the main course we had pike-perch with potatoes and asparagus.

On Liverpool there is a buffet restaurant, where you can have lunch or dinner for 15,90 euro. The ferry left 23:00 from Paldiski and we had already had dinner, so we didn't try this one.

Alexandra på färja till Estland
At restaurant Alexandra, on the Baltic Queen

Bars on board

On the Baltic Queen there are several different bars: Starlight, Manhattan Piano bar, Sea Pub, Cigar Club and the Seaside lounge area and Ibiza Disco.

Baltic Queen
In the Manhatten bar on the Baltic Queen

On Liverpool there is a bar, right next to the buffet restaurant. We ordered both a beer and an Irish Coffee here. When they would make the Irish Coffee, they took out an electric whisk and whipped the cream - a bit impressive after all!

Färja till Estland
Peter in the bar on board the Liverpool ...

Tax-free shop

On the Baltic Queen there is a large duty-free shop with alcohol, sweets and perfume, and here we found really, really good prices.

On Liverpool there is a small duty-free shop. We only had time to look around for a short while, but perceived the prices to be a bit higher.

Other activities

Baltic Queen is a ferry to Estonia for entertainment with several different restaurants and bars, as well as shopping and a nightclub with shows. There is also a sauna area with pool and a playroom.

Liverpool is a ferry focused on fast transport, and there is not much entertainment beyond the restaurant and bar. However, there is a small duty free and a playroom.

Färja till Estland
Alexandra Restaurant on board the Baltic Queen

Price to travel by ferry to Estonia

Travelling with the Baltic Queen cost around 5200 SEK, for two adults, a small motorhome and an A-cabin.

Travelling with Liverpool cost about 2300 SEK, for two adults, a small motorhome and an inside 2-person cabin. If we had made the trip during the day, without a cabin, the price for us and the motorhome would have been about SEK 1500.

Prices vary, of course, depending on the date, day of the week, vehicle, choice of cabin, etc. Please note that we booked regular journeys, and that there may be cheaper cruises and offers.

Färja till Estland
Leaving Paldiski in Estonia with Liverpool

Which ferry to Estonia should I choose?

We think both ferries offer great ways to travel to Estonia. Travelling Stockholm - Tallinn with Tallink Silja (Baltic Queen) is perfect if you want a cruise experience with good food and a few hours of socialising.

Travelling from Kapellskär to Paldiski with DFDS (Liverpool) is ideal if you want a quick and easy ferry to Estonia without paying too much. Many lorries use this ferry, but it's also great for motorhomes and cars.

Have you travelled on a ferry to Estonia? What do you think?

Kapellskär
Kapellskär in Sweden
All our top tips for Estonia. Click on the image!

Facts about travelling by ferry to Estonia

  • Shipping companies: The shipping companies that operate ferries directly to Estonia are Tallink Silja and DFDS-...
  • Ferries: Tallink Silja Line operates with Baltic Queen or Victoria and DFDS operates with Liverpool, among others.
  • Rutter: Stockholm - Tallinn (Tallink Silja) and Kapellskär - Paldiski (DFDS).
  • Departures: Tallink Silja Line about 7 departures/week and DFDS about 7 departures/week.
  • Time: Tallink Silja Line 15 hours 45 minutes and DFDS 9 hours.
  • Read more: Tallink Silja and DFDS

Programme "Promoting Estonia as a Tourism Destination" is supported by European Union Regional Development Fund.

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