Snapshot: St. Petersburg, Helsinki & Tallinn

Rick Steves Snapshot: St. Petersburg, Helsinki & Tallinn contains all the complete chapters on these three cities, excerpted from Rick's full-length Scandinavia guidebook and Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook — and leaves out the chapters on other destinations. So if all you want is the best of the Baltics, this compact Snapshot guide delivers everything you'll need to know — for about half the price and half the bulk.

Inside you'll find in-depth, Rick-tested information on the best sights, activities, hotels, and restaurants for each city, and plenty of extras:

• St. Petersburg (Russia)
  • Including self-guided Nevsky Prospect walk and Back-Streets Walk on Vasilyevsky Island, plus tours of the Hermitage Museum, Russian Museum, and Peter and Paul Fortress
  • Detailed tips for getting a Russian visa
  • Outer St. Petersburg including the Peterhuf and Catherine Palace
• Helsinki (Finland)
  • Including self-guided city walk and tram tour
  • Handy Finnish survival phrases
• Tallinn (Estonia)
  • Including self-guided city walk
  • Handy Estonian survival phrases
• And more
  • Easy-to-follow maps
  • Getting around each city by public transit
  • Transportation tips for connecting each stop by train, bus, or boat
  • Sidebars on each city's history, culture, and cuisine
  • Basic tips on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's full-length Scandinavia guidebook?

Only if your trip includes an excursion to St. Petersburg, which isn't included in Rick Steves Scandinavia. But the Snapshot guide's Helsinki and Tallinn chapters are excerpted directly from the full-length Scandinavia guidebook, covering the exact same topics in those two cities — the same hotels, same restaurants, same sightseeing information, same everything. (But the full-length Scandinavia guidebook, now in its 17th edition, is more up to date than this Snapshot guide, which was excerpted from the Scandinavia book's 16th edition. Check this Snapshot's updates page for the most noteworthy changes.)

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's northern European cruise guidebook?

Only if your Baltic-cruise trip includes a longer stay in either of these three cities, as this Snapshot guide includes some sightseeing information, as well as recommendations for eating, sleeping, and entertainment, that aren't included in Rick Steves Northern European Cruise Ports.

Latest updates: When we learn of critical changes to the information in this guidebook, we post them. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Submit feedback: Once you've used this book in Europe, we'd love to hear your feedback — good or bad — about our advice on sights, hotels, restaurants, and travel tips. We're also interested in any tips or discoveries you made while in Europe. Your comments help us improve our guidebooks for future travelers.