Silja Line opens door to St Petersburg

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Finnish ferry operator Silja Line has begun a service linking Helsinki with St Petersburg.

Finnish ferry operator Silja Line has begun a service linking Helsinki with St Petersburg. The Silja Opera made its maiden voyage to St Petersburg on August 12, and the operator is to run the cruise every Tuesday until January 7, when icy conditions in the Russian port will force a suspension until April. Silja Line is confident there is strong demand in Finland for the service, and said it would offer an extra duty-free route as one of the operator's most popular destinations, Estonia, debates whether to join the EU next year.

Passengers onboard the St Petersburg route may acquire a group visa for Eu15 ($17) per passenger. Silja senior vice-president corporate communications Tuomas Nylund told TRW: ?St Petersburg is by far the most interesting destination in the Baltic. We are confident this will develop into a strong business.?