Sortavala Travel Forum

Hello

I would be grateful if anyone can advise me.

I wish to travel to the Sortovala area (my mother was evacuated from this region in 1940 & 1944 - Laskela & Harlu to Finland).

I will be travelling from the UK (Manchester) & would like to see some other parts of Russia - maybe St Petersburg.

What would be the best way to do this? Travel from Helsinki to St Petersberg to Sortovala?
or from Estonia? or Russia (need to take cheap flight)
Best method of transport? Train? Hire a car?
Best way to find accommodfation?
Best time of year to travel?
How to keep it cheap?
Things to see?
How safe is it?
Any advice on visas/ money?

I would be grateful for any help as I have only just began to explore this idea & am finding it difficult to find information.
Kind regards
Kardrew

John - thank you for your swift replies. I have looked at the web site you recommend & have sent them an email asking for further information. As you say their site is not very clear & I wonder if they only do trips to the Finnish parts of Karelia?

Sadly I do not speak Russian or Finnish which does not make things easy

if you decided to start from St Petersburg, it doesn't matter where you go in, from Finland or Estonia. It seems Ryanair flies to Finland and from Helsinki, my friend told, there are busses to St Petersburg and it will be cheaper way to come to Russia. As far as I remember there is train to Petrozavodsk, the capital of Kareliya, and then train to Sortavala. I was in Sortavala in 1988, 10 years old, thus remember not much :-) Accomodation? try this site, they have english pages, maybe you'll find some links http://www.sortavala.ru/
Best time of travel? well, it depends on what you like. For example since early may there will be so named white nights when it will be not dark even in nights cause of territory ocation. so it could be interesting for june. I was in june in 1988 and t was funny for me :-) All I remember were forests and lakes because we stayed somewhere in the sanatorium or smth. So I don't know about any things to see but maybe on the site I gave a link you find smth interswting. In my opinion Russia is safe country at all and the only discomfort you can get is that people, especially in not big cities don't speak foreign languages.
I heard Russian visa is quite enough expensive and not easy to get (I mean it is long process) but I hope you'll sat "it is worthwhile" after visiting Russia. About money, there are ATM in every city.

if you decided to start from St Petersburg, it doesn't matter where you go in, from Finland or Estonia. It seems Ryanair flies to Finland and from Helsinki, my friend told, there are busses to St Petersburg and it will be cheaper way to come to Russia. As far as I remember there is train to Petrozavodsk, the capital of Kareliya, and then train to Sortavala. I was in Sortavala in 1988, 10 years old, thus remember not much :-) Accomodation? try this site, they have english pages, maybe you'll find some links http://www.sortavala.ru/
Best time of travel? well, it depends on what you like. For example since early may there will be so named white nights when it will be not dark even in nights cause of territory ocation. so it could be interesting for june. I was in june in 1988 and t was funny for me :-) All I remember were forests and lakes because we stayed somewhere in the sanatorium or smth. So I don't know about any things to see but maybe on the site I gave a link you find smth interswting. In my opinion Russia is safe country at all and the only discomfort you can get is that people, especially in not big cities don't speak foreign languages.
I heard Russian visa is quite enough expensive and not easy to get (I mean it is long process) but I hope you'll sat "it is worthwhile" after visiting Russia. About money, there are ATM in every city.

Thanks you for your advice Bugulma. I have emailed the web site you advised. It is good that there is something in Sortovala.

I maybe would like to also visit Moscow & Petrozavodsk. Do you think it is possible to make these joutrneys by car hire?

Car hire? I really recommend you to go by train. To Moscow

Hello Kardew,
How was your trip to Sortavala?
I am planning a similar trip to Sortavala next year,can you give me any tips please?
I plan to fly from Heathrow direct to St petersburg then by train to Sortavala.
I have a friend who can sort out visa's and accomadation for me. So i'm really after info and or photo's of places of interest,and how safe is it.
Do you know if the village of Helyulya is far from Sortavala? This is where my friend lives.
Any advise and assistance would be most appreciated.

Regards
Skillsbus (Sheffield)