Ferry company
Tallink & Silja Line
Silja Line's cruise ferries from Stockholm and Tallink's high-speed ferries from Tallinn, in profile
- Largest ferry company in the northern Baltic
- Eleven ships, around 5.5 million passengers
- Overnight ferries from Stockholm, shuttle from Tallinn
About Tallink & Silja Line
Table of Contents
About Tallink & Silja Line
Tallink & Silja Line is the brand under which AS Tallink Grupp operates, the largest ferry company in the northern Baltic Sea, based in Tallinn. The Estonian company was founded in 1989 and took over Finland's Silja Line in 2006, whose ships had sailed between Sweden and Finland for decades. Since then, the cruise ferries have operated as Tallink Silja Line, while the high-speed ferries between Tallinn and Helsinki run as Tallink Shuttle. Tallink Grupp is listed on the Tallinn Stock Exchange and, by its own figures, carried 5,531,132 passengers in 2025; its market share in the northern Baltic is around 40 per cent. Alongside the ferries, the group runs four hotels in Tallinn and Riga, as well as onboard shops and restaurants.
Fleet
The fleet comprises eleven cruise, shuttle and freight ships across five Baltic routes. Six of these serve Finland: on Helsinki–Stockholm, the sister ships Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony sail, cruise ferries with a 142 m promenade under a glass roof. On Turku–Stockholm, the Baltic Princess operates, with a conference area and cabins for both day and night crossings. Between Tallinn and Helsinki, the LNG-powered high-speed ferry Megastar and the MyStar, in service since 2022, shuttle back and forth, joined by the Victoria I with almost 1,000 m² of shopping space. The Baltic Queen sails Tallinn–Stockholm and doesn't call at Finland.
Routes to Finland
From Stockholm you have two destinations: Stockholm–Helsinki is the overnight crossing from Värtahamnen in north-east Stockholm to the Olympia Terminal at Helsinki's South Harbour, around 17 hours with a cabin. Stockholm–Turku takes about ten and a half hours, sailed by the Baltic Princess from Värtahamnen to the port of Turku, where Turku Satama railway station is just a few steps away. If you're travelling via the Baltic states, take Tallinn–Helsinki: the Tallink Shuttle has run year-round since April 2007 from the D-Terminal in Tallinn to West Terminal 2 in Helsinki, around two hours, up to twelve times a day with Megastar and MyStar.
Check-in, vehicles and pets
Tallink Silja opens online check-in 24 hours before departure. In Stockholm, vehicle check-in opens around 1.5 hours beforehand and closes 30 minutes before departure; in Tallinn you must be checked in with a vehicle at least 90 minutes before departure. For foot passengers, registration closes 30 minutes and boarding 20 minutes before departure; arriving at the terminal around an hour beforehand is recommended. Online and kiosk check-in are free, while a fee applies at a staffed counter. A valid ID card or passport should be in your hand luggage.
All ships take cars, motorbikes, caravans, motorhomes and bicycles; the fare depends on the vehicle length you give when booking. More on this in the guide Travelling to Finland with a motorhome. Register pets when booking; whether your pet travels in a pet cabin, a carrier or the vehicle depends on the ship and route. Entry rules for Finland are summarised in the guide Travelling to Finland with a dog.
Tickets
On board you pay in euros, by card or cash; some bars on the Silja ships take card only. Tallink Silja offers several fare tiers with different rules for rebooking and refunds; the conditions shown before purchase are binding. Departures are shown in the timetable, fares for your date in the route page's booking window, with the comparison rules explained in the price overview.
FAQ Tallink Silja
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and answers about Tallink & Silja Line and its ferry routes to Finland
Which routes does Tallink Silja run to Finland?+
Three: Stockholm–Helsinki overnight with the cruise ferries Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony, Stockholm–Turku with the Baltic Princess, and the high-speed ferry Tallinn–Helsinki with Megastar and MyStar in around two hours.
Are Tallink and Silja Line the same company?+
Yes. Silja Line was the traditional Finnish company on the Sweden routes and has belonged to Estonia's AS Tallink Grupp since 2006. Ships from Stockholm sail under the Silja Line brand, while the high-speed ferries between Tallinn and Helsinki run as Tallink Shuttle; everything is booked through the same company.
When do I need to be at the terminal for Tallink Silja?+
Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure. In Stockholm, vehicle check-in closes 30 minutes before departure; in Tallinn you must be checked in with a vehicle 90 minutes beforehand. For foot passengers, registration closes 30 minutes and boarding 20 minutes before departure.
Can I bring a car or motorhome?+
Yes, all ships take cars, motorbikes, caravans, motorhomes and bicycles; the fare depends on the vehicle length you give when booking. Details are in the guide Travelling to Finland with a motorhome.
Can my dog come on board?+
Yes, with registration at booking; whether your pet travels in a pet cabin, a carrier or the vehicle depends on the ship and route. Entry rules for Finland are summarised in the guide Travelling to Finland with a dog.
Where can I find Tallink Silja's timetable and fares?+
Departures on all three routes are shown in the timetable. Fares depend on travel date, fare type, cabin and vehicle, and are calculated during booking.