The high-speed train named Allegro runs from Saint Petersburg of Russia to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, four times a day. It makes it through the route quite fast - in 3 hours and 27 minutes. Apart from being short, the trip is convenient: there are almost no stops on the way, and the border control is managed smoothly, without additional delay.
Departure
The point A for this journey is the Finlyandskiy Railway Station (its name contains a transliterated Russian word and can be translated as The Finland Railway Station).
However, in this case the main building of the station is helpful just as a distinctive spatial reference. Allegro departs from the place called International Hall “Express”, which is located to the left of the central entrance. It could be a bit confusing, but only for a moment. Two minutes of walking along the wall will take you there, with the zero probability of getting lost.
I am going to ride the earliest Allegro of the day, which departs at 6:40. Combined with my habit of getting to stations in advance, the time allows me to pass the security control without waiting in line. The hall is quiet and empty. Passengers and staff members can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
There is a tiny cafe in the waiting hall, but it’s still closed. The whole city is sleeping, including most of its cafes, shops and other establishments. There is not much I can do in terms of leisure activities except for counting people. But soon enough, the premises start to get crowded. The number of passengers become considerably bigger than the total of my fingers - so, my simple game is over, as well as the waiting process.
The train is here, and it is ready for boarding. After a quick passport control, I go out. The weather is cloudy, but the freshness of a spring morning is pleasant. I walk on the platform without haste.
The number of the car in my ticket is 1. It is at the head of the train, which means I will be in Helsinki a few seconds earlier than the passengers of all other cars. The joy of this fact is tiny, infantile and even stupid, but it is still a joy, so why don’t feel it, right?
1st Class in Allegro
The wagon I enter is the first not only by its position (which is variable: when the train runs in the opposite direction - from Helsinki to Saint Petersburg - this car becomes the last). Another quality of the coach number one is that it represents the 1st Class in Allegro.
In comparison with the 2nd Class, this car has less chairs and therefore more free space. Another obvious differenсe - which is pretty common and traditional - is the upholstery material: we have leather instead of textile here.
The next feature of the 1st Class is the coffee station in the middle of the car. The spirit-lifting beverage is free and limitless, which I especially appreciate in the morning hours.
The coffee-making machine works with capsules (there are two different kinds of them). I deal with this type of device for the very first time, but everything goes without fail: the interface is intuitive, and the visual instruction is provided. There are also milk, water and sugar. Tea bags are also presented in a couple of versions.
Equipped with a cup of hot drink, I get back to my seat (it is on the right side, near the window) and take a look at the details.
That’s what my place offers (as the film people would say, in order of appearance): a rather deep cup holder, a footrest and an armrest, a socket with a USB-slot, another socket, a coat hook, an additional holder for small things (with a fresh issue of the Allegro train magazine), a personal light and yet another hanger for something lightweight and compact.
Some of the chairs are placed towards each other. Those have a big partially folding wooden table between them.
My chair is turned to the back of another seat and equipped with a plastic tray table. It’s also pretty useful and efficient, especially when another feature of the 1st Class comes into the picture - a breakfast, included in the ticket price. There are some options to choose - most of them, as I guess, are traditional Finnish meals. I go with berry juice, fish salad with lemon, bilberry yoghurt and a kind of potato patty (everything is scrumptious!).
Well, after such a treat I can only rest and look outside the window. Allegro is rather fast (the maximum speed of the train is 220 km/h), and the elements of local landscape are blurry and fuzzy. This view is nice for those who loves the feeling of a high speed.
In case you are not a fan of rapid movement, there are still some stations where the train stops for a couple of minutes. It’s not much, but you can find some rest for your eyes (as well as training for your observation skills and food for your curiosity) in these moments.
Comparing 1st and 2nd classes
I was riding the 2nd class of Allegro some time before, in the winter. You can learn all the details about it, as well as get the detailed description of the route and the illustrated instruction on how to find a proper hall in Saint Petersburg before the departure in this story.
As for my subjective opinion, both classes are really comfortable. Both have free Wi-Fi. Personally, I prefer the textile upholstery over the leather one. But also I can’t underestimate the coffee station in the morning and a nice Finnish breakfast.
Anyway, the whole train is equally fast, and the result is, roughly speaking, the same - you reach Helsinki easily and in a short time. And at the end of the pleasant trip you get more or less the same picture, regardless of the class you were in:
Where to get tickets
The options to get the tickets for Allegro from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki are:
Infotrain (fill in SANKT-PETERBURG and HELSINKI), RZD site (or their mobile app) and VR. Please note that the prices depend on a day of the week. And do not forget: this train is fairly the best way to get from Northwest Russia to the capital of Finland - it’s pretty fast and rather affordable.
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