Retreat

I love travelling. A new place and a day to explore it is all I need to have a great weekend. What better if you get to one on a luxurious ferry just for the weekend for a perfect get away from your mundane life. Its all here in Stockholm.

I was introduced to these boatlines that operate all year round from Stockholm- Tallink, Viking line, Stilija etc. These jump from Stockholm to various other destinations- Turku, Mariehamn, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga and more. The best part is if you book a trip in advance, it can be as economic as for FREE! Which reminds me of the saying-' The best things in life are for free'. Let me decipher it to the people who don't know it already. You know how in places like Britain, when you book a train ticket at the last moment and have to pay an atrocious amount and say to yourself, "If only I had booked it in advance". Its the same in this case. Carefully pick your dates of travel well in advance to book a cabin for 4 for as low as 80sek per cabin (20 sek a head). Sometimes its free, but the catch is that its unlikely to be over the weekend (thats when you want to be there ;)).

The cabins are lush for the price payed. Bunk beds for sleeping and no round windows (they do have excellent central vents). The toilets are not for the claustrophobes but has it all. They even supply clean set of turkish towels. Some even have a small telly with recorded channels mainly but one channel showing a direct relay of whats happening in the live band and dance floor area, just so that you dont miss out on anything. The highlight of such trip is the duty free shops onboard. People go mental and shop like theres no tomorrow, bringing a new meaning to the uncommon phrase- Shop till you drop. From great big bars of chocolates and toys to full fledged range of liquers and lagers, it is quite an indulgence in itself. I load myself with the drinks I plan to down that evening.

Entertainment on board ranges from pubs with live bands to a large seating area mimicing an amphitheatre with a live band and disco lights. The band is usually very entertaining but the drinks from the bar are pricy. Few of us on a budget, drink in the privacy of our cabin which clearly hoists a board 'No consuming alcoholic beverages or food inside the cabin). We think of ourselves as Mavericks so does the majority I later realised. Yeah, we do have a few laughs and drinks in the cabin and then head out to the dance floor to dance like 'bell-ends', depending on what and how much we've had to drink. There is a casino to loot you off your money if you are up for a buzz like that. There is a lovely crowd of fine women on board, again depending on the day you are in. You can socialise and make new friends. You can learn a few new ways to shake 'yer leg. The night goes on till 4 AM on the disco floor (different from the one by the amphitheatre).

If you can wake up early the next day ( about 10 AM), you can walk to the preplanned destination(s). If you are a lastminute.com member, you can get maps of the city you are in on board to help you untangle yourself. You are free to nance around the city till 5:30 PM when you have to report back to the check in (?) for the ferry back . The whole chain of events backtrack from then on- drink-dance-socialise-drink-dance-sleep. And Voila! you are back in Stockholm thinking how wonderful the trip was (hopefully, that is).

In any case, you can plan a quick getaway for a decent spending when you are a student. There are buses charging a seperate fee to take you from your city to the docks in Stockholm if you were wondering how to get about that pickle. Enjoy!