Oh, what the Helsinki!

Boston seems to have an outsize share of good summer fares to Europe these days, especially the great Iberia deals we mentioned last week that are, amazingly, still available. One of the few destinations not included in that comprehensive sale—Helsinki—we've now got covered with this $800 relative bargain including taxes on Finnair's seasonal non-stop service from Boston.

High as it is, the fare nevertheless represents a $400 savings over current rates for peak summer travel and has made this usually high-priced destination the cheapest gateway to cool clear summers and magical midnight twilight in Scandinavia, the Baltics, and northern Russia.

From here, St. Petersburg is just 250 miles down the road, Tallinn a speedy ferry-ride across the Gulf of Finland, and Stockholm a leisurely overnight cruise away. Surprisingly cheap domestic flights starting at only $30 one-way to almost anywhere in Finland are easy to find on Finncomm Airlines, and Blue1 can also get you around the region at reasonable rates.