Hello, Been a member 2 weeks now, so still exploring the site and discovering how things work. Tha...
Hello, Been a member 2 weeks now, so still exploring the site and discovering how things work. Thanks for the friendly and helpful comments so far. Just had a go at another review, hope it's useful to people. Bye!
Member since:09.02.2005
Reviews:4
Have spent over 20 weeks here during the last 12 months. We’ve spent time in Denmark and Sweden before, so we were surprised to find the culture so different, maybe it’s because of it’s long land border with Russia.
Getting from the airport. For 3 or more people a taxi is probably about the same price as buses. The Finnair bus goes from the airport to the railway station, but the locals use the 615 from the next stand, it takes about 10 minutes longer as it’s the local bus service, but still goes to the railway station and is currently about a third cheaper.
Do get a copy of Helsinki This Week from your hotel or the main Tourist Information Centre near the Harbour. The main events and information are now online at the Tourist Information (www.hel.fi.tourism) and Helsinki Expert (www.helsinkiexpert.fi) websites.
In the summer do catch the PUB Tram, it is a converted tram, and it goes on a sightseeing tour, so you can really enjoy watching the world go by! Unfortunately not included in the normal Helsinki Card or Helsinki Transport Tourist ticket schemes, and it’s more than a normal tram fare due to it’s special facilities!!
We’ve had two trips to Suomenlinna, the most memorable was on the ferry through the ice last winter, but it was also fun in June when the sun was scorching!
The Rock Church is different, it’s partially carved out of the rock and worth a look, and everyone has to see the Sibelius monument!!
If you like museums, look into the Helsinki Card, it does have a few other discounts. If you only want to get around it’s worth checking out the HKL Transport Tourist cards; these only cover transport on buses, trams and ferries in the city centre (doesn’t include the airport).
Tallinn is worth a trip, but at busy times the ferries at the right times for a day trip book up well in advance. Helsinki Tourism have a sheet listing the ferry operators and approximate prices. Last summer we used Lynda Line, it was quick and cheap, but it’s a Cat, so doesn’t operate in mid-winter or when it’s too windy. Tallinn is much cheaper than Helsinki for food & drink, and the medieval old town is well worth exploring.
When you're planning a trip to Helsinki, do check the temperature first and the windchill!
In summer if you’re going out of town to the woods or lakes bring insect repellent!
In winter, shoes with a grip are a good idea, and thermals, hats etc make it so that you can get out of the hotel!
We’ve found Helsinki quite expensive compared to the UK, especially wine and beer. We tend to use Hesburger rather than MacDonalds, we do like Mandarin Court (Chinese –Lonnrontinkatu 2 ) & Satkar’s (Nepaleese – Lonnrotinkatu 26) they've been consistent and good value for money for here. Some places do a special Helsinki menu, to give a taste of the local ‘cuisine’. Also lots of restaurants do special cheap lunch dishes, look for the 'lounas' signs outside.
Helsinki, possibly combined with Tallinn, would be good for a short break to see a different part of Europe.
Hope this has given you some ideas.
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