Planning a trip to Helsinki
Getting There
By Plane -- The Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (tel. 020/014-636; www.helsinki-vantaa.fi), which receives flights from more than 21 airports within Finland and from more than 30 airports worldwide, is 19km (12 miles) north of the center of town, about a 30-minute bus ride. Special buses to the airport leave from the City Terminal at Asemaukio 3, and stop at the Air Terminal at Töölönkatu 21 (near the Scandic Hotel Continental) at 20- to 30-minute intervals every day between 5am and midnight. Tickets cost 6€ ($9.60) each way. A slightly less expensive, but also less comfortable, option involves taking public bus no. 415, 451, or 615, which departs from the Central Railway Station two or three times an hour between 5:30am and 10:20pm. The price is 3.80€ ($6.10) each way.
A conventional taxi ride from the airport to the center of Helsinki costs about 28€ to 35€ ($45-$56) each way; you'll be assured of a private car shared only by members of your immediate party. A slightly cheaper alternative is to hire a special yellow taxi (tel. 600/555-555) at the airport terminal, which might be shared by up to four separate travelers; the cost is 25€ ($40) per person.
On your departure, note that the airport requires passengers on domestic flights within Finland to check in 30 minutes before flight time. Passengers on flights to other points in Europe usually must check in between 45 and 60 minutes before takeoff, and passengers bound for any of the former regions of the Soviet Union or anywhere in North America usually need to check in between 1 and 2 hours in advance.
By Train -- The Helsinki Railway Station is on Kaivokatu (tel. 06/0041-902 for train information). The station has luggage-storage lockers costing from 2€ to 5€ ($3.20-$8), depending on the size. The lost-luggage department is open daily from 6:30am to midnight.
By Bus -- Bus transit into and within Helsinki is divided into three separate terminals, the largest of which is the Kamppi Terminal, which occupies two floors of a six-story building in downtown Helsinki that's otherwise devoted to a shopping arcade. The Kamppi Terminal is the home base of bus nos. 102 to 205, and site of most of the suburban outbound buses headed in the direction of Espoo. Smaller and less visible, often used mainly by commuters, the Elielinaukio Terminal is home base of bus nos. 206 to 345, most of which head out at regular intervals in the direction of Espoo, and also bus nos. 360 to 474 going in the direction of Vantaa.
There's also the Railway Square Bus Terminal, home base of buses nos. 611 to 742 headed to Vantaa. For information about bus, tram, and subway routes within Helsinki, call tel. 0100/111 every Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm. Alternatively, you can address questions in person at the upper level of the Rautatientori subway station, where maps, tickets, and Helsinki Cards are readily available, either free or for sale. If you're arriving from Stockholm, you can either ride a ferryboat all the way to Helsinki, or you can take a ferry aboard either the Viking or the Silja Line to Turku on the west coast of Finland, and then, at Turku, you can board one of about 20 daily buses that make the 2 1/2-hour run to Helsinki.
By Car -- Helsinki is connected by road to all Finnish cities. If you arrive at the port of Turku on a car ferry from Sweden, you can take the E-18 express highway east to Helsinki.
By Ferry -- Most of the terminals that service the dozens of ferryboats coming in and out of Helsinki's harbor arrive at and depart from terminals that line the perimeter of Helsinki's South Harbor (especially on the small island of Katajanokka), and to a lesser degree, selected areas of Helsinki West Harbor. Regardless of their exact location, most are within easy walking distance of the center, just a short walk from Market Square (Kauppatori), and accessible via tram nos. 2 and 4. In its role as a maritime force to be reckoned with, Helsinki offers access to dozens of sea routes to other points within Scandinavia and Europe. In addition, as many as 200 different cruise ships, some of them among the finest and most upscale in the world, drop anchor in Helsinki during the course of an average summer. For general information about the port of Helsinki and information about what specialized services you should contact, call the Port of Helsinki (tel. 09/310-1621; www.portofhelsinki.fi/english).
To Stockholm: Over the years, some of the options for maritime transits between Helsinki and Stockholm have grown in numbers and degrees of luxuriousness. The Viking and Silja Lines carry the highest volume of passengers and operate the greatest number of ships. For information in Helsinki, contact Silja Line (tel. 09/18-041; www.silja.com) or Viking Line (tel. 600/15-700; www.vikingline.fi).
To Germany: There's maritime transit at least once a day between Helsinki and Lübeck/Travemünde aboard Finnlines (tel. 09/251-0200; www.ferrycenter.fi). Transit requires 36 hours each way. There's also daily service between Hanko, a port that is within a 90-minute drive from Helsinki, and Rostock, a Baltic port within what used to be known as East Germany, aboard Superfast Ferries (tel. 09/2535-0640; www.superfast.com).
To Estonia: Between May and September, there are as many as 38 ferryboat departures per day from these terminals to Tallinn, capital of Estonia, a waterborne journey that, depending on the boat, takes between 1 and 4 hours. The fastest boats, hydrofoils, operate only on relatively calm seas and only between April and November. The largest of the lines servicing Tallinn include Eckerö Line (tel. 09/228-8544; www.eckeroline.fi), the Linda Line (tel. 09/228-8544; www.lindaliini.ee), and Tallink (tel. 09/649-808; www.tallink.fi). Note: Don't think you can jump on a ferryboat for a spontaneous excursion to Estonia. At press time, despite the fact that Estonia is a semiautonomous nation, visas were mandatory and required applications submitted days or even weeks in advance, preferably from the Estonian embassy or consulate in your home nation.
Helsinki has an efficient transportation network, which includes buses, trams, a subway (metro), ferries, and taxis.
Visitor Information
The Helsinki City Tourist Office, Pohjoisesplanadi 19, FIN-00100 Helsinki (tel. 09/3101-3300; www.VisitHelsinki.fi), is open from May 2 to September 30, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm; off season, Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. TourShop-Helsinki, a service at the Helsinki tourist office, is your best bet for booking tours once you reach the city. The tourist office sells event, air, bus, and cruise tickets, and the money-saving Helsinki Card. Hotel packages and guide bookings are also available here.
City Layout
Main Arteries & Streets -- Helsinki is a peninsula, skirted by islands and skerries. The main artery is the wide and handsome Mannerheimintie, named in honor of the former field marshal. East of Mannerheimintie, opening onto Kaivokatu, is the Helsinki Railway Station. Toward the harbor is Senaatintori, crowned by the landmark cathedral. Designed by Carl Ludwig Engel, this "Senate Square" also includes the government and university buildings.
Continuing east is a bridge crossing over a tiny island -- Katajanokka -- dominated by the Eastern Orthodox cathedral. Back across the bridge, sticking close to the harbor, past the President's Palace, is the most colorful square in Helsinki, the Kauppatori (Market Square) -- see it early in the morning when it's most lively. From the pier here, it's possible to catch boats for Suomenlinna, fortified islands that guard the sea lanes to Helsinki. The sea fortress celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1998.
The great promenade street of Helsinki -- Esplanadi (Esplanade; which is divided into two parallel avenues, the Etaläesplanadi [south] and the Pohjoisesplanadi [north], separated with a statue-and flower-dotted green strip in the middle) -- begins west of Market Square. Directly north of the Esplanade and running parallel to it is Aleksanterinkatu, the principal shopping street.
Finding an Address -- Street numbers always begin at the south end of north-south streets and at the eastern end of streets running east-west. All odd numbers are on one side of the street and all even numbers on the opposite side. In some cases, where a large building houses several establishments, there might be an A or B attached to the number.
Maps -- The best city maps of Helsinki contain a highly detailed and alphabetized street index, and can easily be carried in your pocket. Such maps are sold at nearly all bookstores and many news kiosks in the central city, including Helsinki's major bookstore, Academic Book Store, Keskuskatu 1 (at the corner of the Pohjoisesplanadi; tel. 09/121-41).
Fast Facts
American Express -- The Helsinki branch is at Arkadienkatu 2, 00100 Helsinki (tel. 09/613-204-00), and is open Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and 9am to 4pm on Friday. Whenever it's closed, you can call an active 24-hour-a-day toll-free information line about lost or stolen credit cards or traveler's checks at tel. 0800/11-46-46. That number is valid only within Finland.
Area Code -- The country code for Finland is 358. In most instances, the city code for Helsinki is 09, but in some rare instances it might begin with 010 or 020. For calls to Helsinki from outside of Finland, after dialing the country code, you'll usually drop the first "0" in each of the above-noted city codes.
Babysitters -- Every hotel in Finland has a list of English-speaking employees, such as maids, who, with advance notice, can babysit your child. The rate in Helsinki is about 9€ ($14) per hour, per child, perhaps less in certain provincial towns. Although hotels are the main procurers of babysitters throughout Helsinki, there are alternatives. During daytime hours, if you're a devoted shopper, the well-respected Stockmann department store, Aleksanterinkatu 52 (tel. 09/1211), offers a free babysitting service every Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 6pm.
Bookstores -- The most famous bookstore in Finland -- and the best stocked, with thousands of English titles -- is Helsinki's Academic Bookstore, Keskuskatu 1 (tel. 09/121-41). Technically, it's one of the many separate departments within Helsinki's largest department store, Stockmann's.
Business Hours -- Most banks are open Monday to Friday 9:15am to 4:15pm. Most businesses and shops are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm. Larger stores are usually open until 7pm Monday to Friday and as late as 6pm on Saturdays. With a few exceptions, nearly everyplace is closed on Sunday. Many shops in the center of Helsinki are open until 8pm on certain nights, especially Monday and Friday, and in midsummer, when daylight seems to go on, some shops remain open till as late as 9pm.
R-kiosks, which sell candy, tobacco, toiletries, cosmetics, and souvenirs are open Monday to Saturday 8am to 9pm and Sunday 9 or 10am to 9pm.
Currency Exchange -- You can exchange dollars for euros at virtually any bank and in most cases, at the reception desk of your hotel; however, you're likely to get better rates at banks. You can also exchange money at the railway station Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, and at the airport daily 6am to 11pm.
Dentists -- Go to Oral, Erottajankatu 5A (tel. 010/400-3000). It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm. Outside of those hours, dial tel. 0600/97070.
Doctors -- To summon a physician in an emergency, dial tel. 112. For private medical advice that's available 24 hours a day, dial tel. 10-023. To summon a doctor to your hotel room, contact Mehiläinen, Runeberginkatu 47A (tel. 010/414-4444 or 010/414-4266).
Drugstores -- The Yliopiston Apteekki, Mannerheimintie 96 (tel. 09/41-57-78), is open 24 hours daily.
Embassies & Consulates -- The embassy of the United States is at Itäinen Puistotie 14A (tel. 09/616-250); the embassy of Canada is at Pohjoisesplanadi 25B (tel. 09/228-530); and the embassy of the United Kingdom is at Itäinen Puistotie 17 (tel. 09/2286-5100). Citizens of Australia and New Zealand should go to the British embassy.
Emergencies -- Dial tel. 112 for medical help, an ambulance, police, or in case of fire.
Eyeglasses -- One of the best and most convenient opticians -- where you can get new glasses or contact lenses in about a day -- is the optical department at Stockmann department store, Aleksanterinkatu 52 (tel. 09/1211; tram: 3b). One floor above street level, it's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm.
Helsinki Helpers -- Between June and mid-September, the streets in the center of Helsinki are patrolled by a corps of 20-something Helsinki Helpers, identified by their green uniforms. They're conspicuously on hand to dispense advice and information about how to cope with everyday life in Helsinki and maps.
Hospitals -- An emergency hospital for tourists is the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Meilahti Hospital (for both medical and surgical care), at Haartmaninkatu 4 (tel. 09/4711). For 24-hour information about health services, call tel. 09/10023 (within Finland only).
Internet Access -- Finland, by some estimates, is the most computer-friendly (and cellphone-friendly) country in the world. Consequently, almost every hotel in town offers Internet connections, wireless or hard-wired, for the use of its guests. In addition, there are lots of Internet stations available for pay on the city streets. The most prominent of these includes the Library "Kirjasto 10" within a branch office of the city's post office at Elielinaukio 2G (tel. 09/3108-5000). There are also Internet terminals offered to users without charge at the main office of the Helsinki Tourist Office, Pohjoisesplanadi 19 (tel. 09/169-3757).
Laundry -- Laundries and dry cleaners are scattered strategically throughout the city, but two that are especially central include Rööperin pesulapalvelut, Punavuorenkatu 3 (tel. 09/622-1146), and Easywash, Topeliuksenkatu 21 (tel. 09/406-982). You can either do it yourself, or you can pay a per-kilo charge to have it done for you.
Lost Property -- The Lost Property Office is at Punanotkonkatu 2 (tel. 09/189-3180) and is open year-round, Monday to Friday 8am to 4:15pm.
Luggage Storage & Lockers -- These facilities are at the Central Station on Kaivokatu. The staff offers both lockers with keys and an employee-staffed area where you get a ticket for your luggage. The charge is 2€ to 5€ ($3.20-$8) per bag. The service operates daily from 5:30am to midnight.
Mail -- For post office information, call tel. 0800/171-00. The main post office in Helsinki is at Mannerheiminaukio 1A (tel. 0200/71000 for information). It's open Monday to Friday 7am to 9pm, Saturday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. If you don't know your address in Helsinki, have your mail sent to you at FIN-00100 Poste Restante (general delivery) in care of the main post office. At this Poste Restante, you can pick up mail (after presenting your passport) Monday to Saturday 8am to 10pm and Sunday 11am to 10pm. You can buy stamps at the railway station post office Monday to Friday 7am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm, and Sunday 11am to 9pm. Yellow stamp machines outside post offices take 1€ ($1.60) coins.
Police -- In an emergency, dial tel. 112. Otherwise, dial tel. 100-22 for information about the precinct nearest you. Central headquarters for the Helsinki police is at Pieni Roobertinkatu 1-3 (tel. 09/1891).
Telephones & Telephone Inquiries -- For information and number inquiries, dial tel. 118 or tel. 020202 in Helsinki. If you're thinking about calling home (providing you're not calling collect) and want to know the cost, dial tel. 0800/909-99.
As mentioned previously, Finland has one of the highest cellphone-to-resident ratios of any country in the world, and Nokia, a leading manufacturer of cellphones, is, not surprisingly, based in Finland. As a result, there are very few, if any, coin-operated public phones in Helsinki, or anywhere else in Finland. (The few that remain tend to be in the city's main railway station.) Consequently, you might be wise to limit your phone needs to within your hotel room, always remembering that surcharges on long-distance calls from hotels anywhere in the world are likely to be daunting. If in doubt, it might be wise to stick to e-mails from the (often free) Internet terminals at many hotels.
For local calls within the city of Helsinki, you don't need to dial the area code (09).
You can send faxes from most hotels. If your hotel does not have a fax machine, go to one of the larger hotels and ask someone on the staff to send your fax. You'll be billed for the transmission, and probably a surcharge, too.
Toilets -- There's a centrally located public toilet at Sofiankatu 2. Otherwise, many locals use cafe toilets (where you should at least order a cup of coffee or a soft drink) or make use of the public facilities at transit terminals.
Weather -- Summers in Helsinki are often sunny, but the weather is rarely uncomfortably hot. The best weather is in July, when the highest temperature is usually about 69°F (21°C). Midsummer nights in Helsinki are greatly extended (at this time Lapland is bathed in the midnight sun). In winter, temperatures hover between 21°F and 27°F (-6°C to -3°C).
Getting Around
By Public Transportation
Discount Passes -- Visitors to Helsinki can purchase the Helsinki Card, which offers unlimited travel on the city's public buses, trams, subway, and ferries; a free guided sightseeing tour by bus (conducted daily, year-round); free entry to about 50 museums and other sights in Helsinki; and free ferryboat access and entrance to the Suomenlinna Fortress. It also includes discounts on access to the airport via the Finnair airport bus transfer and discounts at selected restaurants and shops. The Helsinki Card is available for 1-, 2-, or 3-day periods. The price of the card for adults is 30€ ($48) for 1 day, 40€ ($64) for 2 days, and 50€ ($80) for 3 days. A card for children (age 7-16) costs 11€ ($18) for 1 day, 14€ ($22) for 2 days, and 17€ ($27) for 3 days. The cards can be bought at approximately 50 sales points in the Helsinki area, including the Helsinki City Tourist Office, the Hotel Booking Center, travel agencies, and hotels. For further information, check with any Finnish Tourist Board worldwide or the Helsinki City Tourist Office, Pohjoisesplanadi 19 (tel. 09/3101-3300; www.helsinkicard.fi).
You can also buy a Tourist Ticket for travel within Helsinki over a 1-, 3-, or 5-day period. This ticket lets you travel as much as you like within the city limits on all forms of public transportation except regional buses to far-flung outlying townships that include Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. A 1-day ticket costs 6€ ($9.60) for adults, 3€ ($4.80) for children 7 to 16; a 3-day ticket costs 12€ ($19) for adults, 6€ ($9.60) for children 7 to 16; and a 5-day ticket costs 18€ ($29) for adults, 9€ ($14) for children 7 to 16. Children 6 and under travel free. Tickets can be purchased at many places throughout Helsinki, including the Helsinki City Tourist Office and transportation service depots, such as the Railway Square Metro Station, open Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 6pm and Friday 7:30am to 4pm.
By Metro/Bus/Train -- The City Transport Office is at the Rautatientori metro station (tel. 09/472-24-54), open Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 7pm and Friday from 7:30am to 5pm. The transportation system operates daily from 5:30am to 1:30am. A single ticket, valid for rides on any city bus or tram, costs 2.20€ ($3.50) for adults, 1.10€ ($1.80) for children 3 to 15, and free for 2 and under. Transfers are allowable within 1 hour of your initial boarding, and the penalty for persons caught riding without a valid ticket is around 70€ ($112).
By Ferry -- Ferries depart from the eastern end of Eteläesplanadi (no terminal) heading for the offshore islands of Suomenlinna and Korkeasaari (Zoo).
By Taxi
You can find taxis at taxi stands or hail them on the street. All taxis have an illuminated yellow sign: TAKSI/TAXI. The basic fare costs 6€ ($9.60) and rises on a per-kilometer basis, as indicated on the meter. Surcharges are imposed in the evening (6-10pm) and on Saturday after 2pm. There's also a surcharge at night from 10pm to 6am and on Sunday.
A taxi from the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to the center of Helsinki costs 30€ to 35€ ($39-$46), and the ride generally takes 30 to 40 minutes. Call tel. 09/251-5330. An airport taxi shuttle service is available for individual travelers to any point in the greater Helsinki area, costing anywhere from 48€ to 58€ ($77-$93). The van is shared by a maximum of eight passengers. Call tel. 09/251-5300.
By Car
Driving around Helsinki by car is not recommended because parking is limited. Either walk or take public transportation. However, touring the environs by car is ideal.
Car Rentals -- The major car-rental companies maintain offices at the Helsinki airport (where airport surcharges apply to car pickups) and in the center of town. Most new visitors prefer to take a taxi to their hotel and then rent a car after becoming oriented. Try Avis Rent-a-Car, Hietanienenktu 6 (tel. 09/44-11-55), Budget Rent-a-Car, Malminkatu 24 (tel. 09/686-65-00), or Hertz, Mannerheimintie 44 (tel. 0800/11-22-33).
Parking -- Helsinki has several multistory parking garages, including two centrally located facilities that almost always have an available space: City-Paikoitus, Keskuskatu (no numbered address; tel. 09/686-9680), and Parking Eliel, adjacent to the railway station (tel. 09/686-9680).
By Bicycle
You can rent a bicycle (and simultaneously contribute to the ecological health of the environment) by contacting Greenbike, Bulevardi 32, entrance via the Albertinkatu (tel. 050/404-0900), at rates that range from 11€ to 15€ ($18-$24) per day. A worthy competitor, charging roughly the same rates, are the bike rental facilities within the Nordic Fitness Sports Park, Mäntymäentie 1 (tel. 09/4776-9760). With the rentals comes a booklet, issued by the Helsinki Tourist Office, showing three distinctly different routes through and around the city. These routes include the orange (city center), the blue (seafront), and the green (city parks) routes, ranging in length from 17km to 37km (11-23 miles) and that require between 2 1/2 and 4 12 hours each, respectively. The Helsinki Tourist office can also put you in contact with reputable tour operators who specialize in 2-night/3-day packages that focus exclusively on bicycle tours through the vast terrains of rural Finland.
Neighborhoods in Brief
Helsinki is divided roughly into districts.
The Center The historic core stretches from Senaatintori (Senate Square) to Esplanadi. Senate Square is dominated by the Lutheran cathedral at its center, and Esplanadi itself is an avenue lined with trees. At one end of Esplanadi, the wide Mannerheimintie, extending for about 5km (3 miles), is the main road from the city center to the expanding suburbs. The section south of Esplanadi is one of the wealthiest in the capital, lined with embassies and elegant houses, rising into Kaivopuisto Park.
North of Center If you'd like to escape the congestion in the center of town, especially around the rail terminus, you can follow the main artery, Mannerheimintie, north. This section of Helsinki is between Sibelius Park in the west and a lake, Töölönlahti, in the east. It has a more residential feel than does the area in the center, and several fine restaurants are here. Those driving cars into Helsinki prefer this section.
Kruununhaka & Hakaniemi The district of Kruununhaka is one of the oldest. Helsinki was founded in 1550 at the mouth of the Vantaa River, but was relocated in 1640 on the peninsula of Vironniemi in what's known as Kruununhaka today. This section, along with neighboring Hakaniemi, encompasses the remaining buildings from 17th-century Helsinki. The waters of Kaisaniemenlahti divide the districts of Hakaniemi and Kruununhaka.
The Islands Helsinki also includes several islands, some of which are known as "tourist islands," including Korkeasaari, site of the Helsinki Zoo. The main islands are linked by convenient ferries and water taxis.
Called the "fortress of Finland" and the "Gibraltar of the North," Suomenlinna consists of five main islands, all interconnected, and is the site of many museums. You can spend a day here exploring the old fortifications. Seurasaari, another island, has a bathing beach and recreation area, as well as a national park and the largest open-air museum in Finland. One of the islands, tiny Kustaanmiekka, is the site of our longtime favorite restaurant (Walhalla) where you might want to enjoy lunch while exploring the Suomenlinna fortress and museums. Prior to our most recent visit to Helsinki, we had assumed that the grim, windswept fortifications of Suomenlinna were frequented only by non-Finnish tourists. Quite the contrary: Many Helsinki residents ferryboat over at weekly intervals, winter and summer, for meditative walks, reading, and personal reflection.
Espoo Many workers in Helsinki treat Espoo as a bedroom suburb. Actually, since 1972, when it received its charter, it has been the second-largest city of Finland, with a population of 220,000 and a recent expansion of its museum scene.
Tapiola Another "suburb city," Tapiola was founded in 1951, providing homes for some 17,000 residents. This "model city" greatly influenced housing developments around the world with its varied housing, which ranges from multistory condo units to more luxurious one-family villas. The great Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, was one of its planners.
