As part of our month-long train trip, we travelled to Finland and explored the three cities of Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku. We took connecting intercity trains to reach each city. The trains were easy to book online with the Omio app. All trains arrived at and departed from the central train station.
Here are the highlights of our four days in Finland’s capital city, Helsinki.
Highlights of Helsinki
We found the city of Helsinki easy to navigate. There were plenty of things to do and see. We had ideal June weather for all our activities. The school year finished at the end of May, so the morning commute was less of a rush while we were there. As mid-budget travellers, we found many things to keep us busy without breaking the bank. We arrived in Helsinki after a 2.5h ferry ride from Tallinn, Estonia.
Where Did We Stay?
Staying at the beautiful Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna was a great choice. There is more than one Sokos in town, so make sure you select the one near the amenities that suit your stay. We stayed a total of four nights.
This hotel was built for the 1952 Olympics, and it is located beside the central train station. We really enjoyed the mid-century modern decor and the rooftop restaurant’s breakfast buffet. The spacious rooms were very quiet, and all interactions with staff were pleasant. We would stay here again!
Things to do in Helsinki
Walking Tour
As always, our first day in the capital was a walking tour! Our guide walked us through the old town and described Finland’s history under Swedish and Russian rulers. The city has a diverse mix of architecture, from wooden homes to Art Nouveau to modern-day examples.
We booked via the Guru Walk app and experienced the city with a local tour guide, Marius. He provided many details about Helsinki’s past and present residents. I didn’t know how fiercely they fought the Soviet Union during the Winter War (1939-1940). Another amazing fact I learned is that the city has underground space designed to hold 900,000 people. When not used as a shelter, it becomes hockey rinks, parking spaces, and recreational spaces. Every citizen living in Helsinki knows which shelter to go to in case of an attack.
Book the Essential Tour of Helsinki if you plan to visit Helsinki. It was a great introduction to the city and to Finland.
This fountain is the site of public gatherings, especially when a national sports team does well! Do you see the brown cars on the Ferris wheel? They are sauna cars! Saunas can be found in most hotels, many apartment buildings, and in public spaces. Finns take saunas several times a week for their health benefits!
The Oodi: Helsinki Public Library
Our favourite building was the public library! It is a must-visit when exploring the city. The libraries are great examples of thriving spaces. Students begin English at age 10, and most Finns are fluent in at least two languages. Many signs in Finland are also labelled in Swedish, which was confusing when we first arrived. There is still a minority of Swedish-speaking Finns due to Sweden’s historical presence.
Finland has an excellent education system and their citizens have high levels of literacy. Teachers are well-trained and highly respected. Students enjoy 15-minute outdoor breaks for every 45 minutes of instruction. There are no sets of standardized tests to endure as a student. Students learn to read at age 7. The excellent literacy rate and respect for education are reflected in the size of the public libraries and the number of bookstores scattered throughout the city.
The Helsinki Public Library is an architectural marvel and is located in the main square beside the media and government buildings. The Oodi is open to all. Definitely take the elevator to the rooftop, as the views are beautiful. I love the feel of a busy library. There were books, games, and other items to borrow. It was also a great meeting place.
The National Library of Finland
We also visited the National Library of Finland. It is a beautifully restored building that has been administrated by the University of Finland and it was established in 1919. We were able to take a tour through the building and admire the stacks and the buzz of its users.
Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) Island
On our last day in Helsinki, we took the ferry out to the historical island called Suomenlinna. It is also called by its Swedish name, Sveaborg. This fortress was created in 1748 by the Swedish crown to protect againt Russia. It was a great place to have a picnic lunch. We spent half a day walking around the island, simply enjoying the preserved fort structures and buildings. It is a very short ferry ride to get there from downtown Helsinki.
Dining Highlights
Finland is very expensive for eating and drinking compared to the Baltic countries. A quart of strawberries was 6 Euros compared to 2.60 Euros in Riga! Luckily our breakfast was included at the Sokos Hotel. The full buffet breakfast was in the rooftop restaurant. It was delicious, and I discovered that I love quark! (The Finnish version of Greek yogurt!)
We discovered that many places had set lunch menus, and we often found lunch buffets for 12-14 Euros per person. This included a salad bar, or soup and a main meal of chicken or beef, coffee and dessert. When was the last time you had a salad bar option in Canada? We appreciated the custom of serving free tap water!
To stretch our budget, we often picked up items at the grocery store for a simple dinner in our spacious hotel room. After a busy day of sightseeing and walking thousands of steps, it was a nice way to relax in our comfortable room.
Our favourite places we tried were Syrian (Tawook Lab), and Indian (Indie Bistro Bar). Being a large city meant that we had a variety of international food choices. Since we had Finnish traditional breakfasts we chose other types of cuisine for our dinners.
Departing Helsinki
Departing from Helsinki is easy, as it is a major transit hub. It is easy to arrive by water, air, or land. We found the trains easy to use and the frequency of trains were convenient.
We arrived by ferry. When we disembarked at the port, we scanned our Google Wallet and paid for a short tram to the central train station. There were guides to assist, and English is widely spoken, which made asking directions easy.
We were able to purchase ferry, and train tickets at these machines. It was also a simple process to purchase a ticket to the airport express train which we did on the day we left Finland.
Our favourite things about Helsinki were
- well connected transit to Estonia, other Finnish cities and the airport
- not overcrowded with tourists or locals in June (because it was summer holiday time)
- English was spoken in hotels and restaurants so made it easy for us
- admire how the people of Finland prepare for the worst but don’t let it interfere with their day to day enjoyment
If you can add Helsinki to your travel palns Im sure you won’t regret it!!
Our month-long journey continues…
This post is one of a series about our month-long train journey.
If you missed the earlier destinations, feel free to access them below:
- Helsinki, Finland
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Riga, Latvia
- Vilnius, Lithuania
- Warsaw, Poland
- Kraków and Auschwitz
- Berlin to Prague
- Train Trip Planning: Berlin to Finland
I took my first flight at 6 months of age and I have continued to plan trips and travel to more than 60 countries. Now as a middle age traveler we have learned some travel hacks and budget saving ideas that we are happy to share. Follow our posts for ideas and tips to stretch your travel budget in your gogo years!
