Helsinki Travel Forum

Hello, folks!

Please give me some info about the travel to Helsinki.
1. If I'm coming from Stockholm what's the best mode of transportation?
How much is the fare for the ferry (average per pax)?
How long is the travel time by ferry?

2. About the weather, is it already cold during the first week of Sept.?

Any replies/info are very much appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Ferry takes a full day or night. There are two companies operating ferries between Helsinki and Stockholm - Tallink and Viking Line. Tallink has newer ships and is probably a bit more expensive. Check the fares and schedules here:
http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/tab1/oneWay/hel-sto/
http://www.vikingline.fi/timetables/timetables/timetables/

An alternative is to take ferry from Stockholm to Turku in west coast of Finland and then train (about 2 hours, depending on train) to Helsinki. Same ferry companies are operating this line as well, for trains check
http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html
Some trains depart from Turku Harbour (Turku Satama), use the Journey Planner for further information.

Would you like to see something that most tourists never see? Have you an extra day (or more) on your hands? If so there is an alternative to thirstytraveller’s suggestions:

You can take a boat from Grisslehamn (just north of Stockholm) directly to Eckerö (on the west coast of Åland). From there you can stay at a near-by hostel or push on to the city of Mariehamn (by hitch-hiking or bus) and continue on from there to either Turku or Helsinki. If you’re looking for wild excitement you won’t find any by my advice but you will feel the slow pace of Åland and probably meet the island people. If you’re only interested in the “fast pace” (ha-ha!) of the big cities of Stockholm and Helsinki then forget my recommendation. Otherwise …….

I’ve made this journey myself, though it was some time ago. Given the chance I’d do it again.

Here's some info on the boat: http://www.visitaland.com/se/eckerolinjen

Thanks a lot, thirstytraveller & Potato-Brigade. I will check the sites that you mentioned...

You can take a ferry from Stockholm, or you can fly for example on Finnair, Blue1 or SAS.

See my Helsinki top sights page, I live there:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/avainto/index.htm

Avainto

The Silja Line ferry often costs less for a cruise (return ticket on the next day) than a single way, so it might be cheaper to buy that rather than a one-way ticket. I think a return ticket for 1-4 people is now 750 SEK for a cabin with a window on the cruise option for the whole group.

By the way,about weather:you´ll never know..This was told to be quite warm summer,and it has been mostly under +20c!Sometimes it might get warm in one day,but it doesn´t look good now..Today it was allready only +13c!!
Those ferry-companys have many cheap tickets at Finnish travelagecys-I´m not sure,can you buy them from other countries.For example Matka-Vekka has cheap offers often.

Check the weather before you go: http://www.foreca.com/
Matka-vekka has only Finnish sites,but you´ll find their contact-info here:
http://www.matka-vekka.fi/www.matkavekka.fi/VasenNavi/Risteilymatkat/
I like at Helsinki:Seurasaari(old houses collected to little island-there´a bridge,no need for boat),Korkeasaari(the zoo),Kansallismuseo(National museum),Suomenlinna(old castle-ruins,and artist´s shops and museums and so on at island-little ferry goes many times a day-don´t take long),Temppeliaukion kirkko(a church inside a rocky hill-you hould see it!).