Helsinki Questions? Glad to help!

[Sinppu]

Sorry! Another bus question! You've mentioned the 15A goes to the "Main Central Station"....is that the final stop? If not, what is the name of the stop? I don't want to be confused as to when to get off once we get on the bus! Thank-you so much for all your help and patience!

 

Main Railway station is the final stop and it's easy to notice.

 

It's all my pleasure -Helsinki is not as famous as many other Baltic stops so I try to help people get the most of it :)

[EGCruisers]

We will be arriving in Helsinki on the Eurodam and docking at Hernesaari. We have purchased Helsinki cards and they were mailed to us. We made reservations for a guided tour (through the Helsinki Card) at 10:30AM that departs from Katanjooka. When I looked at the map that departure spot seems very far from both our ship and from the city center. Am I correct? Would it be better to take one of the audio tours that departs from Esplanade Park? How close is Esplanade Park to the ferry dock for the ferry that goes out to Suomelina?

Thank you.

[Sinppu]

We will be arriving in Helsinki on the Eurodam and docking at Hernesaari. We have purchased Helsinki cards and they were mailed to us. We made reservations for a guided tour (through the Helsinki Card) at 10:30AM that departs from Katanjooka. When I looked at the map that departure spot seems very far from both our ship and from the city center. Am I correct? Would it be better to take one of the audio tours that departs from Esplanade Park? How close is Esplanade Park to the ferry dock for the ferry that goes out to Suomelina?

Thank you.

 

It is quite a bit from your ship and it's a 20-minute walk from the Main Railway station.

Esplanade Park on the other hand is a few minutes away from Katajanokka and right next to the Market Square where the ferries leave for Suomenlinna.

[CTBob]

We will be arriving in Helsinki on the Eurodam and docking at Hernesaari. We have purchased Helsinki cards and they were mailed to us. We made reservations for a guided tour (through the Helsinki Card) at 10:30AM that departs from Katanjooka. When I looked at the map that departure spot seems very far from both our ship and from the city center. Am I correct? Would it be better to take one of the audio tours that departs from Esplanade Park? How close is Esplanade Park to the ferry dock for the ferry that goes out to Suomelina?

Thank you.

Unfortunately it seems like this cruise of the Eurodam is docked far away from everthing. I believe that you can take the number 16 bus from the dock to the city center. We dock at 6AM and can probably depart the ship after 7 AM. That should give you plenty of time to get to the city center (Or most anywhere in Helsinki) by 10:30AM. There will probably also be taxis waiting at the dock to take you to the city center but that will probably be much more expensive. I think that Holland America was very late in booking their docking for this cruise.

[TLCOhio]

Main Railway station is the final stop and it's easy to notice. It's all my pleasure -Helsinki is not as famous as many other Baltic stops so I try to help people get the most of it :)

 

Below is what that Helsinki rail station looks like. Lots of design history there. Very impressive to see!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 68,546 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Helsinki’s rail station was designed by famed architect Eliel Saarinen who has American connection through his later work here and his famed son, Eero, who did the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Dulles airport terminal, CBS building in NYC, TWA terminal at JFK airport, etc.:

 

[MMDown Under]

Hello Marion! You are in luck, I lived in Turku for five years before I moved to Helsinki ;)

 

Turku castle is very popular. It is located in the port and parts of it are from the 13th century.

Turku is divided in two parts by the river Aura. You can walk to the City Centre (it is about 20-30 minutes) by the river bank and see beautiful statues (the whale tail is wonderful), boats and if the weather is nice, plenty of people. You can walk all the way to Turku cathedral and come back the other side. You can take the old river raft called Föri to get back to the port side of the town. Föri is free.

 

You can also take bus no. 1, it goes straight to Kauppatori (the market) and all the life is found here.

 

There are many restaurant boats on the river and eating/drinking here is the most popular thing people like to do.

Turku is famous for utilizing old buildings as restaurants so they have an old apothecary, bank, school and even an old public toilet as restaurants now.

They have an Viking-themed restaurant called Harald and an angel-themed one called Enkelikahvila. You can visit all of these just for sightseeing purposes.

There is an old handicraft museum village called Luostarinmäen museo where they have authentic handicraft displays and artists that make things like they did in the 19th century.

There is a museum called Aboa Vetus which is an archaeological site where they discovered very old town remnants a few years ago.

 

I hope you'll get started with these.

 

P.S can you tell I had a summer job at Turku Tourist Centre? :D

 

I am certainly in luck, Sinny, being a beneficiary of your knowledge from living in Turku and your summer job at the Turku Tourist Centre.

 

Thank you for such detailed advice, which is much appreciated.

 

Now all we need, for a perfect visit, is a nice day.

[kwcrnp]

Sinppu- First thank you for your informative posts! We are coming in Mid August on the NCL Sun, I believe we dock at Hernesaari west. We are in from 7am-5pm.

 

1. Can we get bus 14 or 16 to the Rock Church? Then we can plan to walk through the sights to the Market Square. How far would that be?

 

2. Is it feasible to then take the ferry to the Fortress after getting a bite to eat at the Market? Will we have enough to stroll around the Fortress and enjoy it?

 

3. If I understand prior postings, a day pass will cover the bus and ferry, right?

 

Thank you again!!

[Sinppu]

Sinppu- First thank you for your informative posts! We are coming in Mid August on the NCL Sun, I believe we dock at Hernesaari west. We are in from 7am-5pm.

 

1. Can we get bus 14 or 16 to the Rock Church? Then we can plan to walk through the sights to the Market Square. How far would that be?

 

2. Is it feasible to then take the ferry to the Fortress after getting a bite to eat at the Market? Will we have enough to stroll around the Fortress and enjoy it?

 

3. If I understand prior postings, a day pass will cover the bus and ferry, right?

 

Thank you again!!

 

Hi Kristi!!

 

1. Yes, bus 14B takes you very close. It's a stop called Kauppakorkeakoulut. It's after a very big shopping centre called Kamppi. If you sit on the right hand side of the bus you'll see the shopping centre and know it's the next stop after that.

 

2. Walking to the Market Square from the Rock Church would probably take you at least 30 minutes, maybe an hour. But it is a very nice walk!

Walk a bit to the north from the Church to Museokatu and then to Mannerheimintie. If you walk along Mannerheimintie, you'll see the National Museum, Finlandia Concert House, The Parliament Building, the brand new Music House concert hall, Kiasma Museum of Modern Art, a glimpse of the Main Railway station.

Take the Esplanadi Park between Stockmann and the Swedish Theatre and you'll be in the Market in five minutes. From there you'll see our two cathedrals, the president's palace and the Stockholm ferries.

I think you'll have plenty of time to go visit Suomenlinna, especially if you are up early.

 

3. Yes, a day pass covers all the public transport.

 

Having a good map (you can print a Google Map one, it shows you the sights) helps you plenty with this!

Edited May 9, 2012 by Sinppu

[Moose Tracks]

We were in Helsinki several years ago (9 am-5 pm) and found it to be a very walkable city. It's really a lot smaller than you might think. To give you an idea of what you can see in a day....

 

We took first ship's shuttle that dropped us in a central location by the Swedish Theatre.

Walked to the Rock Church (a 20 minute walk). (opened @ 10)

Walked to Silbelius Park (another 20 minutes). DH is from Finland so this was a must see. IMHO it can be missed.

Walked over to the Olympic Park area (10 minutes) and went up the tower (great view of the entire city). Bought sandwiches & ice creams from a vendor and ate in park).

Made our way down through the parks to the train station (30 minutes) seeing all the buildings along Mannerheimintie.

Walked to Senate Square/Lutheran Church (15 minutes). Walked to Uspenski Church (10 minutes) (be sure to go inside)

Walked to Market Square (5 minutes)

From here it's a 10 minute walk to the shuttle bus drop off.

So as you can see if you did about 2 hours of straight leisurely walking you could cover all the main sights. Of course we stopped for food, didn't run and stopped to admire the sights. We even had time to spend an hour in a restaurant with DH's cousin (unfortunately she was 8 months pregnant and wasn't up to a day of sightseeing with us!).

We caught the shuttle bus and were back to the ship with about 45 minutes to spare.

This time we're going straight to Suomenlinna and plan to spend a good portion of the day there. If you just went to the Rock Church for 10:00 it would be about a 40 minute walk back to the Market Square (Via Senate Square) to catch the ferry to Suomenlinna around 11:30.

Lynn

[Moose Tracks]

I tried to upload the excellent map I received from the Helsinki tourist board, but the file was too large. I found this map that covers a smaller area, but lists all the major sights. Sibelius Park and the Olympic Stadium are off the top of the map. The main port is off the lower left corner. If you were interested in the map that covers a larger area, e-mail me and I'll forward you a copy. I'll be away May 12-20 so I'll get back to you after that.

moosetracks_1957 (at) yahoo (dot) com

 

http://www.math.helsinki.fi/~analysis/NevanlinnaColloquium/map2.html

Lynn

[kwcrnp]

Thank you Sinppu and Lynn! I'll look at the map tonight and may email you! :)

Kristi

 

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2

[suncityga]

Hi Sinny.... Thank you for all the information you provide ! ! !

 

I am a little confused as to our best public transportation option...

 

The One Day Transportation Pass for 7 Euros per adult... is it valid for Bus #16 (Hernesaari LHC to Market Square), Tram 3B/3T for general sightseeing and the Suomenlinna Ferry?

 

Or is the Suomenlinna Ferry cost a separate ticket? If it is... is it 5 Euros per adult?

 

Thank you :)

[Sinppu]

Hi Sinny.... Thank you for all the information you provide ! ! !

 

I am a little confused as to our best public transportation option...

 

The One Day Transportation Pass for 7 Euros per adult... is it valid for Bus #16 (Hernesaari LHC to Market Square), Tram 3B/3T for general sightseeing and the Suomenlinna Ferry?

 

Or is the Suomenlinna Ferry cost a separate ticket? If it is... is it 5 Euros per adult?

 

Thank you :)

 

Hi!

 

The One Day ticket is valid in all public transport. This includes buses, trams, trains, subway and the ferry.

You'll only need to buy the 7 euro ticket. If you'll buy it from the bus, have cash with you and preferably coins or small notes. The driver might not be able to give you change from a 50 € note.

[Bobocasey]

We will be on the Eclipse arriving on 26 July. I think we will be docking in the West Harbor. Is it too far to walk from the West Harbor to the center of town or should we ride a bus or tram? If so what is number bus or tran do we need to take? If we visit Suominlinna last in the afternoon what tram or bus will get us back to the ship? Thanks for all your help.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Bobocasey

[Ultima Thule]

We will be on the Eclipse arriving on 26 July. I think we will be docking in the West Harbor. Is it too far to walk from the West Harbor to the center of town or should we ride a bus or tram? If so what is number bus or tran do we need to take? If we visit Suominlinna last in the afternoon what tram or bus will get us back to the ship? Thanks for all your help.

 

In this case it is West Harbor Melkki Quay (LMA), #4 on this map:

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/international_cruise

 

Distance is about a mile through the harbour area plus another mile through the city to the center.

 

Its up to you if it is too far but in my mind it is quite hard to find your way in the harbor area at the moment with lots of rebuilding and redirecting of the walkways going on. The only decent bus option would be 15A to the railway station but its a bit of walking from the quay to the bus stop.

Only other options are buses 15 or 15v or tram 8 to nearest subway station (Ruoholahti) and then taking the subway to the railway station but in that case you'll have to know exactly what you are doing. Also, neither bus nor tram stops are really near the quay.

 

So in this case I really recommend taking a shuttle bus into downtown even if it might cost a bit more.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Ultima Thule

[chipsy57]

Hi Sinny,

 

as I have now seen on the webside (http://www.portofhelsinki.fi) the norwegian SUN will be docking at the "Hernesaari"-port (and not as I mentioned in the city) :(

 

So how can we go from the "Hernesaari"-port with the public transport (which one(s)??) to the city and do from there (where?) the "must-have-done" sightseeing-places (3B/3T) ??

 

Where at the "Hernesaari"-port can we buy the day-ticket for € 7,-?

Are the tickets-offices or in the bus/tram/ferry?

 

Which ferry goes from the city center (where?) back to "Hernesaari"-quay?

Is this even possible?

 

Greetings from Austria

chipsy57

[chipsy57]

hi sinny,

 

it's me once more ... :o

 

Where is the best public transport connection from Hernesaari-port (which number?) to the 3B/3T-tram?

 

What's the names of the public transport-stations? (to know where to hopp on/hopp of/change ...)

 

Greetings from Austria

chipsy57

[suncityga]

Hi!

 

The One Day ticket is valid in all public transport. This includes buses, trams, trains, subway and the ferry.

You'll only need to buy the 7 euro ticket. If you'll buy it from the bus, have cash with you and preferably coins or small notes. The driver might not be able to give you change from a 50 € note.

 

 

Thank you ! ! ! :)

[Ultima Thule]

 

So how can we go from the "Hernesaari"-port with the public transport (which one(s)??) to the city and do from there (where?) the "must-have-done" sightseeing-places (3B/3T) ??

 

Where at the "Hernesaari"-port can we buy the day-ticket for € 7,-?

Are the tickets-offices or in the bus/tram/ferry?

 

You should be able to buy the one day ticket from the bus driver.

 

Bus 16 takes you from the port straight to the Market Square (get off at stop:" Kauppatori"). You'll be in the town center near the catedrals and 3T tram stop is across the street- But you could also get off much earlier at stop "Eiraan sairaala" where the bus and 3B tram meets.

 

Bus 14B is an alternative. Stops named "Iso Roobertinkatu", "Bulevardi" (go back half a block), "Kamppi" and "Kauppakorkeakoulut" should be near a 3B or 3T tramstop.

[europe10]

Good news for those arriving by Ferry at the West harbour or for those cruise passengers arriving at LMA (Melkki) Quay at West Harbour. I received an e-mail from the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) which stated that "Tram line 9 will be extended to West Harbour (Länsisatama) on 13th August 2012. This tram will replace bus 15A. This tram will run every 10 minutes, connecting West Harbour to the Central Railway Station."

[Sinppu]

Good news for those arriving by Ferry at the West harbour or for those cruise passengers arriving at LMA (Melkki) Quay at West Harbour. I received an e-mail from the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) which stated that "Tram line 9 will be extended to West Harbour (Länsisatama) on 13th August 2012. This tram will replace bus 15A. This tram will run every 10 minutes, connecting West Harbour to the Central Railway Station."

 

This is good news, but I hope it will not confuse anyone. :)

[marving9999]

We are on the Emerald Princess and will be in Helsinki on June 1. The ship is in port from 7 AM until 4 PM. Can we get to Porvoo on our own and back during that time frame, and how would we do it. Would that be a full day or could we do Helsinki and Porvoo on a single day.

[Sinppu]

We are on the Emerald Princess and will be in Helsinki on June 1. The ship is in port from 7 AM until 4 PM. Can we get to Porvoo on our own and back during that time frame, and how would we do it. Would that be a full day or could we do Helsinki and Porvoo on a single day.

 

Hi there,

 

you can easily get to Porvoo and back on your own by bus. There are many buses every hour and the trip is about an hour.

 

It might be tight and you wouldn't see either town very much (just a few things quickly) but if you start early, catch 8 am bus to Porvoo, spend two hours there, catch 11.30 bus back, you'd be in Helsinki 12.30 and still have a few hours to see Helsinki.

[roothy123]

Hi. I didn't see this helpful thread until after I posted a new question on the Tourist Tickets from HKL. If you have time, could you help me with that one? If so, I'd really appreciate it! If not, maybe I can look through this thread and get my answer!

Edited May 13, 2012 by roothy123

[roothy123]

If anyone wants to look up where their ship will dock, the Port of Helsinki has a great web site, which includes what amenities (including bus/tram/taxi info) are at each terminal. I believe the site is just portofhelsinki.fi, but if that doesn't get you there, just google port of helsinki!

 

Sinppu - thanks for the info on the extension of the tram and replacement of bus 15A. We'll be there in mid to late August, so before I leave, 'll check to see which tram (9 or 15A) we should take!

Edited May 13, 2012 by roothy123