Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bike Rental:
Try
Greenbike
(one-speed bike-€20/4 hours, €30/24 hours;
three-speedbike-€5more;May-mid-Septdaily10:00-18:00,until20:00in
Aug, usually no rentals off-season; Narinkka 3 in front of Kamppi shop-
ping center; mobile 050-404-0400,
www.greenbike.fi
)
.
BestView:
The
TorniTower'sAteljeeBar
offersafreepanoramaview.Ride
the elevator from the lobby of the venerable Torni Hotel (built in 1931)
to the 12th floor, where you can browse around the perch or sit down
for a drink (Sun-Thu 14:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-24:00, Yrjönkatu 26, tel.
020-123-4604).
Meet the Finns:
With
Cozy Finland's
“Meet the Finns” program, you can
match yourhobbieswithalocal—and suddenly,you'researching outclas-
sic comics at the flea market with a new Finnish friend. Their most popu-
lar service involves arranging dinner at a local host's home (around €55);
contact Cozy Finland for exact prices (
www.cosyfinland.com
).
What's With the Slot Machines?
Finns just have a love affair with lotteries
and petty gambling. You'll see coin-operated games of chance every-
where, including restaurants, supermarkets, and the train station.
Updates to This Topic:
For news about changes to this topic's coverage since
it was published, see
www.ricksteves.com/update
.
In compact Helsinki, you won't need to use public transportation as much as
in Stockholm.
By Bus and Tram:
With the public-transit route map (available at the TI,
also viewable on the Helsinki Region Transport website—
www.hsl.fi
)
and a
little mental elbow grease, the buses and trams are easy, giving you Helsinki
by the tail. The single Metro line is also part of the system, but is not useful
unless you're traveling to my recommended sauna.
