Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
doors—is 1937 original. The food is Continental with a Finnish touch. While the glassed-
in terrace offers a great eighth-floor, rooftop view, the interior is where you'll experience a
classic Finnish atmosphere (€39-44 main courses, €80 three-course meal, €110-120 four-
to five-course meal, Mon-Fri 11:30-14:30 & 18:00-23:00, Sat 18:00-23:00, closed Sun,
Eteläesplanadi 14, tel. 09/6128-5300).
Picnics
In supermarkets, buy the semi-flat bread (available dark or light) that Finns love—every
slice is a heel. Finnish liquid yogurt is also a treat (sold in liter cartons). Karelian pasties,
filled with rice or mashed potatoes, make a good snack. A beautiful, upscale supermar-
ket is in the basement of the
Stockmann
department store—follow the
Delikatessen
signs
downstairs (Mon-Fri 9:00-21:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, open most Sun 12:00-18:00, Aleksan-
terinkatu 52B). Two blocks north, a more workaday, inexpensive supermarket is
S Mar-
ket,
under the Sokos department store next to the train station (Mon-Sat 7:00-22:00, Sun
10:00-22:00).
By Bus or Train
From Helsinki, it's easy to get to
Turku
(hourly, 2 hours by either bus or train) or
St.
lish, consult
www.matkahuolto.fi
.
By Overnight Boat
Tallink Silja and Viking Line ships sail nightly from Helsinki to
Stockholm
(see beginning
of this chapter for details) and
Tallinn
(ferries and—in summer only—fast boats travel the
50 miles many times a day; see the Tallinn chapter for details). See “Arrival in Helsinki”
for terminal locations.
By Cruise Ship
For more details on the following ports, and other cruise destinations, pick up my
Rick
Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports
guidebook.
Cruise Ports
Cruises arrive in Helsinki at various ports circling two large harbors—West Harbor (Län-
sistama) and South Harbor (Eteläsatama). Each individual cruise berth is designated by
a three-letter code (noted later, along with each terminal's name in both Finnish and
Swedish). For a map, see
www.portofhelsinki.fi
.
Getting Downtown:
In addition to the public transit and/or walking options outlined
later, many cruise lines offer a
shuttle bus
into downtown (likely €8 one-way, €12 round-
trip; especially worth considering if you arrive at the farther-flung West Harbor). This
bus usually drops you off across the street from Stockmann department store (near the
