DAY 10 Sunday Sep 8, 2019:
HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO FINLAND:
We had some days to spare after our Iceland trip, decided to include a Nordic country for convenience.
We have been to Norway for 10 days recently and had LOVED it! We had loved Copenhagen too and our overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo.
Opted for Finland this time.
Below is a map of main attractions in Finland.
Of course, Lapland is best in winter. We decided to focus on Lakeland. After landing in Helsinki, we hired a car for 3 days and drove around Lakeland for 2 days.
On the 1st day we drove to the old capital of Turku covering some sights on the way like Raseborg ruins, Fiskars village etc.
Fiskar's village....
Turku...
LOGISTICS:
Our Iceland Air flight to Helsinki was at 7.30 am. We had no checkin bag.... we had already left a bag at the Base hotel Reykjavik airport the previous night and done the checkout formality.
We also checked in for the flight
online the previous day. So we only had to go thru security for
boarding our flight. Thinking we are well ahead of schedule,
we returned our car at 5.30 am at the Blue car rental …
just after we entered the rental office, it became so crowded.
If we had been a minute late, we would have been behind a looong
line.
We had fuelled up the car the previous
night. The agent signed off after a brief inspection.
The shuttle to airport was also
crowded, the Blue car rental is the last stop for pickup and people
from other hotels were already on board the bus.
We made it to the airport in some 10
minutes.
Airport security was also chock full of
people. Very surprising given the fact it was just past 6 am in
September!
our flight was 3 hours duration. Left
at 7.30 am from Reykjavik and landed in Helsinki at 1.30 local
time.... Finland is 3 hours behind Iceland.
CAR RENTAL:
We rented a car for 3 days from the airport Enterprise. It was an Opel Insignia and served well for our day trips to Lake land, Turku etc. We got the car the next day so that we can use it for full days. For our travel to Helsinki center and sight seeing, the day pass served wellHELSINKI transport zones & passes:
The HSL area is divided into four
zones, identified by the letters A, B, C and D, spreading out from
the center of Helsinki. Ticket prices are based on the distance
traveled, i.e. on the distance from the center of Helsinki.
Before buying a ticket, check the zones
you travel through and select a ticket that is valid for all the
zones needed. We stayed in zone B, airport is in Zone C, downtown
Helsinki is zone A. so we bought a 24 hr ticket for zones ABC
The day pass was very good value for
us.
The ring rail is very convenient. I've circled in red the airport station and the station for our accommodation in the map below:
I and P trains serve all stations along
the line. I trains run counter clockwise
(Helsinki-Tikkurila-Airport-Myyrmäki-Helsinki) and P trains
clockwise (Helsinki-Myyrmäki-Airport-Tikkurila-Helsinki). The trains
run every ten minutes Monday to Friday and Saturdays. The journey
from the airport to the Central Railway Station via Tikkurila takes
27 minutes, via Myyrmäki 32 minutes. All trains are modern,
low-floor trains providing easy access for passenger with luggage,
prams or wheelchairs.
We went to our apartment from the airport taking the train. Validated the pass by time stamping it on the train on 1st use.
Self checked in. then took the train to centro and strolled around. The next day morning, we used the same pass to take the train to airport and pick up our rental car.
The ring rail is very convenient. I've circled in red the airport station and the station for our accommodation in the map below:
We went to our apartment from the airport taking the train. Validated the pass by time stamping it on the train on 1st use.
Self checked in. then took the train to centro and strolled around. The next day morning, we used the same pass to take the train to airport and pick up our rental car.
Hiisi Homes Helsinki Haaga:
Hiisi Homes Helsinki Haaga is an
apartment hotel offering newly refurbished studios for shorter and
longer stays. We had an automated check in...entry codes given in email.
All apartments are furnished and kitchen well equipped
with all gadgets, decent vessels, and even a new bottle of oil, and
spices.
The location next to the Pohjois-Haaga
train station (B Zone) is ideal (8 km north of city center) and the
commute is quick and easy to Helsinki Airport (20 min, C Zone),
Supermarket right near the train station, so we stocked up for our 6 day stay
Parking is available on the street and
there is also a garage available.
Helsinki City Center:
City center was fine
but it became
really deserted.
So we cut short our stroll and returned home for the
day.
Report of our day trip to Turku is here:
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