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Helsinki



Hampster Gull

New member
Dec 22, 2010
13,462
Herr Tubthumpers Venice post has prompted me to also seek the knowledge of NSC to help inform me on a weekend break I'm planning in late October. Going with a mate for two nights, food and drink priorities. All ideas welcome though please
 

dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Mar 27, 2013
51,892
Burgess Hill
Was there for a day last week (cruise stop-off). For food and drink, you've got plenty of time to arrange your second mortgage [emoji23][emoji23]
 

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,682
GOSBTS
Boring and VERY expensive. We had half a day there on the way to Tallinn and a small chicken salad and coffee at a cafe was about £20.
 

Raleigh Chopper

New member
Sep 1, 2011
12,054
Plymouth
OK so i have not visited Helsinki but I have been to Scandinavia several times and i would like to pass this advice on (unless you have pots of money)
The prices in bars, clubs and restaurants can be extraordinary expensive and you may find yourself wasting a lot of time trying to find the happy medium of a good place that has reasonable prices, this can be done with extensive research or maybe someone on here lives in Scandinavia and can advise further.
I met friends in Stockholm, Karlstad and Oslo, they had these vouchers for eating and we spent ages on a freezing night looking for which place was accepting them that night, it was all a bit strange and i just wanted to go indoors and get out of the cold. But at least they knew the best cheaper bars.
The weather will probably be cold and grey so you dont want to be messing around looking for these places.
As the weather gets colder and the days darker they tend to go into recluse, but they have this fantastic way of celebrating this and making their buildings all warm and toastie (they have a name for it but buggered if i can remember it)
If you get it right, i like Scandinavia, nice people, very friendly and intelligent, but unless you are going for a special reason i would swop Helsinki for Stockholm as i have been told that it is a better city to visit from people that have been to both.
 


Barry Izbak

U.T.A.
Dec 7, 2005
7,305
Lancing By Sea
When I went to Helsinki we thought it would be a good idea to have a look round on the city sightseeing bus and hop on hop off. This is always a great way to get you bearings and look round.

The Helsinki bus stopped at the old Olympic stadium, the Nokia factory and a statue to Sibellius, the composer of Finlandia.

We never got off the bus once.

Must be the most boring city sightseeing tour since the one around Brighton
 

cheshunt seagull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,476
I was there last year at a conference. It is expensive but not as bad as Norway (6-8 for a pint). Kaivopuisto park has nice views and Suomenlinna island is a world heritage site with frequent ferries from the harbour . There is also an interesting restaurant on Klippan island ; I recommend the reindeer cooked in beer.
 


middletoenail

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2008
3,570
Hong Kong
It's surprising how many people think that Finland is part of Scandinavia. It's Nordic.

Best time to go is in the middle of the summer, and try to head to the Lakeland region near Lahti (Jari Litmanen home town club)... beautiful, clean and very scenic... but, expensive!

Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk
 

NooBHA

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2015
8,584
I found it really boring like many seem to have but it had a saving grace when I was there that Finland either won or got to the final of the Ice Hockey World Championships Finals, so that got the city buzzing a little bit for that
 

LowKarate

New member
Jan 6, 2004
2,002
Wombling free
Echoing the posts above, having been there at same time of year back in October 2000 I can confirm:

1. It will be very cold.
2. There is very little to do.
3. The Finnish people are very friendly.
4. It is expensive, but not so excessive that you'd want to change your plan.
5. There is very little to do.
6. Drinking and eating (indoors) and drinking some more is absolutely the best thing you can do there.
7. There are just enough bars and restaurants within relatively contained areas around the central shopping area and old squares / waterfront.
8. There is very little to do.
9. I hope you like herring.
10. They had cardboard cutouts of Mika Hakkinen in shops. These days they probably have cardboard Kimi Raikonnen.
11. If you haven't already been, then a boat trip to Tallinn is best if you want something to do on day 2. It is quick, more interesting in the old Citadel area.
12. Despite the above, you should still go. It is different.
 


Tony Towner's Fridge

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2003
5,382
GLASGOW,SCOTLAND,UK
I have been there twice. Interesting city with Soviet undertones that still resonate. Please listen to some Sibelius 'Finlandia' before you go;well recommended. There is Suomi restaurant in the City Centre, I can'T remember the name, but it was superb in Winter. The lamps are made of reindeer antlers, they serve bear balls (bear meat served Swedish style not nuts) plus reindeer tongue (smoked) and Chilean Cab Sauv at £50 a bottle! Live Suomi music too and the owner serves the food and is a real character.

I stayed in the converted prison hotel at the port area, it previously was a prison that was closed down by Amnesty International. They painted it and opened it up as a hotel (need one say any more?). Good though. The downstairs restaurant was, I seem to remember, called 'The Slammer'.

Nice City, expensive but worth a visit.

TNBA

TTF
 

bobbysmith01

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2015
785
Used to work
There, very dark, cold and boring place. Not a lot to do. Very expensive as well. Give it a miss and go to Stockholm instead, a magic city with plenty to see.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
Boring and VERY expensive.

This. Did 4 days there a few years back, saw all I needed in about 4 hours. And then they charge you 5 star at the Dorchester for the pleasure. Oh and it'll be cold and wet... enjoy! The 'city' is tiny.
 


Hampster Gull

New member
Dec 22, 2010
13,462
Echoing the posts above, having been there at same time of year back in October 2000 I can confirm:

1. It will be very cold.
2. There is very little to do.
3. The Finnish people are very friendly.
4. It is expensive, but not so excessive that you'd want to change your plan.
5. There is very little to do.
6. Drinking and eating (indoors) and drinking some more is absolutely the best thing you can do there.
7. There are just enough bars and restaurants within relatively contained areas around the central shopping area and old squares / waterfront.
8. There is very little to do.
9. I hope you like herring.
10. They had cardboard cutouts of Mika Hakkinen in shops. These days they probably have cardboard Kimi Raikonnen.
11. If you haven't already been, then a boat trip to Tallinn is best if you want something to do on day 2. It is quick, more interesting in the old Citadel area.
12. Despite the above, you should still go. It is different.

Are you in sales now :lol:
 

essbee1

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2014
4,068
Just to add - the ferries from Helsinki to Tallinn are superb. Like Ocean
Liners - and plenty of bars/comfy seats and shops. You see Fins taking crate
loads of beer back to Helsinki on trolleys.
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Mar 27, 2013
51,892
Burgess Hill
Just to add - the ferries from Helsinki to Tallinn are superb. Like Ocean
Liners - and plenty of bars/comfy seats and shops. You see Fins taking crate
loads of beer back to Helsinki on trolleys.

Our tour guide said the Finns basically treat them as 'booze cruises'. They get pissed cheaply, eat in the restaurant and spend half the trip in the onboard casino before as you say stocking up on duty free.
 

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