Helsinki, Finland with a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia Aug 2022

Helsinki, Finland with a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia 
Aug 2022

HELSINKI, FINLAND
TALLINN, ESTONIA


ITINERARY: Visit the itinerary with tour links: Itinerary for Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia Aug 2022


TRANSPORTATION: Helsinki has an excellent public transport system (HSL) comprising bus, tram, metro, commuter train and ferry services. 
  • Train/Bus: Train/Bus/Metrorail is very easy to use and connects between cities.
    • HSL APP: Recommend downloading the HSL App ahead of time for transportation. Buy tickets depending on “zone”
  • Flight: flew into Helsinki airport from DFW (Direct flight on Finnair!).
    • The airport is 45 minutes from city center
  • Taxi/Rideshare: Uber is easy to use especially in Tallinn. There are other ridesharing apps available in Finland, but we didn’t look into them as we were there for a short time.
  • Tallink Ferry: Absolutely take the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia! Its an incredible experience: excellent food, supermarket, beautiful views etc. We took a ferry through the carrier Tallink. Recommend booking ahead of time online as the ferry’s can fill up.

HOTEL: Stay in city center. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in City Center which was right next to a train stop and bus center for ease of access. Highly recommend staying near the train stops to make travel much easier.

PAYMENT METHODS:
  • CASH: Euros are the official currency of Finland. Most places take credit card, but its useful to have a small amount of euros (20-30/day) just in case.
  • CREDIT CARDS: Credit Cards were accepted everywhere we went to. Make sure and get cards with No Foreign Transaction Fee.

SAFETY: We felt very safe in Finland. Make sure and take common safety precautions, but everyone we met was very friendly and nice.
  • Emergency Phone # is 112
  • We were only in Tallinn during the day, but we felt very safe there as well.

WHAT TO BRING:
  • Print color copies of passport to carry in wallet
  • Converter: Need to have a plug converter if coming from the USA

LANGUAGE: Finnish is the primary language, but almost everyone we talked to spoke English. It is very easy to communicate.

RANDOM TIPS:
  • Download Google maps for any city you will be visiting
  • Download WhatsApp to communicate with tour guide/groups
  • This is a very walkable city and overall easy to navigate.
  • Visit during the summer as the weather can be too cold otherwise; we went in August and thought the weather was great (in the low 70s F).
  • Avoid going on any holidays! We went to Estonia on one of their holidays and several of the restaurants we wanted to try were closed.
  • Fun Fact: Skype was invented in Tallinn, Estonia!
  • You will see the character "Moomin" everywhere! Moomin is from a 90's Finnish Cartoon
Moomin


VEGETARIAN/VEGAN FOOD: 
  • In both cities, it was very easy to find vegetarian/vegan options.
  • Water was ok to drink from the tap.
  • Helsinki: Sandwich club (Closed indefinetly), Kippo Sandwiches and produce from the farmers market in Market Square
  • Tallinn: Recommend Maiasmokk Cafe and Restoran V (closed when we went)
Kippo Sandwiches

Baked goods from Maiasmokk Cafe in Tallinn



HELSINKI, FINLAND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Helsinki Train Station 
  • 1) Take a free walking tour. We were able to see everything listed above, but would've been helpful if we had a local guide/tour to be a part of to expand on.
  • 2) Helsinki Cathedral and Senate Square - make sure and recreate the scene from the song Sandstorm by Darude!
Senate Square

Helsinki Cathedral

  • 3) Oodi Central Library - has a very unique architectural design
Oodi Central Library
  • 4) Check out the market square and get some of the snap peas that they sell there. Delicious!
Snapeas from Farmers Market

  • 6) Suomenlinna Fortress - The one thing we didn't get to do :( A fortress that's been preserved along with different walking trails and museums
  • 7) Walk along Espanalde Park

TALLINN, ESTONIA RECOMMENDATIONS:
  • 1) Tallink Ferry: MUST DO!! The ferry is beautiful with so many activities on board including slots, supermarket, restaurants and unbeatable views!! We left at 7:30am from Helsinki and came back on the 7:30pm ferry from Tallinn.
  • 2) Old Town Tallinn Walking Tour: We learned so much about the history of Estonia from locals and what it was like only recently gaining independence in 1991. Must do!
    Old Town Tallinn
    Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
  • 3) Balti Jaam Market: farmers market, supermarket and several places to eat. The area is a little $$, but really cute area to get food!
  • 4) Telliskivi Creative City: Telliskivi Creative City is located in the former industrial complex of Tallinn, which houses galleries, small shops, various creative companies, start-ups, and restaurants. This was one of the heaviest bombed areas from the USSR. You'll find some great history/art exhibits here that talk about their dark past.
  • 5) Kadriorg Palace: Kadriorg Palace is an 18th-century Petrine Baroque palace. We didn't go inside to see the art museum, but this is a must-see!! The grounds are absolutely gorgeous.

Kadriorg Palace

Location: Helsinki, Finland

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