By train
Regular trains run daily from Moscow and St. Petersburg. From St. Petersburg the road will take only 3.5 hours. The cheapest way is to take train 151 from St. Petersburg to Helsinki.
By plane
There are regular flights to Helsinki from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major cities. In winter, there are many charters, including to Rovaniemi, Kajaani, Kuusamo and other cities.
By bus or taxi
A cheap and fast way is to travel from St. Petersburg bus station to Helsinki by bus. It will cost only around 1.5 thousand rubles. There are flights further away, for example, to Turku. There are also many tourist buses, ideal for shopping tours. From Moscow by road 1087 kilometers, from St. Petersburg – 408 kilometers. If you plan to enter through the Vallimaa checkpoint, you need to pre-book a place in the queue by phone or via the Internet.
On water
There is a regular ferry from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn. Also in the summer a cruise ship sails to Vyborg.
Transport
According to Country Converters, the transport network in Finland is well developed. In cities, travel on any transport costs the same, it is possible to purchase travel cards. In Helsinki, it is advantageous to use the Helsinki Card, an unlimited travel card that also gives you a discount at museums, restaurants and public places. Discounts for children.
The main city transport is buses, they also run between almost all cities. The buses are very comfortable, they run strictly on schedule, which is very convenient. Taxis are popular – they usually travel with an electronic meter, cashless payments work almost everywhere.
In Helsinki there is a subway, with one line, not very convenient and shallow. The cost of the trip is not fixed, it depends on the number of stations that you have traveled.
In addition to buses, trains run between cities – their network is also very developed. It is better to buy a single ticket – it allows you to travel by rail for free.
Water transport along rivers and lakes is popular – ferries allow you to swim almost anywhere, there are cruise ships, lake river trams and more. They are often very inexpensive. Airplanes also fly around the country, mainly from Finnair, between the capital and Kuopio, Turku, Oulu, Rovaniemi and Tampere. There are low-cost airlines with budget flights.
You can rent a car – you need to have an international driving license, a driving experience of at least a year and an age over 19 years old, sometimes the requirement rises to 24 years old. A deposit is required. There are many rental offices. Traffic rules in Finland are slightly different.
Bicycles are also very popular – in the summer they are generally given out in the capital for free, just on a deposit of two euros.
Money
In the course of the euro, it is almost impossible to pay with dollars anywhere, in cities near the border and in large shopping centers they accept rubles, but the exchange rate is not favorable. Cashless payments are very common, so it is not necessary to have large amounts of cash. Euro is better to buy in Russia.
Cuisine and restaurants
A holiday in Finland would not be complete without tasting the local cuisine. Fish dishes are very popular. The highlights are rainbow trout graavi kiryelohi, as well as fish pie with calecucco bacon. We also recommend trying the Finnish fish soup Kalakeitto, gravavi lohi salmon, rosolli herring salad and caviar with sour cream and meti onions. An interesting taste of maimarocca – dried fish soup. An unusual smell and taste has lipeakala – burbot or cod soaked in an alkaline solution.
Meat is also very popular – they eat beef, pork, poultry and venison. Very tasty poronpaisti – venison roast with lingonberries and potatoes, as well as meat in karjalanpaisti pots. If you love offal, try minced liver with maksalaatikko rice, or offal with pittipannu potatoes.
Delicious cheeses – be sure to try Edam and Emmental.
For dessert, we recommend pulla and jelly sweet buns.
Finns drink coffee most often, local beer, cloudberry liqueurs, beaks and lingonberries, berry sparkling wines are popular among alcohol. If you like it stronger, be sure to try Finlandia or Koskenkorva-vinna vodka.
There are many cafes and restaurants, the portions in them are large. Often there is a menu in Russian. The menu is seasonal – one is served in the summer, and another in the winter or at Christmas. Often there is a separate children’s menu, many restaurants have children’s playrooms.
