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Holy crowded in Helsinki today!

Fun even with the protests

Did it get out of hand? ;)

I think there were 13 different protests all over Helsinki today. Stuff like freedom of speech, freedom of press, human rights, democracy, free trade, abortion, peace to Afghanistan... And of course the anti-apocalypse rally. All things that haven't gone to the right direction when these two have been in power.

Police said they arrested one group of around twenty people who were planning to occupy a street and block traffic. Othen than that, a peaceful day in Helsinki.

Did you at least enjoy the unusual day?

Good pic from Helsinki.

 

We went on a Russian river cruise in May. The local tourist tack shops/kiosks had items with Trumps face on them, along with wording which said, "Make Russia great again".

 

It appears that he is appreciated there :)

The only "pro-Trump" rally had something like twenty people. He seems to be more of a laughing stock over here, but some people I have talked to like him just because he isn't politically correct. They might not approve his comments, or decisions, but they like the fact that he says what he thinks and that Trump's comments annoy the other people in power - this kind of "common enemy" -approach.

The "Make Helsinki great again" -caps were also popular today.

Most of the protests were yesterday. Finnish protests are peaceful anyway. They just make a few speeches for the media and get seen and that's it. Also they will be well contained by the police.

Shuttle (if there is one) shouldn't have any trouble dropping people off to the city centre, or you can take regular public transportation e.g. bus 14 to Kamppi and take the metro from there. Metro goes to Hakaniemi also if you are interested in island hopping. You can catch the JT-Line ferry.

Sounds like if we want to visit the Church in the Rock it needs to be by foot?

If you don't like to walk 3.5 km (a bit over two miles) during the warmest day of the summer, you can take bus 14 from the quay and jump off at "Kauppakorkeakoulut" -stop. Same route the other way. If you ride the 14 until "Töölön sairaala", you can get near the Sibelius monument. Same route the other way takes you back to the ship. Along the 14 you can also find "Kamppi" where you can take the metro to the city centre. Or shop within Kamppi itself, which is a huge shopping area and a mall.

Bus 14 doesn't seem to go anywhere near the troublesome areas so you should be ok. If a motorcade decides to drive along this route, then there might be a small wait. The frequency of this line is 20 minutes so you can always catch the next one if you missed one of the buses.

A single ticket is valid for 60 min so be sure to check from the printed ticket the last valid time. It is enough if you hop on board within the ticket validity. Day ticket is valid the whole day. Driver is paid in cash and doesn't accept large bills, ticket machines are more flexible. You can also use HSL mobile app, but that requires internet connectivity during purchasing.

If you decide to walk, have a small break near the Kamppi area. Lots of cafes and restaurants to choose from.

Hope this helps.

Information on public transport disruptions: https://www.hsl.fi/en/news/2018/major-disruptions-public-transport-monday-16-july-opt-metro-commuter-trains-walking-and

Information on street closures: https://www.hel.fi/uutiset/en/kaupunkiymparisto/major-impact-on-traffic-on-monday?pd=v

We were very disappointed with Helsinki when we docked in 2015 on Serenade.

We found it the least interesting port on our Baltic cruise and probably won't get off the ship if we visit again.

If Mr Trump and Mr Putin are having a meeting there and with all the security involved and potential protesters unless you are on a tour my choice would be to stay on the ship.

I would agree with you. We were there last summer on the Zuiderdam. The market area was fun to walk around and the food hall there was a good place to eat but other than that there isn’t much there. We did the free walking tour and they didn’t have much to show us. So little that even they joked about it. If you like coffee there is a huge Nespresso store downtown always good for free coffee.

First of all, I don't blame you for feeling that the city is not interesting. We haven't yet learned how to cater for the cruise tourists' needs so most cruise tourists end up doing the market square and old market hall and that's it. Some might wander around to the monument or catch one of the churchs. Some might even take a ship tour to pet a reindeer. Most of these things are something you can find in almost any port - statues, monuments, churchs and markets. Especially the market square has been already transformed to mainly cater for tourists, so it is quite far from "local".

This is anyway getting a little off-topic, and you might feel that I'm biased since I have now lived here for 4 years and love this city. The city is full of hidden gems, and things to see for everyone. They haven't been commercialized so you would need a bit of DIY mentality, but the city is easy to navigate, people are helpful and almost everyone speaks English so you wouldn't need to worry.

If you feel like visiting an outdoor market selling stuff for tourists isn't for you, why not plan something different? There are parks (and national parks), a beautiful archipelago, amusement parks, world-class museums and if you are interested in history you could take a bus to see Porvoo. At least in my opinion the beauty of Helsinki lies in the fact, that it is really spacious, safe, clean and sparsely built metropoly where you can find a quiet spot or something new almost around every corner.

On topic: In case island hopping and archipelago interest you, the regular Suomenlinna ferry doesn't operate on Monday, but you can catch the "JT-Line" ferry from an alternate location here: https://www.google.fi/maps/place/60%C2%B010'40.3%22N+24%C2%B057'15.2%22E/@60.1769312,24.9563971,16.25z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d60.1778515!4d24.9542082?hl=fi and their timetables for Monday can be found here: https://www.jt-line.fi/liikennointi-suomenlinnaan-vallisaareen-ja-lonnaan-16-7-2018/

Now it was officially communicated that the market square is closed on Monday. No vendors or boat operations allowed. Suomenlinna fortress ferry will operate from an alternate location and is mainly catering for residents of the island. The alternate location hasn't been confirmed yet.

Each boat operator will communicate separately if they have some alternate starting point in use. Some have already listed on their websites that they won't be operating at all on Monday.

I would plan my day in Helsinki so that I would avoid the market square / presidential palace area on Monday. In case you would like to see Suomenlinna or catch some tourist boats, it might be easier through some ship tour as no one yet knows from where these will operate. Or at least you would have to keep yourself up to date on the latest information and be flexible on Monday to find the alternate locations.

Thanks for the update. Do you know if the tourist boats behind the outdoor market will be operating?

No one knows the exact impact of the meeting, but my best guess is that they operate either normally or from an alternate location not far away and there will be plenty of guides to help you navigate. Since nothing official has been communicated, even the tourist boat operators themselves don't yet know what will happen. Everyone in the city tries to make this work, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Based on the latest news (still nothing verified), even if the meeting is hold in the presidential palace, and even if that impacts the market square (outdoor market), you can still shop in the market hall (indoor) or any of the other outdoor markets or shopping malls such as the ones along the walking streets close to the railway station.

Then to the good news:

1. The city will have plenty of official tourist guides helping you during this event. They have communicated that they try to minimize the impacts that the meeting might have on the (cruise) tourists by filling the streets with guides and trying to always arrange alternative routes or connections if something is temporarily closed. The aim is to show the world how everything works efficiently around here, even under extraordinary circumstances.

2. Based on the weather forecast, you will arrive to Helsinki during the hottest week of the year. Also the seas will be super calm with almost no wind at all.

Apple Pay should work everywhere in the Baltics except Germany and Estonia. This requires that the shop/vendor has contactless payment option. At least in Finland they are basically everywhere as all the credit and debit cards have the contactless capability.

The cashier system will advice the clerk that they are now dealing with chip + signature card and request to act accordingly. This might come as a surprise to most shops as the locals are not using the signature option. The shop can even decline to sell if a pin is not used and they definitely want to see an ID.

RE: zip code in US. The general advice for travellers not from US is to use 99999. It works at least with my cards.

Continuing the monologue here, but now the rumors are saying that the meeting will probably happen in the presidential castle. This has three main impacts to cruise passengers:

1. The market square might get closed or at least the opening times are restricted. At least today's rumor among the market vendors was that they might get closed.

2. The ferries to the Suomenlinna island might have to leave from somewhere else nearby.

3. Pohjoisesplanadi-street might get closed.

The press center is in the "Finlandia-house" and some media companies are stationed at Allas sea pool. This shouldn't impact either of these sites or movement of tourists.

The police and the city of Helsinki have both promised to provide information during this week.

Good list, but have you noticed that Purge happens in Estonia instead of Finland? It is a good book by a Finnish-Estonian writer though.

I would add a bit older book: "The Summer Book" (Tove Jansson). At least it helps you to get into the theme, since you will be anyway cruising through the Finnish archipelago and seeing those small cabins scattered here and there. It also helps to understand the Finnish mentality a bit better. Many locals have a tradition to start their summer vacation by reading this book.

To your original question: "The Vikings" (Else Roesdahl) is worth checking out. It is not a story though, but it has great insights to the history of this area. If you are more interested in the mythology and enjoy reading well written stories, then I'd recommend "Norse Mythology" (Neil Gaiman).

Locals in Helsinki (or Finland in general) tend to use a jacket with some waterproofing (e.g. a 5000-7000 mm water pillar) for those days that have light rain because it will also breathe and can be packed away to a small space. Heavy rains are quite rare and usually temporary. I would say even an umbrella would be sufficient for a cruise tourist. Anyway, the locals are using this kind of "layers, layers and layers" approach so when the autumn comes, they just add a middle layer under the jacket.

Thanks for your reassuring comments. Having never been to Finland, we are really looking forward to visiting Helsinki, the museums, Temppeliaukio Church, and the Sibelius Monument. Already disappointed that Uspenski Cathedral is closed on Mondays, didn't want to miss anything else.

Some sources are now saying Trump wants monumental surroundings for the meeting, so the meeting will probably be held quite close to central Helsinki. There are already also 4 demonstrations/protests for that day and more expected. I still don't think it will have any impact to your plans since none of your listed sites are near any potential buildings that could host this meeting, but you could expect that at some point you need to take a small detour just because of the potentially closed streets. Most potential meeting spots that have been highlighted in media are north of the main railway station and most of your list (some exceptions) are south of the railway station. So your main "danger" is getting stuck in traffic. Walking is a safe bet.

I can comment more when we know the exact place, or at least when the officials will communicate what will be closed and what not.

It is more than one hour walk from port to the airport where you car rental is located. Also, your driving itinerary is jam-packed with other cars during summer season and it might take you a few hours one way. I don't recommend driving any further. Other way and quite close to your starting point is the viking museum. The museum itself, the longhouse, the viking boat etc. are a nice place to visit. Also Haukland beach would be quite near and reachable by car - even though the sea is cold, and it rains almost every day, the place itself is a beatiful place to see.

Driving around there is tricky as the roads have elevation changes and tight bends, and also some of the roads are narrow.

No worries. It is not like they would be shutting down Helsinki so these two could meet. Although some of these stateheads demand that everything would be shut down and whole city blocks emptied of people and that there would be 10 000 policemen, Finland has never agreed to such nonsense. Most likely they'll meet 10-15km out to the countryside where the state owns some really nice estates.

Also, if there would be any disruptions like street closures it is not in our culture to keep them closed for nothing. They get closed for a few minutes and then everything gets back to normal.

So I would say there is zero chance that you would be impacted. You will still dock as planned, the shuttle will still take you to the same place and nothing (at least of interest) gets closed.

As a local in Helsinki, here is my two cents (a list of things that are local to either Finland or Scandinavian countries in general):

What to eat/try, many alternatives:

1. Our versions of cinnamon buns. We have our fair share of different varieties, with different toppings and variations. Someone already mentioned "korvapuusti" (plural: korvapuustit) which is quite traditional, but there are many others also. They are generally called "pulla" in Finnish and are served in all bakeries and cafes.

2. Baltic herring. If you love fish, you might want to taste same locally caught fish e.g. in the market hall. There are also pickled versions of this that the locals are eating with new potatoes, these are called "silli".

3. Local berries, especially cloudberries ("hilla" or "lakka") from Northern Finland. If you can't get them fresh (they are quite seasonal), you can buy them as a jam.

4. Salted licorice ("salmiakki"). You can find these in all supermarkets and even in ice creams.

5. Reindeer meat. If you like to eat Rudolph. I have noticed in some cultures they can't stand the idea of eating Santa's little helpers.

6. Blini. Actually originally from Russia, Finns have their own spin on this one.

7. Cabbage rolls ("kaalikääryleet"), usually eaten with lingonberry jam.

8. Makaronilaatikko - The Finnish version of "mac and cheese", usually done with beef and pork meat and eaten everywhere in the country.

9. Chocolates (especially milk chocolates). Like most other countries, we have our own trusted brand: Fazer. You can't miss the dark blue chocolate bars. They come in all sorts and sizes.

10. Blood sausages, e.g. "mustamakkara" from Tampere region. Doesn't actually taste like blood, so if the dark looks don't scare you off, you might catch one of these from e.g. "Tapola" stands that are usually near every market. Locals eat them with lingonberry jam and milk on the side.

Then there are a million more, all across Finland, but I decided to stick with ten only.

What to take home:

1. Coffee. Sounds weird right? But the Finnish brand "Paulig" is doing exceptionally good coffees at every price point and roast level. Finns are also drinking the most coffee per capita in the world. We have also a lot of small roasteries.

2. Chocolate. If you didn't want to just stick to tasting.

3. Jams. E.g. cloudberry.

4. Salmiakki.

5. Salmiakkivodka (salmari). Vodka that is flavored with salmiakki.

6. Finnish design: e.g. visit Stockmann in central Helsinki and you might find something interesting, e.g. Moomin dishes, glassware, Marimekko prints, ceramics, Fiskars-products (e.g. scissors), Kalevala-jewelry (inspired by Nordic mythology). Or one of the markets to find e.g. "Kuksa", a handcrafted traditional drinking cup made from wood.

Thank you for all the great replies. I have one more question which was addressed but want to confirm. While on tours, is it okay to tip the tour guides in dollars and what is an acceptable amount? I didn't think about having cash for tipping until I started reading the replies.

There was no tipping culture in any of these cities, but it is interesting to note that the masses of tourists tipping here anyway have created probably at least some expectations that a few % tip on top is expected for good service. We locals sometimes just round up a few euros to nearest ten if exceptionally good, but otherwise don't tip at all.

So, interestingly, I think the tipping tourists have created a small tipping culture to cities that usually don't have any tipping. This is now visible also in some of the restaurants, where the software running on the device is first asking if you would like to tip, and then adds the desired tip to the total bill.

Zero is completely acceptable amount, but if you decide to still tip on top, I don't think the tour guide cares what currency is given.

And going back to the need of cash - please always keep in mind that Germany is a cash society. That is one of the few European countries where they actually live in the stone age still. You can go to the largest supermarket and they still don't accept any international cards, only local debit cards.

People in Helsinki are great.

Thanks! ;)

One caution, or advice, for everyone travelling in these cities and going around on their own (applies to most other European cities also). There is a huge increase in pickpocketing and other crime they are mainly targeting tourists who tend to carry cash, whereas locals usually don't carry any cash. The countries are among the safest of the world, so someone might feel that I'm just over-exaggerating. And yes, the crimes are mainly theft so nothing really serious.

The advice is:

1. The locals never come "to your skin", they keep their distance. They'll never approach you for a friendly chat out of the blue, nor they ever give any hugs to strangers. Always suspect crime if someone does any of these. Locals might ask you if you need any directions if you seem to be lost, but they will most certainly still stay at least an arm's length away.
   
2. Moreover, if you see anyone begging on a street corner or handing out flowers, they are with 99.9% certainty part of organized crime and shouldn't be given any money (it just makes it worse). The free movement of people within EU has enabled this and there is nothing the local police can do about this as begging isn't a crime. Locals would never beg, as permanent residents get all the upkeep and services they need for free.
   
3. Also, last week the Finnish police issued a warning in a local newspaper, that there are fake police officers targeting tourists. The locals can spot a fake officer easily, which is why the victims are mainly tourists. There is no clear guide how to spot a fake, but one way to test is to point your camera at the person claiming to be a police officer - there is no law forbidding videotaping or photographing a police officer on duty in Finland. Also, the real police are relaxed and friendly towards tourists and never demand any money - even fines are paid by bank transfer based on an issued ticket.
   

The rates of crime are still extremely low in these countries, but since most of the criminals will target unsuspecting tourists, and the amount of these types of crimes has skyrocketed in the last 10 years, I would at least be wary towards any strangers that are approaching you.

This is something I wouldn't have had to warn about 10 years ago, but now the situation is what it is and it makes me sad to see this kind of phenomena in the country I love.

Like you said, 22nd of June is Midsummer's Eve and the whole Helsinki will be dead quiet as all the locals have escaped to their cabins at the lake/sea. Most stores will be closed or will close early. Market square has been traditionally open until afternoon 3PM.

There will be some happenings in some of the islands, e.g. in Seurasaari they start 4PM with Finnish folk dance and music, spells, handicraft displays and also a traditional midsummer maypole will be raised. Midsummer bonfires are lit in the evening.

I think you would get the best experience by just going to Suomenlinna on your own and it is quite easy to do. You get to first experience the empty town, then take the amazing ferry ride to a beatiful island, and experience one of the main destinations in Helsinki with less people than usual (it is usually too crowded). And the best thing is that, even if the mainland Helsinki is pretty much quiet, Suomenlinna's services (museums, stores, restaurants, coffee shops) are open all through Midsummer. Please note that the public transportation (including the ferry) is using the Saturday schedule.

When it comes to Finland and Sweden, even us locals don't carry any cash anymore. Credit cards (at least Visa and Mastercard, sometimes also Amex and Diners) are accepted everywhere. Even market vendors have had card readers since forever. We locals have debit/credit hybrid-cards where we can select from "which side" we want to pay so don't get surprised if someone asks you "debit or credit".

If you happen to need any cash in Finland, or want to withdraw Euros for future use, Finnish ATMs that are branded "Otto" don't charge any extra fees and there is at least one every block in the commercial areas. Then it is down to your own card issuer if they charge something for foreign withdrawals. Otto has two different slots, yellow for cards with magnetic strips, and blue for chip cards.

If you have a CC with a chip, might make sense to ask for a pin from your bank and memorize it. Some of our point-of-sale devices force to use the pin instead of signature if your card has a chip.

There are some European countries where cash is recommended. E.g. in Germany it is sometimes impossible to pay with a credit card, but that is one of the few exceptions.