Helsinki 2017 advice and FAQ

In this post, I try to answer the most frequently asked questions from couple of previous cruise seasons with up to date information. This is the second time we have a yearly thread for Helsinki. Last year’s thread and the older mammoth thread are probably too long to find relevant information quickly, but good resources if you want to read through everything. I invite everyone to ask and answer new or more specific questions here.

Where does my ship dock?

Port of Helsinki website has a list of expected cruise ships with berth information: http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/en/passengers/international-cruise-ships

They also have a map of the berths: http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/en/passengers/international-cruise-ships/cruise-quays

What is there to see?

That really depends on your interest. See old trip reports, a guide book, Tripadvisor, the official tourist site: http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en etc. Unlike some other cities on a Baltic Sea cruise, Helsinki does not have a single must see attraction. Some most often mentioned by cruise visitors are: The Market Square area (including the Senate Square, the Esplanade, The Lutheran Cathedral and The Orthodox Cathedral), Temppeliaukio Church (The Church in the Rock), and Suomenlinna sea fortress.

The downtown core is very compact and it is pretty easy to just go there and stroll around to what interests you. The Church in the Rock is slightly outside the core area and getting to Suomenlinna fortress requires taking a ferry from Market Square.

Money and credit cards?

The currency in Finland is the Euro with the slight oddity of 1 and 2 cent denominations not being used. Thus cash payments are always rounded to the closest 0.05 Euros. ATMs in Finland dispense only 20 and 50 Euro banknotes.

Credit cards are extremely widely accepted and used. It is perfectly normal for a Finn to pay for a 2 € cup of coffee with a card. The only significant place where you cannot pay with a credit card is in public transportation: bus and tram drivers accept cash only (and no banknotes greater than 20 €). Visa and MasterCard are the “standard” cards accepted virtually everywhere. American Express and Diners are accepted pretty widely, but not everywhere, so you should have either a Visa, MasterCard, or cash available or ask beforehand.

Language?

Finland has two official languages Finnish and Swedish. In the Helsinki region all street signs etc. are in both Finnish and Swedish. Unlike Finnish, Swedish is a relative of English so looking at the second line of signs might give you a better clue of what a sign says. However pretty much everyone understands and speaks English on an adequate level for helping with directions etc.

Tour or DIY?

This depends on your personal preference on how you like to see a city. Helsinki does not have spread out must see attractions like St. Petersburg or Berlin so you really do not need a tour for logistics. Public transportation is excellent and HoHos are available. Most tours offered by cruise lines or the St. Petersburg tour agencies tend to omit the Suomenlinna sea fortress, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

How do I get to downtown? / How do I get around?

Depends on where you dock and how you like to move. I will first list the alternatives and then specifics for each berth.

Public transportation

Public transportation in Helsinki is very good. Route planner and ticket information are available on the transit authority HSL website: https://www.hsl.fi/en and their route planner http://www.reittiopas.fi/en/ Also Google Maps transit directions are available in Helsinki. Current timetables are mostly in effect until June 18th.

Nearly all vehicles have monitors showing the name of the next stop to ease following transit directions.

Note that major changes to the tram network will take effect on 14 August. The directions in this post use the current network and I will explain the changes further down in this post. The journey planner should be able to search for trips in the new network closer to the actual change.

Day ticket for Helsinki costs 9 € for travelers 17 years or older and 4.50 € for 7-16 year-olds. Children under 7 travel for free. You can buy day tickets from ticket machines (coins or chipped credit card), sales points such as kiosks and grocery stores (all payment options), or tram and bus drivers (cash only, no banknotes greater than 20€). You can locate all ticket sales points on this map: https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares/sales-points

Walking

The downtown core is perfectly walkable and compact. Especially if you arrive in the South Harbor you could get by just walking. For further away West Harbor berths you need to be into walking to do only it.

HoHo

Two HoHo companies operate in Helsinki. Both stop by ships berthed in the West Harbor. Routes and pricing are similar with adult pricing in the range of 27-30 € and children for roughly half price. The interval of buses depends on demand, but is typically around 30 minutes. The two companies are Strömma and City Tour

Ship’s shuttle

Port of Helsinki does not offer shuttle service so shuttles are arranged by cruise lines or their port agents. Shuttles have been almost always available for further away berths. Depending on your cruise line they may be free or priced around 10 €. Typical drop off point is at the Western end of the Esplanade about 500 meters from Market Square at the other end of the Esplanade.

Taxi

Taxis in Helsinki are reliable but expensive. There will likely be some waiting by your ship. All taxis accept at least Visa and MasterCard in addition to cash. Pricing depends on distance traveled (or time taken in slow traffic) and number of passengers. Starting price is 5.90 € during daytime Mon-Sat and 9 € at night and on Sundays. A trip from your ship to any destination in downtown should end up costing about 15 €. You can estimate the cost of a ride here: http://www.taksihelsinki.net/hintalaskuri/index.html?lang=en

City bikes

A new bike share system was rolled out last summer by the transit authority, and is due to expand for the 2017 season. The bikes will be on the street from 2 May onward. If you are comfortable riding a bike in a city and would like to see the city that way the city bikes may be a good way to see the city by bike. A membership for a day costs 5 € and includes unlimited amount of 30 minute rides from station to station. Additional time is charged in 30 minute blocks with increasing price as you hold the bike longer. The maximum allowed use at a time is 5 hours costing you 14.50 €. There are city bike stations fairly close to most berths. You can register in advance and pick up a bike from any station or register with your credit card at some select stations for example at Market Square. More info from: https://www.hsl.fi/en/citybikes and the map of stations for 2017: https://www.hsl.fi/sites/default/files/uploads/kaupunkipyoraasemat_2017.pdf

Berth by berth:

LMA

Walking distance to Market Square: 3.5 km

Public transport: Tram 6T or 9 from West Terminal about 400 meters from the berth. There has been a green line on the ground from the berth to the tram stop. The tram line in the area is currently (January 2017) being extended closer to a new ferry terminal slightly closer to the cruise berth and the new route section should be open by the start of cruise season. In this map you can see how the cruise berth at the top of the picture relates to the tram stops. See the trip to Market Square in Journey planner

City bikes: 800 meters

HoHo: stops by the ship

Ship’s shuttle: Almost always offered

LJ4

Only one ship so far scheduled here. Like LMA but 600 meters closer to town and pretty much next to a tram stop.

LHB and LHC

Walking distance to market square: 3 km (LHC about a ship’s length more)

Public transport: Bus 14 runs on the other side of Hernesaari peninsula about 300 meters from the ships. Getting to market square requires either a transfer to tram 1A or 3 (which turns into tram 2 before reaching Market Square. See in Journey planner

City bikes: 600 meters

HoHo: stops by the ships

Ship’s shuttle: Almost always offered

EPL, EMA, and EM3

Walking distance to Market Square: 400-600 meters

Public transport: Trams 1A and 2 run by the berth.

City bikes: 400 meters

HoHo: Closest stop at Market Square

Ship’s Shuttle: Highly unlikely

EKL

Walking distance to Market Square: 400 m

Public transport: Trams 4 and 5 about 200 meters inland from berth

City bikes: at Market Square

HoHo: Closest stop likely at Market Square

Ship’s Shuttle: Highly unlikely

ERA

Walking distance to Market Square: 1.5 km

Public transport: Tram 5 about 200 m and tram 4 about 400 m See in Journey planner

City bikes: 200 m

HoHo: Strömma runs to ERA when ship’s in port

Ship’s Shuttle: Likely offered

What has changed i.e. what to watch out for in old trip reports and guide books?

Since January 2017: The Temppeliaukio Church (Church in the Rock) nowadays charges a 3 euro fee from visitors.

Since fall 2016: tram line 4T has been replaced by tram line 5.

Since fall 2013: tram lines 3T and 3B renamed into 2 and 3. There was also a previous change in routes of 3T and 3B as well as their numbering logic in 2009.

Since fall 2012: tram 9 extended to West Harbor (LMA), complete overhaul of bus lines in southern Helsinki removing bus 16 which offered a direct but infrequent link from LHB and LHC to Market Square.

What are the differences between Market Square, Hakaniemi and Hietalahti markets and market halls?

The Market Square and the Old Market Hall are the most tourist oriented and Hakaniemi caters mainly to locals. The market hall in Hakaniemi is the largest of the three. Hietalahti is the smallest and probably least interesting, but there is a large flea market at the Hietalahti market especially on summer weekends.

How to get from Market Square to Church in the Rock (or vice versa) using public transit or walking?

It is about 2 km by walking. Directions in Google Maps You can easily vary the walk a couple of blocks in either direction and you will be going through the area considered to be the downtown core by locals.

Tram line 2 runs also between Market Square (Kauppatori) and the Church in the Rock (Temppeliaukion kirkko). See in Journey planner

Food

If you are looking for typically Finnish foods to try you have to pick a place that focuses on that as the food culture is pretty international.

For a quick bite Market Square and the Old Market Hall right next to the square (http://vanhakauppahalli.fi/en/) might be the best bets. It should be easy to find good fish dishes such as salmon soup, sauteed reindeer (traditional in Lapland), or Karelian Stew.

If you are in for a longer sit down lunch, see for example TripAdvisor or Michelin and look for places serving either traditional Finnish food or those offering modern Finnish cuisine. At the other end of the spectrum from Market Square stalls are the Michelin-start restaurants offering modern Finnish cuisine.

On the sweet side, Finns are one of the top coffee consumers in the world so you could very well stop for a cup of coffee and a korvapuusti (cinnamon roll) in a market or café. Or you could treat yourself to some salmiakki (salted liquorice) sold at every grocery store or kiosk.

Souvenirs

I am not an expert on souvenirs by any means. The city tourism site however has a listing of souvenir and handicraft places: http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/see-and-experience/shopping/handicrafts-and-souvenirs-from-helsinki as well as a blog posting about souvenirs in the under 30 € price range: http://blog.visithelsinki.fi/en/best-souvenirs-from-helsinki-price-range-e10-30/

Opening hours

Opening hours for stores are not regulated. Typical grocery stores are open 7-21/22/23 Mon-Sat and 10-23 on Sundays. Some grocery stores are always open. Department stores are typically open Mon-Fri 9-21, Sat 9-19, and Sun 11-18. Specialty stores have typically more limited hours with 10-18/19/20 being typical during the week, 10-15/16/17/18 on Saturdays, 12-17/18 or closed on Sundays. Small stores may have more limited hours.

As in most of the world, many museums are closed on Mondays.

Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church) is open according to services. If not limited by church services typically 10-17 Mon-Sat and 12-17 on Sundays. They post the opening hours for the coming week on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Temppeliaukion-kirkko-Temppeliaukio-Church-237137636410720/ and there is a phone recording of opening hours for the day at +358 9 2340 5940 More information: http://www.helsinginseurakunnat.fi/seurakunnat/toolo/touristinformation.html Note that from January 2017 onward there is a 3 € admission charge to the church.

The Lutheran Cathedral is open daily 9-18 September-May and 9-24 June-August except during services. More information: http://www.helsinginseurakunnat.fi/seurakunnat/tuomiokirkkoseurakunta/touristinformation.html

The Orthodox Cathedral is closed on Mondays and open Tue-Fri 9-16, Sat 10-15, and Sun 12-15

The Suomenlinna sea fortress is mainly outside and hence always open. The museums on the island are open daily 10-18. More information: http://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/

Transit changes on 14 August

Major changes in the tram line network take effect on August 14th as well as couple of smaller changes in downtown area bus lines. The changes of note to typical cruise visitors are:

From LHB or LHC to Market Square:

Old: first bus 14 to Tehtaanpuisto and then tram 1A or 2/3 onward.

New: first bus 14 to Tehtaanpuisto and then tram 2/3 or bus 17 onward.

LMA:

Tram line 9 at West Harbor will be replaced by tram line 7. The new line 7 will go to Senate Square one block from Market Square.

Temppeliaukio church:

A portion of the route of tram 2 between Market Square and the church changes. Travel time should be slightly faster than before. In addition, a new connection on tram line 1 between the church and the eastern end of the Esplanade is opened.

General:

The closed loop of tram lines 2 and 3 will be broken in the northern end. The lines still overlap there allowing for easy transfers. There is no change at the southern end with trams still continuing immediately on from line 2 to line 3 and vice versa.

Thank you so much for all of this information! We will be visiting in July on the NCL Getaway.

Jonza,

Thank you so much. I have been trying to look at some very helpful post by "Mrs. Helsinki" on Trip Advisor. Your summary covers everything. I bet I can even manage to follow a green line for transportation:)

Thank you Jonza for this thorough, updated and informative post about visiting your native Helsinki. We appreciate your contribution - often the best information always come from locals like you but it's not usually possible to talk to one until arrival into the city.

I can understand your being unable to advise on souvenirs since you are a resident, I have the same problem in my home city but people tend to want the usual things representing NYC. What I like to buy when I am in a new city abroad - or I should say what I have found to be most memorable - I purchase something that I will probably use frequently so that it will remind me even more of where it was that I purchased the item.

For example, I have purchased fine pens, fragrances, kitchen tools (fun ones) and especially art work by locals...small paintings that I can store flat in luggage and then frame when I get home. It isn't always easy to find an artist painting - depending on the time of year and depending upon what they paint (style, if it suits me) but at times I have found lovely works to become keepsakes and decorate my home...silk walk hanging from China.

So what I'm wondering is - what are particular items in Helsinki or popular local shops (not souvenir shops but easy for people to get to when in port) that locals would be keen on shopping in to pick up trendy items or practical, useful items that might remind someone of Finland every time they used it or saw it? I suspect there are shops/brands/items that might be as unique and interesting as Helsinki/Finland are and so would welcome your local insight to further help our travelers here. It's the kind of thing some of our travelers visit our message boards for - interesting shops, restaurants, crafts etc.

Thanks/kiltos once again for your valuable contribution to our Northern European message board. Cheers!

So what I'm wondering is - what are particular items in Helsinki or popular local shops (not souvenir shops but easy for people to get to when in port) that locals would be keen on shopping in to pick up trendy items or practical, useful items that might remind someone of Finland every time they used it or saw it? I suspect there are shops/brands/items that might be as unique and interesting as Helsinki/Finland are and so would welcome your local insight to further help our travelers here. It's the kind of thing some of our travelers visit our message boards for - interesting shops, restaurants, crafts etc.

I would say that Design District Helsinki will have something for nearly everyone. The problem is that it is a collection of about 200 stores, galleries, museums, etc. So finding your thing might require advance planning. Many of the biggest Finnish design names have stores along the northern side of the Esplanade. For example, Iittala and Marimekko carry a lot of everyday design. You would find Marimekko’s striped towels or Iittala’s Aalto vase in many Finnish homes. I would say that a walking along the northern side of the Esplanade and looking at the stores that are not international fashion chains will give you a quick overview of the biggest Finnish design brands.

Thank you SO much for this thread. It has been incredibly helpful!

We will be docked in Helsinki on June 24, which I've just learned is Midsummer day and a national holiday. So I'm at bit at a loss. Do you have any suggestions? Will there be any special festivals during the day? Will public transportation run? Will the markets be open?

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

I'll echo the appreciation for this thread. THANKS A LOT!

We'll be there on the Serenade on May 25.

Question:

Is it possible that you could provide ATM information at the cruise dock, specifically LHC?

My problem is that all the countries that I'm travelling in prior to Finland uses their own currencies and I don't have any Euros.

Perhaps if I go through the monster threads that you referenced, I'll find the information.

We will be docked in Helsinki on June 24, which I've just learned is Midsummer day and a national holiday. So I'm at bit at a loss. Do you have any suggestions? Will there be any special festivals during the day? Will public transportation run? Will the markets be open?

 

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

Midsummer

Midsummer consists of the midsummer eve on Friday 23 June and the midsummer day on Saturday 24 June. Many locals will head out of town for Midsummer so the city will be quieter than usual. It is also a very typical time for Finns to start their summer vacations. The celebrations concentrate on the evening of the 23rd.

Midsummer eve is not an official holiday but is a paid vacation day in most workplaces. Public transport will run on Saturday schedule. Stores may set their opening hours freely so you cannot tell this early beforehand how it will be as this is only the second Midsummer with completely free opening hours. Many specialty stores will likely be closed or close early around noon. Department stores will likely close in the afternoon. Grocery stores tend to operate normally. Market halls at noon and markets at 3pm. Many museums and restaurants are closed. Churches and some museums (in Suomenlinna for example) are open.

Midsummer day is an official holiday. Public transport will run on Sunday schedule. Most stores will be closed but many grocery stores will be open typically with limited hours. Market halls are closed. On previous years the Market Square market has been open and the other markets closed. Many museums and restaurants are closed. Churches and some museums (in Suomenlinna for example) have previously been open.

Specifically for your question: If your plan was shopping or you had as specific museum in mind, you might need to make new plans. Market Square should have a market also on Midsummer day. Suomenlinna is of course always accessible and even the museums there have been open on previous Midsummers. Also the churches have previously been open on Midsummer day, but there of course may be limitations due to church services. Public transport running on summer Sunday schedule is nearly indistinguishable from it running on summer Saturday schedule. For example, some tram lines will be running on 12 minute intervals instead of 10. The largest challenge might be finding a place to eat. The exact opening hours for restaurants, museums, and churches need to be checked closer to Midsummer.

I'll echo the appreciation for this thread. THANKS A LOT!

 

We'll be there on the Serenade on May 25.

 

Question:

Is it possible that you could provide ATM information at the cruise dock, specifically LHC?

 

My problem is that all the countries that I'm travelling in prior to Finland uses their own currencies and I don't have any Euros.

 

Perhaps if I go through the monster threads that you referenced, I'll find the information.

Almost all ATMs in Finland are branded OTTO and operated by a company owned together by the three largest banks operating in Finland. The network is quite sparse as most payments are handled by card. Locations of all ATMs can be seen on this map: https://otto.fi/missa-otto/ (Write an address or city in the search field or just zoom in. You may have to click on the “Näytä kaikki” (show all) selector at the top of the map if you zoomed in without searching to see the pins. The ATM location part of the site is only in Finnish and Swedish) Note that some ATMs are inside in lobbies of banks and grocery stores or station concourses. Click on the pin to get a more accurate description of the location (and throw it to google translate to understand).

There is no ATM at the Hernesaari side of West Harbor where LHB and LHC are located. The closest one is 1.3 km away at Perämiehenkatu 10. As there is no ticket machine in Hernesaari either, you cannot take public transport without either walking to the ATM or obtaining euros beforehand. If you head downtown by some other mean, you can probably pay everything with a credit card and do not need Euros at all or you could look up an ATM in the downtown area.

But in your case: If I am not mistaken, The Serenade does stop in Tallinn, Estonia before Helsinki. So, Finland will be the second euro country on your cruise.

Thank you so much for the information. You are correct that we have a stop in Tallinn, Estonia - I wasn't aware that they used Euros there until just now (still doing a lot of research).

I would say that Design District Helsinki will have something for nearly everyone. The problem is that it is a collection of about 200 stores, galleries, museums, etc. So finding your thing might require advance planning. Many of the biggest Finnish design names have stores along the northern side of the Esplanade. For example, Iittala and Marimekko carry a lot of everyday design. You would find Marimekko’s striped towels or Iittala’s Aalto vase in many Finnish homes. I would say that a walking along the northern side of the Esplanade and looking at the stores that are not international fashion chains will give you a quick overview of the biggest Finnish design brands.

Thank you again Jonza - these are exactly the type of shops and items (vase, striped towels etc) that I was thinking of, as well as non-international stores - i.e. truly Finnish brands and items - plus things one might see or use at home. The planning part - which shops among the many - is just part of the pre-travel fun which gets one more eager for the visit.

Appreciate all you have done to contribute here! :)

Thank you for your thread! I have read about the village of Porvoo and it looks lovely. Is this someplace we can take public transport to? It does not seem necessary to take a "tour" once we are there. We have never been to

Finland before, and wonder if we would be better served going to

Soumenlinna Fortess with our limited time instead?

Great information. Looking forward to visiting Helsinki.

Thank you.

I have read about the village of Porvoo and it looks lovely. Is this someplace we can take public transport to? It does not seem necessary to take a "tour" once we are there.

Its not a village but the second oldest city in Finland. It was given city rights around 1380. A bus trip takes just over an hour and cost some 10 euro. Usually several buses goes between Helsinki and Porvoo each hour. I can give more information how to find the buses etc. in case someone is interested.

Thank you for your thread! I have read about the village of Porvoo and it looks lovely. Is this someplace we can take public transport to? It does not seem necessary to take a "tour" once we are there. We have never been to

Finland before, and wonder if we would be better served going to

Soumenlinna Fortess with our limited time instead?

Porvoo is a good half day trip destination from Helsinki and easily explored on foot on your own once you are there. As Ultima Thule said, the trip to Porvoo takes an hour each way by bus and there are multiple departures each hour. In Helsinki buses depart from the central bus station in Kamppi. Both tram 9 from LMA and bus 14 from LHB/LHC run by the bus station. In Porvoo the bus station is within walking distance of the old town.

If you want to see just Porvoo that is easily doable within a typical cruise stop. If you try to squeeze in both Helsinki downtown and a visit to Porvoo, you need to watch your time and plan ahead in order not to lose time looking for your bus or getting lost. For example, with your ship being in port from 7am to 4pm, you could be in Porvoo around 9am, spend say three hours there and be back in Helsinki after 1pm.This would leave you at least an hour for a walk in the downtown before catching a tram back to the ship by 3pm, one hour before departure. Of course, you may not be able to disembark exactly at 7am and you will be required to be back on board before 4pm.

Porvoo and Suomenlinna are very different and in the end it comes down to your preferences. A visit to Suomenlinna is definitely less time consuming as the ferry ride from Market Square takes 15 minutes each way compared with the one hour bus ride to Porvoo.

Thank you Ultima Thule and Jonza, exactly the information I needed!

Thank you so much for your information. I have a question about saunas. Our group of 6 will be there on a Monday in May. Is there a Finn sauna you would recommend? We will be there from 9 - 4 and would enjoy trying one out for a couple of hours.

Thank you so much for your information. I have a question about saunas. Our group of 6 will be there on a Monday in May. Is there a Finn sauna you would recommend? We will be there from 9 - 4 and would enjoy trying one out for a couple of hours.

The city tourism info has an article on saunas: http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/see-and-experience/activities-in-helsinki/enjoy-urban-sauna-culture-in-helsinki

Are you looking for a public sauna or to book a private sauna for your group? Most public saunas are gender separated.

The traditional public saunas seem to be closed on Mondays and typically do not open until afternoon on other weekdays either. For public saunas on around noon on a May Monday you might have to settle for one of the city swimming halls. Of the newer public sauna venues Löyly opens only at 4pm. Allas Sea Pool is currently closed for expansion construction, but should open sometime in the spring. If they reopen before you visit, their pools and saunas right by Market Square could be open in your time frame.

If you are looking for a private sauna for your group, there is a large selection in . However, in downtown areas it will likely cost 250+ euros for a couple of hours.

Thank you! I appreciate your helpful information!!

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Hello! Thanks so much for all of this great Information! I was wondering if it is possible to see the main town , and also to do a small hike at Nuuksio Forest within the time constraints of the cruise stop... Would like to see some of the natural offerings if possible! We will be there on the Disney Magic the week of June 11.

Hello! Thanks so much for all of this great Information! I was wondering if it is possible to see the main town , and also to do a small hike at Nuuksio Forest within the time constraints of the cruise stop... Would like to see some of the natural offerings if possible! We will be there on the Disney Magic the week of June 11.

Possible yes, but not too easy. Public transport connection to the national park is rather slow and infrequent. It takes some 90 minutes to get from the cruise port to Nuuksio. If you want to go to Nuuksio, I would suggest getting a guided tour with transportation or at least transportation as by car the trip takes 40-50 minutes.

If Nuuksio seems to be too time consuming, you can see some small forests closer to downtown also. At least the central park (practically a forest with footpaths) and the Seurasaari outdoor museum offer places where you can be surrounded by trees and both are within about 20 minutes of downtown. And naturally there are several islands and some archipelago cruises if you would enjoy that kind of nature.

Thanks Jonza! I will look at tours and the other parks for a plan B! Appreciate it!

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean still offers a shuttle (for a fee) to the Market Square area?

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Thank you Jonza for all the great information. My ship will be docked at the LMA port. Will I be able to walk from here to the Market Place and the Rock Church? Will I need local money or can I use euros? Thank you for your answers.

My ship will be docked at the LMA port. Will I be able to walk from here to the Market Place and the Rock Church? Will I need local money or can I use euros? Thank you for your answers.

Finland use Euro. There are no technical problems walking form LMA but its a rather long walk (over two miles to the Market).

Usually cruise lines offers a shuttle from quay LMA to downtown (not to the Market)

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/en/passengers/international-cruise-ships/cruise-quays