Above ground metro station that is north/east of central Helsinki. It has the usual automated…read moremachines for purchasing a ticket or a scanner for swiping your proximity card. I had a three day pass, so I didn't need to do any of that. The angle of the tracks here is a little confusing. I was not sure which is "inbound" and which is "outbound" which caused my friend and I to miss a train and have to wait for the next one. An entire four minutes wasted! lol This is one of the few stations on the HSL that is a side-platform instead of an island platform. There is a transfer level, one level down from the platform and one level above the street. Kalasataman is between Sörnäinen (toward Ruoholahti) and Kulosaari (toward Mellunmäki/Vuosaari). [Review 10103 overall, 1689 of 2018.]

Three days in Helsinki and I was on/off the HSL network constantly. Sure, Helsinki is a walkable…read morecity but after a while, a 1km walk is a hassle. Why go through that when there's a cheap and easy system to hand? For those considering travel in Helsinki, here's what you need to know: 1. Install HSL app to purchase your day pass. For €9.00 for the first day and then €4.50 for each additional day, you don't have to deal with ticketing machines at all. I did not encounter an inspector, but they do exist. Be ready to launch the app when you're on the trains. 2. The M1/M2 lines are very easy to understand - they just go back and forth. They each split at each end, but the majority of the system is overlapped. 3. The trams are easy! Just wait at a stop, board when it arrives. You do not need to show payment to the driver. The metro stations are handicapped accessible. The ones I visited are all island platforms, so the door opens on the left. When I boarded a train in the wrong direction, my u-turn at the next station was easy. I love cities with smooth and clean metro systems. It makes it so much easier to visit them. In Europe, Frankfurt, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Bilbao, Porto and now, Helsinki. [Review 10051 overall, 1636 of 2018.]

At 1:00 AM, this tram stop was definitely a worry. It's not very well lit, there are plenty of dark…read morecorners nearby and there's nowhere to sit while you wait for the very last tram of the night. Yeah, the trams stop running and we caught the very last one from here at 1:16 AM. On the plus side, the tram was perfectly on time. This stop serves tram lines 2, 3, 4, 7, 7H. It is not far from Senate Square and the Helsinki Cathedral. [Review 10083 overall, 1669 of 2018.]

Surface level tram station which services at least the 2 and the 4 tram lines. As the station is…read morealong the Mannerheimintie, it is quite busy with pedestrian and auto traffic. The tram has a dedicated space in the center of the boulevard and there is a clear "platform" area for the trams. The station does have readers so that you can swipe your card at entry and exit. There are also visual displays of which is the next train and how many minutes until it arrives. It was pleasantly accurate. [Review 10098 overall, 1684 of 2018.]

Continuing my exploration of Helsinki, I accidentally ended up here at Sörnäisten because I saw a…read moretrain in the Hakaniemi metro station and jumped on it. Oops, wrong direction. U-turns at Sörnäinen are easy, just cross over. The station is underground. On the M1/M2 line, Sörnäisten is between Hakaniemi and Kalasatama. The station is clean, well lit and I did not see any graffiti. [Review 10054 overall, 1639 of 2018.]

Great landmark of the city. Took the train from the airport to the city and it is located right in…read morethe downtown. Easy and clean station. Spacious and very well architecturally. Walking distances to hotels, places in downtown. Wishing the station, plenty of quick bite/drink places as well as sit down dinning. Also there are stores and shops too. This is the main station so plenty of destinations to choose. For me, easy place to go and get to. Enjoyed it a lot.

Came into the Helsinki main train station the other week and it was a quick and easy experience…read more The train took me directly from HEL directly into town in ~40 minutes with numerous stops. There are a few eateries inside the main train station. The metro is a couple blocks away and the tram is merely outside the front doors.

As far as bus terminals, this one is one of the easiest to go in and out of. Plenty of shopping on…read moreone level to pick up what ever you need for your journey. Everything is properly labeled here so once you get your ticket, it'll tell you what gate your bus is leaving from and it'll be clearly marked. Busses seem to always be on time as well which is a huge plus and there's wifi both on the bus and at the station. If you're going to Provoo or Turku by bus, you'll want to leave from here.

I spent many hours here. I will miss kamppi. It has everything. I love how you can see a cosmo of…read moreFinnish life just by people watching here at Kamppi. You must go to cafe Rouge there in Kamppi Terminalli. The ladies there make the BEST coffee in town. not kidding. Plus if you go there once, they remember you.

Not a bad place to stay in Finland! We missed our connecting flight and the airline put us up in…read morethis quaint hotel surrounded by water! About a 20 min drive from the airport. Beautiful scenery and a nature walk around the hotel filled with art installations. Coffee, tea and snacks on floor one. Breakfast every morning on floor two. Really friendly staff! They have a Finnish sauna and pool as well - make sure you check the hours before going.

We stayed here three nights and it was perfect - clean, smells fine, great breakfast with fresh…read moresqueezed Apple kiwi ginger juice, croissants, brownies, spelt porridge, smoked salmon, fresh baked bread, etc etc. beautiful view of the water, swans, ducks, geese, and huge trees. just five minutes walk from the bus stop (when coming from kamppi bus station, step out of the bus and walk left a bit, and you'll go down underneath the highway - the hotel is on the opposite side of the road). The shower gets as hot as you like it and the water pressure is like a waterfall - a strong one. The bed is nice and soft and comfy. They have a nicely stocked minibar, five or six bikes to borrow, a wooden deck to sit or lie on outside by the water, an art gallery, free wifi. The only thing was that the first room they put us in smelled really bad like a wet dog, so we had to go back down to change rooms. Thank you!!!!

This town is one of those charmers. Ya know, the kinda town that leaves you wanting to pinch its…read morecheeks if you could. First and foremost, Porvoo is known for it's adorable tiny historic red houses located along the water's edge. Porvoo is one of the oldest towns in all of Finland - conveniently located only a 30 minute drive from Helsinki (East of Helsinki). Once you've knocked the red houses off the visitor list, you'll find cobblestone streets filled with shops, quaint restaurants, ice cream stands and window boxes pouring over with vibrant flowers. In summary, have your camera ready. This is an easy half day adventure from Helsinki. I imagine the streets are much more bustling during the summer months - we visited during early September.

Situated on the southeast coast of Finland, Porvoo is 30 miles from Helsinki. Most tourist travel…read moreto Porvoo as a day trip. The Kamppi bus station in Helsinki run buses to Porvoo. The trip takes about an hour one way. It is one of six medieval towns in Finland although most of the architecture of old town dates to the 18th-19th century due to an extensive fire in the 18th century. Houses of the 18th-19th century are brightly colored and made from wood. Streets are narrow and dense with cobble stone paving. One notable exception is Porvoo Cathedral, an Evangelical Lutheran house of worship which dates to the 15th century and is built of stone and wood. In the 13th and 14th century, Swedes colonized the town of Porvoo. Porvoo still has strong Swedish roots and today 30 % of the population speaks Swedish while 65 % speak Finnish. There are some restaurants serving authentic Finnish food. Quaint shops selling unique merchandise but for the most part tourist come for the experience of seeing life in days gone by. Porvoo can be a half-day experience or a full day adventure.

Yummy Ice Cream On The Transit Route…read more SITREP On a hot hot day in mid-July, what a Thor-invoking surprise and Valkyrie-inspired blessing it was to find some delicious COLD treats here! THE SETUP In the heart of the downtown district of the pleasant little burg of Porvoon, the transit took us to their munchie stand. It came with: * Ice Cream (I had a scoop of the chocolate); and, * Sorbet (I had a scoop of the berry) https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/porvoon-liikenne-oy-borgå-trafik-ab-porvoo?select=oCa9anPLOM93mCOENYsOHQ&reviewid=ggBsX4p2BfbguXfVgLXm1g My two new friends - I call them "Thor" & "Valkyrie" (they laughed) - are stone-cold ice cream warriors! (They told me to watch an episode of "Agents of Shield" involving some divine staff and the people searching for it - I told them I would). https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/porvoon-liikenne-oy-borgå-trafik-ab-porvoo?select=DygwDq6cMqhS0Mu9TE2BUQ&reviewid=ggBsX4p2BfbguXfVgLXm1g *Lick lick lick* which had to be done fast since my cones was melting FAST! FINLAND BADGE: ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED It was here that when I checked in, I was surprise - yet delighted - to unlock my FINLAND Yelp Badge. A very cool acknowledgement of my growing world-traveler status! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/porvoon-liikenne-oy-borg%C3%A5-trafik-ab-porvoo?reviewid=ggBsX4p2BfbguXfVgLXm1g&select=DdZ06K7IiVs7GMr17dnShg THE LOWDOWN Come for the travels, stay for the ice cream treats!

Took this bus line from Helsinki to Porvoo and back and everything went smoothly. Round trip cost…read more€16 plus a convenience fee if purchased at the bus terminal. The bus was on time coming and going and they have wifi and charging stations above you. Would use this bus service again and recommended for traveling within Finland.