What to do on a stopover in Helsinki, Finland!

Coming from Australia, the usual flight path to the UK and Europe includes a stopover in Dubai or somewhere in South East Asia. While this may be the long-preferred and definitely the much quicker route taken, it can make travelling to Europe quite an expensive option - especially for those of us travelling on a tight budget.

The solution? Fly with FinnAir!

Some of you are probably thinking, "I've never heard of FinnAir, is it any good?" and I'll be the first to admit that I thought the exact same thing when the airline came up in my search for cheap flights to Europe. FinnAir is a Finnish airline (obviously) that has been gaining popularity with Australian travelers for its cheaper-than-average fares between here and Europe. A ticket from the east coast of Australia through to Europe/UK would usually set you back between $1700-$2100 return, and that's if you get in early. With FinnAir, that same ticket can be a bargain $1350-$1550!

Now, before you rush to your local travel agent to purchase your tickets, there is a downside. As I said earlier, the Australia-Dubai/Asia-Uk/Europe route - while being more expensive - is also the quickest, with an average journey time of 20-26 hours and only one stopover. With FinnAir, you will be required to have two stopovers. The first, in Singapore (or Hong Kong) with Qantas, before changing carriers and flying FinnAir to Helsinki, Finland, and then again to your final destination. This journey can take on average, 30-36 hours, possibly more (as many flights don't cdonnect and leave you with a lengthy stopover).

If this hasn't deterred you, the next step is to plan for your stopover.

Since you're likely to be going a fair bit out of the way on your way to your final destination, you may as well make a day out of it and book your flights to arrive at Helsinki Vaanta airport early in the morning, and depart in the late afternoon/evening. This way, you'll be able to make a day out of your stopover and visit Helsinki city!

So, I've put together a list of things to do/see on your stopover in Helsinki, Finland!

1. Visit Market Square by the water, a lovely place to find some local meals, produce, and pick up some souvenirs! Not to mention the gorgeous waterside view!

2. Try some Finnish food! I loved this traditional Finnish pasty with a rice/custard-like filling, Riisipiirakka!

3. Go for a stroll through Esplanadi, a local park with some beatufiul scenery. It looks like something out of a fairytale, or my secret garden.

4. "Bad Bad Boy", a peeing statue and helsinki's answer to the Manneken Pis in Brussels, Belgium. Strangely enough, it seems to totally fit in here. I've heard that this is not a permanent structure so it may no longer be there, but here's a picture anyway!

                                     

5. Visit some of Helsinki's most well-known churches/cathedrals, such as the Helsinki Cathedral (pictured), Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, and the Temppeliaukio (aka, the rock church).