Originally Posted by
neos
Hi Thalassa,
I doubt Helsinki is boring either, but I've come across that a few times during my travel research!
I'm starting to come around to the idea of taking the overnight ferry from Helsinki. The fact that it leaves at 17:00 will allow for better viewing. I thought initially that the Turku crossing would be better because it would be crossing though the Finnish islands that the Helsinki ferry does not. But the departures times are not ideal, and..well, how many little islands do you need to see on one ferry right?
If that is the case, could you recommend any worthwhile side trips from Helsinki? Turku, Tampere, and Porvoo have all been recommended to me.
Many thanks!
I would normally recommend TLL first but you seem to have covered that already. Porvoo is a plesant small town about an hour's drive east. It has some history, decent restaurants and some antiques shopping.
I am not a great fan of Tampere. It is pleasant enough to visit but it is not exactly exciting. Turku has the Castle and Cathedral and the old quarters working for it.
What kind of things are you interested in? That can make quite a difference as to what are the places to visit.
Cheers,
T.