Hi - Does anyone know of inexpensive flights to Helsinki from SW or Southern England?

Whichbudget.com only comes up with flights from Stansted - which is a long drive and a real pain from Somerset

Any better suggestions would be greatly appreciated ...

Steve

Hi

Try also - http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/index.aspx or www.kayak.com. Good luck

There aren't any specifically cheap flights.

You'll have to look on ebookers or lastminute to see whether there are cheapo options - probably changing somewhere like Stockholm, Amsterdam or Frankfurt - from Heathrow ot Birmingham. Both the Western majors (like KLM) and some easterners (like LOT Polish or the Baltic airlines) often dramatically undercut BA or Finnair

You're unlikely to get much joy from Bournemouth, because it's not served by the people who offer the deals, and their low cost airlines - at any rate in the winter - don't go anywhere you can get another low cost to Helsinki from.

However, you might look at the Bristol airport website, in conjunction with the Blue1 site. There are some flights from Bristol to places like Gdansk that Blue1 might fly to Helsinki from. Personally, I'd rather drive to Stansted than spend the day worried my Easyjet might miss a connection at Gdansk, leaving me stuck there for days. But it takes all sorts.

PS: There are two flights a week from Bristol to Rovaniemi on First Choice. Even if the flight down to Helsinki might be pricey, you can always see if Father Christmas will let you stow away on his sledge.

How about seeing if you can to Tallinn? Then take a ferry over to Helsinki from there.

Tallinn itself is well worth a visit.

Cheers.

Stanstead-Tampere and 1,5 hour train ride Tampere-Helsinki is the best way.

Not if you've specifically asked to avoid having to drive to Stansted.

Ryanair from Bristol to Dublin, then Aer Lingus to Helsinki. Or cross the Severn and go Cardiff-Dublin-Helsinki all on Aer Lingus. Depending on your dates, it looks like @pound;40 or so ought to handle it one way.

£40. Sorry.

Lots of good ideas! Thanks to everyone who replied.

Steve