this is frustrating
i posted a thread and now i cant find it- sorry if this is a double post folks

need some advice

heading to helsinki in late may - just two days and one day in tallin so i think we need to be close to the harbour to catch the early ferry

have considered scandic hotel marski
hotel seurahuone
and hotel helka

klaus k is unavailable so is the torni

we have decided against the eurohostel - too many varied reviews and im worried about noise
it is dirt cheap though

dont want to spend more than 300 USD a night
currently looking at about 410 aud a night for the hotel marski
hotel helka is 527 aud for two nights which seems a good deal

we will need to get to the airport for an early flight to moscow so itd be nice if we could just walk to a station or bus- the hotel seurahuone is across the road from the train station which is convenient if we are only staying a short while

any ideas?
thanks people

lanejohann:


You mention the venerable "Torni"...stayed there several years ago...a very comfortable "old shoe"...buffet breakfasts...large rooms...walking distance to Harbour and train station...or easy cab ride to the former.

stu T.

glad you responded Tower!
thanks to you we have got the gablehus booked in oslo- we changed our itinerary just to stay there - everything was booked out because of the shipping convention thats being held in early june

now regarding the torni- yes upon your recommendation ( have been making notes for ages so im thinking it was your suggestion) i checked the dates and the torni isnt available

if you can suggest something in the katajanokka region ( thats the area that the fast ferries have their terminals i think)
there is a converted jail but im creeped out by that thought - caled the best western premier katajanokka

this is pretty specific info i know but i really am wondering how important is to be close to the ferries if youve only on limited time
thanks again for all your contributions- really value the suggestions and was so happy to get the place in oslo!
cheers!

Trams 4 and 4T run to Katajanokka in 5-8 minutes intervals, so you don´t really have to stay there.

I think I would stay in the jail just for the fun of it.

Hi lanejohann:

We stayed at the Hotel Helka in Helsinki and it was clean, comfortable and close to the train station - good breakfast too - I think we paid euro 142 per night in the Fall. Depending on the luggage situation you could walk - it takes about 10-15 minutes to get there. The hotel called a cab for us and the driver charged euro 20 which was about $35 Cdn - we were outraged especially since we could have walked.

In Tallinn we stayed at the Hotel L'Ermitage (about euro 80 per night again in the Fall) just outside the Old Town which was delightful and only a 10 minute cab ride to the ferry terminal on our way to Helsinki. A very nice hotel as well, again clean, with a great breakfast.

Hope this helps.

lanejohann:


Hi...sorry you couldn't get The Torni, but I have some relatives who stayed at the "jail" last year and loved it...it's in a perfect location for the ferries and easy walk to the centrum and harbor. Rates look very inviting, also.

www.bwkatajanokka.fi/ -

Happy that you got the Gabelshus in Oslo. Ideally located and old world ambience. Be sure to take in Bodoy peninsula with all of the museums (Kon Tiki, etc)...and the Norwegian Resistance Museum near City Hall..beautful park. You may also wish to see the famous ski jump up close (you can see it from all parts of Oslo...but a taxi ride or local bus can get you to its park grounds...photo ops).

Knowing that resto prices in Oslo are very high,,,try the excellent Indian resto around the corner from Galeshus (they'll direct you)...stateside prices.

Enjoy your entire trip...you will!

stu T.

We stayed at the SAS Radisson Royal Hotel and walked about 15 mts to the harbour. The staff got us door to door transportation shuttle to the airport. Great restaurant, great value.

Thanks Tower and Viajero and all the good people who answered this thread.
Hotel Helka comes well recommended but is booked out
there is a convention in late may !!

the desk clerk at the helka ( i rang just to check that indeed there were no rooms) gave me a number for their booking agency and i dealt with a lovely woman who suggested the sokos hotel helsinki which is well located and rated quite ok on tripadvisor
apparently you avoid the 2nd floor because of the play room and ask for a quiet room ( theres a nightclub as usual!!!)It is a tourist class hotel - the ex- jail is first class i believe

fingers crossed!
i think we are getting a ferry ticket on the tallink /silja line to tallin - hope thats the one and the same from around that katajanokka area
thats where that converted jail is that Tower mentions

our travel agent can get us one because we booked the russian accommodation through a company that can also get the ferry tickets - i guess they all do that but we werent charged the extra fifty dollars for the service

ferries run from different ports so i really wanted to be on the right side of town- 'newbie worries' and all that !
slowly getting there ....!
thanks again

Heres the number for anyone stuck for accommodation- i think it's great to talk to a real person sometimes rather than booking online all of the time
358 (9) 22 88 1400
dont forget to begin with your country's own dial out number!
Hotel Helsinki was 179 euros for the first night and 169 for the next

if you want to guarantee a booking you must arrive before 6 pm or at least let them know of any delays otherwise they may not hold your room

if you supply credit details - the room is guaranteed

there are also apartments available that have one of those pincode cards to enter
im not fussed on those
we had trouble getting in to one here in our own homeland when it was late - no fun
dont want to risk that hassle when youre arriving first stop in a new country

>>>i think we are getting a ferry ticket on the tallink /silja line to tallin <<<

Tallink´s Tallinn boats don´t leave from Katajanokka, they leave from Länsisatama (Western harbour), and that is on the other side of the city center. I thought that you are planning to take Nordic Jet Line, their boats leave from Katajanokka.

You don´t really have to book tickets in advance. Those boats are big and there are sometthing like 20 crossings every day. I have never booked in advance, and I have always got the ticket.

WE stayed at the Marski and liked it very much. Close to everything. Was a great buffet breakfast.

We also stayed at Hotel Anna and it was a nice hotel. Not as good a location as the Marski and its reviews are not quite as good. We did like the Marksi more than Hotel Anna.

thanks Elina
yep i checked also
will have to make sure i get the ferry from katajanokka!
so it wont be the tallink
thanks for confirming that!
we are arriving in helsinki probablty round 6pm by the time we get out of the airport and settle into the hotel helsinki

i thought you had to be at the harbour an hour and half if you wanted to get on without an advanced booking?
we were going to purchas a ticket before we flew from home

thanks brats and beer - the marski it pretty pricey- i think it's first class?

They start boarding an hour earlier. Like I said, they are big boats and take also cars, so it takes time. That is why you have to be there a little earlier. But there is a cafeteria in the terminal, and a big cafeteria and pub on the boats, so it does not really matter if you have to be there earlier. By the time you have had something to eat and a beer or wine or coffee, you are already in Tallinn.

Nordic Jet Line catamarans leave from Katajanokka. Right now they are traficing in Spain, so their web site is empty. They should be back in April, and then you can check timetables from www.nordicjetline.fi

thanks so very much for that info regarding the ferries Elina!