Rauma or Porvoo or Tallinn?
 

Thanks to your kind responses to earlier postings, I've found the information I need about taking the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn for a Saturday or Sunday day trip to see the old town. I will probably keep my hotel room in Helsinki as I am there for several days on business.

Now, if I have another free weekend day to take a day trip out of Helsinki, I was looking at Porvoo or Rauma--sound like the combination of history, architecture, and handicrafts I like. I can find a description of taking the boat or bus to Porvoo (looks like I could do that independently rather than on a guided tour).

Am I correct that Rauma would take 4 hours on 3 trains? I did not have success with the Express Bus website to determine a bus routing. Looks like it would be an overnight trip.

Has anyone been to all three cities and can give me guidance to prioritize in case I only have time for one out of town trip?

If you only have one day, visit Tallinn . Take an early express-boat and return late in the evening. There are literally dozens of daily connections and several carriers + a helicopter service. Nordic Jet Line leaves from Katajanokka Terminal 5 minutes walk from Market Place . After only 1.5 hours voyage you have the whole day in the medieval Hanseatic city .

For the other day I recommend Porvoo . Bus trip from the main bus station takes less than one hour and arrives at Porvoo Market Place . It's a short walk to Old City Hill with its pebbled narrow streets, mostly wooden houses and medieval cathedral . Then downhill to the picturesque riverside . For a boat service click http://www.msjlruneberg.fi/indexengelsk.html .

Rauma is too far on the west coast of Finland for one day trip. The city is famous for its old centre of wooden houses , see-faring past and lace making tradition . And for its very peculiar dialect . But I guess that might not be any big experience for a tourist not speaking Finnish .

I agree with Mikko. Tallinn is first choice and more to do. A lovely trip. We went over two days in 2001 and I would like to go back.
I would have thought you could do Porvoo in less than a full day from Helsinki. We travelled there by bus and I think we did it as a long afternoon trip.
Rauma was very very interesting but I may be biased as the local architecture is one of my main interests when I travel. We were staying closer to there than you will be in Helsinki and I agree that the distance for you does not put it on a level playing field with Tallinn.The bus which we have used in the past (to return to the airport in Vantaa from our friends' home in Oripaa ) starts in Rauma then goes via Forssa to Helsinki.
I see no reason at all you can't do two of these trips, perhaps squeezing Porvoo in one day after you finish your business.

Report--
For my first day I stayed in Helsinki, went by the Tourist Info office and the market, then spent the afternoon at Seurasaaren. I really enjoyed the open air museum, guided tour through 3 houses, and just a lovely day in the outdoors.

On my other free day I took the boat to Tallinn. I was a little disoriented upon disembarking and thought I would just follow others to walk to the city center or catch a bus, but everyone dispersed and disappeared. Almost all were shoppers and not headed to the old town. I asked a group about a bus that had the name of a hotel I recognized from my rough map and they said I could ride the bus to the hotel with them. From there I easily found the old town and from on top saw the port and how to walk back. The bus was a shoppers bus headed on to a shopping center from the hotel.

I enjoyed walking around the old town early in the day just enjoying the atmosphere. I missed the English tour and just wandered on my own. It was a little more touristy than I expected and got rather crowded by midday. I should have booked a later return boat to have more time, but I was leaving for the airport really early the next morning and still needed to pack, etc.

I'll plan a trip to Porvoo for a half day next time I'm there.