To the Finns...

[Erik]

Hello old board buddies,
I know there are a lot of finns hanging around these parts, so I thought it would be a decent place to ask this...

So I just looked at Skepticism's web site and saw that Skepticism/Esoteric/Shape of Despair are going to play in Helsinki on the 14th of November, and I was liek :hotjump: and thought, hey, I must go or I will regret it for the rest of my life.

So my spontaneous plan for getting there from Umeå is this:

I.e. to go by boat to Vaasa, then by bus to Helsinki as this is the cheapest way I can conceive of getting there. However, I don't really know if this is economically viable, and since I know nothing about Finland, Finnish bus companies etc, I thought I would ask a favour and see if anyone wants to tell me a bit about ways to get to Helsinki, by bus or train, or something like that, and roughly how much it would cost? I really need to see this here concert... Thanks in advance.

 

[Ormir]

First of all, you would want to go by train, not bus, which is much more expensive. It will take you about 4h and 30mins to travel from Vaasa to Helsinki, and set you back around 40 euros I estimate (the ticket price thingy for the railway company is down, like most of the time). Of course, freeriding is completely conceivable, and I've personaly got through trips of equal length without complication. You'll need to change trains in Seinäjoki, from which you'll get to Helsinki. I believe Spike could offer you more advice, having commuted between Vaasa and Helsinki himself rather recently.

 

[Arch]

Also to the Finns:

How many people named "Sami" do you personally know?

 

[Lolita Vampiriá]

@Arch: I know about hmm... 5 or 6 Sami named boys.

 

[Spike]

I actually FLEW in and out of Vaasa, but used other modes of transport elsewhere in Finland and Sweden. Standby fares with airlines are good and bad for different reasons. They will set you back around 50EUROS (each way) so they're a lil more than rail or bus.

FINNAIR (Finnish national airline company) has a discount price for youth under 25 yrs. The student price for a return ticket from Helsinki to Savonlinna is currently EUR 168. The ticket must be booked at least one day before the departure. You can also wait for the so called stand-by tickets, that are sold only two hours before the departure if there are seats available in the plane, the price for one way ticket is EUR 54.

So, they get you there quicker.... IF you get a ticket. At this time of year, and going FROM Vaasa, I doubt you will have any problems getting a standby fare. Helsinki back to Vaasa may possibly be a little harder, but still feasible.

You may also want to check out, depending on where you live in Sweden.

www.blue1.com

They fly from Gothenburg and Stockholm in Sweden, and fly to Vaasa and DIRECTELY to Helsinki if you like. Stockholm> Helsinki looks to be 40EUROS there and 36EUROS back at the time you are looking at going.

I found trains to be the MOST EXSPENSIVE (Unless you were a student studying IN FINLAND.... and can prove it). And managed to get a 50% discount with my ISIC card (International Student ID Card) with THIS bus company.

http://www.matkahuolto.fi/

Problem is you will prolly have to fork out around 10EUROS for a year membership (can pick one up at most travel agents, but will have to provide documentation that you are a student). And you will have to actually get ANOTHER 'student pass' with Matkahuolto once you arrive in Vaasa (The student pass you get through Matkahuolto will cost you like another 16EUROS) to 'get the discount' to 50%... after that it will cost you about 40ERUOS for a return trip Vaasa>Helsinki.

So, since you're just making one trip, it is most likely not worthwhile to do it that way.

If it comes down to bus/train though, take the bus (get a round trip) it will be cheaper than a train.

Last option is http://www.vikingline.se/ and http://www.vikingline.fi/ goes directly from Stockholm to Helsinki. Cost me 34EURO each way (with a room... it takes 20+ hrs to get there, but you don't need to sleep THAT badly. ) Looks like it will cost you 43 EUROS to get there and 31.50EUROS to get back. Again, they offer discounts to ISIC card holders, but it's your call as to whether you wanna pick one up.

Unless you live in Umea, I strongly suggest you travel to Stockholm on your own (you are more likey to recieve various discounts) and fly or sail directly to Helsinki. The less 'legs' your trip has, the less you will have to pay in total. I passed through Vassa cos I had friends there I was visiting. (Hi Sanna )

 

[Northern Lights]

If you're under 26 I think you could fly reasonably cheap from Umeå (wouldn't cost much more than the boats anyway). By the way, have you checked www.jetweb.se ? You order the tickets off the net and they're about 100-200 sek cheaper, so that might be something. I believe Finnair is part of the organisations they work with, so they might have something cheap stockholm-helsinki as well.

 

[Lolita Vampiriá]

Anyhoo, URL to the railway company please?

www.vr.fi

 

[mousewings]

Nice map there. I love monsters. After the concert, take a detour to the left to see the monsters.

Sami is a cool name. I know two guys named Sami.

 

[Human Desert]

You don't have to change trains in Seinäjoki..There are trains that go straight from Vaasa to Helsinki and from Helsinki to Vaasa (i often use the Helsinki-Vaasa train).

 

[Human Desert]

Hmm, that's odd. At least there are trains that go straight from Helsinki to Vaasa so i figured it'd work the other way too
Don't worry about changing the train though, it's easy. In the train they'll say which track your next train will leave from

 

[Villain]

Don't worry about changing the train though, it's easy. In the train they'll say which track your next train will leave from

And they say it in Swedish even!

I'd like to help, but as I'm pretty damn far away from both Vaasa and Helsinki (and don't have too much time on my hands anyways), I can't offer you anything except what is already on the websites of Matkahuolto and VR (Valtion Rautatiet). If you need help with some specific issues (like where to buy the tickets from, or some such), I can try to see what I can do, though.

-Villain (who knows at least half-a-dozen Sami's - one of them Sami Saari )

 

[Spike]

You don't have to change trains in Seinäjoki..There are trains that go straight from Vaasa to Helsinki and from Helsinki to Vaasa (i often use the Helsinki-Vaasa train).

What on earth be you doin in Vaasa.... if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Lolita Vampiriá]

Notice: there is only one railway company in Finland and that is VR (Valtion Rautatiet). Interesting, isn't it.

 

[Human Desert]

And they say it in Swedish even!

And in english too

What on earth be you doin in Vaasa.... if you don't mind me asking?

Nothing. I've never been to Vaasa. But the train goes from Helsinki-Pasila-Tikkurila-Riihimäki-Hämeenlinna-Toijala-Tampere-Seinäjoki-aaall the way to Vaasa

What are my chances of convincing them I'm a student? (I'm not, but I'm 19 and could perhaps borrow a student ID from a friend or something ) Student tickets means half price, so that would be ideal...

Also, I really hope that there are trains going from Helsinki to Vaasa AFTER the show (probably in the middle of the night) as I don't exactly feel like spending a night in Helsinki where I know noone and nothing about anything

You need to have a student ID. First you'll have to show it to the person who sells you the ticket, and then in the train when they check your ticket. So if you can borrow one from a friend you'll be just fine

There are some trains in the middle of the night, but i don't know about them, i've never had to use them. Check www.vr.fi

 

[Spike]

Nothing. I've never been to Vaasa. But the train goes from Helsinki-Pasila-Tikkurila-Riihimäki-Hämeenlinna-Toijala-Tampere-Seinäjoki-aaall the way to Vaasa

Ah.

And Erik, if you're really keen on not staying the nightt, then you might wanna get onto the trainwebsite that loli sited soon, they're going to be scarce at night, so you'll wanna know ahead of time. That said, has it ever occured to you to ask anyone here if they are going to the gig )seeing as home many lads and lasses from helinki we have here)? Even if they can't put you up for the evening, I am sure they can recommend a few cheapish accomodation places in town. There's a place smack bang in the middle of the city that is under 20EURO a night.

 

[Hitori]

i'll be in helsinki so if you need anything you could give me a call
though as im not a native, dont speak finnish, havent been here for long, and dont really know the place, i doubt i would be much help...

 

[Spike]

But it's the though that counts though. Right, Gaby? :')

 

[Rusty]

But it's the though that counts though. Right, Gaby? :')

Indeed. We all know how important conjunctions are.

 

[~Zeanra~]

Me is bit late, but..

I'll be going to that gig aswell. First I thought of seeing the bands in Turku, but they had different bands there, so I switched it to Helsinki. So I am also available for help here. I can also help with the ticket, get it beforehand and then give it to you outside the gig place or something.

I think the earliest trains leave like 5-6am, and if the gig ends around 3am, so there will be few hours of drunken wandering. There are cheap hostels in the town, tho.

And I think you survive better with English Finns aren't so eager to talk in Swedish, and they most likely know English better anyway. There are few rare exceptions tho, like me, but I have forgotten most of my Swedish already jävla

 

[Human Desert]

Yep, she's right, english is probably a better choice for the language. People who work in public places are supposed to know swedish pretty well, but many of them don't.