Espoo snow covered trail

Espoo, Finland – the perfect winter break

Espoo lies close to Helsinki in southern Finland and despite not being as well known as the capital city, it is a lovely place to spend a few days.  The city boundary covers the attractive centres of Tapiola and Matinkylä and the beautiful Nuuksio National Park. Getting there: Arrive into Helsinki Vantaa Airport (flights from …

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Hotel Matts, Matinkyla, Espoo

Hotel Matts, Matinkylä, Espoo, Finland

Hotel Review Location: Hotel Matts is a luxurious 4 star hotel which has been open in Matinkylä, Espoo since early 2021.  The hotel has a metro and bus station just outside the door enabling guests easy access to travel around the scenic Espoo coastal area and into the centre of Helsinki in under 20 minutes. …

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Helsinki sign in Winter

Helsinki – the perfect winter city break

Finland's capital Helsinki is beautiful all year round and although it attracts more visitors during the summer months, winter breaks to this Nordic city are an absolute delight. Below are my suggestions for making the most of this winter wonderland. Market Square (Kauppatori) Start with a walk around the market square and admire the harbour …

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Silja Line boat, Helsinki

Tallink-Silja Line Day Cruise Helsinki – Stockholm

Whilst staying in Helsinki recently we planned a two day Roundtrip Cruise to Stockholm.  Cruise ferries depart daily at 4.45 p.m. and arrive in Stockholm the next morning enabling visitors to spend a day in the Swedish capital before returning to the ferry for the return voyage. Embarkation  Tallink-Silja Line have two identical cruise ferries …

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Clarion Hotel, Aviapolis, Helsinki Airport

Clarion Hotel Aviapolis, Helsinki Airport

Hotel Review Location: The Clarion Hotel is the newest of the airside hotels at Helsinki Airport, Finland.  It's located a 20 minute walk from the terminal in the tranquil Aviapolis district, an area largely home to aviation offices and the Finnish Aviation Museum. The hotel is 30 minutes by train from Helsinki city centre (trains I …

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Swinghill Ski Area, Nuuksio National Park, Finland

Day trip from Helsinki: Nuuksio National Park

Advertisement with Visit Espoo.  Within easy reach of the Finnish capital lies Nuuksio National Park, an area of crystal clear lakes, forests and rugged crags. Getting there by public transport from Helsinki city centre takes just over an hour with a car journey taking around 40 minutes.  We bought Helsinki Day Cards €12 (£10.45) allowing …

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Tapiola Central Pool, Espoo

Day trip from Helsinki: Tapiola, Espoo

Advertisement with Visit Espoo.  There are so many lovely places to visit in Helsinki and the surrounding area and one of my favourites is to spend a day in neighbouring Tapiola.  With the opening of the western extension of the metro it's now possible to reach Tapiola from the city centre in only 15 minutes.  …

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Tallink Megastar

Tallink Megastar: Helsinki – Tallinn

Spending time in the Finnish capital of Helsinki is absolutely lovely and one of my favourite places to visit.   As well as enjoying the city and surrounding area taking a ferry across to Tallinn in Estonia for a day is a very popular excursion as the journey time is only two hours. On our …

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Saaga Hotel, Lapland

Lapland Hotels Saaga, Ylläs, Lapland, Finland

Hotel Review Location: Lapland Hotels, Saaga is a year round resort hotel situated 175 km north of the arctic circle in Ylläs, Lapland.  The Ylläs area comprises the two villages of Äkaslompolo on the northern side of Ylläs fell and Ylläsjarvi to the south which are connected by a scenic road. Although it sounds remote, …

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Sky Suite Igloo Room, Levi Panorama Hotel

Hotel Levi Panorama, Levi, Lapland, Finland

Hotel Review  Location: Hotel Levi Panorama is a luxurious resort hotel located on the slopes of Levi Fell, 110 miles north of the arctic circle in Lapland, Finland.  Getting to Levi is quite easy as there are daily connecting flights from Helsinki international airport to Kittilä with Finnair (journey time 1 hour 20 minutes).  Levi …

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