Sep 30, General

• HK-> Copenhagen: via SAS (member of star Alliance).  SAS is not particularly convenient, as the route is via Bangkok.  But I want to stop over in Danmark.  
• Finair, also via Bangkok, is perhaps cheaper, but they have only 3 flights every week in each direction.
• I have also considered KLM but fully booked.
• If you have more leisure, consider the following route via SAS:  HK -> Copenhagen -> Helsinki.  After finish visiting Finland, go to Estonia (Tallinn) by fast ferry.   From Tallinn, there is direct overnight ferry to Stockholm.  From Stockholm, you can go to Oslo by train.  Return from Oslo -> Copenhagen -> HK (open-jaw flight permitted). Stop over in Copenhagen either during forward or return trip.  Then you have visited all the important North Europe countries.   
• I think the flight from Copenhagen to the Baltic states are more expensive.  Otherwise, you may consider HK -> Copenhagen -> Vilnius (Lithuania), then by bus -> around 5 hr Riga (Latvia) -> around 5 hr Tallinn (Estonia), then by fast ferry 2 hr to Helsinki. After finishing Filand, go to Stockholm via ferry from Turku (or via north part by land Oulu).
• English is fine in North Europe including Estonia.  The second official language of Finland is Swedish, and therefore there are Swedish signs under Finish signs in lots of places.  Swedish and Danish are close to English, while Finnish and Estonian are Euro-Urgo languages distant from most other European languages. It is expensive in North Europe, but the Baltic states are very cheap.  I booked hotels through the Internet (by email and  online services) before going.
• At this time, it gets dark at around 7pm.  However, as it is the low season, a number of museums are closed or reduced their opening hours.  Denmark is still warm but it is cold in Finland and Estonia (0 C).

Oct 1-3, Copenhagen, capital of Denmark

• I could not  exchange for Denmark Krones (DKK money) in HK.  The exchange rate there is quite bad and it need at least DKK20 for commission ("Forex" at Copenhagen main railway station, airport DKK30).  1DDK approximately equals 1HKD.
• I stayed at  Hotel Centrum, Helgolandsgade 14, 1653 Kobenhavn V,  
  Tel: (+45) 33313111 Fax: (+45)33233251 (550DKK low season)
• There are too many (expensive) museums to visit and the city / regional traffic is very expensive.  Buy a Copenhagen card at the airport information office, which covers train from airport to city center (15 minutes).  I bought a 72 hour card for DKK495.   It covers also regional train to Helsingor (for Kronborg Palace) and Hillerød (for Frederiksborg Palace).
• 3-4 days can barely cover the museums and attraction sights in the urban area.  So, 5-6 days are recommended as there are a lot to see, including the suburbs.  Note that the Tivoli gardens are closed 9/23-11/24. You may even want to go to Malmo of Sweden, which is around 20 minutes from Copenhagen airport across a giant bridge (in the opposite direction from the city center).
• Follow the guide of the Copenhagen card to go round numerous museums in the city center.  Entering the current royal palace and Kronborg Palace need extra fee. 
• On Wednesday, a lot of museums have extended open hours and a lot of them a free.  You may want to make use of that to save one day of Copenhagen card.   However, on Monday, almost all museums are closed.
• The authentic buffet at the Bristol Restaurant in the main railway station worth trying, around 130DKK (excluding drink).
• You need to spend another day going to Helsingor (for Kronborg Palace) and Hillerød (for Frederiksborg Palace).   Note that Helsingor and Hillerød are connected by the line Nord (train every hour, 40 min. travel) - you may take a triangular travel to save some time.  Note that you should  take a bus from Hillerød railway station to Frederiksborg Palace.

Oct 3-4, Helsinki, capital of Finland

• I took an evening plane (around 7:30) from Copenhagen to Helsinki (2 hour).  This strategic is good as there are few activities in the evening and we should not waste precious daylight or  museum open hours.
• Finland and Estonia is (GMT+3) 5 hour behind of HK while Copenhagen is (GMT+2) 6 hour behind of HK.
• I stayed at Anton Hotel, Paasivuorenkatu 1, Tel: 003589774900  Fax: 0035897014527 (55 Euro).
  Bus Line No 615 (3 Euro). Exit at Stop Hakaniemi.  Booked through TravelNow.com
• The city center is nicely served by tram, though most destinations are within walking distances.  Circular tourism tram 3T or 3B (in opposite directions) covers most tourist attractions. You may consider buy a group (2 adult and 2 kid max) day ticket, otherwise an hour ticket cost 2 Euro.  Though there seems no one checking for tickets on trams, note the penalty when caught is 42 Euros.  
• Though there is a Helsinki card, I don't think it worth buying, especially in low seasons, many museums are closed or open in shortened hours.
• Visit the Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress.  The ferry (around 15 minutes travel) is from the market square.  However, in low seasons, most buildings are closed.

Oct 4-7, Tallinn, capital of Estonia

• Note: Canadian passports need visa, but HKSAR ones do not!!
• I took a fast ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia: Nordic Jet 19:30 (18 Euros, 1:45)
  Tel: 358-9681770 FI / 372-6137000 EE,  Fax: 358-9-68177111 FI / 372-6137222
  Note that the ferry at different time cost different.  Check their web site and book your ticket via Email.
• I stayed at  Reval Express Hotel, Sadama 1, Tel: 372-667-8700, near the Nordic Jet Terminal
  booked via clickestonia.com  (55 Euro per night)
• At the terminal Tallinn, there is a exchange counter. Rate is still OK. Official rate is fixed at 1Euro=15.65EEK (i.e. 1HKD=2EKK), but you need to exchange a lot of money to get this rate.  However,  you don't need too much cash as credit cards are widely accepted there.  On Oct 8, the EU passed the resolution that these 3 Baltic states will become EU member countries in the coming batch.
• Buy a Tallinn card.  Look at the web site for the attractions.  The city has on of the best retained medieval European towns surrounded with a city wall in very good shape.  A lot of city wall towers are renovated for visit or as museums. The most economic way is to buy a 6 hr card for just 60EEK (every day once - they don't care too much when the hours are expired but within the same day), to cover all museums and transportation within the city.  The Tallinn card also enables you to get 25 EEK coins from a casino for slot machines!
• The national opera is very cheap, cheapest ticket 50EEK.  I watched an opera Nebula there.
• Restaurants are cheap and serve good food.  Fish dishes, including fish soup, are excellent.  Local chocolate are also very very cheap.
• It snowed on Oct 5.  It is the first time that I walked under snow.
• I visited an old icebreaker ship (Suur Toll) and went into the machine room.
• Every Sat and Sun 4pm, St. Nicholas's Church (Niguliste muuseum-kontserdisaal) offers  a free organ concert.  It was indeed magnificent.  The medieval old town has a lot of attraction as detailed in the official tourist page and I have visited all of them.
• There is a summer residence of Czar Peter I in Tallinn, Kadriorg Palace,.St. Olaf’s Church (1267) was the tallest church in Medieval Europe.
• Many people bring a lot of beers (max 48 cans)  and a carton of cigarettes back to Finland!

Oct 7, Lahti, Filand

• Tallinn -> Helsinki: Nordic Jet 10:15 (18 Euro)
• I took a train to Lahti (1:20, 12.8 Euro, train every 30-60min), a lake-side town.  Indeed, the town is quiet and beautiful, especially by the lake. I took a 2-hour walk within the city center and the lakeside. In summer, there is a sight-seeing ferry to Jyvaskyla.
• Then I took another train to Tampere (2:00, 20.2 Euro, train every hour at :04, with some extra train, connection at Riihimaki).

Oct 7-11, Tampere, Filand

• I stayed at Hotel Iltatahti, Tuomiokirkonkatu 19, 33100 Tampere,  tel: 011 358 331 5161 (202 Euro total)
• ER2002 Conference: Tampere Hall  (My presentation: Oct 8 around 12:00)   Tampere Hall is the biggest city hall in the nordic countries. The conference reception is at the old city hall.
• The city is a small one within walking distances, yet it is the third largest city of Finland...
• Deer meat is an authentic dish there...

Oct 11-12, Turku (Åbo), Filand

• After the conference, I took a train to Turku (1:45, train every 1-3 hours, 16.6 Euro).  Turku is the old capital and oldest city of Finland.  The riverside is beautiful.  I dined in a boat restaurant.
• I stayed at Bridgettine Convent Guest House (birgittalaissisaret), Ursininkatu 15 a, FIN-20100, Turku
  E-Mail: birgitta.turku@kolumbus.fi Phone: +358-(0)2-250 1910,  231 8037,  278 1991 F: +358-(0)2-250 3078 (42 Euro)
• Most of the sight attractions are within walking distance.  I walked around the city and visited the castle there. 

Oct 12-13, Helsinki, Filand

• I returned to Helsinki by train (2 hr, train every hour at :00, 21.4 Euro) and stay again at the Anton Hotel, Helsinki.
• Freshly smoked salmon filet is very delicious (I mean they smoked a piece of salmon filet when you order it).
• I visited the national museum and Helsinki city museum, not attractive in comparison with those in Denmark.  But the rock church (Temppenliaukion kirkko)
• I returned to HK with 2 connection flights.  It is tiring.  Though the forward trip was on half full, the return trip was completely full.