My Trip to North Europe (Fall 2002)
Sep 30, General
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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.
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Finair, also via Bangkok, is perhaps cheaper, but they have only
3 flights every week in each direction.
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I have also considered KLM but fully booked.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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
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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.
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I stayed at Hotel Centrum,
Helgolandsgade 14, 1653 Kobenhavn V,
Tel: (+45) 33313111 Fax: (+45)33233251 (550DKK low season)
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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).
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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).
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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.
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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.
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The authentic buffet at the Bristol Restaurant in the main
railway station worth trying, around 130DKK (excluding drink).
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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
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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.
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Finland and Estonia is (GMT+3) 5 hour behind of HK while
Copenhagen is (GMT+2) 6 hour behind of HK.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Note: Canadian passports need visa, but HKSAR ones do not!!
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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!
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The national opera is very cheap, cheapest ticket 50EEK. I
watched an opera Nebula there.
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Restaurants are cheap and serve good food. Fish dishes,
including fish soup, are excellent. Local chocolate are also very very
cheap.
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It snowed on Oct 5. It is the first time that I walked
under snow.
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I visited an old icebreaker ship (Suur Toll) and went into the
machine room.
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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.
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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.
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Many people bring a lot of beers (max 48 cans) and a
carton of cigarettes back to Finland!
Oct 7, Lahti,
Filand
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Tallinn -> Helsinki: Nordic
Jet 10:15 (18 Euro)
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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.
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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
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I stayed at Hotel
Iltatahti, Tuomiokirkonkatu 19, 33100 Tampere, tel: 011 358 331 5161
(202 Euro total)
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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.
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The city is a small one within walking distances, yet it is the
third largest city of Finland...
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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.