← Tampere Marathon·3 nights

Helsinki: Three Slow Days Ending at the Airport

Three nights in the capital with a ferry to a sea fortress, a free library and a seaside sauna, finishing with the airport train.

Duration3 nights
TransitTrain, about 1.5 to 2 hours from Tampere
DepartsTampere railway station

After the Tampere Marathon: Helsinki

The Route: Tampere → Helsinki → Helsinki Airport Logistics: One train south. Helsinki's centre is compact, and the Suomenlinna ferry is part of the public transport network. Marathon Month: September Duration: 3 nights

Tampere station ──(about 1.5 to 2 hrs, VR)──> Helsinki Central (3 nights) ──(airport train)──> Helsinki Airport (HEL)

Tampere is about 180 km north of Helsinki, and the train takes one and a half to two hours according to Wikivoyage. Most international runners fly through Helsinki, so this trip ends where the flight begins. The race is on a Sunday, so take the train on Monday morning or later.

September in Helsinki. Early autumn is mild and the days are shortening. The Suomenlinna ferry runs through the year, but other island boats run on reduced timetables.

Nights one to three: central Helsinki

Stay within a short walk of Helsinki Central station. The Hotel Kämp, beside the Esplanade park, is the luxury choice. For a cheaper stay, look for a cancellable room near the station and ask about breakfast times and luggage storage.

Oodi, the central library, opens from 08:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 20:00 at weekends, including Mondays, and has seating, two cafés and a cinema. It is free to enter. It is the sort of place where a runner can sit for two hours and call it sightseeing.

The Suomenlinna ferry leaves from Market Square about every half hour. Wikivoyage gives the fare as €5 for a 12-hour tourist return, but check the current fare with HSL. The island is free to enter. The paths are cobbles and grass with gentle gradients, so go slowly.

Löyly is a public sauna on the seafront at Hernesaarenranta 4. Book through its website and check the hours for your day. Senate Square and the cathedral are close to the market. The cathedral stands at the top of a wide flight of steps, which is the one real climb in the centre, so look from the square if your quads object.

Getting to the airport

Helsinki Airport (HEL) is reached by train from Helsinki Central in roughly half an hour. Buy the right fare zone through the HSL app, and check the first trains of the morning if you have an early flight.