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GENERAL INFORMATION

Good to Know

Local time CET+1 hour

Currency Euro / € . Banks are normally open Mon-Fri from 10:00–16:30. . Currency exchange offices are open Mon–Fri from 09:00–20:00 (Sat from 10:00–18:00) and can be found in the city centre (e.g. number 1 on the on page 6). . Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express) are commonly accepted, also in taxis.

Telephones The country code for calling to Finland is 358, the area code for Helsinki is (0)9. To call outside Finland you can use the prefix 990 or 999 when using a landline.

Weather It can be nice and sunny but also windy and rainy in the end of August. Prepare to bring warm clothes, comfortable shoes and an umbrella. We suggest checking the weather closer to the seminar on the Internet:

The Finnish Meteorological Institute: http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather/helsinki

Airport Transfers (from/to city center)

The simplest way to get from the airport to the city centre is by taxi. The journey takes about 25–30 minutes and costs about 40 €. Taxis are available outside the Arrival halls. Service desks for the taxi operators can be found at Arrival halls 1 and 2. Fixed fare shared taxis are also available.

The Rail Ring Line connecting the airport and Helsinki Railway Station opened last year. Trains marked I and P depart the airport train station every ten minutes and take approximately 30 minutes to the city centre. The train fare costs 5,50 €. Please note that the ticket must be bought at a ticket machine before boarding the train.

Helsinki Airport is also accessible by bus. Finnair's own City buses with connections to the airport (both terminals) and the centre of Helsinki (the Central Railway Station, number 1 on the map on page 5) leave every 20 minutes, the fare is 6.30 €. Also Helsinki Region Transport's bus no 615 serves between the airport and the city centre (Central Railway Station), leaving every 10–15 minutes, fare 5.50 €. The bus trip takes approximately 35 minutes, and the bus stops are in front of the terminals.

Information about transportation to and from the airport: http://www.finavia.fi/en/helsinki-airport/to-and-from/train-buses-and-taxis/ 2 (2)

Departure at the Helsinki Airport

Please note that the flight tickets must be presented also at the security control. Tickets or boarding passes will be inspected at the security control. Flight tickets and boarding passes will be valid as verification of the intention to travel. They can be either printed or text messages. Flight information stored on airline loyalty cards or credit cards will not be valid for verifying the intention to travel.

Helsinki Airport has easy-to-use check-in machines close to all terminal entrances. You can use the machines also when you have baggage going into the hold. More information about the check-in machines: http://www.finavia.fi/en/news-room/news/2015/how-to-use-checkin-and-luggage- machines/

Public Transportation

The public transportation in Helsinki includes bus, tram, metro and train services. A single ticket (3.20 €) is valid for one hour within the Helsinki city boundaries. Also day tickets for 1–7 days are available if you plan to take several journeys.

Routes, timetables and maps are available at: https://www.hsl.fi/en

Helsinki Card includes unlimited travel on public transport within the city of Helsinki and also free entrance to numerous major sights and museums: http://www.helsinkicard.com/.

Tourist Information

The next few links will help you to plan your visit in Helsinki. These Internet sites provide information about Helsinki; sights, restaurants, events, trips, shopping, museums etc.

Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau: http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en Helsinki Design District: https://designdistrict.fi/en/ Helsinki City Internet pages: http://www.hel.fi/www/helsinki/en

Information on Finland: You can find more information on Finland, the Finns and places to visit on Visit Finland: http://www.visitfinland.com/