Four easy day trips that show a different side of Finland — and one that's not in Finland at all.
Picturesque old town 50 km east of Helsinki. Wooden houses painted red-ochre, cobblestone streets, Finland's second-oldest city. Half day enough.
Forests, lakes, hiking trails. Rent snowshoes in winter, canoes in summer from the Haltia nature centre. Day-long trip.
Different country, different currency (also €), medieval old town. Ferries from Länsiterminaali. Leave 8:00, back by 22:00. Tallink and Viking Line.
Finland's second city, surrounded by lakes. Finland's oldest public sauna (Rajaportti), the Moomin Museum, Pispala ridge. Full day.
JT-Line and SeaLife ferries stop at islands around Helsinki. Pihlajasaari, Vallisaari, Isosaari — each different. Summer only, check schedules.
Common mistake
Doing Tallinn as a rushed 6-hour trip — it's worth 10 hours minimum.
Good to know
VR Matkalla app handles all trains. Matkahuolto handles buses. Buy ahead for cheap tickets.