Walking in Finland and Sweden

Of the many Explore trips I’ve taken I am rating this one lower as it lacked pizazz. A few good highlights but not a very exciting trip. I still enjoyed all the places we visited but wanted more walks (with more time to appreciate the nature) and more guided time in the cities rather than just being left on our own. The tour leader was not from the area so didn’t provide the cultural knowledge and insights that a local would have. Our driver did a great job, sometimes doing tour leader responsibilities. Pretty large bus so plenty of space to spread out. Meals were more expensive than expected as were optional attractions such as museums. Credit cards are used almost exclusively, especially in Sweden which is nearly cashless. Hotels provided very good breakfasts (Turku not so much) and rooms were good. Saunas available at 3 places. Despite the “meh” rating I am glad that I went.

This trip has a wonderful variety of things to see and do. The walking hikes were fairly easy but not boring at all. The cities were great with lots to see and do. The ferry ride to Aland Island/Mariehamn and on to Stockholm was excellent. The ferry was like a cruise ship rather then what I thought a "ferry" was. I enjoyed Mariehamn a lot. I arrived in Helsinki a day early, which I would recommend because there is too much to see in the time included in the trip. I wish I had planned to stay in Stockholm an extra day at the end of the trip or that my flight home was late in the afternoon. The hotel in Helsinki was not very good but other accommodations were better. We bought a 3 day transit pass in Helsinki airport and took the train to the Central Station, then a cab to the hotel. We used the pass for trams from the hotel the rest of our time and the ferry to Suomenlinna but we could have also used it for the subway and the scooters/bicycles. The location of the hotels was excellent for walking or taking the tram to everything. Credit cards are used for even the smallest transaction so don't change too much money to Euros. Sweden is cashless. Don't get any Swedish money.

This was an excellent trip in two beautiful countries. The hotel in Helsinki was a bit out of town and quite basic although close to a tram to reach town centre. Helsinki exceeded my expectations and the walks were lovely and could benefit from an extra day here. We could have done with some extra time to explore Turku so perhaps have a trip solely in Finland. The “ferry” to the Åland islands was an experience - it was more like a mini cruise. The islands were beautiful and lots to see and do. Stockholm is also an interesting city to visit and perhaps an extra day here to do an urban green walk would be useful. Our tour guide Toni was exceptional and he provided invaluable insight into life in the Nordic region and was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area. We had a great driver in Roman too. I would definitely recommend this trip. My tip would be do not bring any Swedish krone as very few shops/ restaurants take cash!