World Press Freedom Day 2016
Practical Information
Visa's and Customs
Finland is a European Union Member State and member of the Schengen Area. A valid passport is required to enter the country. Citizens from other European Union Member States and/or Schengen countries are not required to present a visa upon arrival. Please consult the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in order to check whether you need a visa and which travel documents are accepted.
The visa application process can be started from the nearest Finnish mission or the visa centre that the mission advises to you. Please refer to the website of the Finnish Ministry for foreign Affairs for more information on the application process. The contact address at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is
Travel and getting around
Getting to and from the airport
Located around 17 km from Helsinki, Helsinki Airport is the main international airport of Finland and is easily accessible by public transport and taxi services.
The train connection (lines P and I) towards the Helsinki city centre takes about 40 minutes and departs every ten minutes during daytime. Single fares can be bought for €5.00 (regional ticket) and are available at the ticket machines on the platforms and on the train itself. For more information about ticket prices and schedules, please consult the HLS-website here.
Bus line 615 departs every twenty minutes from Terminal 2 and brings you to the city centre in around 50 minutes. Single fares are €5.00 (regional ticket) and can be purchased at ticket machines and from the driver. Please consult the HLS-website for timetables.
Finnair city bus operates daily between the airport and the central railway station. A single fare costs €6.20 (online)/€6.30 (on board) for a journey of 30 minutes one way. Departures are scheduled every twenty minutes from Terminal 2. For more information, please refer to the online brochure accessible here.
A journey by taxi from the airport to the centre of Helsinki takes about 30 minutes and costs around €45.00-€50.00. The taxi stands are located right outside the arrival areas of the terminals. For more information, please click here.
Please consult the website of the Helsinki Airport for more information on available services.
Public transport
Trams, buses, and metro services are all available in Helsinki and operate on the same ticket. Single fares for travelling within the city range from €2.40 to €5.00 and can be purchased from the driver, at ticket machines, or by text message (requires a Finnish mobile phone operator).
Day tickets for unlimited travelling are available for €8.00 (one day) up until €32.00 (seven days). They can be purchased from ticket machines, from the Tourist Information Centre or from the Helsinki City Transport service point in the Central Railway Station. One day tickets are also sold by the drivers.
For more information, please consult the HLS-website.
Venue
The Finlandia Hall will host all the plenary sessions and the conference of World Press Freedom Day 2016.
Address
Mannerheimintie 13 e
00100 Helsinki, Finland
Phone
Tel. +358 9 40241
Tram and bus stops can be found right in front of the building, which is only a short walk from the city centre and the central railway station. Trams 4, 7, and 10 stop at the National Museum (“Kansallismuseo”) which is located in front of the conference hall.
For more information about Finlandia Hall, please visit their website.
You can watch The Story of Finlandia Hall on Youtube.
Accomodation
Participants are advised to contact the hotels directly. Negotiated prices per night are available at the hotels below, please consult this overview for booking your reservation.
Unioninkatu 17 |
Simonkatu 9 |
Mikonkatu 23 @ Mail |
Mannerheimintie 46 |
Kaisaniemenkatu 7 |
Pohjoisesplanadi 29 @ Mail |
Mannerheimintie 10 |
Asema-Aukio 2 |
Vuorikatu 19 |
Siltasaarenkatu 14 |
Mannerheimintie 50 |
Runeberginkatu 2 |
Kaivokatu 12 @ Mail |
Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4 |
Locations at the Helsinki city center: |
Additional Information
Languages
Finnish (Suomi) and Swedish are the two official languages of Finland. Most Finns are fluent in other foreign languages, with the majority of them speaking and understanding English.
Currency
As a member of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), Finland utilizes the euro.
Electrical outlet
Finland has 220V electricity and primarily uses Europlug and Schuko as socket types. A plug adapter and a step-down transformer will be necessary when your appliances use a lower voltage and/or another type of plug.
Drinking water
Finnish tap water is safe to drink.
Weather
Spring in Finland begins in April where the daily temperature varies around 10° C. Light precipitation is likely. Patches of snow might still be present in Helsinki.
What to see and do in Helsinki
Sights and attractions on the Visit Helsinki website.
Map of Helsinki
Download the map of the Helsinki City Centre here.