Local Information

Finland (in Finnish “Suomi”) is a republic and a member of the European Union since 1995. Its population is 5.3 million and its surface area 338,145 sq. km. Finland has about 190,000 lakes and as many islands.

Helsinki is a modern European city of culture that is famous especially for its design and high technology. Helsinki is a pocket-sized metropolis that is easy to discover on foot. Helsinki is one of the safest cities in Europe. Helsinki was declared the capital of Finland in 1812, making 2012 is its bicentenary year as the Capital. Helsinki is also the World Design Capital 2012. In 2011, the Monocle Magazine selected Helsinki as the most liveable city.

Read more about Helsinki and Finland on the web sites of the Finnish Tourist Board, Virtual Finland, Finland.fi, Finland in Wikipedia, Wikitravel, Statistics Finland and the City of Helsinki.

Conference Venue

SIGCOMM 2012 will be held at Finlandia Hall, the leading congress, event and entertainment venue in Finland. Centrally located in park-like surroundings, it is a masterpiece by the great Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

The main conference will take in the main Congress Halls, with workshops and tutorials taking place in various other rooms in the Congress Wing.

Trams 4, 7 and 10 stop on Mannerheimintie next to Finlandia Hall (“Kansallismuseo” stop).

Social Events

SIGCOMM 2012 features a Welcome Reception, a Student Dinner and a Conference Banquet.

• The Welcome Reception is hosted by the City of Helsinki at City Hall on Monday evening. Drinks and hors d’oeuvre will be served; plan on having dinner on your own afterwards. The closest tram stop near City Hall is “Senaatintori”, which is a direct connection from the conference venue (Finlandia Hall) with lines 4 or 7B. Because of security restrictions, you MUST bring your invitation card in order to be allowed into City Hall. The invitation card and public transport pass are part of your registration package, to be picked up at Finlandia Hall prior to the reception. You will not be able to pick up your registration package at the reception.
• The Student Dinner takes place at Restaurant Kaivuhoune on Tuesday evening. Attendance is restricted to student attendees, committee members and supporters. The closest tram stop to the restaurant is “Kaivopuisto” on the 3T line. The 3T leaves from the “Lasipalatsi” stop near Finlandia Hall.
• The Conference Banquet takes place at the Marina Congress Center on Wednesday evening. The closest tram stop to the banquet venue is “Kauppiaankatu” on the 4T line. The 4T leaves from the “Kansallismuseo” stop in front of Finlandia Hall.

Hotels

There are plenty of options for accommodation available in easy walking distance from the venue. Below is a list of downtown hotels with which we had contracted room block, but those blocks were returned on July 12 to avoid penalty fees. However, most of the hotels (possibly except the Sokos) agreed to continue to offer the negotiated rates for a little while longer. Make sure to use the reservation codes below when asking for the negotiated rates.

The hotels in the list can be found from Google Maps. More information can be obtained from the Helsinki tourist office.

Transportation

To and from Helsinki-Vantaa airport, you can either take a bus or taxi:

• Bus no. 615: Single fare from the airport (“lentoasema”) is 4.50 €, and the journey time is about 35 minutes to the main railway station. From the railway station (“rautatientori”) it is about about 0.5 km to the conference venue or the hotels. The bus ticket is valid for transfers within 80 minutes, so you can continue by tram to the venue or hotels if you prefer not to walk. See the Journey Planner for the exact route.
• Finnair City bus: Single fare is 6.20 €, journey time is 35 minutes. The bus stops near various hotels and ends at the main railway station (“rautatientori”) just like bus 615. See the bus schedule for information about the schedule and hotel stops. and Note that the ticket is not valid on any other transport (trams, other buses, etc.).
• Airport taxi: The airport taxis (yellow minivans) have flat rates and leave when the minivan has enough passengers. (1-2 persons is 29 € total, 3-4 persons 45 € total).
• Normal taxi (yellow taxi sign on the roof) to the center of the city from the airport should be about 40-45 €. All taxis have a meter, charge the same rates, and all accept major credit cards.

To get around the city, you should rely on public transportation. Public transportation in Helsinki consist of bus, tram and metro.

Note: If you registered before the early registration deadline, your conference package will include a complimentary public transportation pass for the Helsinki zone during the conference week!

Otherwise, the fare varies from 1-4 €, depending on whether the trip is within Helsinki or crosses into other zones (Espoo, Vantaa, Kerava, etc.) You can buy a ticket from the bus or tram driver (but not on the metro), but you may want to consider getting a travel card fore reduced fares. Detailed information is available from Helsinki Regional Transport.

Get a mobile app to help you navigate Helsinki’s public transport system.

Organizers’ Picks

Here are some of our personal food & drink favorites in Helsinki. But go and explore!

August is still a holiday month in Finland, and restaurants can be closed on some days. It is generally a good idea to call ahead for reservations.

• Restaurants

• Virgin Oil

  Convenient downtown location, should work for larger groups. Pub and concert venue in the same location.

• Elite

  Classic restaurant. Should work for larger groups.

• Kuurna

  Small friendly restaurant with a weekly prix fixe menu.

• Patrona

  Authentic Mexican food and imported tequilas. Great service.

• Saari

  Island restaurant a few hundred meters off the downtown shore. Nice vistas.

• Bistro Helsinki 15

  Relaxed bistro.

• Rafla

  Bar and restaurant with a nice atmosphere and friendly service.

• Pikku Nepal

  Nepalese restaurant with a large menu.

• Kuu

  Eclectic restaurant close to several hotels.

• Chez Dominique

  The high-end dining experience in Finland. Two Michelin stars. The lunch menu is an affordable option.

Many more restaurants on eat.fi.

• Pubs (Hi Jon!)

• St. Urho’s Pub

  Decent beer selection; closest to the venue.

• Olutravintola Pikkulintu

  Remote (use your travel card), but probably the best beer and whisky selection in Finland.

• Oluthuone Kaisla

  Probably the best beer selection downtown.

• Teerenpeli

  Brewpub; close to the venue.

• Bruuveri

  Brewpub; reasonably close to the venue.

• Suomenlinnan Panimo

  Brewpub on Suomenlinna island (use your travel card); decent food.

More about Helsinki pubs here and here.

Sightseeing

Most of Helsinki’s tourist attractions are situated within easy walking distance of the city center, and if your feet do get tired, you can rely on Helsinki’s excellent public transportation — which has been ranked the best in Europe. There are plenty of sightseeing tours, excursions and other activities to fill every day of your holiday. You can also discover the city by hopping aboard the 3T tram or making the most the city’s walking, cycling and nature paths. To help you discover Helsinki on your own, the brochure “Helsinki on Foot” can be purchased from Tourist information. The brochure presents seven well-marked walking routes

Helsinki - There are many interesting places worth visiting in Helsinki, such as Senate Square, Cathedral, Market Square and Market Hall, Sederholm House, Helsinki City Museum, Uspenski Cathedral, Esplanade Park, and Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site. To find out more information, you can visit City Tourist information.

Southern Finland - Places in Southern Finland worth visiting include Porvoo, Turku and Tampere. Porvoo is easily reached by bus or a cruise and Turku and Tampere are reachable by train in under 2 hours.

Tallin - In the south, is the capital of Estonia, is only 2 hours away by ferry (a day cruise costs about 25-40 €). Both Finland and Estonia are Schengen countries (see Schengen agreement). For ferry schedules and prices, see the ferry line site of your choice: Tallink/Silja Line or Eckerö Line or Lindaline.

St. Petersburg - You can also visit St. Petersburg during your stay here. It is only a 4-hour train ride from Helsinki to St. Petersburg. For most tourists to Russia, a Russian visa is required. You should apply for a Russian visa beforehand (from your country of residence). Contact your local Russian embassy for details. To find out more information, see list of attractions, train schedules and fares. Visiting St. Petersburg on an overnight cruise allows a visa-free stay of up to 72 hours for all nationalities. Please see the website of St. Peter Line for more information on this arrangement.

Culture

Helsinki is full of passion, every corner of the city is worth exploring to know its architecture, music, film, literature and arts. As a visitor, you should also try sauna.

In addition to Nordic, international and Russian cuisine, Helsinki offers many ethnic and fusion restaurants. The newest trend is for young chefs to start their own small and unique gourmet restaurants. Helsinki also offers world-class restaurants that have earned Michelin stars. At the other extreme you can enjoy Finnish home cooking traditions in cosy local restaurants that have built their reputations on fried herring and mashed potatoes. You can find restaurants and cafeterias here, and more information here

Useful Locations