Travel information

Finland may be in the most northerly corner of Europe , but reaching it is easy! Finnair has non-stop, usually daily connections from cities right across Europe, as well as an extensive network of Asian destinations, including Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo, and flights from North America. Many other airlines fly to Finland, too.  Ask for connection flights from Helsinki to Tampere, if you do not have a direct flight to Tampere.

There are also many daily ferries crossing the Baltic from Sweden, Germany and Estonia. Many of the ferries are luxury cruisers, so traveling to Finland from Stockholm might be a great experience. There are harbors in Helsinki and Turku, and in Hanko if coming from Germany. From Helsinki and Turku it is possible to take a coach or a train to Tampere (about two hours). 

Getting to Tampere is also easy. There are frequent airline services via Helsinki and direct flights from Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tallinn, London, Frankfurt-Hahn, Dublin, Liverpool, Bremen and Riga to Tampere-Pirkkala International Airport. The journey from the Tampere-Pirkkala airport to city centre can be covered in less than half an hour. From the Helsinki-Vantaa airport it takes between 1.5 to 2.5 hours to reach Tampere.

Tampere Airport is served direct by four airlines:
SAS: www.scandinavian.net
Blue1: www.blue1.com
FINNAIR: www.finnair.com
RYANAIR: www.ryanair.com
 
Finnish Civil Aviation Administration: www.ilmailulaitos.fi

From Helsinki- Vantaa International Airport
There will be charter buses for the FESPB 2008 participants from Helsinki-Vantaa airport during the busiest arrival days. More information on this will be provided in the Final Announcement and on the website. 

From Helsinki, express bus services run approximately every hour. Regular trains and coaches bring you smoothly to Tampere from Helsinki even in less than two hours. In general, transport connections within  Finland are of excellent standard. Main roads are in good condition and public transport is punctual, efficient, and comfortable.

By coach 
From Helsinki- Vantaa airport use the Paunu express bus service which operates directly from the International Flights Terminal taking about 2.5 hours. There is a coach almost at every hour. A one-way ticket costs about 25 € and can be purchased on board. For details, timetables and reservations please visit:
http://www.paunu.fi/english.html or http://www.expressbus.com/

By train 
There’s a fast, regular and comfortable train service between Helsinki and Tampere. The trains run hourly at most times of the day. From Helsinki- Vantaa airport catch a local bus no. 61 or 61K to Tikkurila railway station (Tikkurilan asema) from platform 22 outside the International Flights Terminal. The journey takes about 20 minutes and costs 2.40 euros (2006). Please note that only cash is accepted in local buses.

All long-distance trains stop at Tikkurila. The fastest connections to Tampere are by Pendolino and Inter City trains. The journey takes a little over an hour in a Pendolino train and 1.5 hours in an Inter City train. Tickets cost about 30 € one way depending on a train. Tickets can be purchased from train stations or online.

For further details, timetables and online ticket reservations please check:
http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html
 

 Travel documents 

Passport and Visa 
Finland is a member of the Schengen agreement and visas are not required for citizens of the EU countries, citizens of the Nordic countries and citizens of countries on the list of visa-free states, providing they possess other valid travel documents (most often passport). Visa and other travel document requirements for different nationalities can be found here: Visa requirements. Citizens of all the other countries should contact the nearest Finnish embassy for further information. Participants requiring a visa for entry to Finland are strongly advised to make an application in their home country at least three months before the intended date of travel.

Participants who wish to visit Russia and then intend to return home via Finland should apply for a double entry Finnish visa. Further information can be found on the Ministry for Foreign Affairs homepage.

Letter of invitation 
The organizing committee will be pleased to send a letter of invitation to any individual requesting one. It should be understood that an invitation is intended to help potential participants raise travel funds or obtain a visa. It is not a commitment on the part of the congress to provide any financial support.