WELCOME TO HELSINKI! Welcome Desk at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

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1 WELCOME TO HELSINKI! With the 15th IFTR/FIRT World Congress just around the corner, we want to wish you a safe journey and hope that the following guidelines will help you find your way to the University of Helsinki. Welcome Desk at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport There will be a congress reception desk at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport welcoming you to Helsinki on August 6-7, 2006 from The reception desk is situated in arrivals terminal 2. Our congress team will help you find your way into Helsinki and to your hotel. How to reach the Center of Helsinki from the Airport Taxi: Taxi ranks are located in front of the terminal. Journey time to Helsinki: 30 minutes. The yellow Airport Taxi company offers shuttle service from and to the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Price: 20 EUR/person. Bus: Public bus to Helsinki city centre (number 615) departs from the terminal. Journey time: 40 minutes. Runs from (Mon-Sun). Tickets: 3,40 EUR. The Finnair City Bus (tel: +358 (0) ; website: also runs to Helsinki city centre. Journey time: minutes. Departs every 20 min. Runs from every day. NB! The Finnair City Bus will stop at Scandic Hotel Continental, which is not the same as Scandic Grand Marina. Tickets: 5,20 EUR. Ground Transportation in Helsinki: Ticket Information A single ticket can be bought from the driver (in the commuter trains from the ticket collector) or from a ticket machine. It is valid for 60 minutes from the moment of purchase. You can travel with a single ticket freely and change to another tram, metro, bus, commuter train or to the Suomenlinna ferry when the ticket is valid. With the Helsinki City Transport s Tourist Ticket you can freely travel in Helsinki on all vehicles - buses, trams, metro, commuter trains and Suomenlinna ferries (note: not on JT- Line water buses). You can choose between a 1-, 3- or 5-day ticket. The 1-, 3- and 5-day Tourist Tickets that are bought beforehand are contact cards in which the ticket is ready loaded. The ticket is valid from the moment of the first journey when the ticket is pushed into the slot in the lower part of the card reader. How to use the contact card: The Tourist Tickets that are contact cards are sold at the service points of the HKL (Helsinki City Transport), R-kiosks located in the city centre and Helsinki City Tourist Information. From the multi-ticket machines you can buy 1-, 3- and 5-day Tourist Tickets of paper. The drivers and the train conductors sell 1-day Tourist Tickets of paper. The tickets that are bought from the ticket machines or a driver are valid from the

2 moment they are bought. The Helsinki Card is also a ticket: The Helsinki Card is a benefit card for tourists. With the Helsinki Card you can enter freely most of the museums and sights and get discount on services and purchases. You can also travel freely on the vehicles of the public transport when the card is valid. How to get to your hotel Use the Journey Planner to find the best route to your destination! Type your place of departure and your destination and the Steet Finder will show you the best connections and routes on a city map: Holiday Inn The last stop of the Finnair Bus is at Elielinaukio, less than a 100 meters from the Holiday Inn. Elielinaukio Helsinki, FINLAND Tel (0) Fax (0 ) Helsinki.hihcc@restel.fi Website Scandic Grand Marina Take either the Finnair City Bus or bus number 615 to the Railway Station (last stop). Take tram number 4 to the hotel (green route). If you have taken bus nr 615, you can take a tram with the same ticket. If you have taken the Finnair Bus, you need to buy a Tram Ticket 2 EUR. Katajanokanlaituri Helsinki, FINLAND Tel (0) Fax (0) grandmarina@scandic-hotels.com Website

3 Eurohostel Take either the Finnair City Bus or bus number 615 to the Railway Station (last stop). Take tram number 4 to the hotel (green route). If you have taken bus nr 615, you can take a tram with the same ticket. If you have taken the Finnair Bus, you need to buy a Tram Ticket 2 EUR. Linnankatu Helsinki, FINLAND Tel (0) Fax (0) eurohostel@eurohostel.fi Website Where do I go on Monday morning (or later in the week)? University of Helsinki, Main Building (Päärakennus) is the site for the IFTR/FIRT congress. The building is located at the Senate Square, street address: Unioninkatu 34 (entrance from the square). Right image of the Senate Square in the heart of Helsinki. Facing the square on the bottom of the image is the university main building with its old and new side All working group sessions (except Performance as Research) will take place at the university main building, as will the rest of the congress programme (except receptions) throughout the week.

4 From the Scandic Grand Marina and Eurohostels, take Tram 4 (green route). Tram Ticket 2 EUR. From the Holiday Inn, walk (fastest option) to the Congress Venue - or any of the trams departing from Aleksanterinkatu, in fron of Stockmann department store going towards the Senate Square.

5 Practice as Research WG will meet at the Theatre Academy (Street Address: Haapaniemenkatu 6. Go to Senate Square, take Tram 7 (green route). Tram Ticket 2 EUR. Congress Registration Desk Aud I, 2 nd floor, the old part of the University Main Building, street address: Unioninkatu 34. Open from In case of urgency, dial (+358 9) Working Group rooms The designated rooms are mentioned in the Congress Schedule, published on our website. Floor maps of the venue are available below, and in the Schedule. Our staff will help you find your room on Monday morning. Practical Things How to get along Almost all Finnish people have a basic knowledge of English, so do not hesitate to use English in everyday situations. Payment Instructions If you have not paid the congress fee, it can be paid either by cash or by Visa or Mastercard (no cheques) at the registration desk. Observe that there will be an additional fee of 25 EUR for onsite registrations. Calling There are card phones (although not in abundance due to our mobile prone country). You may find phone cards e.g. in the R-kiosks. Calling abroad dial 00 + country code Mobile phones with European standard should work without any problems. Contact your operator to get more specific information. Weather - what to take with? In August the weather is usually quite nice in Finland. The day temperatures range from 15º up to 25º Celcius (60º - 80º F). Nights may be colder, therefore be prepared and pack a jacket and a pullover with you. We recommend that you will take a good pair of walking shoes and a rain coat as well. Eating and drinking If eating out, a reasonable price for a lunch is from 6 to 8,50 E. A pint of beer costs about 4 EUR but it may cost up to 5,50 EUR in the fanciest bars of the city centre. Notice that service is always included in the prices, NO tips needed.

6 There are numerous shops and markets in the city centre. The markets in the railway station under-ground tunnel have the best open hours (from early morning until 10 p.m. everyday). Money The currency (EUR) is 'euro', which is subdivided into 100 'cents' (Finland does not use 1 or 2 cents). 1 EUR equals to appr. 1,10 USD. Social skills up North To survive in Finland and to understand the behaviour of the Finns you might like to know something about our character and the way we live here up in the North. Keep in the queue Whenever people have to wait, they usually form a queue. Do not try to go in front of the people who are already there. In banks, post offices etc. you will find a system of "queuing tickets" in use. Keep talking... Finns are known not to be great talkers; it is said that we talk only when we really have something to say. There are exceptions of course! The fact that moments of silence occur in a conversation should not discourage you from talking. To us these breaks in the conversation are quite natural; it does not mean that we are angry with you or embarrassed....and listen, too When talking, Finns feel that everybody should have their say in turn. Smoking There is a fairly new law that forbids smoking in public places unless there is a very well defined smoking area. This goes for all university premises, too. You should not smoke in a private home either, unless you obtain permission. Holiday Inn / Finnair Bus Stop Congress Venue Senate Square Eurohostel Railway Station Scandic Grand Marina

7 University Main Building The Congress Venue is located at the University Main Building. The University Main Building has two sides, an older built in 1832 and a newer built in The rooms are therefore divided into Luentosali (Seminar Room) and Auditorio (Auditorium). All Seminar Rooms are denoted as S followed by the number of the room and located in the newer part of the building, with an entrance from Fabianinkatu. The Auditoriums (AUD) are followed by a roman numerical and located in the old part of the building. There are two adjoining corridors between these floors from the 2nd floor. The Congress Information desk is located in AUD I. See you soon! Best wishes, The Helsinki Staff