Helsinki here we come !

ssheikh · Post by **ssheikh** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:02 pm

Hi all, first time on the forum. Must say it's been a valuable aid for me over the past few months.

Myself and my misses (finnish originally but living in London for past few years) are moving to Helsinki in Aug. I'll be starting an MBA at HKKK...and hopefully sticking around to work for a further year or two.

I have a few questions which I am hoping someone can help out with.

- Is there anyone out there who is paying to have their car shipped over from the UK ? If so, are you open to a responsible couple driving it over for you during the first week of August. We can come to some arrangement over cost but by an large something to reduce/eliminate your shipping cost and me needlessly having to rent a car one way ?

- We are not moving any furniture, just general housewares and clothes and books so we are currently weighing up the costs and adv/disadv of driving over compared to freight shipping and taking flights ourselves. Would welcome some advice from people who've been through the same decision. What hidden problem and costs need we consider. ?

Hope you can help.

**Sponsor:**

bubble · Post by **bubble** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:28 pm

We shipped 12 boxes of stuff here to finland last year (actually they came here by truck). It cost just over £400. We used a shipping company near Brighton, but I'm sure you could get some quotes from the Yellow pages. Then we flew here, but I was heavily preg so driving was not an option.
Good luck and have a good journey however you do it.

lotta · Post by **lotta** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:50 pm

ssheikh wrote:Hi all, first time on the forum. Must say it's been a valuable aid for me over the past few months.

Myself and my misses (finnish originally but living in London for past few years) are moving to Helsinki in Aug. I'll be starting an MBA at HKKK...and hopefully sticking around to work for a further year or two.

I have a few questions which I am hoping someone can help out with.

- Is there anyone out there who is paying to have their car shipped over from the UK ? If so, are you open to a responsible couple driving it over for you during the first week of August. We can come to some arrangement over cost but by an large something to reduce/eliminate your shipping cost and me needlessly having to rent a car one way ?

- We are not moving any furniture, just general housewares and clothes and books so we are currently weighing up the costs and adv/disadv of driving over compared to freight shipping and taking flights ourselves. Would welcome some advice from people who've been through the same decision. What hidden problem and costs need we consider. ?

Hope you can help.

Hi, I've done the drive from the UK to Finland 3 times now, Don't do what we did the first time and go up through Denmark and Sweden, much eaiser via Rostock, Quite a nice drive, about 7 hours from Hook of Holland to Rostock, then 24hrs on the ferry.

Are you planning on staying in FInland for good? If so I would think twice about bringing your car with you, Right hand drive is OK in the short term, but a pain in the ass longer term, and it will have no resale value at all here! Even in the shorter term (Just re-read your post) for 2 years you'll have to get Finnish plates fitted and go though all the hassle of getting it tested, read some of the other posts about the problems you'll face.

ssheikh · Post by **ssheikh** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 11:03 am

Thanks for replies...

Bubble - How long did the shipping take and would you recommend the company you used ? If so please pass on company details, having a recommendation always starts the negotiations on a good step. !! I was budgeting the same amount so thats good to know.

Lotta - No, wasn't planning on taking my car, that will be sold before I leave, but there seemed to be a few people shipping their cars to Finland, but saying that most were probably LHD cars anyway. The wife is very keen on doing the drive, but with petrol prices as they are, the costs now will be bigger then we imagined a few months ago. Incidently, How much do you think the drive cost (fuel + ferry + hotel stays etc)

Alicia · Post by **Alicia** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:45 pm

Use a route planner, such as Sony's to check the distances and the quickest routes through Europe. In these you can enter the car's kms/litre and then calculate all the costs that way. Might sound nerdy but it can be really good to have something else doing the planning.

Then you print off all the maps and it gives some good details and multiple routes can be checked, incase you don't want to hit the motorways the whole way.

I am sure that they are download-able but by this statement I am not not encouraging anyone to download illegally.

PeterF · Post by **PeterF** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:18 pm

If you are plannig to Drive the normal route is through Nethelands to cross the German border at Hengelo.
Then you need to decide whether you head for the North German Rostock Ferry to Finland or the Stockholm Sweden Route.
Here is one ferry company to check.
http://www.silja.fi/ROUTES/

Here is their main competitor.
http://www.vikingline.fi/index.asp?lang=en
Silja Line is more expensive but tends to be less likely to be a booze cruise. But boats are so big one usualy can avoid the rowdy areas.(if you want to that is)
If you want to take you time and see the best country side I would opt for Stockholm.
So once into Germany head North to cross into Denmark then head East to cross two of the worlds longest bridges..which will take you via Copenhagen and into Sweden near Malmo. Then you have a long but pleasant drive from Malmo to Stockholm...allow 7 hours.
If you take into account that you need to be in Stockholm harbour latest by 15.30 to check in and catch the boat with a car..then calculate back from that time to plan your route.
NB:
Viking Line and Silja line do not leave from the same location in Stockholm.

So when you decide your plan come back and we can give you more details.

lotta · Post by **lotta** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:33 pm

ssheikh wrote: Incidently, How much do you think the drive cost (fuel + ferry + hotel stays etc)

My other half took his car back to the UK last month, No hotels because he did it in one run, Left Hanko Thursday evening, arrived Rostock Friday eening, drove to Hook of holland and arrived late (1am) Slept int he car until the ferry left at 7:0 next morning, was in the UK by 9:30
And on a flight back here by 6:30 pm

Costs, Petrol, a lot, he had a large thirty car, but it's about 700 kms.
Ferry was Superfast ferries (Supperfast.com) Vehicle about 140Euros, he had just a reclining seat and no cabin which was 75euros, cabins are about 200EUros per person based on 2 sharing, but check out the web site for actual costs.

Suksi · Post by **Suksi** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 7:04 pm

Shipping stuff over is pretty good i am told by my friends although i've never really needed to as my Fiance Johannes usually has what i need in his home, mind you it cost me 400 euros to get one amplifier shipped to the uk last year but still thats not really relevent to your question!The only thing i would say is that to my knowledge it takes a couple of days so i am told it is best to get your stuff shipped over the day before you go then by the time you arrive your stuff will have aswell

As for flying over here or driving personally i would say it depends on how quickly you want to get to Finland!When i moved my son Jeera to be back home in Turku with his grandparents i had a little stuff to move to comfort him so i got those shipped over, only i soon realised later that it would've been just as cheap if i'd driven the stuff over myself, only at the time it wasn't an option as Jeera was only 6months.I'd deffinately just say it depends on how much you are willing to pay and how much stuff you want to take with you!

Goodluck

Thomas Koren · Post by **Thomas Koren** » Sat Jun 05, 2004 7:28 am

I drove from the netherlands (hengelo) to rostock and took the ferry there, the ferry from rostock to helsinki I took was silja's finnjet, the trip is quite long around 30 hours with the boat. With finnjet, you have to take a cabin if you have a car, word of advice, unless you are a midget and not into sleeping well, do not take the cheapest cabins, the beds are small, and 4 per room...not nice.

Mai · Post by **Mai** » Sat Jun 05, 2004 7:46 am

If coming from Stockholm to Finland with car, definately cheapest choise for ferry is Seawind. It goes from Stockholm to Turku and costs (one way) 55 euro on dayroute and 128 euro on nightroute. Price includes travel for 1 to 4 people and a car. You can only get into this ferry by car.

http://www.seawind.fi/index.php?l=eng

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Jun 05, 2004 11:44 am

There is also the "Via Baltica" route (Germany-Poland-L&L&Estonia=> ferry from Tallinn) but it may be a bit "rough".

lotta · Post by **lotta** » Sat Jun 05, 2004 8:52 pm

Thomas Koren wrote:I drove from the netherlands (hengelo) to rostock and took the ferry there, the ferry from rostock to helsinki I took was silja's finnjet, the trip is quite long around 30 hours with the boat. With finnjet, you have to take a cabin if you have a car, word of advice, unless you are a midget and not into sleeping well, do not take the cheapest cabins, the beds are small, and 4 per room...not nice.

I don't think Finjet are doing the Rostock to Helsinki route this summer

maggis · Post by **maggis** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 11:02 pm

Hi

Thanks for the interesting thread

I'm planning to drive for the first time from England to Finland, taking the Ferry from Harwich to Cuxhaven in Germany, then from Travemunde to Helsinki - anyone done this before? any recommendations?

Thanks for your help.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:52 am

lotta wrote: I don't think Finjet are doing the Rostock to Helsinki route this summer

Finnjet is on Rostock-Tallinn-St.Petersburg from 17.6 =>

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