Helsinki, also called the white city of the North, the daughter of the Baltic Sea, or simply called Stadi by the local people, is Finland's capital and the largest city and is known for its beautiful architecture, vibrant culture, and rich history. If you're planning a trip to Helsinki, here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your visit and to ensure that you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

First, be prepared for the weather. Helsinki is located in the northern part of Europe, so the weather can be quite cold and snowy during the winter months. If you're visiting during the winter, be sure to pack warm clothes, including a coat, hat, gloves, and scarves. In the summer, the weather is generally milder, but it can still be chilly, especially at night, so be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater.

Second, plan ahead and book your accommodation in advance. Helsinki is a popular tourist destination, and hotels and other accommodations can be in high demand, especially during peak tourist season. To ensure that you have a place to stay, it's a good idea to book your accommodation well in advance of your trip. You can also consider staying in a vacation rental or Airbnb, which can be a more affordable and flexible option.

Third, take advantage of public transportation. Helsinki has an extensive public transportation network, including buses, trams, and the metro. This is a convenient and affordable way to get around the city, and it's also a great way to see some of the city's sights and attractions. You can purchase a day pass or a multi-day pass, which will give you unlimited access to the city's public transportation system. Download the HSL application, it's really convenient to buy the tickets and have them on your phone. If you want to visit other places that are not inside Helsinki, you might need the VR Matkalla for trains or Onnibus for buses.

Fourth, try some of the local food and drink. Helsinki has a vibrant food and drink scene, and there are many restaurants, cafes, and bars to choose from. Some local specialties to try to include salmon soup, reindeer meat, and rye bread. Helsinki is also known for its world-class coffee culture, so be sure to try a cup of Finnish coffee while you're there. We highly recommend going to the Market located next to Esplanade Park, where you can find a lot of different options to eat. Talking about the coffee, we found Regatta absolutely amazing, located next to Sibelius Park, the place is charming and the drinks delicious.

Fifth, visit some of the city's museums and attractions. Helsinki has several interesting museums and attractions to explore, including the Helsinki Cathedral, the National Museum of Finland, and the Ateneum Art Museum. Be sure to check out the Helsinki Design District, which is known for its many design shops, galleries, and studios. Take a rest in the Helsinki Central Library, it's just next to the train station, and the possibilities there are much more than just picking a book, you will be not disappointed.

Finally, be sure to take some time to relax and enjoy the city. Helsinki has many beautiful parks and green spaces, including Helsinki Central Park and Esplanade Park, which are great places to relax and enjoy the outdoors. You can also take a boat tour of the Helsinki archipelago, which is a group of islands just off the coast of the city, and read our article specific about Suomenlinna.

Visiting Andorra can be quite a curious experience, but it all depends on how you approach it. But what is Andorra? Andorra is a small country between Spain and France, outside the European Union and the Schengen Space, and the official language is Catalan. Still, you will not face any problems speaking Spanish or English. The fastest way to get there is from Barcelona by road. The capital of this micronation has a central bus station, with different regular routes with several cities; although we recommend arriving by car. It also has an airport (located in Spain, called Andorra-La Seu d'Urgell), but currently (summer 2022), only flights arrive from Madrid. Arriving by car offers you the possibility to move freely around the country, which you cannot do comfortably if you go by public transport. Despite being an extremely small country, there are plenty of activities to do, although the most common is going skiing during the winter. But in our case, we focus on visiting the country during the summer. It's the second time we've visited it, so we're starting to know the area a little. Surely, the most important activity to do is a visit to Caldea. Caldea is the largest spa in southern Europe, and tickets cost around €40 for about 3-4 hours of access. But the best way to visit the place is to look for an offer that includes entrance to Chaldea. There are different options, from the entry with the hotel or the combined access with the Tibetan Bridge or Naturlandia. In our case, this year we found a very interesting offer for around €100 including a 3-hour entrance to Caldea, access to Cirque du Soleil show, and accommodation in a 4-star hotel with dinner and breakfast, which we found quite interesting. It is important to note that if you visit the country with a non-EU passport, you have a multiple-entry visa in the Schengen area since when you cross the border, you leave the Schengen area. Therefore, if you are stopped
on the way back, you will not be allowed to re-enter. Consequently, it is better to go with your shoulders covered. The hotel we stayed in is Hotel Piolets Centre, which we found quite normal. It has a blue zone car park right next door, and we had no problem parking there, only when paying, the machine accepted coins, and that was it. Once inside the hotel, we had an hour in the thermal space of the hotel itself, but we were in for a surprise as no one had told us that it had to be reserved. Luckily, it was quite empty, and we could access it without problems. Dinner was an open buffet, quite typical in hotels, very varied, and of acceptable quality. Nothing stood out above the rest, but nothing extremely bad, either. We calmly went to the Cirque du Soleil show area when we finished dinner. One thing that surprised us was that they did not allow us to enter a camera; instead, they did not put any impediment to going inside with the cell phone camera. But that didn't stop us from fully enjoying the show, a gem that had us enjoying ourselves, singing and dancing from the first minute to the last. An unforgettable amazing show.

To see more, check out our vlog showing our experience!