Sunday Trading in Helsinki

I don't find groceries particularly different in the city in London and the center of Helsinki.

Depending on where you are, the https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=old+anchor+pursimiehenkatu&oq=old+anchor+pursimiehenkatu&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=13926l17552l0l17892l16l16l0l8l8l1l764l3960l2.4-1.4.1l8l0 does a great hamburger (among other things) and offers Sunday night meals as well. https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=tin+tin+tango&oq=tin+tin+tango&aq=f&aqi=g2g-v5&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=21287l22988l0l23763l13l10l0l0l0l0l339l1321l5.3.1.1l10l0 will have quiche and salads, free wifi and a sauna for customers. It is going to be dark, cold and snowy right now so winter timings will also be in force. Be prepared for the ferry and Suomenlinna being much colder and check first to see if they've broken the ice between Helsinki and Suomenlinna.

http://eat.fi/en/helsinki is very good for finding places to eat and checking their opening hours. Just remember to bring lots of alcohol on the ferry from Estonia, you will blend right in with the Finnish tourists :)

infini - most Londoners don't shop in the centre for groceries on a regular basis, it is pretty expensive. Though if you're a tourist everything is more expensive anyway as you're eating out all the time and you don't necessarily know the nice cheap places. (Tons of tourists here eat at the Aberdeen Steak House - you can eat at a restaurant with a much better reputation for far less.) It's going to be late March - should we pack the same clothes we wear in a London winter then?

It's going to be late March - should we pack the same clothes we wear in a London winter then? Yes, my friend who lives in North Yorkshire found the ferry ride a tad chilly in midsummer. Well Stockmanns like a central London grocery then. I can't tell if that's expensive or no, I'm finding food across teh world far more expensive than it ever was in the US for example so I'm guessing its all relative.

Nowadays Sundays are for museums, galleries and art events, eating out and sitting in a café. The only thing they aren't for is shopping in small stores outside tourist venues or in Alko. In big malls in the city center (Kamppi, Forum) maybe 50% of shops are open in Sundays, but most important is that Railway station metro level tunnels have three large grocery stores S-Market, Alepa and K-Market that are open 10-22 or 9-22 in Sundays. The prices are same as everywhere. Just follow 'M' sign down in any area near the center and wander around there. Stockmann is a bit more expensive, but it has special foodie stuff. Also if you are going to Suomenlinna, the Kauppatori market square, where the boat leaves, will probably have most of the stalls open at Sunday -- there are so many tourists to cater. There are at least some places where you can and should buy coffee and munkkipossu.

Food is much more expensive in London now. A pack of bagels and economy butter would have cost me £1.50 in 2007 - it's now £2.85. Not sure how the euro is affected on this front at the moment - the pound/euro exchange rate is still pretty poor. Stockmanns sounds a bit like Selfridges food all or Gran Epicerie in Paris, then. Might still be worth a look :) Glas to hear the market is open on Sunday - I really fancied a wander round there.

Plan on about 10e per head even with Stockmanns and maybe a little less (15 to 20%) for the supermarkets that free word order recommends. (At the most, don't know if you'll pick up beers etc or not)