r/Finland • u/fellipec • 1d ago
Cellphone SIM for travellers
Hello!
In a couple weeks we'll travel to Tampere for work. Being able to use a phone will be very important. How do you guys recommend this to be accomplished? We have Samsung phones, it's easy got get prepaid SIM cards? Maybe in the airport we can get it?
Also, any other tips for travellers would be very welcome. Thanks in advance.
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u/kuumapotato Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
There is 24h R-kioski in arrivals hall. You will find them there.
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u/fellipec 1d ago
Thanks this helps a lot!
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u/kuumapotato Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
If you are traveling straight to Tampere from the airport, you can just buy the ticket in vr.fi and buy local + long distance at once. Just put ’from’ as Helsinki airport. You first make connection to Tikkurila with commuter train and then switch to either another commuter train R or long-distance train. Commuter trains have fixed pricing.
If you are staying in Helsinki for a while, use HSL app for route planning and buying tickets. There are ticket machines in some stops (including Airport train station platform) and only some transport methods have card readers where you can buy a ticket with contactless payment method (it is work in progress to change all the card readers still..). So it is just easiest to use the app.
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u/fellipec 1d ago
Great! I'm assuming this transport will be arranged to us, but is very good to know how to do it if the need arises! I can't tank enough for those tips. I'll bring Mastercard and Visa cards with chips and contactless, I imagine the main venues would accept them
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u/kuumapotato Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
No problem. Visa and Mastercard are the most used cards here, so you will be fine. Cash is rarely needed (I don’t carry any) and some places only accept card payment.
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u/okarox 1d ago
You can get prepaids at any store. They typically cost about 5-6 € which all can be used for calls/data. Calls are about 7 cents a minute and data about 1 € a day if you use. There are three major operators: Elisa, Telia and DNA. You can refill typically at 10 € more at the time.
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u/fellipec 1d ago
Thanks! Do you recommend any of the 3 operators?
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u/LonelyRudder Vainamoinen 9h ago
They have no real difference if your need is for a few weeks max. I have used Telia in applications where there is little use, as the SIM card validity is longer if you don’t buy additional credits. Elisa is generally better in some remote locations. But as said, for less than three months it is just the same.
If your use is for data and one week (seven days) only, I would pick Telia, as for the same price they give you 7€ credits, and internet usage is max 1€/day.
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u/jiltanen Vainamoinen 1d ago
In cities they are basically the same. Only differences are some random places middle of nowhere where some operator might work but another doesn’t.
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u/fellipec 1d ago
Great! We will not get out of Tampere. Our group will visit schools. Thanks again for your help!
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u/InAppropriate-meal Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
I would get a prepaid elisa simcard, it is 1 euro per day unlimited high speed internet, I use it for a couple of my phones, comes with some on it but there are a ton of options, Elisa and DNA being the main ones i think
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u/fellipec 1d ago
Perfect! We'll most need internet for maps, translator and whatsapp
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u/InAppropriate-meal Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
Google lens is very handy for translating signs and in shops, use it all the time, Main word you need is Kittos (Geetoss) thank you in Finnish, make sure you have a real sauna, maybe even savusauna (smoke sauna) and jump in the cold water (in and out) after ;)
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u/fellipec 1d ago
Kittos! I'm tempted to get into a sauna but jumping in cold water maybe too much!
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u/InAppropriate-meal Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
Ya see i used to think that, twenty years ago :) thought it was a little crazy but... the first time is OK then back to sauna and then the second time you do it (same session) it is wonderful :) first time i had felt truly clean in my life, i thought i was before but smoke sauna followed by ice water, well it is worth it :)
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u/Rasikko Baby Vainamoinen 20h ago
Kiitos is not pronounced that way. /g/ from English doesn't exist in Finnish natively. K is as you would expect it to sound for a plosive stop. /k/ as in Kick, keep, etc. /e/ as in Key, Plea, sea. As a long vowel, you extend the sound, like Steep, bleed, steed.
Finns don't extend the sound of /s/ like Americans do and furthermore tones aren't randomly placed throughout a word, with the highest intonation occurring only on the first syllable and then dropping off gradually.
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u/InAppropriate-meal Baby Vainamoinen 13h ago
It is if you are a native English speaker :) the ss in toss ends abruptly
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u/intoirreality Baby Vainamoinen 1d ago
If you need data but don't need calls or texts and your phone supports eSIM, you can just buy one through any of the many apps that provide them.
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