which road or area is the main shopping area of Helsinki?

Is it high street or....?

Is it also close to the ferry port (the ferry goes to Stockholm-Silja line)

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Broadly speaking the centre is the area. There are streets like Aleksanterinkatu which has probably more shops than any other streets. Then there%26#39;s also the Kamppi shopping centre. Aleksanterinkatu is quite near to the ferries (10 minutes walk from Silja, 15 from Viking). Kamppi is a bit further away and might warrant a tram trip.

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Hi...

is this close to ferry and the main shopping area?

Snellmaninkatu 15 A

00170 Helsinki

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Yes, very close. A few minutes%26#39; walk from Aleksanterinkatu.

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thanks...

can you tell me the easiest way to get there from the airport?

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On Pohjois-Esplanadi and Etelä-Esplanadi there are many design shops (Marimekko, Iittala etc.)

I also recommend Korkeavuorenkatu, Fredrikinkatu and Erottajankatu ands crossing streets for smaller independet shops. This site is useful to locate many interesting shops.

http://www.designdistrict.fi/design_district

The easiest way from airport to central Helsinki is by taxi. There is also local bus 615 from airport top railway station. http://www.helsinki-vantaa.fi/bybus?

Google maps are very useful to locate addresses, restaurants etc., use the %26quot;find nearby%26quot; function. www.maps.google.com. Use Central railway station Helsinki as the first address to look for and use %26quot;find nearby function%26quot; to find Snellmanninkatu 15, it is about 1 km away from railway station. You can also change in Hakaniemi to tram no 7A to get closer by public transport.

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See http://tinyurl.com/d3se9j for a proposed connection by public transportation from the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to Snellmaninkatu 15.

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Most visitors find interesting things to buy on Pohjoisesplanadi, which leads to the outdoor market by the sea. There are also a lot of restaurants serving traditional Finnish food. Kauppatori market is also a good place to buy souvenirs as well as quality design items. These areas are very popular with tourists and the retailers understand their customer base. Aleksanterinkatu (which runs parallel to Pohjoisesplanadi) is a popular shopping street for locals. The main department stores are Stockmann (top of Pohjoisesplanadi, on Mannerheimintie) and nearby SOKOS (also on Mannerheimintie).

Any local will be able to direct you to these places, all of which are within walking distance of each other. Practically all younger people speak English and so do many of the older ones.

Be warned that prices here are very high compared to Asia. A Chinese friend who visited here recently bemoaned the fact that the only souvenirs she could afford were made in China.

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Sorry, I%26#39;m a bit jet-lagged (just got back from China). I meant Esplanadi is a good place to buy quality design items, not Kauppatori market.

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Planning a day trip to Helsinki and visiting Thursday. What time do most stores close on Thursday evening?

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On weekdays shops are usually open until 18:00/19:00/20:00, department stores, shopping centres and supermarkets until 21:00.

However, as tomorrow is the last normal weekday before Midsummer. Teh Midsummer Eve, i.e. Friday will be a holiday for most of the people, some boutiques may close earlier on Thursday.