Car hire Turku

Introduction

Turku is the oldest city in Finland and used to be the country's capital. In 1912 that status was handed to Helsinki. Turku is a pleasant university city with a well-preserved medieval center.

Population

The city has approximately 180,000 inhabitants.

Location

Turku is located on the southwestern coast of Finland, on the estuary of the Aura River. The eastern side of the river is called 'this side' (täl pual jokke); the western side is 'the other side' (tois pual jokke). Off the coast lie hundreds of larger and smaller islands which form the separation between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea.

Economy

The port and surrounding industrial parks traditionally form one of the pillars of local economy. In recent years, Turku has quickly become a high-tech city. Most companies active in this sector are located in the Turku Science Park. Many of the institutes for higher education often cooperate with these high-tech companies. The proximity of the Finnish archipelago contributes to tourism and many people also travel by boat to and from Turku.

Airports

Turku Airport is situated 8 kilometers north of the center. It's easily reachable by rental car via the Tampereentie (Route 9). The exit to the airport is clearly signposted.

Public Transport

Turku has good public transport. There are also excellent bus and train connections with other Finnish cites, including Tampere and the capital Helsinki. The bus and train stations are quite far apart, but this will change. Turku wants to build a large transportation hub including a shopping center and hotels. From Turku's port there are daily connections with the Åland Islands and the Swedish capital Stockholm.

Traffic and Parking

Although Turku is an active city, you'll have no problem finding your way around. In general, finding a free parking place for your rental car isn't a problem either. The underground parking garage Louhi is very centrally located. Its location is signposted, as well as the number of places available.

Hotels

Turku has a good choice of accommodations. Most hotels are located in the city center, between the train station and the river, but there are also some accommodations near the port. For those who prefer to stay outside the city, there are several campsites near Turku, like Campsite Ruissalo, directly on the sea and easily reachable by public transport or rental car.

External Sources

For more information about Turku, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Turku
• Official website Turku
• Tourist Information Turku