General information on visiting Finland and Turku:
https://www.visitfinland.com/en/
https://en.visitturku.fi
Accommodation
A wide selection of hotels, hostels, rental apartments and shared rooms (airbnb etc.), are available in Turku. We recommend symposium participants to stay in Hotel Kakola, the meeting venue. Kakola offers discounted room rates for symposium participants, and to keep your luggage during the cruise if you wish so.
Please be warned that phishing emails about conference accommodation have been going around. Our team will only contact you using the iaus2026turku@gmail.com email address, and Hotel Kakola will only do so if you book a room from them yourself.
Booking through this link: BOOK NOW
– Breakfast is included in the accommodation
– Cancellation without charge is possible no later than 24 hours before the start of the booking
– Accommodation quota closes on 3.5.2026
Hotel Kakola room rates:
Traveling to Turku
By air:
Turku has a small airport (TKU) with direct flights primarily from Stockholm, Copenhagen, Riga, and Gdansk. Connection flights with SAS via Stockholm and Copenhagen or with AirBaltic via Riga are possible. The airport is located 8 km from the city centre, which can be reached with good bus connections or services by various taxi companies. The bus connection is line 1, and the travel time is roughly 25 min to the city centre (stop: Kauppatori) or 30 min to Hotel Kakola (stop: Kakola). Further info is available at https://www.foli.fi/en . By taxi the fee should be roughly 30 Euro to the city centre, price estimates can be confirmed beforehand with the driver. Various companies are available, e.g. Taxidata: You can book a taxi from the number 0200 10041 in Finland and from abroad +358 600 14121.
Helsinki-Vantaa airport (HEL) has significantly more flight connections, located 170 km from Turku. Flying to HEL could be cheaper than to TKU, depending on the flights. The Helsinki-Vantaa airport has good connections to Turku via bus or train. With the bus the timetables from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to Turku bus station can be checked at https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en . The price is around 20-30 Euro and the travel time roughly 2.5 hours. Some bus lines require a change of bus around 30 minutes from HEL, but it is very quick and easy and the drivers will help you with the luggage etc. The trains are operated by VR, and the timetables and prices from Helsinki airport to Turku City centre can be checked at https://www.vr.fi/en . The travel time is typically roughly 2.5 hours and includes a change of trains at the Pasila station. The train station at Turku Port (Turun Satama) also connects to Helsinki airport.
By sea:
Cruise ferries operate between Stockholm and Turku with a stopover in Mariehamn with a travel time of roughly 11 hours (note that the last day of the symposium will be on board such a ship). The main operators are Viking Line and Tallink Silja Line. Details and prices can be checked at https://www.sales.vikingline.com and https://www.tallink.com . The bus connection from the harbour to the Turku city centre is line 1, and the travel time is roughly 5 min to the conference venue of Hotel Kakola (stop: Kakola) or 15 min to the city centre (stop: Kauppatori). This bus line 1 can also be used to reach the Turku Airport.
Free transportation in Turku
Föli, the Turku area transportation service, will kindly provide QR codes which can be used to ride all bus and waterbus lines for free. We will distribute these QR codes to all symposium participants.
Using contactless card payment the single adult ticked fee is a fixed 3.15 Euro, or 4.50 Euro if you pay cash and likely only small notes up to 20 Euro will be accepted. Further info is available at https://www.foli.fi/en . Bus line 1 connects the Turku airport (stop: Turun lentoasema) e.g. with the Turku bus station (stop: Turun linja-autoasema), the city centre (stop: Kauppatori), the conference venue of Hotel Kakola (stop: Kakola), and the Viking Line terminal (stop: Turun satama Viking) at the harbour where the Viking Glory will depart for the fifth and final day of the Symposium.
Conference childcare service
We aim to provide free childcare service during (> 1 year old) the symposium (Day 1-4) for participants attending with small children. More info soon – please check this paragraph again later for more updates.
Currency
The currency in Finland is the Euro. While card payments are more common, cash payments in Euros are also accepted in general everywhere in Finland (some establishments are entirely cashless). However, some establishments (e.g. taxis) might not have much change if large bills are used. The 1 and 2 cent coins are not used and prices are rounded to the closest 5 cents when paying cash. Tipping is not customary and generally not expected in Finland.
Electricity in Finland
Power plug type F (“Schuko”) and C (“Europlug”) are compatible in Finland similar to multiple other European countries. The standard voltage is 230 V at a frequency of 50 Hz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko
Finnish Visa
Finland is part of Schengen, as such a Schengen visa will be needed for visitors coming from certain countries. Please check carefully if you need a visa to visit Finland on the following website, and make sure to have enough preparation time. We will be able to provide an invitation letter if needed. You are required to complete the registration and payment before requesting an invitation letter.
Weather
Turku lies in the warmest and sunniest part of Finland. The weather in mid-May and early summer is usually cool and pleasant, with a lot of sunlight and temperatures around 15-20 C during the day. Weather reports and forecasts from Finnish Meteorological Institute: https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather/turku
Miscellaneous
We advise participants and their travel companions to arrange their own travel insurance.
Finnish tap water is drinkable and considered among the best in the world.
In the week after IAUS 406 on 26-29 May 2026, Turku will be hosting the Nordic-Baltic Astronomy Days. Join us for another week of exciting astronomy discussions!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I book the cruise myself?
A: Yes, you could book and choose the option most suitable for you directly at Viking Line, but please inform the LOC at iaus2026turku(at)gmail.com so that you will be accounted for. Choose the Turku -> Stockholm morning departure on 22 May 2026.
Q: Can I disembark in Stockholm?
A: Yes. In this case you can buy a ticket with/without a cabin, which you can do directly from Viking Line as described above. Note that the ship will arrive in Stockholm before dinnertime.
Q. Do I need a cabin if I disembark in Stockholm?
A. No. You can keep your luggage in the cabin, but there are also other places for this: deck 9 has storage lockers for rent, and the auditorium will also have some room for luggage.
Q. How do I book a shared cabin?
A. In the registration form you are able to buy multiple cruise tickets. Select the cabin type you want and add one ticket for each person (maximum number of occupants: 2 for SD2, 4 for I4/S4). This does not mean you book multiple cabins; we will contact Viking Line with the passenger list and assign one cabin per booking – a shared one if multiple tickets are bought by one person.
Q: What is the cruise schedule?
A: See below, also on “venue” page.
Cruise schedule (all Finnish time):
8:45 Departure from Turku harbor, Viking Line terminal
9:45-11:30 Conference sessions
12:30 Buffet lunch
(14:10 Mariehamn stopover)
14:30-18:15 Conference sessions
18:15-18:45 Concluding remarks and closing
(19:55 Stockholm stopover)
21:00 Conference dinner
7:35 (+1) Arrival at Turku harbor