Travel and Accommodation During the Spring Arrival Orientation 2024

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Travel for out-of-towners

If you travel to the orientation from outside the capital area, please read the following:

• Plan to arrive in Helsinki on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, by 12:00 The orientation program begins at 12:45 at the Fulbright Finland Foundation office. If your room is not ready at the hotel, you can leave your luggage to the hotel reception. 
• Grantees traveling to the orientation from their Finnish host city outside the capital region will have their travel expenses reimbursed by the Fulbright Finland Foundation. Travel arrangements should be made by the least expensive means available (train or bus). For reimbursement, we need the original receipts and tickets.
• If you are planning to travel to Helsinki by plane, please contact the Foundation in advance to discuss the ticket fares before booking your flights.
• Please note that the Fulbright Finland Foundation does not reimburse grantees' family members travel expenses.
• It is important you purchase your tickets early. If you travel by train, please note that tickets become more expensive depending on how in demand the particular trip is, and how close to the journey you purchase your ticket. We will be able to reimburse a maximum of total 150 € for your travel to and from Helsinki. You can read more about the pricing of train tickets from this YLE News article: https://yle.fi/a/74-20034198
• Remember to bring your passport - it is needed at check-in at the hotel.

Please note that local taxi/bus/tram/metro rides within your departure city or the city of the event are not reimbursed.

After the orientation, send copies of your receipts and/or tickets (with the price visible) by Sunday, February 11, via this SurveyMonkey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/Reimbursements.

It is advisable that you make your travel reservations to Helsinki (and back) early. The national railway company is VR (https://www.vr.fi/en/) and available bus lines include Matkahuolto (www.matkahuolto.fi/en/), and Onnibus (https://www.onnibus.com/home). Please note that your travel costs are reimbursed only if you attend the entire orientation program ending on Thursday afternoon.

Also, please know that we, unfortunately, cannot reimburse any costs which may occur from changing your tickets, purchasing cancellation insurance, or buying extra services e.g. the seat next to you or a cabin.

Travel reimbursements for grantees with a Finnish bank account

Grantees with Finnish bank account will be reimbursed after the event.

Travel reimbursements for grantees without a Finnish bank account

The reimbursements for all Fulbright Finland Foundation events will be paid to your U.S. account at the same time in one lump sum after your grant term. 

The reimbursement amounts in euros will be converted to U.S. dollars based on the bank’s exchange rate on the date of payment. While the Foundation will cover its own bank’s fees for the international transfer, your own bank’s fees will be covered by you (these fees will vary between banks). However, an extra USD 30 will be added to the total to help to mitigate the international transfer fees.

Please note that regardless of the date of the final payment you are required to send your travel tickets and receipts by the deadline after each event. This is because Fulbright Finland Foundation needs the receipts in order to close the accounting for each of the events.

Accommodation (Hotel Scandic Hakaniemi)

The Fulbright Finland Foundation will arrange and cover accommodation during the Orientation for two nights on January 23-25 (check-out on Thursday, January 25) for those grantees spending their Fulbright period outside the capital city region i.e. grantees who do not have an apartment in the capital city region. The capital city region consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. If you have family members accompanying you, please note that only one room per family will be covered (up to 4 people in one room). If additional rooms are needed, they will be at your own expense.

You will be accommodated at Hotel Scandic Hakaniemi (Siltasaarenkatu 14). The hotel is located in the Hakaniemi part of Helsinki, within 200 meters of the Fulbright Finland Foundation Office and 1 kilometer of the central railway station.

If you would like to reserve additional rooms or extend your stay, you can send your inquiry directly to [email protected] after November 21. The hotel is within easy walking distance of several tram lines and the metro line from the railway station.