I’m going to be traveling to Tallin, Helsinki and Stockholm. Where is the best place to purchase cards? Do they have any great stationery shops you would recommend or is it just touristic type places where I should be looking.
I went to Norway last summer and there were amazing places everywhere to find good ones. I’m hopeful for the same.
Sweden is bit poor place when it comes to stationary and postcards. I think the tourist shops along Drottninggatan and museum shops will be your best bet to get postcards, but it has been a while since I was in Stockholm. I will have to go there in spring so, in case you are planning a summer trip, I can share my finds later
I have now been walking around a full day and I can report that you will find lots and lots touristy postcards along Drottninggatan and Gamla stan. If you want more non-touristy cards, then the bookstores are the right place to go (akademibokhandeln, several locations!) And I also found this lovely shop called Kartbutiken, which specializes on maps. They have some nice cards and also lots of suitable gifts fitting the postcrossing themes very well!
I don’t know if this is an option for you, but before I went to Finland I placed an order with the Posti.fi online store to be sent to me in Australia, and along with the stamps I was able to buy Moomin postcards to match the Moomin stamps (also they had other postcards).
Also, bookstores Akateeminen kirjakauppa (Keskuskatu 1) and Suomalainen kirjakauppa (many locations, e.g. mall Kamppi downtown) sell tourist cards á 1 €. Try also the bookstore Rosebud (Kaivokatu 8).
For stamps, it’s best to visit Helsinki main post office (Elielinaukio, opposite the central railway station) because they have probably the largest variety and won’t insist you to buy international priority stamps. You can mail a card anywhere with one domestic stamp (map of Finland, ask for domestic stamps!) in economy class (write economy on the card) and you save a bit (~ 10 % per card).
In Tallinn there are a lot of souvenir shops in the Old Town carrying tourist cards (from 0,70-1 €). I warmly recommend the lovely hand crafts & souvenir shop Hää Eesti Asi (Viru tn 1) that sells wonderful animal quote cards (à 1 €) by Lucky Laika: Postcards – Lucky Laika
I was there for a lecture at university so wonderful time was a debatable concept
Just to add another advice that has nothing to do with cards, because I heard this from a girl at hostel I was staying at and I felt so horrible: if you are looking for to eat meatballs, do not go to any restaurant that sells them for 300 kr! That is a real tourist trap. It is an everyday food and I would never pay more than maybe 180 kr for a meatballs and even then I would expect drinks and small dessert and/ or coffee to be included in price (if I was at home, I guess with Stockholm prices the dessert would not be included)
What a remarkable trip it was! I saw all three countries and bought dozens of postcards. Finland wins. I mailed a postcard to myself mid trip and it was the first to arrive. Just 8 days. I mailed one from Estonia 10 days ago and have not received it yet. I mailed from Sweden six days ago. I’m curious to see how this goes.
Thanks for sharing. It was indeed a trip of a lifetime albeit too short.