Finland
Finland (Finnish: Suomi, Swedish: Finland) is in Northern Europe and has borders with Russia to the east, Norway to the north, and Sweden to the west. Finland is a thoroughly modern welfare state with well-planned and comfortable small towns and cities, but still offers vast areas of unspoiled nature. Finland has approximately 188,000 lakes (about 10% of the country) and a similar number of islands. In the northernmost part of the country the Northern Lights can be seen in the winter and midnight sun in the summer. Finns also claim the mythical mountain of Korvatunturi as the home of Santa Claus, and a burgeoning tourist industry in Lapland caters to Santa fans. Despite living in one of the most technologically developed countries in the world, Finns love to head to their summer cottages in the warmer months to enjoy all manner of relaxing pastimes including sauna, swimming, fishing and barbecuing. Today, Finland has a distinctive language and culture that sets it apart from the rest of Nordic Europe. Understand[edit]History[edit] Saint Olaf's Castle, the world's northernmost medieval castle, built in Savonlinna by Sweden in 1475 Not much is known about Finland's early history, with archaeologists still debating to the present day when and where a tribe of Finno-Ugric speakers cropped up. Roman historian Tacitus mentions a tribe primitive and savage Fenni in 100AD and even the Vikings chose not to settle, trading and plundering along the coasts. In the mid-1150s, Sweden started out to conquer and Christianise the Finnish pagans in earnest, with Birger Jarl incorporating most of the country into Sweden in 1249. Finland stayed an integral part of Sweden until the nineteenth century, although there was near-constant warfare with Russia on the eastern border and two brief occupations. After Sweden's final disastrous defeat in the Finnish War of 1808-1809, Finland became an autonomous grand duchy under Russian rule in 1809. Russian rule alternated between tolerance and repression and there was already a significant independence movement when Russia plunged into revolutionary chaos in 1917. Parliament seized the chance and declared independence in December, quickly gaining Soviet assent, but the country promptly plunged into a brief but bitter civil war between the conservative Whites and the communist Reds, eventually won by the Whites. During World War II, Finland was attacked by the Soviet Union in the Winter War, but fought them to a standstill that saw the USSR conquer 12% of Finnish territory. Finland then allied with Germany in an unsuccessful attempt to repel the Soviets and regain the lost territory, was defeated and, as a condition for peace, had to turn against Germany instead. Thus Finland fought three separate wars during World War II. In the end, Finland lost much of Karelia and Finland's second-largest city Vyborg, but Soviets paid a heavy price for them with over 300,000 soldiers killed. After the war, Finland lay in the grey zone between the Western countries and the Soviet Union. The Finno-Soviet Pact of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance committed Finland to resist armed attacks by "Germany or its allies" (read: the West), but also allowed Finland to stay neutral in the Cold War and avoid a Communist government or Warsaw Pact membership. In politics, there was a tendency of avoiding any policies and statements that could be interpreted as anti-Soviet. This balancing act of Finlandization was humorously defined as "the art of bowing to the East without mooning the West". Despite close relations with the Soviet Union, Finland managed to be a democracy and remained a Western European market economy, building close ties with its Nordic neighbours. While there were some tense moments, Finland pulled it off: in the subsequent half century, the country made a remarkable transformation from an agrarian economy to a diversified modern industrial economy featuring high-tech giants like Nokia, and per capita income is now in the top 15 countries in the world. After the collapse of the USSR, Finland joined the European Union on 1 January 1995, and was the only Nordic state to adopt the euro currency at its initiation on 1 January 2002. Geography[edit]Unlike craggy Norway and Sweden, Finland consists mostly of low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills, with mountains (of a sort) only in the extreme north, while Finland's highest point, Fell Halti, rises only to a modest 1,328m. Finland has 187,888 lakes according to the Geological Survey of Finland, making the moniker Land of a Thousand Lakes actually an underestimation. Along the coast and in the lakes are—according to another estimate—179,584 islands, making the country an excellent boating destination as well. Finland is not located on the Scandinavian peninsula, so despite many cultural and historical links, it is technically not a part of Scandinavia. Even Finns rarely bother to make the distinction, but a more correct term that includes Finland is the "Nordic countries" (Pohjoismaat). Still, the capital, Helsinki, has a lot of features typical of Scandinavian cities; especially when it comes to the architecture of the downtown, and another Scandinavian language, Swedish, is one of the two official languages of the country. Climate[edit]
Finland has a cold but temperate climate, which is actually comparatively mild for the latitude because of the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream. Winter, however, is just as dark as everywhere in these latitudes, and temperatures can (very rarely) reach -30°C in the south and even dip below -40°C in the north. The brief Finnish summer is considerably more pleasant, with temperatures around 20-23°C on sunny days (rarely closer to 30°C), and is generally the best time of year to visit. July is the warmest month. Early spring (March-April) is when the snow starts to melt and Finns like to head north for skiing and winter sports, while the transition from fall to winter in October-December — wet and dark— is the least pleasant time to visit. The southern coast where Helsinki and Turku are located is not really a winter destination, because there is no guarantee of snow even in January or February. Due to the extreme latitude, northern parts of Finland experiences the famous Midnight Sun near the summer solstice, when (if above the Arctic Circle) the sun never sets during the night and even in southern Finland it never really gets dark. The flip side of the coin is the Arctic Night (kaamos) in the winter, when the sun never comes up at all in the North. In the South, daylight is limited to a few pitiful hours with the sun just barely climbing over the trees before it heads down again. Culture[edit]Buffeted by its neighbours for centuries and absorbing influences from west, east and south, Finnish culture as a distinct identity was only born in the nineteenth century: "we are not Swedes, and we do not wish to become Russian, so let us be Finns." The Finnish founding myth and national epic is the Kalevala, a collection of old Karelian stories and poems collated in 1835 that recounts the creation of the world and the adventures of Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero with magical powers. Kalevalan themes such as the Sampo, a mythical cornucopia, have been a major inspiration for Finnish artists, and figures, scenes, and concepts from the epic continue to colour their works. While one of the essential preconditions for having full civil rights in the land of Finland used to be a membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church (in which most Catholic traditions have been preserved, doctrines are pronouncedly Christocentric and still formally based on the Book of Concord only), Finland's constitution has guaranteed full freedom of religion since 1923. Today, the everyday observance of the great majority is lax at best or virtually non-existent (even among some of the ministry) and the membership of the Lutheran church has been in a sharp decline since the 1960s. Consequently, tourists and visitors do wisely by exercising a certain tact and being conscious of the fact that topics concerning religious practice and personal faith are considered a strictly private matter by most Finns. There is every likelihood that faith-related questions are found either intrusive or baffling in most cases. Politics and religion are differentiated in the Finnish debate to the extent that any participant is expected not to highlight their personal beliefs. Finns share most virtues and downsides of their Scandinavian neighbours. These include uncompromising work ethic and an inclusive notion of equality. It became the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1906, after New Zealand; that granted universal suffrage in 1893. (Note: this is a common misconception. Finland was the first country to grant women full eligibility to the Parliament in 1907, Norway in 1917 and New Zealand as late as 1919.) Likewise, Finland is regularly top-ranked in the list of the least corrupted countries of Transparency International. By courtesy of its internationally vaunted tuitionless education system as well as comprehensive public health care and welfare system, Finland has acquired a worldwide reputation for one of the most advanced countries in the world. Meanwhile, the country is plagued by similar problems peculiar to Nordic welfare states that include the homogeneity of the ageing population and comparatively high rates of alcoholism, depression, social exclusion and suicide. However, the distinctive character of the Finns is often summed up with the word sisu, a mixture of admirable perseverance and pig-headed stubbornness in the face of adversity. The foundation of the Finnish music culture and music education has been built mainly on the life work of a classical composer Jean Sibelius whose symphonies are regularly played by the most esteemed symphony orchestras of the world and whose name is borne by Sibelius Academy, Finland's top music institution. Composers of the modern classical music (Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Esa-Pekka Salonen etc.) and the Finnish electronic music (Pan Sonic, Darude, Rinneradio, Jimi Tenor, Jori Hulkkonen etc.) are held in great reverence among experts and enthusiasts. Additionally, some Finnish mainstream heavy metal and pop (Children of Bodom, Nightwish, HIM, The Rasmus, Bomfunk MCs) have garnered global acclaim. Conspicuous metal band Lordi known for it's latex monster outfit became an international sensation overnight by winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens in 2006. In the other arts, Finland has produced noted architect and designer Alvar Aalto, authors Mika Waltari (The Egyptian), Väinö Linna (The Unknown Soldier) and Tove Jansson (The Moomins) and painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela, known for his Kalevala illustrations. Bilingualism[edit]
Finland has a Swedish-speaking minority and is officially a bilingual country, so maps nearly always bear both Finnish and Swedish names for cities and towns. For example, Turku and Åbo are the same city, even though the names are both completely different. Roads can be especially confusing: what first appears on a map to be a road that changes its name is, in most cases, one road with two names. This is common in the Swedish-speaking areas on the southern and western coasts, whereas inland Swedish names are far less common. In anywhere outside bilingual areas and the far north Lapland of Finland you'll never see Swedish, and a bilingual sign is extremely rare; you will, occasionally, see signage in Sámi instead. Google Maps, in particular, seems to select the language randomly, even though the Swedish names are extremely rarely used in practice in most places. Holidays[edit]Finns aren't typically very hot on big public carnivals; most holidays are spent at home with family. The most notable exception is Vappu on 1 May, as thousands of people (mostly the young ones) fill the streets. Important holidays and similar happenings include:
Typical holiday time is in July, unlike elsewhere in Europe, where it is in August. People generally start their summer holidays around Midsummer. During these days, cities are likely to be less busy, as Finns head for their summer cottages. Schoolchildren start their summer holidays at the beginning of June. Regions[edit]
While a convenient and unambiguous bureaucratic division, the provinces — now formally known as Regional State Administrative Agencies — do not really correspond to geographical or cultural boundaries very well. Other terms you may hear include Tavastia (Häme), covering a large area of central Finland around Tampere, and Karelia (Karjala) to the far east, the bulk of which was lost to the Soviet Union in World War II (still a sore topic in some circles). In 2010, Western Finland was formally split into "Western and Inner Finland" (for Tampere and the coast near Vaasa) and "Southwest Finland" (the area near Turku). Cities and towns[edit]
Other destinations[edit]
Get in[edit]Finland is a member of the Schengen Agreement. There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented this treaty - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But be careful: not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty, and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union. This means that there may be spot customs checks but no immigration checks (travelling within Schengen but to/from a non-EU country) or you may have to clear immigration but not customs (travelling within the EU but to/from a non-Schengen country). Please see the article Travel in the Schengen Zone for more information about how the scheme works and what entry requirements are. By plane[edit]Finland's main international hub is Helsinki Airport (officially Helsinki-Vantaa Airport) near Helsinki. Finnair, and Norra are based there. Around 30 foreign airlines fly to Helsinki Airport. Ryanair's Finland hubs are Tampere in central Finland and Lappeenranta in the east near the Russian border, while Wizz Air is decreasing its hub at Turku in the southwest. Other airlines have limited regional services to other cities, mostly just to Sweden, and, in the winter high season, occasional direct charters (especially in December) and seasonal scheduled flights (Dec-Mar) to Lapland. Air Baltic connects many provincial Finnish towns conveniently to Europe via Riga. It may also be worth your while to get a cheap flight to Tallinn and follow the boat instructions below to get to Finland. Starting in early 2011, Norwegian Air Shuttle established Helsinki as one of its bases, and now offers both domestic and international flights. By train[edit]VR [2] and Russian Railways jointly operate services between Saint Petersburg and Helsinki, stopping at Vyborg, Kouvola and Lahti along the way. The line was upgraded in 2010 and the slick new Allegro-branded trains glide between the two cities in three and a half hours at up to 220km/h. The route is served four times per day. Ticket prices start from €39 for 2nd class and from €69 for 1st class service. There is also a daily traditional slow overnight sleeper from Moscow, which takes around 15 hours. There are no direct trains between Sweden or Norway and Finland (the rail gauge is different), but the bus over the gap from Boden/Luleå (Sweden) to Kemi (Finland) is free with an Eurail/Inter Rail pass, and you can also get a 50% discount from most ferries with these passes. By bus[edit]Buses are the cheapest but also the slowest and least comfortable way of travelling between Russia and Finland.
You can also use a bus from Sweden or Norway to Finland.
By boat[edit]One of the best ways to travel to and from Finland is by sea. The boats to Estonia and Sweden, in particular, are giant, multi-story floating palaces and department stores, with cheap prices subsidized by sales of tax-free booze: a return trip to Tallinn including a cabin for up to four people can go as low as €50. If travelling by Inter Rail, you can get 50% off deck fares. The best way to arrive in Helsinki is standing on the outside deck with a view ahead. Estonia and the Baltic states[edit]Helsinki and Tallinn are only 80km apart. Viking line, Eckerö line and Tallink Silja operate full-service car ferries all year round. Depending on the ferry type travel times are from slightly over two hours (Viking Line and Tallink Silja's Star, Superstar and Superfasts) to three and a half hours (Eckerö and Tallink Silja's biggest cruise ships). Some services travel overnight and park outside the harbor until morning. If the weather is looking dodgy and you're prone to sea sickness, it's best to opt for the big slow boats. There is an additional ferry connection between Hanko and Paldiski, operated by DFDS. There are no scheduled services to Latvia or Lithuania, but some of the operators above offer semi-regular cruises in the summer, with Riga being the most popular destination. Germany[edit]Finnlines [3] operates from Helsinki to Travemünde (near Lübeck and Hamburg) and from Helsinki to Rostock. Helsinki-Travemünde trip takes about 27 hours while Helsinki-Rostock takes about 34 hours. The Travemünde line is run by fast and large Star-class ships while a single, significantly smaller Hansa-class ship operates in the Rostock line. The latter is considered to be more luxurious and comfortable even though the trip takes much longer. Russia[edit]For years scheduled ferry services to Russia have been stop-and-go. Starting in April 2010 St Peter Line offers regular ferry service from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki for as low as €30 one way. Kristina Cruises also offers occasional cruises from Helsinki. Sweden[edit] Silja Serenade leaving Helsinki Both Silja and Viking offer overnight cruises from Helsinki and overnight as well as daytime cruises from Turku to Stockholm, usually stopping in the Åland islands along the way. These are some of the largest and most luxurious passenger ferries in the world, with as many as 14 floors and a whole slew of restaurants, bars, discos, pool and spa facilities, etc. The cheaper cabin classes below the car decks are rather spartan, but the higher sea view cabins can be very nice indeed. Note that, due to crowds of rowdy youngsters aiming to get thoroughly hammered on cheap tax-free booze, both Silja and Viking do not allow unaccompanied youth under 23 to cruise on Fridays or Saturdays. (The age limit is 20 on other nights, and only 18 for travellers not on same-day-return cruise packages.) In addition, Silja does not offer deck class on its overnight services, while Viking does. Note also that with Viking Line it often is cheaper to book a cruise instead of "route traffic". The cruise includes both ways with one day in between. If you want to stay longer you simply do not go back - it might still be cheaper than booking a one-way "route traffic" ticket. This accounts especially to last minute tickets (you could, e.g., get from Stockholm to Turku for around €10 overnight - "route traffic" would be over €30 for a cabin with lower quality). In addition to the big two, FinnLink offers the cheapest car ferry connection of all from Naantali to Kapellskär (from €60 for a car with driver). Car ferries usually stop for a few minutes at Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, which are outside the EU tax area and thus allow the ferries to operate duty-free sales. Between Vaasa and Umeå there is a ferry operated by Wasaline. By car[edit]Finland has a comprehensive road network that connects and runs through all of the major cities. Driving through Finland during anytime of the year is a treat with winding roads and gentle hills framed by pine and birch forests with agricultural farm lands here and there. Summertime evening drives with the midnight sun providing gentle light are particularly scenic and enjoyable. During summer months road repairs are in full swing so some minor delays may be experienced. Follow always speed limits: road patrol cameras, unmanned mobile control units as well as unmarked and marked police cars are utilized extensively to monitor traffic and enforce speed limits. Sweden[edit]As mentioned above, one of the easiest ways to get by car from Sweden to Finland is a car ferry. The European Route E12 (Finnish national highway 3) includes a ferry line between Umeå and Vaasa. Another route that includes a car ferry is E18, from Stockholm to Turku. There are also land border crossings up in Lapland at Tornio, Ylitornio, Pello, Kolari, Muonio and Kaaresuvanto. Norway[edit]European Routes E8 and E75 connect Finland and Norway. There are border crossings at Kilpisjärvi, Kivilompolo, Karigasniemi, Utsjoki, Nuorgam and Näätämö. Russia[edit]European route E18, as Russian route M10, goes from St. Petersburg via Vyborg to Vaalimaa/Torfyanovka border station near Hamina. From there, E18 continues as Finnish national highway 7 to Helsinki, and from there, along the coast as highway 1 to Turku. In Vaalimaa, trucks will have to wait in a persistent truck queue. This queue does not directly affect other vehicles. There are border control and customs checks in Vaalimaa and passports and Schengen visas if applicable will be needed. From south to north, other border crossings can be found at Nuijamaa/Brusnichnoye (Lappeenranta), Vaalimaa/Torfyanovka, Imatra/Svetogorsk, Niirala (Tohmajärvi), Vartius (Kuhmo) Kelloselkä (Salla) and Raja-Jooseppi (Sodankylä). All except the first are very remote. Estonia[edit]As mentioned above, there is a car ferry between Tallinn and Helsinki. It forms a part of European route E67 Via Baltica that runs from the Estonian capital Tallinn, crosses Riga in Latvia and Kaunas in Lithuania to the Polish capital Warsaw. The distance from Tallinn to Warsaw is about 970km, not including any detours. Get around[edit]Finland's a large country and travelling is relatively expensive. Public transportation is well organized and the equipment is always comfortable and often new, and advance bookings are rarely necessary outside the biggest holiday periods. The domestic Journey Planner offers an useful website with integrated timetables for inter-city trains, local transport and airplanes, but not long-distance buses. By plane[edit]Flights are the fastest but generally also the most expensive way of getting around. Finnair and some smaller airlines operate regional flights from Helsinki to all over the country, including Kuopio, Pori, Rovaniemi and Ivalo. It's worth booking in advance if possible: on the Helsinki-Oulu sector, the country's busiest, a fully flexible return economy ticket costs a whopping €251 but an advance-purchase non-changeable one-way ticket can go as low as €39, less than a train ticket. You may also be able to get discounted domestic tickets if you fly into Finland on Finnair. Another possibility is Air Baltic which also flies the sector Turku-Oulu for very competitive prices, far less than the train. Additionally, in 2011 Norwegian Air Shuttle started flying from Helsinki to Oulu and Rovaniemi. A shuttle bus (Finnair City Bus) operates between Helsinki Airport and Helsinki Central Railway Station in approx. 20 minute intervals (30 min trip duration, €6.80). Helsingi Region Transport HSL has train connection to the airport which takes 30 minutes. There are two lines: I and P trains. Prices are €5. Check out Helsinki Region Transport journey planner for timetables and other information. There are three major airlines selling domestic flights:
In addition, Airlink operates between Helsinki and Savonlinna. By train[edit]VR [4] (Finnish Railways) operates the fairly extensive railroad network. The train is the method of choice for travel from Helsinki to Tampere, Turku and Lahti, with departures at least once per hour and faster speeds than the bus. The following classes of service are available, with example prices and durations for the popular Helsinki-Tampere service in parenthesis.
The trains are generally very comfortable, especially the express services. Pendolino and IC trains have restaurant cars, family cars (IC only, with a playpen for children) and power sockets; Pendolinos and Intercity trains even offer free Wi-Fi connectivity. Additional surcharges apply for travel in first class, branded "Ekstra" on some trains, which gets you more spacious seating, newspapers and coffee. Overnight sleepers are available for long-haul routes and very good value at €11/21/43 for a bed in a three/two/one-bed compartment. You may also book a whole cabin. One child under 6 can travel for free with each fare-paying adult, and seniors over 65 years old and students with Finnish student ID (ISIC cards etc not accepted) get 30% off. Groups of 3 or more get 15% off. Tickets are cheapest bought from VR Online, VR Mobile or ticket vending machines at all the stations. Tickets can also be bought at ticket sales offices at major stations, R-kiosks everywhere in the country or by calling the VR customer service. It is possible to buy tickets in the train, but extra fare of €6 applies and no seat reservation is included. Finland participates in the Inter Rail and Eurail systems. Residents of Europe can buy InterRail Finland passes offering 3-8 days of unlimited travel in one month for €109-229 (adult 2nd class), while the Eurail Finland pass for non-residents is €178-320 for 3-10 days. VR's own Holiday Pass (LomaPassi), at €145 for 3 days including up to 4 free seat reservations, is available to all but only valid in summer. You would have to travel a lot to make any of these pay off though; by comparison, a full-fare InterCity return ticket across the entire country from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and back is €162. Generally, the trains are most crowded at the beginning and end of the weekend, and that means Friday and Sunday evening. Shortly before and at the end of major holidays like Christmas/New Year and Easter, trains are usually very busy. If you try booking for these days at a late time, you may find the seat you reserve may be among the least desirable, that is, facing backwards, without recline, and facing towards and sharing the legroom with other passengers. Finns general opinion is that VR's trains are always late, but VR is actually one of the most reliable rail company of EU. As in the rest of the EU, you'll get a 25% refund if the train is 1-2 hours late and 50% if more. By bus[edit]Matkahuolto [5] offers long-distance coach connections to practically all parts of Finland. Bus is also the only way to travel in Lapland, since the rail network doesn't extend to the extreme north. Buses are generally slightly higher priced than trains, although on routes with direct train competition they can be cheaper. Speeds are usually slower than trains, sometimes very slow (from Helsinki to Oulu), sometimes even faster (from Helsinki to Kotka and Pori). On many routes, though, buses are more frequent, so you may still get to your destination faster than if you wait for the next train. Unlike the trains, student discounts are available also for foreign students by showing a valid ISIC card at Matkahuolto offices (in every bus station) and getting a Matkahuolto student discount card (€5). There is also BusPass travel pass from Matkahuolto [6], which offers unlimited travel in specified time, priced at €149 for 7 days and €249 for 14 days. Onnibus [7] offers a cheaper alternative (ticket prices beginning from €1 on all routes when bought online) for long-distance coaches. Routes coverages almost whole country. Local transport networks are well-developed in Greater Helsinki, Tampere and Turku. In smaller cities public transport networks are usable on weekdays, but sparse on weekends and during the summer. There are easy-to-use high-tech English route planners with maps to find out how to use local bus services provided by Finnish Transportation Agency [8]. Demand responsive transport[edit]Demand responsive transport (DRT) is a form of public transport, in which the routes are determined based on the customers' needs. You can find the zones where DRT services are available by using the map or address search services[9]. By ferry[edit]In summertime, lake cruises are a great way to see the scenery of Finland, although most of them only do circular sightseeing loops and aren't thus particularly useful for getting from point A to point B. Most cruise ships carry 100-200 passengers (book ahead on weekends!), and many are historical steam boats. Popular routes include Turku-Naantali and various routes in and around Saimaa. By car[edit]Hiring a car is possible in Finland but generally expensive, with rates generally upwards of €80 a day, although rates go down for longer rentals. Foreign-registered cars can only be used in Finland for a limited time and registering it locally involves paying a substantial tax to equalise the price to Finnish levels. If you opt to buy a car in Finland instead, make sure it has all annual taxes paid and when it's next annual inspection is due: the deadline is the same day as the car's first date of use unless the registration form says 00.00.xx in first date of use. In that case the inspection date is determined by the last number of the license plate. All cars must pass emissions testing and precise tests of brakes etc. Police may remove the plates of vehicles that have not passed their annual inspections in time and give you a fine. Traffic drives on the right, and there are no toll roads in Finnish cities or highways so far. Main roads are usually fairly well maintained and extensive, although expressways are limited to the south of the country except a few shorter stretches in or around a few cities (Kuopio, Oulu, Vaasa). Note that headlights or daytime running lights must be kept on at all times when driving. It is worth noting that many cars with automated headlight switches do not recognise rain or snowfall and thus do not turn on the rear lights which is vital especially in poor visibility. Drivers must stay very alert, particularly at dawn and dusk, for wild animals. Collisions with moose (frequently lethal) are common countrywide, deer (mostly survivable) cause numerous collisions in South and South West parts of the country, and semi-domesticated reindeer are a common cause of accidents in Lapland. Bear collisions happen sometimes in eastern parts of the country. VR's overnight car carrier trains [10] are popular for skipping the long slog from Helsinki up to Lapland and getting a good night's sleep instead: a Helsinki-Rovaniemi trip (one way) with car and cabin for 1-3 people starts from €215. A few unusual or unobvious rules to beware of:
Winter driving can be somewhat hazardous, especially for drivers unused to cold weather conditions. In fact during the late-2010s, there has been a number of lethal car accidents caused by foreign drivers that are not used to driving in winter conditions. Winter tyres (M+S) are mandatory from 1 December through the end of February. The most dangerous weather is in fact around the zero degree mark (C), when slippery but near-invisible black ice forms on the roads. Finnish cars often come equipped with an engine block heater (lohkolämmitin) used to preheat the engine and possibly the interior of the car beforehand, and many parking places have electric outlets to recharge them. Liikenneturva, the Finnish road safety agency, maintains a Tips for winter driving page in English as well as Finland by car multi-language brochure. Note that especially in the Helsinki area, the majority of cars are equipped with steel-studded tyres that allow more dynamic driving and shorter braking distances on frozen surfaces than conventional traction tires (M+S), as used in other European countries. Software for GPS navigators that warns of fixed safety cameras is legal and installed by default in many mobile phones. Warning signs before fixed cameras are required by law. Possessing a radar detector is illegal and having one in your car will cause serious consequences. A blood alcohol level of over 0.05% is considered drink driving and 0.12% as aggrevated drink driving, so think twice before drinking that second beer. Finnish police strictly enforce this by random roadblocks and sobriety tests. If you are driving at night when filling stations are closed (they usually close at 21:00), always remember to bring some money for fuel. Some self-service petrol pumps in Finland rarely do not accept foreign visa/credit cards, but you can pay with Euro notes. In the sparsely-populated areas of the country, distances of 50 km (31.07 miles) and more between filling stations are not unheard of, so don't gamble unnecessarily with those last litres of fuel. If you enter Finland in your own car, note that all petrol in Finland contains ethanol. If your car should not be run on ethanol-containing petrol or you are in doubt, use the 98 octane petrol. This contains residual ethanol from the pump station up to a maximum of 5% and can be used in all cars that run on petrol. Penalties[edit]Finnish speeding tickets are based on your income, so be careful: a Nokia VP who'd cashed in some stock options the previous year was once charged for US$204,000! Fortunately, the police have no access to tax records outside Finland and will just fine non-residents a flat €100-200 instead. Speed limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80-100 km/h outside towns and usually 120 km/h on freeways. From around mid-October to April, speed limits on freeways are lowered to 100 km/h and most 100 km/h limits are lowered to 80 km/h. In case the driver gets caught for speeding three times within a year or four times within two years, the driving licence will be seized four weeks being the minimum. In case of aggravated speeding or drink driving the licence may be seized immediately. Usage of a mobile phone while driving is illegal, and you can expect to be punished similar to how a driver charged with a speeding offence would be. By taxi[edit]NOTICE! The taxi system in Finland will change significantly as the government regulation stops at July 1st 2018. After that date some of the following information may be misleading or even false. Finnish taxis are heavily regulated by the government, so they're comfortable, safe and expensive. No matter where you go in the country, the starting fee is fixed at €5.90, rising up to €9.00 at night and on Sundays. The per-kilometer charge starts at €1.52/km for 1 or 2 passengers, rising up to €2,13/km for 7 or 8 passenger minivans. A 20-25 km journey (say, airport to central Helsinki) can thus easily cost €40-50. Taxis can come in any color or shape, but they will always have a yellow "TAXI" sign (sometimes spelled "TAKSI") on the roof. Hailing cabs off the street is difficult to impossible, so either find a taxi rank or order by phone (any pub or restaurant will help you on this, expect to pay 2 euros for the call). Taxi companies around the country can be found at the Taksiliitto [11] site. In the Helsinki city center, long lines at the taxi stops can be expected on Friday and Saturday nights. It is not uncommon to share a taxi with strangers if going towards the same general direction. Using of unofficial "taxis" is illegal and to be avoided. You might lose your wallet/purse/phone, despite Helsinki being maybe one of the safest capitals in Europe. The Uber service is illegal in Finland and the driver may face a notable penalty. If you decide to use Uber and your driver gets caught by the police, you're on your own. By thumb[edit]Hitchhiking is possible, albeit unusual, in Finland, as the harsh climate and sparse traffic don't exactly encourage standing around and waiting for cars. The most difficult task is getting out of Helsinki. Summer offers long light hours, but in the fall/spring you should plan your time. The highway between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg has a very high percentage of Russian drivers. See Hitchhiking Club Finland liftari.org [12] or the Finland article [13] on Hitchwiki for further details if interested. By bicycle[edit]Most Finnish cities have good cycle paths especially outside the centres, and riding a bike is a quick, healthy and environmentally-friendly method of getting around locally. A white headlight is mandatory when riding a bicycle in the dark, even in urban areas. You can receive a €40 fine if you don't display a headlight. Use of safety helmet is advised, but not mandatory. The roads are generally paved well, although gravel roads are sometimes unavoidable. As long as you don't go off-road, you will not need suspension or grooved tyres. Bike path should be used it there's one available on the right side of the road. Because of the long distances, bicycle tourists are advised to plan well and be prepared to use public transport for the less interesting stretches. Long-distance coaches, with exception of Onnibus.com, are well-equipped to take bicycles on board. The fee is approximately €5 and is not necessary (but may be good to) be booked at advance. Almost all the trains can take bicycles if there is enough space. Only Pendolino high speed service cannot take bikes. For long-distance trains, the place should be booked at advance and costs €5. For local and regional trains, there is not any fee and booking is not needed. Ferries take bicycles for free or for a small fee. Due to the relatively gentle topographic relief, too hilly terrain is rarely a problem, but in the cold months, windchill requires more protection against cold than in walking. Talk[edit] See also: Finnish phrasebook Finland is officially bilingual in Finnish (spoken by 90% of the population) and Swedish (spoken by 5.6% of the population), and both languages are compulsory in all schools, but in practice most of the population is monolingual in Finnish. Finnish the predominant language everywhere in the country, except the Åland Islands and some areas on the north and west coast of the Finnish mainland. Finnish is not related to the Scandinavian languages (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Faroese), Russian, or English. In fact, it is not even an Indo-European language, instead belonging in the Uralic group of languages which includes Hungarian and Estonian, making it hard for speakers of most other European languages to learn. Reading signboards can also be difficult as Finnish has relatively few loan words from common European languages, and as a result it is very hard to guess what words in Finnish mean. Swedish is the mother tongue for 5.6% of Finns. There are no large towns with a Swedish majority, and the Swedish-speaking communities are mainly smaller rural communities along the Southwest coast. Many towns and road signs on the coast use alternate Finnish and Swedish names, so road signs can be confusing, but bilingual signs outside bilingual areas never appear. The small autonomous province of Åland and the municipalities of Närpes, Korsnäs and Larsmo are exclusively Swedish-speaking, and people there typically speak little or no Finnish at all, so English is a better bet. Swedish is a mandatory subject in Finnish-speaking schools (and Finnish in Swedish-speaking schools), so everyone is supposed to speak and understand it; in reality, though, only 41% of the Finnish-speaking population is conversant in it, and most of these people live in coastal areas and in predominantly Swedish-speaking areas. Even this varies: for example, in Helsinki and Turku most people can speak Swedish enough to deal with important conversations you engage in as a tourist and often somewhat beyond, but living would be impossible without knowledge of Finnish, whereas towns like Vaasa and Porvoo have significant Swedish-speaking minorities and are more genuinely bilingual (i.e. it would be possible to live there with Swedish only). Most hotels and restaurants, especially in areas where Swedish is widely spoken, do have some Swedish-proficient staff. Many Finns also have a fairly negative view of compulsory Swedish education, considering less than 6% of the population speaks it natively, believing that the time could be used to instead learn a more global language. Russian is best understood near the Russian border, such as in Lappeenranta, Imatra and Joensuu, which are areas frequented by Russian tourists. Tourist destinations which are popular among Russians in Eastern and Northern Finland have some Russian-speaking staff. Elsewhere, knowledge of Russian is often far rarer. Over 70% of Finns speak English to varying degrees of fluency. In bigger towns, with the exception of the elderly, many people you would meet as a tourist speak good English, and even in the countryside younger people will nearly always know enough to communicate. In fact, outside of the Swedish-speaking communities, English is usually far better understood than Swedish. Conversely, within the Swedish-speaking communities, English is often better understood than Finnish. Don't hesitate to ask for help: Finns can be shy but will help you out in need. Do remember that due to drastic differences in pronunciation Finns, especially those who were exposed to English at a later age may have an accent that is practically incomprehensible at first. Besides English and Swedish, some Finns can speak German (18 %) or French (3 %), other secondary languages (Spanish, Russian) being rare. Foreign television shows and films are nearly always subtitled. Only children's fare gets dubbed into Finnish. The grammar of Finnish language has relatively few exceptions but quite many rules (where some rules might be considered cleverly disguised exceptions). There are about 17 different cases for "getting some coffee and getting the coffee, going into a pub, being in a pub (or in a state of drunkenness), getting out of the pub, being on the roof, getting onto the roof, getting off the roof, using something as a roof" and so on that are encoded into the word endings. In written text, the plethora of cases makes it a challenging exercise to even look up a single word from the dictionary. The conjugation of verbs is unfortunately somewhat more complex. See[edit][add listing]A selection of top sights in Finland:
Do[edit][add listing]Sports[edit]Notably lacking in craggy mountains or crenellated fjords, Finland is not the adrenalin-laden winter sports paradise you might expect: the traditional Finnish pastime is cross-country skiing through more or less flat terrain. If you're looking for downhill skiing, snowboarding etc, you'll need to head up to Lapland and resorts like Levi and Saariselkä. During the short summer you can swim, fish or canoe in the lakes. They are usually warmest around 20th July. Local newspapers usually have the current surface temperatures, and a map of the surface temperatures can also be found from the Environment Ministry website [14]. During the warmest weeks, late at night or early in the morning the water can feel quite pleasant when the air temperature is lower than the water's. Most towns also have swimming halls with slightly warmer water, but these are often closed during the summer. Fishing permits, if needed, can be easily bought from any R-Kioski although they take a small surcharge for it. For hikers, fishermen and hunters, the Ministry of Forestry maintains an online Excursion Map map [15] with trails and huts marked. The best season for hiking is early fall, after most mosquitoes have died off and the autumn colors have come out. And if you'd like to try your hand at something uniquely Finnish, don't miss the plethora of bizarre sports contests in the summer, including:
Festivals[edit]Finland hosts many music festivals (festari) during the summer. Some of the most notable include:
Most of the festivals last 2-4 days and are very well organized, with many different bands playing, with eg. Foo Fighters and Linkin Park headlining at Provinssi 2008. The normal full ticket (all days) price is about €60-100, which includes a camp site where you can sleep, eat and meet other festival guests. The atmosphere at festivals is great and probably you'll find new friends there. Of course drinking a lot of beer is a part of the experience. There are also many more less-advertised underground festivals around the countryside every summer. Northern Lights[edit]Spotting the eerie Northern Lights (aurora borealis, or revontulet in Finnish) glowing in the sky is on the agenda of many visitors, but even in Finland it's not so easy. During the summer, it's light all day along and the aurora become invisible, and they're rarely seen in the south. The best place to spot them is during the winter in the far north, when the probability of occurrence is over 50% around the magnetic peak hour of 22:30 — if the sky is clear, that is. The ski resort of Saariselkä, easily accessible by plane and with plenty of facilities, is particularly popular among aurora hunters. Buy[edit][add listing]Finland has the euro (€) as its sole currency along with 24 other countries that use this common European money. These 24 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain (official euro members which are all European Union member states) as well as Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and the Vatican which use it without having a say in eurozone affairs and without being European Union members. Together, these countries have a population of more than 330 million. One euro is divided into 100 cents. While each official euro member (as well as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican) issues its own coins with a unique obverse, the reverse, as well as all bank notes, look the same throughout the eurozone. Every coin is legal tender in any of the eurozone countries. Finland does not use the 1 and 2 cent coins; instead all sums are rounded to the nearest 5 cents. The coins are, however, still legal tender and there are even small quantities of Finnish 1c and 2c coins, highly valued by collectors. It is common to omit cents and the euro sign from prices, and use the comma as a decimal separator: "5,50" thus means five euros and fifty cents. Getting or exchanging money is rarely a problem, as ATMs ("Otto") are common and they can be operated with international credit and debit cards (Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard, Maestro). Currencies other than the euro are generally not accepted, although the Swedish krona may be accepted in Åland and northern border towns like Tornio. Russian roubles are accepted in some select touristy shops, such as Stockmann in Helsinki. Money changers are common in the bigger cities (the Forex chain [32] is ubiquitous) and typically have longer opening hours and faster service than banks. Credit cards are widely accepted, and the payment is almost always accepted by your PIN code. Visa Electron and Visa Debit cardreaders are found in all major and most minor shops, so carrying large amounts of cash is not usually necessary. You may pay contactless almost everywhere, up to €50. As a rule, tipping is never necessary in Finland and restaurant bills already include service charges. That said, taxi fares and other bills paid by cash are are occasionally rounded up to the next convenient number. Cloakrooms (narikka; actually a misspelling used by younger Finnish people in as much the original word is "narinkka" = na rynke = on the market in Russian, stemming from the Russian time of Finland into the very peculiar "stadin slangi" = Helsinki slang) in nightclubs and better restaurants often have non-negotiable fees (usually clearly signposted, €3 is standard), and — in the few hotels that employ them — hotel porters will expect around the same per bag. By law, cigarettes or any products related to them are not allowed to be visible to customers in stores. Those are widely available, but you should contact the staff to be able to buy smoking products. The personnel is not allowed to introduce or even show cigarettes - the customer has to know which product he or she wants or to consult a simple list of available products. The price of a cigarette pack may consist of 70% tax. Costs[edit]Declared the world's most expensive country in 1990, prices have since abated somewhat but are still steep by most standards. Rock-bottom travelling if staying in hostel dorms and self-catering costs at least €25/day and it's well worth doubling that amount. The cheapest hotels cost about €50 per night and more regular hotels closer to €100. Instead of hotels or hostels, look for holiday cottages, especially when travelling in a group and off-season, you can find a full-equipped cottage for €10-15 per person a night. Campsites typically cost between €10 and €20 per tent. Museums and tourist attractions have an entrance fee in the range of €5-25. Using public transport costs a few euros per day and depends on the city. One-way travel between major cities by train or by bus costs between €20-100, depending on the distance. Note that a VAT of 24% is charged for nearly everything, but by law this must be included in the displayed price. Non-EU residents can get a tax refund for purchases above €40 at participating outlets, just look for the Tax-Free Shopping logo. Shopping[edit]As you might expect given the general price level, souvenir shopping in Finland isn't exactly cheap. Traditional buys include Finnish puukko knives, handwoven ryijy rugs and every conceivable part of a reindeer. For any Lappish handicrafts, look for the "Sámi Duodji" label that certifies it as authentic. Popular brands for modern (or timeless) Finnish design include Marimekko [33] clothing, Iittala [34] glass, Arabia [35] ceramics, Kalevala Koru [36] jewelry, Pentik [37] interior design and, if you don't mind the shipping costs, Artek [38] furniture by renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto. Kids and not a few adults love Moomin [39] characters, which fill up souvenir store shelves throughout the country. In case one prefers souvenirs that are made in Finland and do not just appear Finn Made, caution is advised. Many wooden products are actually imported and Marimekko, for instance, manufactures most of its products outside Finland. Safe bets for truly Finnish souvenirs are products made by Lapuan Kankurit [40] and Aarikka [41], for example. Shopping hours for specialty stores vary significantly by size and location, with many smaller ones closing around 17:00 and large department stores open until around 21:00 or 22:00. Note that opening hours are often reduced considerably around national holidays, such as Christmas, Easter or Midsummer. While shopkeepers may vehemently deny this to a foreigner, prices in smaller stores are by no means fixed. When buying hobby equipment, it is not uncommon to get 30 % discount (hint: Find the international price level from a web shop and print it out). The more specialized the goods, the higher the gap between Finnish and international prices, and mail order may save a lot of money. When a package is intercepted by customs (which is quite rate for physically small items), the buyer is notified and can pick it up from customs. VAT and possibly import duty are charged, bring a copy of the order that is then signed by the buyer and archived. When buying consumer electronics, one should be aware that the shelf life of products can be rather long, especially if the shop isn't specialized in consumer electronics. There is a risk to buy an overpriced product that has already been discontinued by the manufacturer or replaced with a newer model. Grocery shopping[edit]The range of products in Finnish grocery stores tends to be a little bit more limited than in Europe overall. Many products need to be imported, and this is unfortunately one reason why prices are high - prepare to pay about a fifth to a quarter more for food than in Europe on average. There is usually at least one supermarket in all localities, often two. Finnish food markets are mainly dominated by two large groups: S-Group [42] (supermarket chains Sale, Alepa, S-Market and hypermarket chain Prisma), and the K-Group [43] (supermarket chains K-Market, K-Supermarket and hypermarket chain K-Citymarket. In addition to these chains, the international discount store chain Lidl [44] operates around 150 stores in Finland, mainly in cities and towns with population over 5,000. Some independent grocery stores also exist (such as in some rural communities), although these are becoming quite rare. One noteworthy thing to remember when shopping for groceries in Finland is that virtually all grocery stores require you to use a self-service scale when buying fresh fruits and produce, and the cashier will not be able to do this for you. If you don't weigh these products yourself before you proceed to pay, you will end up holding up the line for several minutes and possibly causing irritation in other customers. Previous restrictions on shopping hours were recently lifted, and now vary significantly by shop and location. For many smaller shops in large towns, normal weekday opening hours are around 08:00-22:00, but may be closed or have reduced hours during weekends. Larger grocery stores in central locations are sometimes open later, some shops in Central Helsinki are open 24/7 or until 22:00 every day of the year. When off the beaten path, grocery store hours are often much shorter, but gas station convenience stores are usually open later. Most notable 24/7 gas station-chains are "ABC" and Shell. Convenience stores like the ubiquitous R-Kioski [45] tend to have long hours, but are usually not open around the clock. These are usually found in busy, central locations. Alcohol[edit]Finnish grocery stores do not sell alcoholic beverages with above 5.5% volume, and no alcoholic beverages above 2.8% volume are sold between 21:00 and 09:00. The sole provider of wine and spirits is the government-run Alko, which has limited hours, especially on weekends and public holidays. When buying alcohol, almost all grocery stores will usually require you or anyone in your company who the clerk deems look below the age of 30 to provide proof of age - only a government-issued ID card, drivers' license or passport is acceptable. You will also not be sold alcohol if you are visibly intoxicated or act in a disturbing manner. Age limit for buying alcohol in grocery stores and Alkos is 18 for under 21%-vol. beverages and 20 for over 21%-vol. beverages. In bars and nightclubs 18 years old can buy also strong alcohol. Eat[edit][add listing]Finnish cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbors, the main staples being potatoes and bread with various fish and meat dishes on the side. Milk or cream is traditionally considered an important part of the diet and is often an ingredient in foods and a drink, even for adults. Various milk products such as cheeses are also produced. While traditional Finnish food is famously bland, the culinary revolution that followed joining the EU has seen a boom in classy restaurants experimenting with local ingredients, often with excellent results. Seafood[edit]With tens of thousands of lakes and a long coastline, fish is a Finnish staple, and there's a lot more on that menu than just salmon (lohi). Specialities include:
Other local fish to look out for include zander (kuha), an expensive delicacy, pike (hauki) and perch (ahven). Meat dishes[edit] Reindeer stew (poronkäristys), a Lappish favorite
Milk products[edit]Cheese and other milk products are very popular in Finland. The most common varieties are mild hard cheeses like Edam and Emmental, but local specialities include:
Other dishes[edit]
Bread[edit]Bread (leipä) is served with every meal in Finland, and comes in a vast array of varieties. Rye bread is the most popular bread in Finland. Typically Finnish ones include:
Seasonal and regional specialities[edit]
There are also regional specialties, including Eastern Finland's kalakukko (a type of giant fish pie) and Tampere's infamous blood sausage (mustamakkara). Around Easter keep an eye out for mämmi, a type of brown sweet rye pudding which is eaten with cream and sugar. It looks famously unpleasant but actually tastes quite good. Desserts[edit]For dessert or just as a snack, Finnish pastries abound and are often taken with coffee (see Drink) after a meal. Look for cardamom coffee bread (pulla), a wide variety of tarts (torttu), and donuts (munkki). In summer, a wide range of fresh berries are available, including the delectable but expensive cloudberry (lakka), and berry products are available throughout the year as jam (hillo), soup (keitto) and a type of gooey clear pudding known as kiisseli. Finnish chocolate is also rather good, with Fazer [46] products including their iconic Sininen ("Blue") bar exported around the world. A more Finnish speciality is licorice (lakritsi), particularly the strong, salty kind known as salmiakki, which gets its unique (and acquired) taste from ammonium chloride. Places to eat[edit] Cold fish buffet at Liekkilohi, Savonlinna Finns tend to eat out only on special occasions, and restaurant prices are correspondingly expensive. The one exception is lunchtime, when thanks to a government-sponsored lunch coupon system company cafeterias and nearly every restaurant in town offers set lunches for around €8-9, usually consisting of a main course, salad bar, bread table and a drink. University cafeterias, many of which are open to all, are particularly cheap with meals in the €2-4 range for students, although without local student ID you will usually need to pay about €5-7. There are also public cafeterias in office / administration areas that are open only during lunch hours on working days. While not particularly stylish and sometimes hard to find, those usually offer high-quality buffet lunch at a reasonable price (typically €8.40 in 2011). The cafe scene has quickly developed, especially since the 1990s and above all in Helsinki. The array of cakes and pastries is not perhaps as vast as in Central Europe, but the local special coffees (lattes, mochas etc.) are worth trying when it comes to the two big local coffee house chains: Wayne's Coffee (originated in Sweden) and Robert's Coffee (Finland). You can now also find Starbucks in Finland. For dinner, you'll be limited to generic fast food (pizza, hamburgers, kebabs and such) in the €5-10 range, or you'll have to splurge over €20 for a meal in a "nice" restaurant. For eating on the move, look for grill kiosks (grilli), which serve sausages, hamburgers and other portable if not terribly health-conscious fare late into the night at reasonable prices. In addition to the usual hamburgers and hot dogs, look for meat pies (lihapiirakka), akin to a giant savoury doughnut stuffed with minced meat and your choice of sausage, fried eggs and condiments. Hesburger [47] is the local fast-food equivalent of McDonald's, with a similar menu. They have a "Finnish" interpretation of a few dishes, such as a sour-rye chicken sandwich. Of course most international fast food chains are present, especially McDonald's, which offers many of their sandwich buns substituted with a sour-rye bun on request. The Finnish word for buffet is seisova pöytä ("standing table"), and while increasingly used to refer to all-you-can-eat Chinese or Italian restaurants, the traditional meaning is akin to Sweden's smörgåsbord: a good-sized selection of sandwiches, fish, meats and pastries. It's traditionally eaten in three rounds — first the fish, then the cold meats, and finally warm dishes — and it's usually the first that is the star of the show. Though expensive and not very common in a restaurant setting, if you are fortunate enough to be formally invited to a Finn's home, they will likely have prepared a spread for their guest, along with plenty of coffee. Breakfast at better hotels is also along these lines and it's easy to eat enough to cover lunch as well! If you're really on a budget, you can save a considerable amount of money by self-catering. Ready-to-eat casseroles and other basic fare that can be quickly prepared in a microwave can be bought for a few euros in any supermarket. Note that you're usually expected to weigh and label any fruits or vegetables yourself (bag it, place it on the scale and press the numbered button. The correct number can be found from the price sign), and green signs mean possibly tastier but certainly more expensive organic (luomu) produce. One should be aware that more often than not, cheap food contains disproportionate amounts of fat. At restaurants, despite the high prices, portions tend to be quite small, at least when compared to USA and Canada, and even many European countries. Dietary restrictions[edit]Traditional Finnish cuisine relies heavily on meat and fish, but vegetarianism (kasvissyönti) is increasingly popular and well-understood, and will rarely pose a problem for travellers. Practically all restaurants offer vegetarian options, often marked with a "V" on menus. Many restaurants in bigger cities also offer vegan (vegaani) food. It doesn't hurt to ask the waiters or cashiers if the restaurant has any vegan options, or if it's possible to adapt some of the vegetarian options to suit for a vegan. Fast food chains McDonalds and Hesburger also offer at least one vegan option. Two ailments commonly found among Finns themselves are lactose intolerance (laktoosi-intoleranssi, inability to digest the milk sugar lactose) and coeliac disease (keliakia, inability to digest gluten). In restaurants, lactose-free selections are often tagged "L" (low-lactose products are sometimes called "Hyla" or marked with "VL"), while gluten-free options are marked with "G". However, hydrolyzed lactose (HYLA brand) milk or lactose-free milk drink for the lactose intolerant is widely available, which also means that a lactose-free dish is not necessarily milk-free. Allergies are quite common among Finnish people, too, so restaurant workers are usually quite knowledgeable on what goes into each dish and often it is possible to get the dish without certain ingredients if specified. For people allergic to milk of animal origin, there is usually a wide selection of plant-based drinks in grocery stores and coffee shops. Halal is available in the big cities, most notably in Itis, which have several shops and restaurants serving Halal food. Kosher is more rare to find due to a much smaller Jewish community. Watch out for minced meat dishes like meatballs, which very commonly use a mix of beef and pork. The Jewish Community of Helsinki [48] runs a small kosher deli in Helsinki. Drink[edit][add listing]Thanks to its thousands of lakes, Finland has plenty of water supplies and tap water is always potable (In fact, never buy bottled water if you can get tap water!). The usual soft drinks and juices are widely available, but look out for a wide array of berry juices (marjamehu), especially in summer, as well as Pommac, an unusual soda made from (according to the label) "mixed fruits", which you'll either love or hate. Coffee and tea[edit]Finns are the world's heaviest coffee (kahvi) drinkers, averaging 3-4 cups per day. Most Finns drink it strong and black, but sugar and milk for coffee are always available and the more European variants such as espresso and cappuccino are becoming more common especially in the bigger cities. The biggest towns have had French-style fancy cafés for quite some time and modern competitors, like Wayne's or Robert's Coffee, are springing up in the mix. For a quick caffeine fix, you can just pop into any convenience store, which will pour you a cuppa €2 or so. Tea hasn't quite caught on in quite the same way, although finding hot water and a bag of Lipton Yellow Label won't be a problem. For brewed tea, check out some of the finer downtown cafés or tearooms. Dairy[edit]In Finland some people like to drink milk (maito) as an accompaniment to food at home or at the cafeteria at work or school. The most popular beverage is water, though. Another popular option is piimä, or buttermilk. Viili, a type of curd, acts like super-stretchy liquid bubble gum but is similar to plain yogurt in taste. It is traditionally eaten with cinnamon and sugar on top. Fermented dairy products help stabilize the digestion system, so if your system is upset, give them a try. Alcohol[edit] Chilling out at the Arctic Icebar, Helsinki Alcohol is very expensive in Finland compared to most countries (though not to its Nordic neighbours Sweden and Norway), although low-cost Estonia's entry to the EU has forced the government to cut alcohol taxes a little. Still, a single beer will cost you closer to €4-6 in any bar or pub, or €1 and up in a supermarket. While beer and cider are available in any supermarket or convenience store (only from 9 AM until 9 PM), the state monopoly Alko [49] is your sole choice for wine or anything stronger. The legal drinking age is 18 for milder drinks, while to buy hard liquor from Alko you need to be 20. ID is usually requested from all young-looking clients. Some restaurants have higher age requirements, up to 30 years, but these are their own policies and are not always followed, especially at more quiet times. Surprisingly enough, the national drink is not Finlandia Vodka, but its local brand Koskenkorva [50] or Kossu in common speech. However, the two drinks are closely related: Kossu is 38% while Finlandia is 40%, and Kossu also has a small amount of added sugar, which makes the two drinks taste somewhat different. There are also many other vodkas on the market, most of which taste pretty much the same, but look out for Ström, "The Spirit of Santa", a Finnish attempt at a super-premium vodka. When looking the bottles in Alko store, difference between vodka and viina is based on the sugar content: vodka is dry while viinas contain added sugar. A local speciality is Salmiakki-Kossu or Salmari, prepared by mixing in salty black salmiakki licorice, whose taste masks the alcohol behind it fearfully well. Salmari is often sold as a very cheap shot (€1-2) in the nightclubs. Add in some Fisherman's Friend menthol cough drops to get popular Fisu ("Fish") shots, which are even more lethal. In-the-know hipsters opt for Pantteri ("Panther"), which is half and half Salmari and Fisu. Other classic shots are Jaloviina (Jallu) cut brandy and Tervasnapsi "tar schnapps" with a distinctive smoke-like aroma. Beer (olut or kalja) is also very popular, but Finnish beers are mostly nearly identical, mild lagers: common brands are Lapin Kulta, Karjala, Olvi, Koff and Karhu. Pay attention to the label when buying: beers branded "I" are inexpensive but has low alcohol content, while "III" and "IV" are stronger and more expensive. In normal shops you will not find any drinks with more than 5.5% alcohol. You may also encounter kotikalja (lit. "home beer"), a dark brown beer-like but very low-alcohol beverage. Imported beers are available in bigger grocery stores, most pubs and bars, and Czech beers in particular are popular and only slightly more expensive. In recent years, some microbreweries (Laitila, Stadin panimo, Nokian panimo etc.) have been gaining foothold with their domestic dark lagers, wheat beers and ales. The latest trend is ciders (siideri). Most of these are artificially flavored sweet concoctions which are quite different from the English or French kinds, although the more authentic varieties are gaining market share. The ever-popular gin long drink or lonkero (lit. "tentacle", but is a kind of deminutive form of "long drink"), a prebottled mix of gin and grapefruit soda is Finnish speciality which tastes better than it sounds, and has the additional useful property of glowing under ultraviolet light. At up to 610 kcal/liter it also allows to skip dinner, leaving more time for drinking. Different variations of lonkero have become quite popular as well, for example karpalolonkero, which is made from gin and cranberry soda. Finnish wines are made of berries. Elysée N:o 1 is very popular brand of sparkling wine made of white currant. During the winter don't miss glögi, a type of spiced mulled wine served with almonds and raisins which can easily be made at home. The bottled stuff in stores is usually alcohol free, although it was originally made of old wine and Finns will very often mix in some wine or spirits. In restaurants, glögi is served either alcohol-free, or with 2 or 4cl vodka added. Fresh, hot glögi can, for example, be found at the Helsinki Christmas market. Quite a few unusual liquors (likööri) made from berries are available, although they're uniformly very sweet and usually served with dessert. Cloudberry liquor (lakkalikööri) is worth a short even if you don't like the berries fresh. Homemade spirits: you have been warned! More common in rural areas, illegal and frequently distilled on modified water purification plants - which are subject to import control laws nowadays - anecdotical evidence suggests that those are occasionally played as a prank on unsuspecting foreigners. Note that "normal" alcohol slows the metabolism of poisonous methanol and thus acts as an antidote. Politely decline the offer, especially if still sober. Finally, two traditional beverages worth looking for are mead (sima), an age-old wine-like brew made from brown sugar, lemon and yeast and consumed particularly around May's Vappu festival, and sahti, a type of unfiltered, usually very strong beer often flavored with juniper berries (an acquired taste). Industrially manufactured mead is available in grocery stores around May Day and is usually alcohol free. Sleep[edit][add listing]
One of the few ways to limit the damage is to stay in youth hostels (retkeilymaja), as the Finnish Youth Hostel Association [56] has a fairly comprehensive network throughout the country and and a dorm bed usually costs less than €20 per night. Many hostels also have private rooms for as little as €30, which are a great deal if you want a little extra privacy. An even cheaper option is to take advantage of Finland's right to access, or Every Man's Right (jokamiehenoikeus), which allows camping, hiking, and berry and mushroom picking as well as simple (rod and hook) fishing on uncultivated land. Since this is occasionally mis-interpreted by visiting foreigners, it may be a good idea to discuss travel plans with a local - or simply ask - to avoid embarrassing situations. Note that making a fire requires landowner's permission. For a taste of the Finnish countryside, an excellent option is to stay at a cottage (mökki), thousands of which dot the lake shores. These are generally best in summer, but there are also many cottages around Lapland's ski resorts. Prices vary widely based on facilities and location: simple cottages can go for as little as €20/night, while luxurious multistory mansions can go for 10 times that. Beware that, while all but the most basic ones will have electricity, it's very common for cottages to lack running water: instead, the cottage will have an outhouse (pit toilet) and you're expected to bathe in the sauna and lake. Renting a car is practically obligatory since there are unlikely to be any facilities (shops, restaurants, etc) within walking distance. The largest cottage rental services are Lomarengas [57] and Nettimökki [58], both of which have English interfaces. Virtually every lodging in Finland includes a sauna (see box) for guests — don't miss it! Check operating hours though, as they're often only heated in the evenings and there may be separate shifts of men and women. Learn[edit]Finland's universities are generally well-regarded and offer many exchange programs, but the high cost of living and the prospect of facing the long, cold Finnish winter mean that the country is not a particularly popular choice. However, there are no tuition fees for regular degree students, including international exchange students from EU/EEA. While lectures are usually conducted in Finnish, most universities offer the option to complete all courses through assignments and exams in English. Many universities also offer the option to study Finnish at various levels. After long political debate, students originating outside EU/EEA area became subject to tuition fees in 2017. However, every university must have a 'tuition fee grants' available and actually there are no more than few tens of students in Finland paying their fee from their own pocket. To the numbers of foreign applicants this change, of course, affected negatively. A reasonable monthly budget (excluding rent!) would be €600 to €900. Rents vary depending on location such that in Greater Helsinki and particularly Helsinki proper prices may be two times that of cheaper locations or student housing. Many exchange programs fully or partly subsidize accommodation in student dorms. However, the state does not provide student accommodation and dorms are usually owned by foundations. Student union membership at around €90-100/year is obligatory for students of 'proper' universities but not for students of universities of applied sciences. Student union membership includes unlimited access to student health services (YTHS). So far YTHS is available only for undergraduate students of 'proper' universities. EU citizens can simply enter the country and register as a student after arrival, while students from elsewhere will need to arrange their residence permit beforehand. CIMO [59] (Centre for International Mobility) administers exchange programs and can arrange scholarships and traineeships in Finland, while the Finnish National Board of Education [60] offers basic information about study opportunities. Work[edit]There is little informal work to be found and most jobs require at least a remedial level of Finnish. Citizens of European Union countries can work freely in Finland, but acquiring a work permit from outside the EU means doing battle with the infamous Directorate of Immigration (Maahanmuuttovirasto) [61]. However, students permitted to study full-time in Finland are allowed work part-time (up to 25 h/week) or even full-time during holiday periods. For jobs, you might want to check out the Ministry of Labour [62]. Most of the posted jobs are described in Finnish so you may need some help in translation, but some jobs are in English. A rapidly growing trend in Finland, especially for the younger generation, is to work for placement agencies. Although there has been a massive surge of public companies going private in the last ten years, this trend seems to be fueled by the increased demand for more flexible work schedules as well as the freedom to work seasonally or sporadically. Due to the nature of these types of agencies as well as the types of work they provide, it is common for them to hire non-Finns. Some agencies include Adecco, Staff Point, Manpower, Aaltovoima and Biisoni. If you are invited to a job interview, remember that modesty is a virtue in Finland. Finns appreciate facts and directness, so stay on topic and be truthful. Exaggeration and bragging is usually associated with lying. You can check expected salaries with the union for your field, as they usually have defined minimum wages. Salaries range from €1,200 - €6,500 per month (2010). Stay safe[edit]
Crime[edit]Finland enjoys a comparatively low crime rate and is, generally, a very safe place to travel. Use common sense at night, particularly on Friday and Saturday when the youth of Finland hit the streets to get drunk and in some unfortunate cases look for trouble. The easiest way to get beaten up is to pay a visit at a grill kiosk after bars and pubs have closed, and start arguing with drunk people. It is, anyway statistically more likely that your home country is less safe than Finland, so heed whatever warnings you would do in your own country and you will have no worries. If you yourself are having a run in with the law, remember that Finland is one of the world's least corrupt countries and you will not be able to buy yourself out of trouble. Finnish police never require a cash payment of fines which it gives. Do not ever give money to person who presents him/herself as a police officer. An obvious way to stay out of most kinds of trouble is to stay sober and act businesslike, when dealing with police, security or the like. Racism is a generally of minor concern, especially in the cosmopolitan major cities, but there have been a few rare but highly publicised incidents of Black, Romani & Arab people getting beaten up, attacks against immigrants and group fights with native Finns & immigrants. Sometimes there might be group fights where immigrants do their part as well, but that's very uncommon. The average visitor, though, is highly unlikely to encounter any problems. Pickpockets are rare, but not unheard of, especially in the busy tourist months in the summer and almost always done by foreigners. Most Finns carry their wallets in their pockets or purses and feel quite safe while doing it. Parents often leave their sleeping babies in their pram on the street while visiting a shop, and in the countryside; cars and front doors are often left unlocked. On the other hand, you have to be careful if you buy or rent a bicycle. Bicycle thieves are ubiquitous, never leave your bike unlocked even for a minute. In case of emergency[edit]112 is the national phone number for all emergency services, including police, and it does not require an area code, regardless of what kind of phone you're using. The number works on any mobile phone, whether it is keylocked or not, and with or without a SIM card. If a cellphone challenges you with a PIN code, you can simply type in 112 as a PIN code - most phones will give a choice to call the number. This is not possible with all phones! For inquiries about poisons or toxins (from mushrooms, plants, medicine or other chemicals) call the national Toxin Information Office at (09) 471 977. At sea, the maritime search and rescue number is 0294 1000. Stay healthy[edit]
You're unlikely to have stomach troubles in Finland, since tap water is always drinkable (and generally quite tasty as well), and hygiene standards in restaurants are strict. If you have any sort of allergies, many restaurants often display in the menu the most common ingredients that people typically are allergic to. Examples: (L) = Lactose free, (VL) = Low Lactose, (G) = Gluten free, if you are unsure just ask the waitress or restaurant staff. There are few serious health risks in Finland. Finland is a sparsely populated country and, if heading out into the wilderness, it is imperative that you register your travel plans with somebody who can inform rescue services if you fail to return. Always keep your mobile phone with you if you run into trouble. Always keep a printed map, a mechanical compass and preferably a GPS with you while trekking in the wilderness! Take extra precautions in Lapland, where it can be several days' hike to the nearest house or road. Your primary enemy especially in wintertime will be the cold, particularly if in Lapland where temperatures close to -30°C are common. Dress warmly in layers. Windy weather makes exposed skin quickly prone to frostbites even if you are at downtown Helsinki. In the springtime if you plan to spend whole days outdoors bring along a good pair of sunglasses to prevent snow blindness, a painful eye injury caused by the UV-light reflected from the snow. For the same reason sunburns may occur surprisingly early at spring. Weather can change rapidly, and even though the sun is shining now, you can have a medium sized blizzard on your hands (no joke!) an hour or two later. Given the size of the Finnish population, a surprisingly high number of people drown in the lakes every year in summer. As pointed out by an annual public awareness campaign (partly Finnish black humor, partly the truth), the stereotypical accident involves an intoxicated fisherman who capsizes his boat while standing up to pee. If out on the lakes and sea, remember that wind and water will cool you faster than cold air, and keeping dry means keeping warm. A person that falls into cold water (close to zero °C) can die in a few minutes. Safety in small boats: Don't drink alcohol, wear a life vest at all times, if your boat capsizes - keep clothes on to stay warm, cling to the boat if possible and swim only if shore is a few hundred meters away. Keep in mind that Finnish natural waters are never truly warm. In winter, rivers, lakes and the sea are frozen. Walking, skating or even driving a car on the ice is commonly seen, but fatal accidents aren't unheard of either, so ask and heed local advice. If the ice fails, getting back out of the water is extremely difficult, as the ice will be slippery. If you wish to move on ice, small ice picks are sold as safety equipment in sport stores. Finland hosts a number of irritating insects, but if you are planning to stay in the centres of major cities, you are unlikely to encounter them. A serious nuisance in summer are mosquitoes (hyttynen), hordes of which inhabit Finland (particularly Lapland) in summer. While they carry no malaria or other nasty diseases, mosquitoes make a distinctive (and highly irritating) whining sound while tracking their prey, and their bites are very itchy. As usual, mosquitoes are most active around dawn and sunset – which, in the land of the Midnight Sun, may mean most of the night in summer. There are many different types of mosquito repellents available which can be bought from almost any shop. Another summer nuisance include gadflies (paarma), whose bites can leave a mark lasting even for a month and in the north blackflies (mäkärä), small blood thirsty flies that occur often in hordes of millions of individuals. Unlike mosquitoes or gadflies the blackflies tend to crawl under the clothing and the bite may cause local inflammation. A more recent introduction to Finnish summers are deer keds (hirvikärpänen), that can be particularly nasty if they manage to shed their wings and burrow into hair. The deer ked is a parasite of the moose and rarely bite humans but has become a nuisance in the forests in much of the country. Use mosquito repellent, ensure your tent has good mosquito netting and consider prophylaxis with cetirizine (brand names include Zyrtec, Heinix, Cetirizin Ratiopharm), an anti-allergen that, if taken in advance, will neutralize your reaction to any bites. Topical anti-allergens in the form of gels and creams are also available as over-the-counter medication. A flea comb can be useful for removing deer keds. Ticks (puutiainen or punkki) are common in southern and central parts of the country, especially in Åland, areas near Turku's coast and archipelago, and the Lappeenranta-Parikkala-Imatra-axis. Ticks can transmit Lyme's disease (borreliosis) and viral encephalitis (TBE) through a bite. Although these incidents are relatively rare and not all ticks carry the disease, it's advisable to wear long trousers rather than shorts if you plan to walk through dense and/or tall grass areas. You can buy special tick tweezers from the pharmacy (punkkipihdit) which can be used to remove a tick safely if you happen to get bitten. You should remove the tick from your skin as quickly as possible and preferably with the tick tweezers to reduce the risks of getting an infection. If the tick bite starts to form red rings on the skin around it or if you experience other symptoms relating to the bite, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. In case of long-term stay (studying or working) on Åland, Turku archipelago or southeast coast anti-TBE vaccination is adviseable. Most important venomous insects in Finland include wasps (ampiainen), bees (mehiläinen) and bumblebees (kimalainen). Their stings can be painful, but are not dangerous, unless you receive several stings or if you are allergic to it. The only venomous snake in Finland is the European adder (kyy or kyykäärme). It has a distinct zig-zag type of figure on its back, although some of them are almost completely black, making it possible to confuse one for the harmless grass snake, as such keep away if you see a snake unless you have herpetological knowledge. Adder is common in rural areas and sometimes occur even on the streets like Kristianinkatu and Kamppi. The snake occurs across Finland all the way from the south to up north in Lapland. Although their bites are extremely rarely fatal (except for small children and allergic persons), one should be careful in the summertime especially when walking in the forests or on open fields at the countryside. Walk so that you make the ground vibrate and snakes will go away, they attack people only when somebody frightens them. If you are bitten by a snake, always get medical assistance. If you are planning to travel in the nature on summertime, it's advisable to buy a kyypakkaus ("Adder pack", a medicine set which contains a couple of hydrocortisone pills). It can be bought from any Finnish pharmacy. It is used to reduce the reactions after an adder bite, however it's still advisable to see a doctor even after you've taken the hydrocortisone pills. The kyypakkaus can also be used to relieve the pain, swelling and other allergic reactions caused by bee stings. Moose is by far the most dangerous animal in Finland as collisions between cars and mooses happen every day and cause several human fatalities every year. The risk is highest during the dusk and dawn. Encounters with brown bears (karhu) and grey wolves (susi) in the wilderness are extremely rare and both of these animals are listed as endangered species. The brown bear, which occurs across Finland, has been spotted on a few very exceptional occasions even in the edges of the largest Finnish cities, but normally bears try to avoid humans whenever possible. The brown bear hibernates during the winter. Packs of wolves occasionally attack domestic animals and hunting dogs on rural areas. The last recorded case of a human killed by a large predator in Finland was in the 1880's. Respect[edit]
Finns generally have a relaxed attitude towards manners, and a visitor is unlikely to offend them by accident. Common sense is quite enough in most situations, but there are a couple of things that one should keep in mind:
Contact[edit]By mail[edit]Finland's mail service, run by Posti, is fast, reliable and pricy. A postcard to Finland and anywhere in the world costs €1. By phone[edit]As you'd expect from Nokia's home country, mobile phones are ubiquitous in Finland. GSM, WCDMA(3G) and LTE (4G) networks blanket all of the country, although it's still possible to find wilderness areas with poor signal, typically in Lapland and the outer archipelago. The largest operators are Telia [63] and Elisa [64], a Vodafone partner, but travellers who want a local number may wish to opt for DNA's [65] Prepaid package, which can cost as little as €6. Ask at any convenience store/R-Kioski for a list of prices and special offers. Public telephones are close to extinction in Finland, although a few can still be found at airports, major train/bus stations and the like. It's best to bring along a phone or buy one - a simple GSM model can cost less than €20. By net[edit]Internet cafes are sparse on the ground in this country where everybody logs on at home and in the office. In addition most Finnish mobile phone subscriptions include unlimited Internet access and therefore almost everyone has mobile Internet in their phone. However nearly every public library in the country has free Internet access, although you will often have to register for a time slot in advance or queue. Wifi hotspots are also increasingly common in public places and bars. E.g. Elisa offers prepaid internet access.
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