Finland Travel Guide

Full Name

Republic of Finland

Former Name

None

Capital City

Helsinki

Government Type

republic

Area Size

338,145 sq km

Time Zone

UTC/GMT +2 hours

Climate

In general Finland has an extreme swing between summer and winter, with bitterly cold winters when temperatures drop to -20ºC in many areas, particularly in northern Lapland. Summer, by contrast, can be warm with temperatures rising to 20ºC or more. Temperatures as high as 30ºC are possible in the south and east of the country. The capital, Helsinki, remains fairly temperate varying between an average of 17ºC in July to -5ºC in February. In the far north the sun does not set for about 73 days during summer, while in winter the sun remains below the horizon for a 51-day stretch.

Geography

Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and islands; 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands to be precise. One of these lakes, Saimaa, is the fifth largest in Europe. The Finnish landscape is mostly flat with few hills and its highest point, the Halti at 1,324 metres, is found in the extreme north of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway. The landscape is covered mostly (75% of land area) by coniferous taiga forests and fens, with little arable land. The most common type of rock is granite. It is a ubiquitous part of the scenery, visible wherever there is no soil cover. Moraine or till is the most common type of soil, covered by a thin layer of humus of biological origin. The greater part of the islands are found in southwest in the Archipelago Sea, part of the archipelago of the Åland Islands, and along the southern coast in the Gulf of Finland.

Languages

Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

Culture

Like the people, Finnish culture is indigenous and most prominently represented by the Finnish language. Throughout the area's prehistory and history, cultural contacts and influences have concurrently, or at varying times, come from all directions. As a result of 600 years of Swedish rule, Swedish cultural influences are still notable. Today, cultural influences from North America are prominent. Into the twenty-first century, many Finns have contacted cultures from distantly abroad, such as with those in Asia and Africa. Beyond tourism, Finnish youth in particular have been increasing their contact with peoples from outside Finland by travelling abroad to both work and study. There are still differences between regions, especially minor differences in accents and vocabulary. Minorities, such as the Sami, Finland Swedes, Romani, and Tatar, maintain their own cultural characteristics. Many Finns are emotionally connected to the countryside and nature, as urbanisation is a relatively recent phenomenon.

History

Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Travel Information

Finland's national airline is Finnair (AY). Helsinki (HEL) (Helsinki-Vantaa) is Finland’s principal international airport, 19km north of the city. Finnair City Bus and the airport bus operate to the city regularly. Taxi services are available. Some Helsinki hotels run courtesy coaches. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, hair salon, car hire, hotel reservation service, VIP lounge, a multimedia centre, conference rooms, restaurants, cafes and bars. The other international airports are Turku (TKU), 7km north of the city; Tampere (TMP), 15km from the city; and Rovaniemi (RVN), 10km from the city. Main ports: Naantali , Turku and Vaasa. Car ferries sail daily from Stockholm and other Swedish ports. There are also ferry services to Finland from Rostock, Grisslehamn, Kapellskär and Travemünde (Germany) and Tallinn (Estonia). DFDS Seaways Ferries sails from the UK to Scandinavia: from Newcastle to Gothenberg, Sweden; Norwich to Esbjerg, Denmark, Grisslehamn and Kapellskär. Rail-sea links exist from Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm to Helsinki or Turku. There is a rail connection between Haparanda/Tornio in the north from Sweden, and daily trains to Moscow and St Petersburg. There are eight official border crossing places between Finland and the Russian Federation, six between Finland and Norway and 10 between Finland and Sweden. The most frequented borders are at Vaalimaa (from the Russian Federation), Karigasniemi (from Norway) and Tornio (from Sweden). Most direct road routes include sea ferry links from Sweden or Germany, though there is a northern land link via northern Norway or Sweden to Finnish Lapland, which involves travel within the Arctic Circle. There are coach services from many European cities, including direct services from London to Stockholm (Sweden) or Tallinn (Estonia). From both cities there are frequent crossings to Finland. There are also routes from Norway and the Russian Federation.

Accommodation

There is usually a sauna and often a swimming pool in Finnish hotels and motels. The price level varies from district to district, being higher in Helsinki and some areas of Lapland. Many hotels and motels include breakfast in their rates. Advance reservations are advisable in the summer months. Details of hotels are listed in the brochures available from Finnish Tourist Board offices. Accommodation at reduced rates is often possible, especially for groups and during weekends. Reductions are also possible for guests participating in special schemes run by hotel chains throughout Scandinavia. Information can be obtained from the Finnish Hotel and Restaurant Association.

Visa Requirements

Visas are not required by all nationals of the Eu, Australia, Canada and USA for the following durations:nationals of EU countries for an unlimited period;nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for stays of no more than 90 days. Nationals not referred to above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements. Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to above except:EU nationals holding a valid national ID card. EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed. Finland is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.

Getting Around

Finnair runs an excellent network of domestic services. Other domestic airlines include Blue 1 and Golden Air. Traffic on the inland waterways is serviced by regular waterbuses and ferries. Popular routes are the Silver Line between Hämeenlinna and Tampere and the Poet’s Way between Tampere and Virrat. Saimaa Ferries operates lake routes from Lieksa, Nurmes, Koli and Joensuu. Lake Päijänne Cruises runs services from Lahti, Heinola and Jyväskylä and Roll Cruises operates from Kuopio and Savonlinna. Finnish trains are spaceous, comfortable and clean. VR Ltd operates an extensive rail service around Finland. Lines include Helsinki–Turku, Helsinki–Tampere–Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä–Kuopio Helsinki-Kouvola-Issalmi and Helsinki–Seinäjoki–Oulu. Traffic drives on the right. The main roads are passable at all times and are surfaced with asphalt or oil and sand. Horn-blowing is frowned upon. Many petrol stations are unmanned so credit cards are essential. Bus is an excellent means of transport. The coach network is one of the most comprehensive in Europe and covers more than 90% of the public road network. There are over 40,000 daily bus departures and timetables are adapted to fit rail, air and ship services. Coach services are run by ExpressBus with over 300 services daily from Helsinki. Connections can be made to the most remote and isolated parts of the country. Taxis are available in every city and from airports or major hotels. Taxi drivers are not tipped. Car rental is available from local and international firms. The minimum age varies from 20 to 25 years of age depending on the company. Efficient and integrated bus, metro and tramway services, suburban rail lines and ferry services to Suomenlinna Islands are operated in Helsinki.Tramline 3T runs past most of the main tourist attractions – a free brochure in English is available for those who wish to take the trip.

Health & Safety

There are no health risks associated with travel to Finland. Medical care is of a good standard. British, and other EU nationals, should ensure they take with them a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which entitles citizens to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Finnish citizens. Comprehensive travel insurance is advised. Crime levels are low in Finland and visitors can be assured of a trouble-free vacation. Drug offences and drinking and driving are dealt with very harshly. The main danger in the country is driving during the winter months, when icy roads are a hazard and cars must be fitted with snow tyres.

National Holidays

1 Jan - New Year’s Day. 6 Jan - Epiphany. 6-9 Apr - Easter. 1 May - May Day. 17 May - Ascension. 27 May - Whit Sunday. 23 Jun - Midsummer. 3 Nov - All Saints' Day. 6 Dec - Independence Day. 25 Dec - Christmas Day. 26 Dec - St Stephen's Day.

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Electricity

220 (230)v AC, 50Hz

Working Hours

Office hours: Mon-Fri 8.00am - 4.15pm.

Emergency Numbers

112