Travel Tips to European Countries:Finland 

About the Country

Finland is a country of islands, lakes, and forests. The modern capital city of Finland is Helsinki and is filled with museums and galleries. In summers, sun never sets here and vice versa in the winters.

Best Time To Visit

May to September to avoid the cold and dark

Culture

While in Finland, greet the locals by a handshake. The people here are quite reserved and don’t open up easily. Leave shoes outside the house when going over to someone’s house. It is customary to wait till the toast is being raised at the dinner table. Host raises the toast by saying ‘kippis’ or ‘skol’. People dress casually most of the times.

Travel

Finnair is the national airline of Finland. Other airlines that fly to Finland are Air France, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, American Airline, British Airways, KLM, Swiss airline, Lufthansa, and United airlines. The major airport of Finland is Helsinki airport. It is 19km away from the city and it takes about 25 minutes to get to the city from the airport. Finnair provides buses for the passengers. Taxis and hotel coaches are also available. The facilities provided at the airport are duty free shops, car hire, bank, hotel reservation service, conference room, restaurant, and a multimedia center. Other than Helsinki airport, there are about 22 other airports and Blue 1 is the domestic airline which operates within Finland. Times to time cheap offers are being announced by the airlines. Prior checking of such offers will prove to be of great help.

If deciding to go by the sea, ferry services are provided and the major ports are Naantali, Vaasa and Turku. These ferries connect to Rostock, Kapellskär, Grisslehamn, and Travemünde. Some of the cruises offer small cabins along with the provision of meals if staying aboard overnight.

Trains from St Petersburg and Moscow can also be boarded. All the trains are clean and very comfortable. Car-carrier trains also operate in Finland. Traveling by rail proves to be inexpensive and efficient and also great options for enjoying sight seeing. Avail the unlimited train travel offer of Inter-Rail pass or Eurailpass. There are offers for elderly people and children, check them out.

When traveling by road there are chances of running into an elk or reindeer. In such cases, police should be reported immediately. Blowing horn for small reasons should be avoided. Keep your car to the right. Gas stations accept credit cards. Laws about seat belt and drinking while driving should be strictly followed. Extra precautions must been taken if taking caravan along. National driving license or International Driving Permit and car insurance must be there with you at all times. Coach Service is also available and connects to even the remote places. Taxis can be hired at the airport and railway stations and tipping is considered offensive here. Check out agents in Helsinki who run a rent-a-car business for hiring cars.

Essential Experiences

• Poking around the harbourside fish market in Helsinki – there’s everything from salmon and sausages to handicrafts and all manner of reindeer-related souvenirs
• Spending the afternoon among the ramparts of the historic fortress on Suomenlinna Island
• Boating around the islands of Ekenas Archipelago National Park
• Staying overnight in one of Hanko’s charming Russian villas
• Cycling around the fishing villager of Replot Island
• Seeing the aurora borealis-nature’s Arctic light show

Try local delicacies:

Snow grouse, reindeer stew or glowfired salmon

Salmiekkikoska ( a home-made spirit combining dissolved liquorice or peppermint flavoured sweets with the abrasive koskenkova (vodka) or sahti-sweet, high alcohol beer)

Further Pleasures:

To read: Anything by Aleksis Kivi, who founded modern Finnish literature with Seven Brothers, a story of brothers who try to escape civilization in favour of the forest

To listen: Finnish jazz musician Raoul Bjorkenheim, or rock group The Flaming Sideburns

To watch: Aki Kaurismaki’s The Man Without a Past, the story of a man who loses his memory and becomes homeless, or the road film Leningrad Cowboys Go America

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco or 100 cigarillos
2. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
3. 2litre of alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent by volume or 1litre of alcoholic beverages of more than 22 per cent by volume, 2litre of sparkling wine and 16litre of beer
4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract and essence and 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract or essence

Tobacco and alcohol can be carried by people over 18 years of age. Agricultural and food items should be avoided. Certain medicines require a doctor’s prescription for verification. Firearms and sharp objects are strictly prohibited.