Finland Travel Guide
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There’s something wonderfully wholesome in the Finnish air and the way of life of its people. Here you have a modern country that is very well-planned and one of the most technologically developed in the world, yet those who’ve decided on a Finland vacation will find vast and accessible areas of unspoiled nature. Home to an excess of 180,000 lakes with a comparable number of islands, it truly feels vital to the health of the nation that such balance between the past and the future is preserved.
There are two distinct versions of Finland, one born from summer and the other from winter. The summers are for the most part reliably hot and dry, with the winters obviously cold although equally dry. Another consideration to be given is between the north and south parts of the country. In the north, October and February/March account for the busy season, in complement to the wide variety of winter activities and festivals that are offered, as well as the aurora borealis (northern lights) being usually visible at this time. By contrast, southern Finland peaks from June to early August, when the summer fun draws large crowds to Finnish lakes and local festivities. The months of April and November constitute your best chances for securing discount airfare to Finland, with the obvious caveat being a compromise in weather and available activities.
Finnish accommodations remain relatively more expensive than most European countries, although there tends to be a somewhat surprising dip in prices for larger chain hotels throughout the summer months (likely attributed to the high demand for lakeside cottages). However, there are several local chains that can help you mitigate the cost of a decent night’s sleep, such as Cumulus, Scandic and Sokos. The small but on the rise Omena chain offers cheap self-service hotels, which allow you to book online and get a key code for your room, with no check-in of any kind required.
With a notable lack of craggy mountains or jutting fjords, Finland is not the extreme winter sports paradise you might expect; the traditional Finnish snowy pastime is cross-country skiing across mostly flat terrain. You’ll have to head north to Lapland if you’re looking for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and so on, where ski resorts like Levi have the slopes groomed just for you. On an interesting note, Finland has gained notoriety in recent years for its bizarre summertime festivals and sports contests, including the Air Guitar World Championships and Wife Carrying World Championship. Those seeking a more traditional experience during their Finland vacation needn’t worry about the challenges of discovering the heart of the country; every stumble into a new Finnish town finds them overwhelmingly replete with cozy wooden churches, avant-garde design, quirky museums and cafés warm with the smell of baking cinnamon.
Finland is a fairly large country, and traveling between cities is typically expensive. Public transportation is well organized with comfortable seating and very often gives the appearance of being brand new. Although this is your best and least expensive option for seeing the country, ideally you should take the time in advance to use the free domestic Journey Planner, an online trip planning tool which lets you search for the best connections between any two locations, covering all domestic coach and train lines. Car rental is widespread in Finland, but again can be cost prohibitive for some. The rental company should tell you this ahead of time; nonetheless, take note that headlights are required at all times when driving, whether in or outside cities, dark or not.