Social ConventionsShaking hands is customary. It is customary for the guest to refrain from drinking until the host or hostess toasts their health with a ‘kippis’ or a ‘skol’. Casual dress is acceptable. Finns appear sometimes to be rather reserved and visitors should not feel alarmed if there is a lack of small talk during the first half hour or so. Shoes are usually removed when entering someone’s home.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline of Finland is
Finnair (AY) (website:
www.finnair.com). Finland is served
by many international airlines, including
Air Canada,
Air France,
American Airlines,
British Airways,
Cathay Pacific Airways,
KLM,
Lufthansa,
Qantas,
Swiss and
United Airlines.
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsHelsinki (HEL) (Helsinki-Vantaa) (website:
www.ilmailulaitos.com) is Finland’s principal international airport, 19km (12 miles) north of the city (journey time – 25 minutes).
To/from the airport: Finnair City Bus and the airport bus operate to the city regularly (journey time – 35 minutes). 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 center, conference rooms, restaurants, cafes and bars.
The other international airports are
Turku (TKU), 7km (4 miles) north of the city;
Tampere (TMP), 15km (9 miles) from the city; and
Rovaniemi (RVN), 10km (6 miles) from the city.
Getting There by WaterMain 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 sail from the UK to Scandinavia: from Newcastle to Gothenberg and Sweden; Norwich to Esbjerg, Denmark, Grisslehamn and Kapellskär. Cruise lines with ships docking in Finnish ports include
Cunard (website:
www.cunard.com),
Eckerö Line (website:
www.eckeroline.fi),
Fred Olsen (website:
www.fredolsencruises.com),
P&O (website:
www.cruiseline.co.uk),
Princess (website:
www.princess.com),
Radisson,
Seabourn and
Silversea (website:
www.silversea.com).
Getting There by RailRail-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.
Rail PassesInterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The
Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The
One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people traveling together. The
Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The
Eurailpass Flexi allows either 10 or 15 travel days within a two-month period. The
Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (or 15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows four to 10 travel days in a two-month period in one of nine regions (usually two or more countries). Children receive a 50% reduction. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation. Available from The Eurail Group (website:
www.eurail.com).
ScanRail pass: can be used for extensive travel of five or 10 days in two months or 21 consecutive days across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Payment of a supplement is required on some trains. Seat reservations, couchette, sleeper or cabin charges are not included in the cost of the pass and are payable at the normal rate. The ScanRail pass also entitles holders to free travel on some ferry and bus routes as well as up to 50% discount on ferries, buses and private railways throughout Scandinavia, free or discounted admission (up to 50% off) to railway museums in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and reduced room rates at 160 hotels throughout Scandinavia. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/railpasses/scanrail.htm).
Getting There by RoadThere 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). Approaching from Denmark will give the opportunity to experiance the magnificent bridge between Denmark and Sweden. This route through Sweden to the north end of the Gulf of Bothnia avoids the need to cross the Baltic by ship. 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.
Coach: 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.
OverviewThe Åland Islands are treated as being outside of the EU for the Duty Free section. The following items may be imported into Finland from non-EU countries without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco or 100 cigarillos;
2l of alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent by volume or 1l of alcoholic beverages of more than 22 per cent by volume, 2l of sparkling wine and 16l of beer;
50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette;
100g of tea or 40g of tea extract and essence and 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract or essence.
Except for fuel, a passenger from another EU state is allowed an unrestricted amount of products that are acquired for own use. The tax-free importation of tobacco from countries which acceded to the EU as of May 2004 is restricted during a transitional period:
Czech Republic:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco; Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia:
200 cigarettes;
Estonia:
200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco.
The import of alcoholic beverages over 22 per cent is only allowed by persons aged 20 years or over; alcoholic beverages up to 22 per cent may be imported by persons aged 18 years or over.
The import and export of certain foods, plants, medicines (must be accompanied by a doctor’s note), firearms and works of art are subject to certain restrictions and formalities. The import of drinks containing more than 60 per cent alcohol by volume is prohibited. Contact the Finnish Tourist Board for further details (see
General Info).
Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use
only. Member states may follow the EU’s guide levels of: 10l of spirits; 20l of fortified wine; 90l of wine; 110l of beer; 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos; 200 cigars and 1kg of tobacco.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirThere are 22 domestic airports in Finland.
Finnair runs an excellent network of domestic services. For further information, contact their UK Head Office, 14 Clifford Street, London W1S 4BX, UK (tel: (0870) 241 4411; website:
www.finnair.com). Other domestic airlines include
Blue 1 (website:
www.blue1.com) and
Golden Air (website:
www.goldenair.se).
NoteCheap fares There are some money-saving offers available. These include:
Group discounts which vary depending on the size of the group;
Senior Citizens’ fares giving special rates (with some restrictions) for persons over 65;
Junior fares giving special rates for children aged 12 to 16; and
Youth fares giving special rates (with some restrictions) for persons aged 17 to 25. There are special ‘Midnight Sun’ packages to Rovaniemi (Lapland) in June and July. For further information, contact Norvista, 31-35 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TE, UK (tel: (0870) 744 7315; website:
www.norvista.co.uk);
or the Finnish Tourist Board (see
General Info).
Getting Around by WaterTraffic on the inland waterways is serviced by regular waterbuses and ferries. There is a wide choice of routes and distances and trips can last for a few hours or one or two days. Popular routes are the
Silver Line (website:
www.finnishsilverline.com) between Hämeenlinna and Tampere and the
Poet’s Way between Tampere and Virrat.
Saimaa Ferries (website:
www.saimaaferries.fi) operate lake routes from Lieksa, Nurmes, Koli and Joensuu.
Lake Päijänne Cruises run services from Lahti, Heinola and Jyväskylä and
Roll Cruises operate from Kuopio and Savonlinna. On Lake Pielinen, there are regular services, also by car ferry. Overnight accommodation in small cabins plus meals and refreshments are available on lake cruises. For more detailed information on schedules and routes, contact the Finnish Tourist Board (see
General Info).
Getting Around by RailThere are 6000km (3700 miles) of rail network with modern rolling stock. Finnish trains are spaceous, comfortable and clean.
VR Ltd (website:
www.vr.fi) operates an extensive rail service around Finland. The
Pendolino fast train runs at a maximum speed of 220kph (132 mph) and is designed to operate on all main routes by the end of 2006. Current lines include Helsinki–Turku, Helsinki–Tampere–Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä–Kuopio Helsinki-Kouvola-Issalmi and Helsinki–Seinäjoki–Oulu. The cheapest option by train are the express trains (for which seats must be booked in advance); on some lines these are being replaced by new rail cars. They have already been replaced on the Pieksämäki-Joensuu line. There are also night trains and car-carrier trains, regional trains and InterCity trains (InterCity2 trains have double-decker cars). Rail travel is cheap and efficient. Children under six years of age travel free of charge and children aged six to 16 pay half price.
Rail PassesFinnrail pass gives unlimited travel for three, five or 10 days within a period of one month; first- or second-class tickets are available for €120-€330 (six to 16 year olds pay 50 per cent).
InterRail’s One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Finland. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
NoteCheap FaresSpecial tickets offering discounts are available, including:
Group tickets (minimum of three people), giving 20 per cent discount, valid for one month;
Family tickets allow six to 16 year olds to travel free when traveling with one adult from the same household;
Finnish Senior Citizens Rail Card for persons over 65 years of age, entitle the holder to a 50 per cent discount (passport has to be shown);
Student Rail Discounts, entitle the student to 50 per cent discounts with a valid student card.
For further details and reservations, contact the Finnish Tourist Board (see
Top Things To Do)
or Finnish Railways, PO Box 488, FI 00101 Helsinki (tel: 319 2902 from abroad
or 060 041 902 internally; website:
www.vr.fi).
Getting Around by RoadThere are 77,000km (47,000 miles) of road. The main roads are passable at all times and are surfaced with asphalt or oil and sand. There are weight restrictions on traffic from April to May in southern Finland, and from May to early June in northern Finland, but this does not usually affect private cars. Traffic drives on the right. Horn-blowing is frowned upon. In some areas, warnings of elk, deer and reindeer crossing will be posted. Drivers involved in an elk or reindeer collision should report the event to the Police immediately. Many petrol stations are unmanned so credit cards are essential.
Bus: This is an excellent means of transport, the coach network is one of the most comprehensive in Europe and covers more than 90 per cent 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 (a consortium of 30 bus companies; website:
www.expressbus.com) with over 300 services daily from Helsinki. Connections can be made to the most remote and isolated parts of the country. The state post office also runs a bus service with routes that serve the rural areas. In Lapland, buses are the major means of surface travel. Bus stations have restaurants and shops. Baggage left at one station is dispatched to its destination, even when bus transfers and different bus companies are involved. Two children under four are carried free if accompanied by a passenger over 12 years of age (children aged four to 11 years pay half fare). Seats for coaches can be reserved in advance by paying the full fare and reservation fee. For coach information and timetables contact Oy Matkahuolto Abs Coach station, authorized agents and travel agencies throughout Finland (website:
www.matkahuolto.fi).
Taxi: Available in every city and from airports or major hotels. Taxi drivers are not tipped. Taxis have a yellow
taksi sign which is lit when the taxi is vacant. They can be booked at taxi ranks, signalled from the street or by calling locally (tel: 0100 0700). Fares are more expensive at nights (Sun-Fri 2000-0600, Sat 1600-0600).
Car hire: Cars can be rented in Helsinki and other places. The minimum age varies from 20 to 25 years of age depending on the company. All drivers must have a minimum of one year’s driving experience. A few caravans are for hire.
Regulations: Seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers (front and back seat). Car headlights must be kept on at all times. Cars towing caravans may not exceed 80kph (50mph). Cars and caravans must have the same tires. Studded tires are allowed from 1 November until the first Sunday after Easter or when weather conditions are appropriate. From 1 December until 31 March, snow tires are a legal requirement for vehicles under 3.5 tons. It is possible to hire snow tires. Further information can be obtained from
Autoliitto (Automobile and Touring Club of Finland), Hämeentie 105A, 4th Floor, 00550 Helsinki (tel: (9) 7258 4400; website:
www.autoliitto.fi). If involved in an accident, immediately contact the Finnish Motor Insurer’s Bureau (
Liikennevakuutuskeskus), Bulevardi 28, 00120 Helsinki (tel: (9) 680 401; website:
www.vakes.fi).
Documentation: National driving license or International Driving Permit and insurance required.
NoteCheap fares
Group tickets are sold for groups traveling at least 80km (50 miles) and including at least three persons (at least one of whom is aged over 12 years). There is a 50 per cent discount for students, and a 30 per cent discount on one-way tickets for passengers between 12 and 16 or over 65 years of age when traveling a minimum of 80km.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesEfficient and integrated bus, metro and tramway services, suburban rail lines and ferry services to Suomenlinna Islands are operated in Helsinki. A common fares system applies to all the modes (including the ferries) with a zonal flat fare and free transfer between services. Multi-trip tickets are sold in advance, as are various passes. Tickets can be purchased from the driver, ticket machine or via mobile phone text message (Finnish service providers only). The peninsular location of the city has led to an emphasis on public transport.
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.
Helsinki Card: This is available for one, two or three days. Once purchased, it gives free travel on public transport (including the Suomenlinna ferry) and free entry to about 50 museums and other sights in the city. The card comes with a guidebook giving details of the museums, sights and other discounts on offer. For every Adult Helsinki card purchased, one child Helsinki card is given for free. Enquire at Helsinki City Transport (website:
www.hel.fi)
or the Finland Tourist Board (see
General Info) for prices and further details. Other cities in Finland offer similar transport cards.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from
Helsinki to other major cities/towns in Finland.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| Tampere | 0.35 | 2.50 | 1.50 |
| Turku | 0.30 | 2.40 | 1.50 |
| Rovaniemi | 1.15 | 13.30 | 9.10 |
Next Page »
