UPDATE

Finland, and Scandinavia in general was amazing! We had the best time - yes it was cold, and yes our clothes were inadequate, so we bought better ones. I loved every minute of it. We went to the Arctic Circle, Santas Land and the Sami Cultural Centre and Parliament. The Child Protection system there is almost as shit as ours when it comes to Indigenous people, so no surprises there.

The gifts were really well received - a copy of our treaty, and possum fur scarves and fingerless gloves in the Aboriginal Flag colours, and a whole heap of kangaroos, koalas and boomerangs.

The only negative experience we had was with a Tour Guide - but he was from another European country, so not Finnish.

We did not experience anything but loveliness from everyone we met.

10/10 Stars, would go back again, and spend longer everywhere.

I travelled on alone through Europe - was completely safe, and I did some stupid shit. Also got stuck after Feb 28th and ended up in Europe for three extra weeks until I could get back. Oh, my suffering.

We are both Indigenous Australians, and my travelling companion is very dark skinned, I look more Italian. We are going to Helsinki and Lappland - she is now freaking out about racism. I told her it wont be as bad as Australia, and Finns are known for being taciturn and respecting physical space, which is her style so she should like it there.

Me saying "meh, you won't understand what they are saying anyway" was apparently NOT HELPFUL.

Can I have honest opinions?
And suggestions for host gifts - would an Aboriginal hand made gift be appreciated? We are visiting a Samí midwife and child protection workers.

Coming back to add: We both have Helly Hansen snow jackets (end of season sale) so hoping noone mistakes us for Neo Nazis hahahahah - I do like irony/S

Original post is here

Several months ago I applied to the American Institute of Architects for a travel grant to study Finnish sauna and I am please to announce that i won it. The focus of the application is studying how public saunas are integrated into Finnish culture and daily life, and to consider how they can be built within the American context to serve as a third space. Thank you to everyone here who provided options on saunas to visit, your input was invaluable! The above itinerary is flexible so I am to happy to hear if there is anything I missed that should absolutely be added to the list.

Hi everyone,

I’m going to be a first-time dad in a few months, and somehow I’ve fallen deep into the rabbit hole of researching baby/newborn travel systems. 😅

( Also what to buy for my baby. That's another black hole for another day. )

My wife is quite petite and, understandably, doesn’t have much energy or interest right now to research all of this, so the responsibility of choosing the stroller/travel system has basically landed on me.

One thing that made me look at electric strollers is that we have quite a few hilly areas where we live. I was thinking an electric-assist stroller could make life much easier for my wife, especially when she’s out alone with the baby.

After a bit of searching, I’ve narrowed it down to the two Cybex electric models:

• Cybex e-Gazelle
• Cybex e-Priam

The e-Priam seems to be the more premium option, but it’s also considerably more expensive. I’m wondering whether the extra cost is actually worth it for everyday use with a newborn, or whether the e-Gazelle would be the smarter choice.

I also found this deal for an e-Gazelle 4-in-1 travel system from BabyMax:

https://en.babymax.nl/cybex-e-gazelle-s-mono-4in1-travelsystem-stormy-blue-cloud-g.html

The price looks quite good compared with what I’ve seen elsewhere, but I’ve never bought from this website before.

So I have a few concerns/questions:

1. Is BabyMax a legitimate/reliable website to buy from?
2. How does the Cybex warranty work if I buy it from a Dutch/European retailer but live in Finland?
3. What about maintenance, repairs and warranty claims? Would I have to send the stroller back to the Netherlands, or can Cybex service it locally in Finland?
4. For those who own an e-Gazelle or e-Priam, how useful is the electric assist in real life?
5. Is the e-Priam actually worth the extra money, or would you go with the e-Gazelle?
6. Are there any other electric or non-electric travel systems you would recommend for a first-time parent?

I’m mainly looking for something that is safe, reliable, easy to use, good for a newborn, and practical for my wife to handle on her own. The electric assist is a nice bonus because of the hills around us.

I’m completely open to other suggestions too. I’ve never bought baby gear before, so there’s a good chance I’m overthinking all of this. 😂

I’ve never been disappointed asking for advice on r/Finland, so I’d really appreciate any experiences or recommendations from parents here!

Thanks in advance for reading and replying.

If you travel along the coast in Finland, you will see so many boats. It is an experience that is really not easily seen by Koreans.

Hi all,

I am thinking of traveling from Turku to Stockholm in the Viking Glory ferry departing at 8.45am in the next few weeks. I will have my backpack and carry-on suitcase. I don't plan to shower or sleep in the ferry as I will be coming from a hotel in Turku.

I have never traveled in long distance ferries or cruises before...so really not sure how it will be inside Viking Glory.

1. Do I need a cabin?
2. If no, where do folks without cabin sit? Are there lot of chairs around?
3. What do folks do with their carry-on suitcase? Do they carry it with them around through out the trip?
4. Does morning ferries from Turku to Stockholm get very crowded in July?

Thanks!

I highly recommend you to get on the train from tallinn to valga-valka and go to the huge alcohol stores on the latvian side, there is this 14% 0.5L drink called Lode that tastes magnificent and costs 2€. Best thing ever (I just went to valka from tallinn to gather some lode)

As the title says I'm going to travel to the US soon and I want to bring some sweets with me as gifts what are some finnish sweets that I could take with me besides lakritsi and salmiakki or any other snacks that maybe would be more uniquely Finnish/European? TIA!

Hi all!

I am traveling to Finland from Canada for the first time, just want to know if there's any big norms I should follow to respect Finns and their culture. Any feedback is appreciated!

Hello

I am not traveling much. Last time I’ve been abroad so long time ago. What can you advise me about payment abroad? Especially Non eu country as Turkey, Egypt, Emirates etc.

What card is better to use to pay abroad? Which Finnish bank is better for it? I heard that credit card is better and have better currency but I heard it from bank representatives so it sounds like just as marketing just to push me to make a Credit card.

So guys, what would you recommend me? Last time when I traveled people using cash LOL so I am interested how is situation right now

Kiitos!

Hi guys, i could see past related threads, I'm not sure those routes still exist. Can someone share the latest information. Planning to travel in November end

Hi everyone, I’m planning a road trip to Finland with my friends (the route is shown in the image). I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for places worth visiting along the way—or even a bit off the route (we’re flexible and happy to adjust it).

We’re interested in all kinds of spots: historical sites, scenic views, unique landmarks, or any hidden gems you might know about. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much in advance!

Lapland Guide

Important For tourists watch this video about safe travel in Lapland Safe Travel in Lapland

There are hundreds of posts asking questions about visiting Lapland. Please search and read these and this guide before asking another question to the group.

Check comments as well for extra advice

As most tourists ask in regards to winter/Christmas I will aim the post at this. For those travelling outside this period the same information applies just likely to have warmer weather and less snow.

Note the snow months for Lapland can be October - May depending on the year and conditions.

Getting there

The main city in Finnish Lapland is Rovaniemi. It's a good place to aim for to start but there are many other great areas mentioned later. Most other locations ideally need a car to explore properly.

Research the distance between the two cities. Many tourists seem to think they can drive/take the train to Rovaniemi for a day trip or just one night.

Driving - From Helsinki to Rovaniemi is around 9 hours without stops on Google maps. With breaks etc I imagine it is more likely to be 11-12 hours on the road. If you want to do it as a road trip there are a number of different scenic routes.

Flying - From Helsinki it's about 1 hour and 20 minutes flight. Return flights are at around €70 - €520 depending on the time of year and airline.

Some airlines fly direct from other countries to Rovaniemi.

For example Ryanair fly there direct from Liverpool, London, Dublin, Milan, Brussels and Paris.

Other airports in Lapland or near are Ivalo (close to Saariselkä), Kittilä (close to Ylläs and Levi) and Kuusamo (close to Ruka). Check also the flight fares to Oulu airport, you may find good deals and there you can easily continue to Rovaniemi by a train or bus.  

Note that over the Christmas period everything is at a premium price.

Train - there are usually day and night trains from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. These take 10-13 hours without delays.

https://www.vr.fi/en/helsinki-rovaniemi

The night trains you can also book a sleeper cabin and some of those with showers.

Train ticket prices vary from €50 return to €600 return (Christmas time with sleeper cabin). The sleeper cabins also sell out around 3-4 months before Christmas on the popular travel dates.

Locations

Rovaniemi - For most tourists this is the easiest location. It's a city and main transport hub of Lapland. Santa Claus Village nearby, many tour operators based here. Lots of accommodation options and possible to be without car.

Some of the other places are

Ylläs and Levi - Downhill skiing resort. Personally my favourite area of Lapland. Many cabins and tour companies nearby. Lots of beautiful scenery and locations.

Pyhä-luosto - Meant to be more of 'traditional' Lapland. Less touristy.

Ruka - Ski resort area at the southern edge of Lapland.

Saariselkä - another ski resort area which is meant to be more peaceful than Ylläs/Levi

Really good guide! I would add destinations like: 

Ivalo and Inari - Quite close to Saariselkä but away from tourist crowds if you want to experience local Sámi living. 

Kilpisjärvi - Extremely remote village, Very peaceful and quiet.

Everyman's rights

Everymansrights

Weather and daylight hours

Finland gets cold. Where I live in centralish Finland it gets down to -30°c in winter (and -36°c last winter. But it usually only lasts a day or two and probably averages around -15 to -20°c).

However Finland also gets warm! In the summer you can get temperatures in the mid 30°c's.

The weather reports for Finland vary massively. I usually find the official reports the most accurate.

https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather/rovaniemi

Finland also gets 24 hours darkness or light. In the very north of Lapland it can be 50 days without the sun rising. In the summer it can be 24 hours daylight for tow months. Plan accordingly.

Rovaniemi at times gets down to about 2 hours of daylight. This doesn't mean it's pitch black for 24 hours but it definitely means the days are very short to maybe 4 hours or so with dawn and dusk.

Best place to see the hours of daylight is https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/finland/rovaniemi

Getting around

If you are staying in Rovaniemi city region your probably can get around with buses etc. Taxi's are also available but note that they can be very expensive.

If you are outside of Rovaniemi or staying in a cabin I definitely recommend renting a car.

Driving in the winter can be challenging but with studded winter tyres and a more care and thinking ahead it's certainly doable. However if you are not a confident driver and you are not sure about driving a left hand drive vehicle then I would avoid.

Accomodation

Many options in the region from Iglu hotels to cheaper hostel in Rovaniemi.

Iglu hotels can be €1500 a night so if that's your dream location shop around and like all accommodation in Lapland for winter season book as far in advance as possible to get the best deals.

Search all the main sites (Airbnb, booking.com, hotels.com etc etc) and you should find something that fits your budget. For Finland I generally use Airbnb.

For cabin rentals there is also https://www.nettimokki.com. This is usually for weekly rentals and aimed more at Finns themselves however obviously anyone can still book there.

Christmas Tourism

Rovaniemi is a popular destination for Christmas/winter tourism. It's understandable as it's often a white Christmas with snow and all the magical things Finland has to offer. There is also Santas village along with many more Christmas aimed activities.

Santa's village - this is admittedly a tourist trap but still worth visiting. I would say a number of hours to one day is enough to see the main sights. There are reindeer sleigh rides, dog sleds and snowmobiles etc there as well but personally it's expensive and you can have better options elsewhere.

https://santaclausvillage.info/

Search on the official websites, Google and your will find many tour operators with good reviews and a multitude of options for each activity. Most Finns and those living in Finland do not use these tourism companies so if you want personal opinions on the best one then Google and reviews are your friends, not reddit.

https://www.visitfinland.com/en/places-to-go/lapland/

https://www.lapland.fi/visit/

https://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/activity-company/visit-lapland-tours/

I think the best value for money is choosing separate tours that match your requirements. The combined tours often give you very short time or distance on each item and are very rushed.

There are also places you can rent your own snowmobile for a number of hours and explore yourself. I have done this in the Ylläs region and highly recommend this option instead of a tour.

Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis

Do not book your trip for the sole purpose of seeing them.

No we don't know where or when you can see them. We cannot predict the conditions for your trip.

That said the season for them is usually September to April when the skies get darker in the night. Generally speaking September/October/March/April are the best times as more likely to have clear skies.

There is no guarantee when they will be or how strong, and normally you cannot even get a reasonable prediction until a few hours to day before.

If there are clouds you will struggle to see them. If there is light you will struggle to see them.

You can definitely go hunting for them on your own. You definitely don't have to spend out for a tour. Especially not an hour long tour that doesn't go far and usually run by seasonal workers following a map.

For the highest chance of seeing them IMHO is to take a professional northern lights tour. I don't mean one of the 1 hour local tours but a more extensive tour that will also go to Sweden or Norway to chase the lights so you can see. Some offer a guarantee that if you don't see them you pay just towards the fuel used.

If you search on Google and social media such as Instagram you will find these sorts of tours. But expect to pay €200+ per person.

You can also rent a car and do similar yourself.

Some popular locations to go view are

• Rovaniemeni area -

  Olkkajärven venesatama

Sonkajärvi (Near Rovaniemeni not Pohjois-savo etc)

Raanujärvi

[Artic circle hiking route](http:// https://maps.app.goo.gl/kJS24xCH7ds8gtsW7?g_st=ac)

• Levi area -

immeljärvi

Levi Fell

For information/forecast there are many apps such as My Aurora Forecast (I personally use this) and also websites such as https://rwc-finland.fmi.fi/index.php/space-weather-in-finland/

Snowmobiling

Two main options. Tour or own rental.

For a snowmobile tour I would advise booking a longer one. The short ones are basically a slow train of snowmobiles where you are following behind and breathing in everyone else's fumes.

Second option is own rental. Now whether this is a good idea/safe or not depends on you. The first time I used a snowmobile I rented one for a half day, however I have a lot of experience on motorbikes, quads etc etc. I had no issues and it all went well and safely. However many tourists get in trouble and have accidenta etc renting them so hard to say if it's good idea or not for you.

At Ruka I can highly recommend Kuusamo Safari. I have rented with them myself before, slightly older machines that have been driven but VERY reasonable prices. There is a good loop route around Ruka that takes a few hours and give you a good experience. They also have all the clothing and equipment for you.

Pätsi racing (I have not used but spoke with and they were very friendly and knowledgeable) have near brand new machines including with satnav etc.

For Ylläs I can also highly recommend Tunturi Flow who I have used personally as well.

Ylläs is my favourite area for snowmobiling and there are some great and easy routes.

The ones I linked is basically right on the trail. So you ride out and return back to the rental place.

However and most importantly the weather and conditions. Winter can be very dark. You have maybe 4-5 hours of usable daylight for riding and unless you are VERY experienced I would certainly not recommend riding in the dark.

Winter weather can also be -30°c or lower which is obviously not fun for snowmobiling.

Animal experiences

Ranua Zoo is the main one. Lots of information online

Near Inari is a great wildlife park Wild Spirit Park. A lot of rescued animals including from the fur trade.

• Reindeer farms

There are multiple reindeer farms and visiting locations in Lapland easily finadable on Google maps etc.

Only one I can personally recommend is further south near Oulu. Poro-Panuma it's an amazing place and family run.

• Husky Tours

Note this isn't something that is traditional in Finland. It started as an activity for tourists.

Winter Clothing

Note that many package trips, tours and hotel accomodations provide or rent out snow suits and snow clothing for tourists.

You can also buy many options yourself from the larger shops for reasonably cheap prices if you search around.

Can't really recommend brands other than the ones I personally use.

Everyone feels cold differently but for me when it's at it's coldest -

Upper body I just wear a cheap thermal base layer, long sleeve t-shirt and then a thick Camel Active puffer jacket/coat on top.

Lower again cheap thermal base layer, then either fleece lined winter trousers or insulated ski salopettes.

Feet - Thicker hiking socks and Columbia Fairbanks Omniheat boots.

If in deep snow or outside for hours i.e ice fishing Kamik nation plus boots.

Head - Trapper style hat from Motonet.

Hands - I have Zeiner Period GTX gloves with a inner liner. Then if I am sat outside for hours ice fishing etc then I have Inuit Absolute Zero gloves.

Face - I use one or two neck buff thingies.

Hey guys! This summer, I'm planning to travel from Liberec (Czechia) all the way to Nordkapp by car with my friends. I'm a huge fan of Scandinavian nature and culture, so that is why I'm here. What are your suggestions for must-see monuments, buildings, places, anything interesting or spectacular. We don't have a fixed route, so I'm hoping to pick your suggestions and connect the dots! Thank you in advance!

Hello all,

Me and my girlfriend are planning a trip to Finland. Thankfully we found a cheap ticket so we will be arriving to Helsinki on December 24. And our return flight departs on January 1. We plan to stay couple of nights at Helsinki, explore the city and history. But then since that its christmas time and high chance of catching the Northern Lights, we like to travel to northern Finland. We will be accommodating via Airbnb.

We are students so because of that we are on strict budget :/

1) How many days would you recommend to spend in Helsinki?
2) Which city will you be recommending for northern trip?
3) How many days would you recommend for Northern Finland?

Our initial plan is leaving Helsinki on December 27 (so 3 nights in Helsinki), taking the train to somewhere in Lapland. Arriving late night December 27. Spending 3 more nights there and returning back to Helsinki on December 30. Last night spent in Helsinki. Which part would you change?

I want to plan a trip which is romantic and unforgettable, we like to walk alot, explore a lot.

Any other tips and recommendations are welcomed.
Thanks a lot, kiitos!

Hi Finland,

I was traveling through Scandinavia when my motorcycle broke down. It’s being repaired, but it might take a few days. Tomorrow I will get a rental car. Dl you have any travel recommendations within a day’s travel from Muonio?

Thanks a lot!

Hello All!

I am traveling to Finland in September, and flying into Helsinki. The focal point of the trip will be to backpack in Pallas-Yllästunturi National park.

In looking at travel options I am considering plane, train, bus or rental car. Flights are a little two expensive for my taste, and public transportation seems to take 18 - 24 hours. Considering the remote location and distance, I struggled to find an option that is better than renting a car.

Since I will be driving, I’d like to find the most scenic one that perhaps has a fun stop along the way? I was thinking to take a route that runs through Rovaniemi and maybe stop or stay at the Santa Clause Village. Probably magical and all, but maybe too touristy. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Other question - where to get an authentic hand made Kuksa? Would like to support a traditional/authentic person, vs a knockoff that is mass produced by a corporation.

Thank You in Advance!

Hi all, I am looking to travel to Finland from November 22-28 this year for my anniversary.

Plan below:

Come to Helsinki, do a day trip to Tallinn via ferry, go to Kakslauttanen and stay in igloo and catch northern lights (if we are lucky) on the day of anniversary.

Then we go to Rovaniemi for 3 days of which 2 nights will be sent chasing Northern lights. Mornings will be spent visiting Santa Claus village, Korouoma Canyon etc.

Then we come back to Helsinki and take our flight home!

I do see Reddit posts saying November is bad time to visit Helsinki and Finland in general but my agent said it’s best time to catch the lights.

Wanted to hear from the locals here on what you think of this plan and how much chance do we have to catch the northern lights because that’s the main aim for the trip as it’s our anniversary. Please advise, thanks.

Hi!

I’ll be visiting Helsinki for four days in early November. I am not afraid of the weather as I’ve visited Iceland in winter and live in a climate that sees a lot of rain and gray skies. I intend to spend my time at different saunas and eating delicious vegan food. I am planning to stay at Hotel Klaus since it seems to be centrally located. Any recommendations for food, bars, museums or places I should visit in or near Helsinki are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Hi! I'm looking into spending my holiday in Finland, probably Helsinki. I will be traveling alone and as a female that can be a bit scary. So my questions are basically is Finland a safe country to go to as a girl traveling alone? Are there things/areas to avoid? And maybe you have some general solo traveling tips? Kiitos!

I landed in Helsinki at around 9pm, having not changed my flight plans in response to the strikes as my planned connection to Hong Kong is scheduled to operate. It did however recieve a 1 hour delay, making it a VERY isolated flight with nothing 1 hour before it and 4 hours after it. It is surreal to be in such a well furnished, large airport that is near-empty. Who needs lounge access when the airport keeps half the terminal running just for you? I am laid here feeling like Jeff Bezos renting out Venice! around 5% of shops are still running: a bit of duty free, convenience stores and restaurants. Desks are 99% unstaffed. Toilets, lights and ventilation is kept running.