Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

The 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.

International Airports

Helsinki (HEL) (Helsinki-Vantaa) (website: www.ilmailulaitos.com) is Finland’s principal international airport, 19km (12 miles) north of the city (travel time – 25 minutes). To/from the airport: Finnair City Bus and the airport bus operate to the city regularly (travel 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 centre, conference rooms, restaurants, cafes and bars. The other international airports are Turku (TKU), 7km (5 miles) north of the city; Tampere (TMP), 15km (9 miles) from the city; and Rovaniemi (RVN), 10km (6 miles) from the city.

SEA

The 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 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).

RAIL

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.

Rail Passes: The Inter-Rail pass offers unlimited second-class train travel in up to 29 European countries (includes Morocco and Turkey) and is split into eight zones (A-H). Three different tickets are available: a ticket covering one zone (two to six countries, 16 days' validity), a ticket covering two zones (six to 10 countries, 22 days’ validity) and an All Zone Pass (29 countries, one month’s validity). Ferry services between Italy and Greece are included. Passengers must be resident in Europe for at least six months before the pass is used. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction of about 30 per cent. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50 per cent. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Inter Rail (website: www.interrailnet.com).

The 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 travelling 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 per cent 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).

The EuroDomino pass enables holders anything from three to eight days’ extensive travel within a one-month period on the entire rail network of their chosen country. It is valid in 28 European countries and North Africa, including the ferry service from Brindisi (Italy) to Igoumenitsa (Greece). To purchase a EuroDomino pass you must have been resident in Europe for at least six months and a passport number is required at time of booking. It is not permitted to purchase a pass for travel within your own country of residence. To qualify for the youth rates, you must be under 26 years on the first date of validity of the pass. Children aged four four-11 years inclusive pay half the adult fares rounded up to the nearest pound. Children under four years travel for free. Seat reservations, couchette and sleeper charges are not included in the cost of the pass and are payable at the normal rate. Passholder fares are payable on some services. Reservation/Supplement charges are payable on all trains within Spain. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/railpasses/eurodomino.htm).

The 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 per cent discount on ferries, buses and private railways throughout Scandinavia, free or discounted admission (up to 50 per cent 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).

ROAD

There are eight official boarder crossing places between Finland and the Russian Federation, six between Finland and Norway and 10 between Finland and Sweden. The most frequented boarders 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 frequest crossings to Finland. There are also routes from Norway and the Russian Federation.

Travel - Internal

AIR

There 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).

Cheap fares

Special 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 travelling with one adult from the same household; Finnrail 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; 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; Scanrail Pass, valid for 21 days for travel in the Scandinavian countries with reductions of 25 to 50 per cent for young people according to age; Inter-Rail Ticket, valid in Finland as well as the rest of Europe; Eurail Passes and Euro Domino passes are also accepted. 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).

RIVER/LAKE

Traffic on the inland waterways is serviced by regular water buses 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 and meals and refreshments are available on lake cruises. For more detailed information on schedules and routes, contact the Finnish Tourist Board (see Top Things To Do).

RAIL

There 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 220km (132 miles) per hour 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 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.

Cheap fares

ROAD

There 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) and there are more than 300 services daily from Helsinki and 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. Oy Matkahuolto Abs Coach station, authorised agents and travel agencies through Finland, have additional coach information and timetables (website: www.matkahuolto.fi).

Cheap fares: Group tickets are sold for groups travelling 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 travelling a minimum of 80km.

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 and all must have a minimum of one year’s driving experience. The rates usually include oil, maintenance, liability and insurance, but no petrol. 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 tyres. Studded tyres are allowed from 1 November until the first Sunday after Easter or when weather conditions are appropriate. From 1 December until 31 March, snow tyres are a legal requirement for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes. It is possible to hire tyres. 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 licence or International Driving Permit and insurance required.

URBAN

Efficient 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 fares 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 Top Things To Do) for prices and further details. Other cities in Finland offer similar transport cards.

Resort & Excursions

Helsinki

Over the country as a whole there are marked differences in climate and landscape, with corresponding regional variations in traditions, culture and food. Seasonal variations are particularly marked in the north; in Lapland, for instance, the winter sports season lasts until May, and the midnight sun shines night and day for the whole of June and part of July. Autumn is also worth seeing, for in September the first frosts produce the vivid colours of 'Ruska'. In southern Finland spring comes earlier and summer is longer. At midsummer, daylight lasts for 19 hours and there are generally many hours of warm sun

There are approximately half a million inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, making it the most densely populated region in Finland. The area comprises four towns, Helsinki (the capital), Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. However, only half of the 800 sq km (300 sq miles) that it occupies is actually developed. The rest consists of parks, forests, shoreline, and lakes. In many places there are historical sights - old manors and churches - as well as buildings by the best-known of Finnish architects including Dipoli Hall at the Helsinki University of Technology in Otaniemi, an internationally acknowledged 20th-century masterpiec

Finnish Archipelago and Åland Islands

Finland is surrounded in the south, southwest and west by the Baltic, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. The coastline is highly indented and its total length is 4600km (2760 miles). Around the coast is a vast archipelago of thousands of islands.

The coast and archipelago are largely composed of granite rocks, either grey or red, but these are generally low-lying. In many places there are long unspoiled sandy beaches. There are no tides to speak of, so the appearance of the seashore does not differ much from the lakeshores. In addition the seawater is not very salty as very little water of high salt content passes through the Danish straits, and the many rivers as well as the rainfall contribute more water to the Baltic than is lost by evaporation. A special feature of the Baltic is that the land is constantly rising from the sea, as much as 9mm a year in the narrow part of the Gulf of Bothnia, a long-term result of the end of the Ice Age. The archipelago can be explored by local cruises from many coastal towns.

Southwest Finland and the Åland Islands are the warmest part of the country and more deciduous trees grow here than anywhere else in the country. Fruit and vegetables are cultivated extensively and 20 per cent of the country's fields are here.

For historical reasons a large proportion of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland lives in this region and is concentrated in the Åland Islands, the Turku Archipelago and on the south coast. The region is often spoken of as the cradle of Finnish civilisation and the area has a larger concentration of granite churches and manors than elsewhere.

Main towns & resorts: Hamina, Hanko, Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna, Kotka, Kouvola, Kuusankoski, Lohja, Mariehamn and Åland Islands, Naantali, Pargas, Pori, Porvoo, Rauma, Riihimäki, Tammisaari, Turku, Uusikaupunki.

Finnish Lakeland

The majority of Finland's 180,000 lakes are situated between the coastal area and the eastern frontier covering an area some 100km (60 miles) wide. The lakes are a veritable maze with their profusion of bays, headlands and islands. Sometimes they open out into broader stretches. They are linked to each other by rivers, straits and canals forming waterways which in former times were a principal means of communication. Nowadays they are attractive routes for the tourist. As the lakes are usually shallow and the surrounding land is not high the water soon becomes warm in summer. Many summer festivals of all kinds take place in the lakeland area, often in beautiful country settings

EASTERN LAKELAND: The eastern region is an area of interconnected lakes which is dominated by Lake Saimaa, a vast expanse of water. Dotted over their surface are no fewer than 33,000 islands and the shoreline is 50,000km (80,000 miles) long. A network of waterways joins the lively Savo towns, such as Savonlinna with its medieval Olavinlinna Castle, the best preserved in Scandinavia. The Savonlinna Opera Festival is held annually in July. In addition to operas performed to international standards, there are a number of concerts. Kuopio is known for its food speciality kalakukko

WESTERN LAKELAND: Jyväskylä, Tampere, Lahti, Hämeenlinna region. This area comprises two major waterways, the oldest of which, the Finnish Silverline, runs between Hämeenlinna, birthplace of Sibelius, and Tampere, through fertile agricultural lands which are fairly densely populated. Lahti, a winter sports centre, lies at one end of Lake Päijänne where the land is higher and steep rocky cliffs rise to as much as 200m (650ft). At the other end is Jyväskylä, famous for its modern architecture.

Forest Finland

The remoteness of Forest Finland has meant that the beauty of the wild, vast forests, rivers and lakes has remained unspoiled. It is a popular area for canoe and hiking trips, and rapid-shooting. Northern Karelia, the southernmost part of Forest Finland, lies in the 'bulge' to the east of Lake Pielinen. The Koli Heights (347m/1138ft), the highest point in Northern Karelia, overlook the lake. A large percentage of the Finnish Orthodox population lives here, and the region has preserved its own special character, customs and food. One speciality is known far beyond the region, the Karjalan piirakka, Karelian pasty. Kainuu, the district around Lake Oulujärvi, is wild and beautiful with vast forests, marshes, deep lakes and rapids. Vuokatti, near Sotkamo village, specialises in cross-country skiing

Main towns & resorts: Iisalmi, Imatra, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Lieksa, Mikkeli, Nurmes, Outokumpu, Savonlinna, Tampere, Valkeakoski, Varkaus.

Ostrobothnia

The west coast area of Ostrobothnia with its long sandy beaches (of which the dunes of Kalajoki are the best known), is an agricultural region with a sunny climate and less rain than elsewhere. There are islands between Vaasa and Kokkola with old fishermen's villages. Hailuoto Island, with its interesting fauna, can be reached by ferry from Oulu, the area's chief commercial and university centre.

Picturesque old wooden houses are still a feature of the coastal towns. Traditions are maintained in many local festivals where Pelimannit play music handed down through the generations. A number of Swedish-speaking Finns live on the coast. Seinäjoki has administrative buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. 80km (130 miles) southeast of Seinäjoki is Ähtäri Wildlife Park.

The region just south of the Arctic Circle along the eastern frontier is centred round Kuusamo. In Oulanka National Park rivers with rapids run through gorge-like valleys. Seine fishing (using vertical nets) takes place on Lake Kitkajärvi. In summer there are numerous hiking routes. Ruka Fell is a popular winter sports centre.

Main towns & resorts: Kokkola, Oulu, Pietersaari, Raahe, Seinäjoki, Vaasa.

Ostrobothnia

Lapland

Finnish Lapland is a place for those who wish to enjoy the peace and quiet of a remote area either in the comfort of first-class accommodation out in the wilds or in more primitive conditions. Lapland can offer gastronomic delights such as salmon and reindeer prepared in many ways, and the rare golden cloudberry. It is a very large area of 100,000 sq km (38,000 sq miles). Between the many rivers are vast uninhabited areas and swamps. In the valleys pine and spruce grow, but the most northerly regions are treeless tundra or low-fell birch scrub. Many fells have gently rounded treeless tops.

There are only four towns in the province: Rovaniemi (the provincial capital), Kemijärvi, Tornio and Kemi. The whole of the rest of Lapland is very sparsely populated with a density of only slightly over two persons per sq km. Of the 200,000 inhabitants, about 3900 are Lapps and 600 Skolt Lapps, the latter belonging to the Orthodox church. About 200,000 reindeer roam freely on the fells. They are the property of 5800 different owners. There are reindeer round-ups from September to January. Special reindeer-driving competitions take place in March with participants from all over Lapland.

As regards scenery and communications, Lapland can be roughly divided into two areas: Eastern and Western Lapland.

EASTERN LAPLAND: Suomutunturi, on the Arctic Circle, is a well-known winter sports centre, as are Pyhätunturi, Luostotunturi and Saariselkä Fells. At Porttikoski and Simo there are traditional lumberjack competitions in summer. Further north Tankavaara is a gold-panning centre. Inari village lies on the third-largest lake in Finland, Lake Inari with 3000 islands, on one of which stands an old Lapp sacrificial palace. The Sami Museum is devoted to the history of the Lapps. In the wilds lies Pielpajärvi Church. The River Lemmenjoki flows into Lake Inari and is another well-known gold-panning region. The Lemmenjoki National Park has marked routes for hikers

WESTERN LAPLAND: The scenery differs from Eastern Lapland and the ground is higher. The fells rise in bare and impressive ranges. Among the best known are Yllästunturi, Olostunturi and Pallastunturi. All of them are winter sports centres but are attractive in other seasons and are especially popular among hikers. Haltia Fell, the highest in Finland, at 1300m (4265ft) and Saana Fell, 1029m (3376ft), lie on the border between Finland, Norway and Sweden. In the north is the Lapp village of Hetta, scene of colourful festivities on Lady Day in March

Main towns & resorts: Kemi, Kemijärvi, Rovaniemi, Tornio.

Ski Resorts

The major ski resorts include Pallastunturi, Saariselkä, Pallas, Levi, Ylläs and Luosto/Pyhä (in the North); Rovaniemi, Ruka, Iso-Syöte, Vuokatti, Koli and Tahko (in central Finland); and Himos and Lahti (in the south). All of the major resorts are easily accessible from the nearest airports or railway stations; the number of slopes varies from 5-36 while cross-country skiing trails vary in total length from around 100-250km (63-157 miles). For further details contact the Finish Tourist Board (see Contact Addresses section), which also publishes a special brochure on winter activities.