Finland

North Harbor in Helsinki, Finland

Finland is situated in northern Europe, and it is one of those fascinating countries where you can spend some delightful time away from the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan city life with your family and friends. Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe with an area of 338,000 square kilometers, and it is situated between Sweden and Russia. The Gulf of Finland divides southern Finland from Estonia and in the north Norway isolates Finland from the Barents Sea. Boreal forest occupies almost two-thirds of Finland and the remaining one third of the country is located at the north of the Arctic Circle.

The most popular option to reach Finland  is to fly down as there are excellent flight connections to Finland from all through the world and Finnair and SAS have scheduled flights to Helsinki from most of the major cities in Europe as well as the other important cities of the world.

If you are planning to visit Finland during the winter, then you can enjoy a fantastic skiing holiday or visit the Santa Claus and get engaged in a reindeer tour but, if you visit this country during the summer season, then you can enjoy a plethora of activities like trekking to exotic destinations or simply relax at a hidden summer cottage at magnificent locations.

Various sight seeing destinations of Finland are Helsinki, Turku, Savonlinna, Espoo, Rovaniemi, Oulu, Vaasa, Tampere, Porvoo, Mikkeli, Kokkola, and Punkaharju.

Finland Travel Map

Getting In

The different ways of reaching Finland are listed below:

Plane
Tourists preferring to reach Finland by air are likely to land at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Some of the major airlines operating flights to Finland are Finnair, Ryanair, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech Airlines, and Air Berlin. You will find that about 30 foreign airlines have flights to the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Finnair, the national airlines of Finland, operate flights from almost all European countries, Asia, and North America.

Train
From Saint Petersburg and Moscow you can reach Helsinki by a direct train. You can reach Finland from London by train. But it would take you a little more than two days to reach your destination. The rail network also connects Belgium to Finland. No direct rail network exists between Finland and, Sweden and Norway.

Bus
The least preferred way of getting to Finland is by bus. The bus line from Stockholm to Finland is quite popular.

Boat
Reaching Finland by boat is perhaps the best method available for the tourists. The journey from Estonia and Sweden by boat is hugely comfortable with facilities like department stores available on the boats. You will get the most excellent, first view, of Helsinki, from the deck of the boat you are traveling in.

Transport

The different modes of transportation in Finland are listed below:

Cars
Getting around Finland by car is one of the more expensive options of transportation in Finland. It would be, generally, costly for tourists to rent a car in Finland. The roads are well maintained and are good for driving purposes. You must remember to keep the headlights of your car on, throughout the time you drive, even if it is daytime. Cars hitting wild animals, is a common occurrence in Finland, particularly along the countryside routes. So, be wary of that while driving.

Planes
The fastest mode of transportation in Finland is by air. This is by far the most expensive, though convenient, way of getting around the country. Finnair, the national carrier of Finland, operates flights to 15 domestic locations. Blue1airlines is its only competitor in this regard.

Bus and Train
Transportation in Finland is also facilitated by the extensive bus and rail network of Finland. Traveling by bus, on most occasions, is costlier than by train. But if you want to reach Lapland in Finland, then you would be required to take a bus, since trains do not operate there. The Matkahuolto bus service connects all locations of Finland. The trains, on the other hand are more comfortable and faster than the buses. You would find facilities like cafes, play rooms for kids, etc. on the trains.

The flights, buses and trains in Finland are always on time which is hugely convenient for the tourists in Finland.

Leisure

In Finland you would have plenty of opportunities for entertainment and leisure. In Finland you can visit the various concert halls and theaters. If you love dancing, then you could also pay a visit to the numerous discos and night clubs found in Finland, particularly in Helsinki. Music lovers also have a wide range of options to choose from.

Sports lovers need not worry. They can have their share of entertainment and leisure in Finland. The country holds the Olympic record of having the highest number of medals per capita. During the summer season you can indulge in outdoor sports like sailing, canoeing, horse-riding, cycling, etc. During the winters you can try out skiing, skating, etc.

Theater and literature festivals to jazz, rock and music festivals, you would have a gamut of options to choose from. You can also do your shopping at Helsinki where you would discover big department stores, shopping centers, boutiques, etc. Some of the famous shopping centers include Forum, Market Square, StockMann, etc.

You could also visit some of the major tourist destinations and attractions located in Finland. Some of them are listed below:

• The Santa Claus Village
• Suomenlinna Fortress
• The National Museum of Finland