Finland is a country known for its natural beauty apparent in its many islands, lakes, and forests. As there are many dense forests in Finland, camping and hiking is very popular at many trekking routes. There are also many spas containing saunas in Finland as saunas are a Finnish invention. Finland is also known for its midnight sun in the summer and being dark for nearly the entire part of the winter. The capital of Finland, Helsinki, has many museums and galleries as well as many other tourist locations including The White Cathedral. Helsinki also has a booming nightlife filled with many restaurants, bars, and clubs.
Finnish is the national language of Finland and is known for its difficulty for foreigners to learn. A handshake is considered polite when meeting a Finnish person for the first time. The people of Finland generally keep to themselves or in tight social circles. As in many other European countries, the Finnish leave their shoes outside when visiting another Finnish person’s home. It is customary to wait until a toast is made before eating. The host will usually make the toast by saying ‘skol’ or ‘kippis.’ Most Finnish people will dress casually, but will dress formally for special events.
For those flying into Finland, Finnair is an option as it is the national airline of Finland. Many other airlines fly into Finland as well. Helsinki Airport is the airport most tourists will fly into as it is the largest airport in the country. The Helsinki Airport is a mere 19 kilometers from Helsinki. There are buses, taxis, and hotel coaches at the airport for those who need assistance in getting from the airport to their destinations. There are also many duty free shops, car rental facilities, banks, and restaurants (as well as a handful of other things) to keep passengers busy while they wait. For those interested in taking a cab, remember to never tip the cab driver as it is considered offensive. As Finland is a very large country, there are other smaller airports for travelers to more easily get around the country. For those interested in reaching Finland by sea, there are ferry services to and from various ports on the coastal area. For those interested in traveling to Finland by train, there are trips from St. Petersburg and Moscow that can take travelers to Finland. There are also trains within the country of Finland for those who would prefer taking a train to their final destination. The trains are fairly inexpensive and many discounts are offered primarily for the elderly, for children, or for students. There is also the option to travel by road. There is an abundance of deer in Finland, so extra caution should be taken when driving in particularly rural areas of Finland. Cars are driven on the right hand side of the road in Finland. For quick gas fill up, many gas stations accept credit cards.
Duty free items include 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco or 100 cigarillos and 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette and two liters of alcoholic beverages containing less than 22% of alcohol or one liter of alcoholic beverages containing more than 22% alcohol and two liters of sparkling wine and sixteen liters of beer and 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract and essence and 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract or essence. Only those who are over the age of 18 can carry tobacco and alcohol across borders. Agricultural items, food, a select list of medications, firearms, and sharp objects are not allowed to cross borders.
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