FINLAND

 

Finland is home to more than 3,000,000 saunas. When you consider their population is only 5,500,000, it puts that number in perspective! Is that the secret to their happiness? According to The World Happiness Report, Finland is the happiest country in the world four years running (2018-2021). Whatever the reason may be, Finland deserves to be on your list of countries to visit within the next few years - especially if you are interested in seeing the northern lights!

  • Updated COVID-19 Travel Information:

  • Currency:

    • The official currency of Finland is the Euro (EUR) (€). It is also worth noting that credit and debit cards are the way to go when making purchases in Scandinavian countries; cash is being slowly waned out.

      • $1 USD = €0.85

  • Pricing for Leisure Travelers:

    • Average Hotel Expenses = €85-€98/Night ($100-$115 USD/Night)

    • Average Food/Drink Expenses = €29-€42/Day ($35-$50 USD/Day)

  • Pricing for Backpackers:

    • Average Hostel Expenses = €21-€30/Night ($26-$36 USD/Night)

    • Average Food/Drink Expenses = €17-€26/Day ($21-$31 USD/Day)

  • Communication:

    • Finnish is the national language of Finland. English and Swedish are very common throughout the country as well. Nordic countries are especially talented when it comes to speaking English as a second language!

  • Transportation:

    • Airplane: If you are looking to travel throughout Finland, your first step will be getting to Helsinki. Many airlines fly in and out of Finland’s capital daily, one of which being Finnair - the country’s flag carrier headquartered out of Helsinki Airport (HEL). Track flight prices on their website or via Skyscanner.

    • Bus: Traveling to Finland by bus from other Scandinavian countries is difficult and therefore very uncommon. You are better off flying into Helsinki and then busing throughout the country at your leisure. I recommend purchasing tickets through OnniBus or Matkahuolto.

    • Train: Given Finland’s geography, international trains do not frequently run in or out of Helsinki. Domestic trains, on the other hand, are very popular; purchase tickets through the country’s state-owned railway company, VR Group.

    • Taxi/Uber: There are plenty of these all over Helsinki.

    • Private Transportation: For options all across Europe, please visit Auto Europe’s website. They can accommodate trips ranging from a few days to a few weeks.

  • Miscellaneous:

    • Finland is the only Scandinavian country that both uses the Euro and is a part of the European Union.

    • Due to Finland’s unique location (sandwiched between Europe and Russia), you will find extremely interesting merges of culture here - particularly when it comes to architecture, music, and art!

    • Before my trip to Scandinavia, I read the book The Almost Nearly Perfect People, written by British journalist Michael Booth. Each country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) has its own section and although I do not love that it is a Brit writing about the culture of a place he was not born, I do like that it gives you a view of life in each country as an outsider/tourist/traveler. Take the facts with a grain of salt, but it gives some good context!

 
 

HELSINKI