 | COVID-19 inligting: Alhoewel Finland relatief liggies getref is, veg hy steeds die pandemie. Sien die Gaan in afdeling vir besonderhede. |
| (Inligting laas opgedateer 01 Feb 2021) |
Finland (Fins: Suomi, Sweeds: Finland) is een van die Nordiese lande in die noorde Europa.
Die land het gemaklike klein dorpies en groot dele van ongerepte natuur. Ongeveer 10% van die oppervlakte bestaan uit 188 000 mere, met 'n soortgelyke aantal eilande.
Finland strek tot in die Arktiese, waar die Noordeligte en die Middernag son kan gesien word. Die mitiese berg van Korvatunturi word gesê dat dit die tuiste van Kersvader is, en daar is 'n Santaland in Rovaniemi.
Alhoewel Finland 'n hoëtegnologiese welsynstaat is, is die Finne graag in die warmer maande na hul somerhuisies om allerlei ontspannende tydverdrywe te geniet, insluitend sauna, swem, visvang en braai gedurende die kort, maar helder somer. Finland het 'n kenmerkende taal en kultuur wat dit onderskei van Skandinawië en Rusland. Terwyl die Finse kultuur oud is, het die land eers in 1917 onafhanklik geword.
Streke
| Suid-Finland (Tavastia Behoorlik, Päijänne Tavastia, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, Suid-Karelia) Die suidelike stuk kuslyn tot by die Russiese grens, insluitend die hoofstad Helsinki en die historiese provinsie Uusimaa (Nyland) |
| Weskus (Sentraal-Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Suid-Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, Finland behoorlik) Die suidwestelike kusgebiede, die ou hoofstad Turku en die suidelike dele van die historiese provinsie Ostrobothnia (Pohjanmaa, Österbotten), met die meeste van die Sweedssprekende bevolking. |
| Finse Lakeland (Noord-Savonia, Noord-Karelia, Sentraal-Finland, Suid-Savonia, Pirkanmaa) Woude en mere vanaf die binnelandse middestad Tampere tot by die Russiese grens, insluitend Savonië (Savo) en die Finse kant van Karelia (Karjala). |
| Noord-Finland (Finse Lapland, Kainuu en Oos-Oulu streek, Suid-Oulu-streek, Wes-Oulu-streek) Die noordelike helfte van Finland is meestal wildernis, met enkele belangrike stede. |
| Åland 'N Outonome en eentalig Sweeds groep eilande aan die suidwestelike kus van Finland. |
Die huidige formele verdeling van die land stem nie goed ooreen met geografiese of kulturele grense nie en word nie hier gebruik nie. Voorheen het streke en provinsies wel ooreengestem; baie mense identifiseer hulle met hul streek (maakunta / landskap), maar meestal volgens historiese grense. Hierdie streke sluit in Tavastia (Häme), wat 'n groot gebied van sentraal Finland rondom Tampere beslaan, Savonia (Savo) in die oostelike deel van die meerland en Karelia (Karjala) na die verre ooste. 'N Groot deel van die Finse Karelia het verlore gegaan vir die Soviet Unie in Tweede Wereldoorlog, wat in sommige kringe steeds 'n seer onderwerp is.
Stede
- 1 Helsinki - die "Dogter van die Oossee", Finland se hoofstad en verreweg die grootste stad
- 2 Jyväskylä - 'n universiteitsdorp in Sentraal-Finland
- 3 Oulu - 'n tegnologiestad aan die einde van die Golf van Botnië
- 4 Rauma - die grootste houtstad in die Noorde en 'n UNESCO-wêrelderfenisgebied
- 5 Rovaniemi - poort na Lapland en die tuiste van Santa Claus Village
- 6 Savonlinna - 'n klein dorpie aan die meer met 'n groot kasteel en 'n gewilde operafees.
- 7 Tampere - 'n industriële stad, die tuiste van kultuur, musiek, kuns en museums
- 8 Turku - die voormalige hoofstad aan die suidwestelike kus. Middeleeuse kasteel en katedraal.
- 9 Vaasa - 'n stad met sterk Sweedse invloede aan die weskus naby die UNESCO-wêreldnatuurterrein Kvarken-eilandgroep
Ander bestemmings
- 1 Argipelsee - honderde en honderde eilande van die vasteland tot by Åland
- Finse nasionale parke, ander beskermde gebiede, wandelgebiede of wildernisgebiede , bv.
- 2 Koli Nasionale Park - Skilderagtige nasionale park in Oos-Finland, simbool vir die natuur van die land
- 3 Lemmenjoki Nasionale Park - goudgrawe van Lapland, en een van die grootste wildernisgebiede in Europa
- 4 Nuuksio Nasionale Park - 'n pint-grootte, maar mooi nasionale park 'n klipgooi van Helsinki af
- 5 Kilpisjärvi - "The Arm of Finland" bied pragtige uitsigte en die hoogste heuwels in Finland
- 6 Levi , Saariselkä en Ylläs - gewilde wintersportoorde in Lapland
- Suomenlinna - 'n eiland aan die kus van Helsinki, waar daar 'n fort van 18–19 eeu is wat u per veerboot kan besoek
Verstaan
 | |
| Kapitaal | Helsinki |
| Geldeenheid | euro (EUR) |
| Bevolking | 5,5 miljoen (2016) |
| Elektrisiteit | 230 volt / 50 hertz (Europlug, Schuko) |
| Landelike kode | 358 |
| Tydsone | UTC 02:00 |
| Noodgevalle | 112 |
| Rykant | reg |
| wysig op Wikidata | |
Geskiedenis
- Sien ook: Vikings en die Oudnoors, Nordiese geskiedenis, Sweedse Ryk
| “ | Swede ons is nie meer nie, Russe wat ons nie wil word nie, laat ons dus Finne wees. | ” |
—Adolf Ivar Arwidsson, Finse nasionale ideoloog | ||
Daar is nie veel bekend oor die vroeë geskiedenis van Finland nie, met argeoloë wat nog steeds debatteer oor wanneer en waar 'n stam van Fino-Oegriese sprekers opduik. Die vroegste sekere bewyse van menslike nedersetting is vanaf 8900 vC. Die Romeinse historikus Tacitus noem 'n primitiewe en wilde jagterstam Fenni in 100 nC, al is daar geen eenstemmigheid of dit Finne of Sami. Selfs die Vikings het verkies om hulle nie te vestig nie, uit vrees vir die befaamde sjamane in die gebied, en het eerder langs die kus handel gedryf en geplunder.
In die middel van die 1150's het Swede die Finse heidene ernstig verower en kersten, met Birger Jarl wat die grootste deel van die land in 1249 in Swede opgeneem het. Terwyl die bevolking Finssprekend was, het die Sweedse konings 'n Sweedssprekende klas geestelikes geïnstalleer. en adellikes in Finland, en het die Westerse Christendom afgedwing, en daarin geslaag om plaaslike animisme uit te skakel en tot 'n groot mate selfs die Russiese Ortodoksie. Boere en vissermanne uit Swede het hulle langs die kus gevestig. Finland het gebly 'n integrale deel van Swede tot in die 19de eeu, hoewel daar byna aanhoudende oorlogvoering met Rusland aan die oostelike grens was en twee kort besettings. Swede het tot die Lutherse protestantisme oorgegaan, wat die einde van die Middeleeue beteken, het gelei tot wydverspreide geletterdheid in Finsk en definieer steeds baie aspekte van die Finse kultuur. Na Swede se laaste rampspoedige nederlaag in die Finse Oorlog van 1808–1809, het Finland 'n outonome groothertogdom geword Russies heers.
Die Finse nasie is gedurende die Russiese tyd gebou, terwyl die Sweedse erfenis die politieke raamwerk verskaf het. Die Finse taal, letterkunde, musiek en kunste het ontwikkel, met aktiewe betrokkenheid deur die (meestal Sweedssprekende) opgeleide klas. Russiese heerskappy wissel tussen welwillendheid en onderdrukking en daar was reeds 'n beduidende onafhanklikheidsbeweging toe Rusland in 1917 in oorlog en revolusionêre chaos gedompel het. Die parlement het die kans aangegryp (na 'n paar rondes van interne konflikte) en in Desember onafhanklikheid verklaar en vinnig die Sowjet-instemming verkry, maar die land het dadelik in 'n kort, maar bitter gedompel burgeroorlog tussen die konserwatiewe Blankes en die sosialistiese Reds, uiteindelik gewen deur die Blankes.
Tydens die Tweede Wêreldoorlog is Finland aangeval deur die Soviet Unie in die Winteroorlog, maar hulle tot stilstand beveg het dat die USSR 12% van die Finse gebied verower het. Finland bond toe met Duitsland in 'n onsuksesvolle poging om die Sowjets af te weer en die verlore gebied (die Voortsettingsoorlog), is verslaan en moes hom as voorwaarde vir vrede eerder teen Duitsland wend (die Laplandoorlog). Finland het dus gedurende die Tweede Wêreldoorlog drie afsonderlike oorloë gevoer. Uiteindelik het Finland 'n groot deel van Karelië en die tweede stad van Finland verloor Vyborg (Viipuri, Viborg), maar die Sowjets het 'n duur prys betaal met meer as 300 000 dood. Die verlore gebied is ontruim in 'n massiewe operasie waarin die voormalige inwoners, en dus die Karelse kultuur, oor die hele land versprei is.
Na die oorlog het Finland in die grys gebied tussen die Westerse lande en die Sowjetunie gelê (sien Koue Oorlog Europa). Die Finno-Sowjet-verdrag van vriendskap, samewerking en wedersydse hulp het Finland verbind om gewapende aanvalle deur 'Duitsland of sy bondgenote' te weerstaan (lees: die Weste), maar Finland ook toegelaat om neutraal te bly in die Koue Oorlog en 'n kommunistiese regering of Warskou te vermy. Paktlidmaatskap. In die politiek was daar die neiging om beleid en stellings wat as anti-Sowjet geïnterpreteer kon word, te vermy. Hierdie balanseertoertjie van Finlandisering is humoristies omskryf as "die kuns om na die Ooste te buig sonder om die Weste te maan". Finland was wes van die ystergordyn en was maklik om na die Weste te reis. Dus, selfs baie ouer mense ken Engels en Duits en het vriende in die Weste, terwyl Russies nie verpligtend was nie en selfs vandag nog skaars bekend is. Ten spyte van noue betrekkinge met die Sowjetunie, het Finland daarin geslaag om demokratiese veelpartyverkiesings te behou en 'n Wes-Europese markekonomie gebly en noue bande met sy Nordies bure. Alhoewel daar 'n paar gespanne oomblikke was, het Finland dit begin: in hierdie dekades het die land 'n merkwaardige transformasie gemaak van 'n plaas- en bosekonomie na 'n gediversifiseerde moderne industriële ekonomie met hoëtegnologie-reuse soos Nokia, en die inkomste per capita is nou in die wêreld top 15.
Na die ineenstorting van die USSR sluit Finland by die Europese Unie in 1995, en was die enigste Noordse staat wat by die aanvang van die euro-geldeenheidstelsel aangesluit het in Januarie 1999. In 2017 het Finland sy 100 jaar onafhanklikheid gevier.
Aardrykskunde
Anders as die kragtige Noorweë en Swede, bestaan Finland meestal uit lae, plat tot rollende vlaktes afgewissel met mere en lae heuwels, met berge (van 'n soort) net in die uiterste noorde en die hoogste punt van Finland, Mount Halti, wat net tot 'n beskeie 1 328 m styg. . Finland sit vierkantig in die taiga-sone, bedek met naaldbos, afgewissel met bewerkte grond, dorpe, mere en moerasse. Finland het 187 888 mere volgens die Geological Survey of Finland, wat die moniker maak Land van duisend mere iets van 'n onderskatting. Langs die kus en in die mere is - volgens 'n ander skatting - 179 584 eilande, wat die land ook 'n uitstekende bootbestemming maak. Die Lakeland is min of meer 'n plato, dus die mere vorm labirinte van eilande, skiereilande, geluide en oop water, en die kusgroepe volg die suite.
Finland is nie op die Skandinawiese skiereiland nie, dus word dit nie beskou as deel van Skandinawië nie, ondanks baie kulturele en historiese skakels (insluitend die Sweedse taal, wat naas Fins mede-amptelike status geniet). Selfs Finne doen selde moeite om die onderskeid te tref, maar meer korrekte terme wat Finland insluit, is die "Nordiese lande" (Pohjoismaat, Norden) en "Fennoscandia".
Veral in die oostelike en noordelike dele van die land, wat dig bebos en yl bevolk is, vind u nog voorbeelde van die tradisionele, rustieke Finse kultuur. Suid- en Wes-Finland, wat vlaktes en landerye aangeplant het en 'n hoër bevolkingsdigtheid het, het inderdaad baie gemeen met Skandinawië behoorlik - dit kan duidelik gesien word in die hoofstad Helsinki, wat baie Skandinawiese kenmerke het, veral in terme van argitektuur.
Klimaat
- Sien ook: Winter in die Nordiese lande
Finland het 'n gematigde klimaat, wat eintlik relatief sag is vir die breedtegraad as gevolg van die matige invloed van die Golfstroom. Daar is vier verskillende seisoene: winter, lente, somer en herfs. Die winter is net so donker soos oral op hierdie breedtegrade, en temperature kan (baie selde) in die suide tot -30 ° C bereik en selfs daal tot −50 ° C (−60 ° F) in die noorde, met 0 tot -25 ° C (35 tot -15 ° F) normaal in die suide. Sneeubedekking kom algemeen voor, maar word nie in die suidelike deel van die land gewaarborg nie. Die vroeë lente (Maart-April) is wanneer die sneeu begin smelt en Finne hou daarvan om noordwaarts te ry vir ski en wintersport. Die kort Finse somer is aansienlik aangenamer, met dagtemperature rondom 15 tot 25 ° C (soms tot 35 ° C), en is gewoonlik die beste tyd van die jaar om te besoek. Julie is die warmste maand. September bied koel weer (5 tot 15 ° C), ryp in die oggend en reën. Die oorgang van herfs na winter in Oktober - Desember - nat, reënerig, soms koud, sonder sneeu, maar modderige sneeu, donker en oor die algemeen ellendig - is die slegste tyd om te besoek. Daar is 'n merkbare verskil tussen die kus- en suidelike gebiede teenoor die binnelandse en noordelike gebiede in die tydsberekening en lengte van hierdie seisoene.
As gevolg van die uiterste breedtegraad ervaar Finland die beroemde Middernag son naby die somer-sonstilstand, wanneer (as dit bo die Noordpoolsirkel is) die son gedurende die nag nooit sak nie, en selfs in die suide van Finland word dit nooit regtig donker nie. Die keersy van die munt is die Arktiese nag (kaamos) in die winter, wanneer die son nooit in die noorde opkom nie. In die suide is daglig beperk tot 'n paar jammerlike ure, met die son wat skaars oor die bome klim voordat dit weer ondertoe gaan.
Inligting oor die klimaat en weervoorspellings is beskikbaar by die Finse Meteorologiese Instituut.
Kultuur
Die Finse kultuur as 'n duidelike identiteit word eeue lank deur sy bure gebuffer en invloede van die weste, die ooste en die suide opgevang en is eers in die 19de eeu gebore: 'ons is nie Swede nie, en ons wil nie Russies word nie, so laat ons Finne wees . "
Die Finse skeppingsmite en nasionale epos is die Kalevala, 'n versameling ou Karelse verhale en gedigte, versamel deur Elias Lönnrot in 1835. Benewens die skepping bevat die boek die avonture van Väinämöinen, 'n sjamanistiese held met magiese kragte. Kalevalan-temas soos die Sampo, 'n mitiese oorvloed, was 'n belangrike inspirasie vir Finse kunstenaars, en figure, tonele en konsepte uit die epos bly hul werke inkleur.
Terwyl Finland se staatsgodsdiens is Lutheranisme, 'n weergawe van die protestantse Christendom, het die land volle vryheid van godsdiens en vir die grootste meerderheid is die alledaagse nakoming laks of onbestaanbaar. Nogtans, Luther se leerstellings van sterk werksetiek en 'n geloof in gelykheid sterk bly, sowel ten opsigte van die goeie (vroueregte, korrespondensie wat nie bestaan nie) as die slegte (ooreenstemming, hoë pryse van depressie en selfmoord). Die Finse karakter word dikwels met die woord opgesom sisu, 'n mengsel van bewonderenswaardige deursettingsvermoë en varkkoppige hardkoppigheid in die gesig van teëspoed.
Fins musiek is veral bekend vir klassieke komponis Jean Sibelius, waarvan die simfonieë steeds konsertsale regoor die wêreld pryk. Finse pop, daarenteen, het dit maar selde buite die grense gewaag, maar rock en heavy metal bands soos Nag wens, Kinders van bodom, Sonata Arctica, Apocalyptica en HOM het taamlik groot name geword in die wêreldwye swaar musiektoneel en latexmonsters Lordi 'n uiters onwaarskynlike boerpot te wen deur die Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 huis toe te neem.
In die ander kunste het Finland bekende argitek en ontwerper vervaardig Alvar Aalto, skrywers Mika Waltari (Die Egiptenaar) en Väinö Linna (Die onbekende soldaat), en skilder Akseli Gallen-Kallela, bekend vir syne Kalevala illustrasies.
Tweetaligheid
| Fins | Sweeds | Engels |
|---|---|---|
| -katu | -gata (n) | straat |
| -das | -väg (en) | pad |
| -kuja | -gränd (en) | stegie |
| -väylä | -led (en) | manier |
| -polku | -stig (en) | pad |
| -tori | -torg (et) | mark |
| -kaari | -båge (n) | halfmaan |
| -puisto | -park (en) | parkeer |
| -strand | -kaj (en) | kaai |
| -rinne | -brink (en) | oewer (heuwel) |
| -aukio | -plats (en) | vierkantig |
Finland het 'n 5,5% Sweeds-sprekende minderheid en is amptelik tweetalig, met albei tale verpligtend op skool. Drie Sámi tale (insluitend Noord-Samies), Romani en Finse gebaretaal word ook in die grondwet erken, maar is nie 'nasionale' tale nie. Kaarte en vervoeraankondigings gee dikwels beide Finse en Sweedse name, bv. Turku en Åbo is dieselfde stad. Dit help die besoeker, want Engelssprekendes vind die Sweedse aankondiging oor die algemeen makliker om te volg, veral as u 'n bietjie Duits het. Padtekens blaai gereeld tussen weergawes, bv. Turuntie en Åbovägen is albei dieselfde "Turku Road". Dit kom algemeen voor in Helsinki en die Sweeds-sprekende kusgebiede, terwyl Sweeds baie minder in die binneland voorkom. Weg noord in Lapland, jy sien amper nooit Sweeds nie, maar jy kan tekens in (meestal Noord-) Sami sien. En as u op Google Map navigeer, weet u nie watter taal dit mag opduik nie.
Alhoewel die land eens deur 'n Sweedse elite regeer is, was die meeste Sweeds-sprekende Finne nog altyd gewone mense: vissers, boere en industriële werkers. Die opgevoede klas is sedert die nasionale ontwaking tweetalig, terwyl die bevolking wat met industrialisering meng, die res gedoen het. In die tweetalige gebiede meng die taalgroepe mekaar vriendelik. Selfs in Finse sprekende gebiede, soos Jyväskylä, Pori en Oulu, verwelkom baie Finse sprekers die kontakte met Sweeds wat die minderheid bied; die paar Sweedse skole in daardie gebiede het baie Finse leerlinge en taalonderdak-dagsorg is gewild. In die politiek bly tweetaligheid kontroversieel: sommige Finssprekendes beskou dit as 'n kater van die Sweedse bewind, terwyl die Sweeds-sprekendes besorg is daaroor dat hul taal gemarginaliseer word, bv. wanneer klein Sweedse instellings saamgevoeg word met groter Finse.
Vakansies
Finne is gewoonlik nie baie warm vir groot openbare karnavalle nie; die meeste vakansies word tuis by die gesin deurgebring. Die mees opvallende uitsondering is Vappu op 30 April - 1 Mei, terwyl duisende mense (meestal jongmense) die strate volstaan. Belangrike vakansiedae en soortgelyke geleenthede sluit in:
- Nuwejaarsdag (uudenvuodenpäivä, nyårsdagen), 1 Januarie.
- Epifanie (loppiainen, trettondag), 6 Januarie.
- Paasfees (pääsiäinen, påsk), veranderlike datums, Goeie Vrydag en Paasmaandag is openbare vakansiedae. Gebonde hieraan is laskiainen, fastlagstisdag, 40 dae voor Paasfees, naamlik 'n heilige dag wat die vastyd begin, feitlik 'n tyd vir kinders en universiteitstudente om teen sneeuhange af te gly, en Hemelvaartdag (helatorstai, Kristi himmelsfärds dag) 40 dae daarna, net nog 'n dag vir die sluiting van die winkels.
- Walpurgis-nag (vappuaatto, valborgsmässoafton) en Mei Dag (vappu, första maj, die Finse woord wat dikwels met hoofletter-W geskryf word), oorspronklik 'n heidense tradisie wat saamval met 'n moderne werkersviering, het 'n werklik reuse-fees vir universiteitstudente, wat hul kleurvolle kenmerkende oorpak, wit studentekappies dra en in die strate ronddwaal. Die gegradueerdes gebruik ook hul wit studentedeksels tussen 18:00 en op 30 April tot einde 1 Mei. Op die laaste dag kom mense bymekaar om hul babelas by die buitelugpieknieks te verpleeg, al reën dit reënbuie! Beslis 'n prettige viering om te getuig terwyl die studente die eienaardigste maniere beraam om te vier.
- Midsomer (juhannus, midsommar), Vrydagaand en Saterdag tussen 20 Junie en 26 Junie. Gehou om die somer sonstilstand te vier, met baie vreugdevure, drink en algemene vrolikheid. Stede word amper leeg namate mense na hul somerhuisies jaag. Dit kan 'n goeie idee wees om een van die groter stede te besoek net vir die gruwelike gevoel van 'n leë stad - of 'n plattelandse dorpie, waar die plaaslike inwoners lewendig saam vier. Onversigtige gebruik van alkohol gedurende hierdie spesifieke naweek in die "land van duisend mere" word in Finse statistieke gesien as 'n jaarlikse hoogtepunt in die aantal mense wat deur verdrinking gesterf het. Midsomer is die begin van die Finse vakansietydperk en in baie somer-georiënteerde bestemmings beteken "op Seisoen" vanaf die Midsomer tot die skole oop is.
- Onafhanklikheidsdag (itsenäisyyspäivä, självständighetsdagen), 6 Desember. 'N Redelik somber viering van die onafhanklikheid van Finland. Daar is kerkdienste (die een uit die katedraal in Helsinki kan op TV gesien word), konserte en 'n militêre parade wat jaarliks in een of ander stad gereël word. 'N Fliek The Unknown Soldier uit 1955 word op TV gewys. Die gewildste geleentheid is in die aand: die president hou 'n bal vir die belangrike mense (bv. LP's, diplomate, meriete Finse sportlui en kunstenaars) dat die minder belangrike op TV kyk. Trouens, meer as 2 miljoen Finne hou die bal vanuit hul huise dop.
- Klein Kersfees (pikkujoulu). Mense gaan dwarsdeur Desember kroegkruip met hul werkmaats. Nie 'n amptelike vakansiedag nie, maar net 'n Viking-sterk weergawe van 'n kantoor-kerspartytjie-seisoen. Onder die Sweeds-sprekendes is die lillajul ('klein Kersfees') is die Saterdag aan die begin van Advent en word meestal onder gesinne gevier.
- Kersfees (joulu, jul), 24 tot 26. Desember. Die grootste vakansie van die jaar, wanneer alles amper drie dae sluit. Kersvader (Joulupukki, Julgubben) kom op Oukersaand op 24 Desember, ham word geëet en almal gaan sauna toe.
- Oujaarsaand (uudenvuodenaatto, nyårsafton), 31 Desember. Vuurwerktyd!
Die meeste Finne neem hul somervakansie in Julie, anders as elders in Europa, waar Augustus die belangrikste vakansieseisoen is. Mense begin gewoonlik hul somervakansie rondom Midsomer. Gedurende hierdie dae sal stede waarskynlik minder bevolk wees, aangesien Finne op pad is na hul somerkothuise. Skoolkinders begin hul somervakansie aan die begin van Junie en keer middel Augustus terug skool toe. Die presiese datums wissel volgens jaar en munisipaliteit.
Gaan in
| COVID-19 inligting: Daar is reisbeperkings en plekke kan gesluit wees. Daar was 'n nuwe uitbraak in die herfs van 2020 wat tot die lente duur. Besighede en vervoer werk meestal, met 'n paar beperkings, en daar is geen aandklokreël nie. Diegene wat van die huis af kan werk, gesigmaskers gebruik, restaurante het ure (behalwe wegneem), en die meeste geleenthede word gekanselleer. Kaartjies op treine moet gekoop word voordat u instap. Baie van die beperkings is net sterk aanbevelings, dus word dit nie algemeen gevolg nie - en op die meeste maatreëls word op munisipale of streeks- eerder as nasionale vlak besluit. Ten minste tot 30 April 2021 slegs noodsaaklike reis en sommige gevalle van vervoer word toegelaat vanaf die meeste lande, meestal met 10 of 14 dae selfkwarantyn by aankoms, of 'n korter kwarantyn met 'n tweede toets. Vir die meeste werk-gebaseerde toegangs moet die passasier om noodsaaklike redes 'n bewys van die werkgewer hê. Reise om persoonlike redes, soos studies of 'n besoekende gesin, mag toegelaat word (sien besonderhede op gekoppelde bladsye). 'N Negatiewe toetsuitslag, minder as 72 uur oud, of 'n bewys dat u voorheen minder as 6 maande gelede COVID-19 gehad het, word gewoonlik aan die grens vereis of voordat u op die veerboot of vlug klim. Vervoer op die lughawe is toegelaat. COVID-19-toetse word by sommige lughawens en by sommige hawens uitgevoer, en toetsing kan verpligtend wees. Die Russiese landgrens bly voorlopig vir die meeste reisigers gesluit. Sien die FINENTRY, Besoek Finland se webwerf, riglyne vir grensverkeer tydens pandemie, die regeringsblad oor beperkings, die THL inligting oor die situasie en YLE nuus in Engels. |
| (Inligting laas op 20 April 2021 opgedateer) |
Finland is 'n lid van die Schengen-ooreenkoms.
- Daar is normaalweg geen grensbeheer tussen lande wat die verdrag onderteken en implementeer nie. Dit sluit die grootste deel van die Europese Unie en enkele ander lande in.
- Daar is gewoonlik identiteitskontroles voordat u op internasionale vlugte of bote gaan. Soms is daar tydelike grensbeheer by landgrense.
- Net so, a visum toegestaan vir enige Schengen-lid is geldig in alle ander lande wat onderteken het en het die verdrag geïmplementeer.
- Sien asseblief Reis deur die Schengen-gebied vir meer inligting oor hoe die skema werk, watter lande lid is en wat die vereistes vir u nasionaliteit is.
Visumvryheid is van toepassing op onderdane van Schengen en die EU en onderdane van lande met 'n visumvryheidsooreenkoms, byvoorbeeld Amerikaanse burgers. Standaard is 'n visum nodig; sien die lys om te kyk of u 'n visum benodig. Visums kan nie aan die grens of by binnekoms uitgereik word nie, maar moet minstens 15 dae voor die tyd in 'n Finse ambassade of ander missie toegepas word (sien instruksies). 'N ID-foto, 'n paspoort, reisversekering en voldoende fondse (beskou as minstens € 30 per dag) word vereis. Die visumfooi is 35-70 €, selfs al word die visumaansoek van die hand gewys.
Die grens tussen Finland en Rusland is 'n buitengrens van Schengen en grensbeheer is van toepassing. Hierdie grens kan slegs oorgesteek word by aangewese grensoorgange en visums is nodig. Die gewildste padkruisings is Vaalimaa naby Lappeenranta en Nuijamaa naby Imatra. Tydelike spesiale beperkings kan van toepassing wees op die noordelike kruisings vanaf Rusland, kyk of dit van toepassing is. Daar is grenssones aan beide kante van die grens, 'n paar kilometer breed, waar toegang verbode is. As u die grenssones binnegaan of daar probeer fotografeer, sal dit 'n arrestasie en boete tot gevolg hê. Die Finse-Noorse en Finsk-Sweedse grense kan te eniger tyd sonder vergunning oorgesteek word, mits u niks vervoer wat doeanebeheer benodig nie. Oor die algemeen is grenskontroles nie nodig as u oor die internasionale waters tussen Finland en Estland reis nie. Die grenswag kan egter ewekansige of diskresionêre ondersoeke doen en is gemagtig om die immigrasie-status van enige persoon of vaartuig op enige tydstip of plek te kontroleer, ongeag die manier van betree.
Met die vliegtuig
Finland se belangrikste internasionale middelpunt is Helsinki-Vantaa-lughawe (HEL IATA) naby Helsinki. Finnair en SAS is daar gebaseer, soos dit is Noorse lugvervoer, wat binnelandse en internasionale vlugte aanbied. Ongeveer 30 buitelandse lugdienste vlieg na Helsinki-Vantaa. Verbindings is goed met groot Europese hubs, soos München (MUC), Frankfurt (FRA), Amsterdam (AMS) en London Heathrow (LHR), en vervoer kan via Stockholm (ARN) en Kopenhagen (CPH) gedoen word. Daar is vlugte uit verskeie Oos-Asiatiese stede, soos Beijing, Seoel (ICN), Sjanghai en Tokio, en sommige bestemmings in ander dele van Asië. In die ander rigting word New York City gedurende die jaar bedien en Chicago, Miami en San Francisco in die somer.
Internasionale vlugte na ander lughawens in Finland is skaars (Air Baltic en Ryanair het die meeste van hul dienste na die streek Finland teruggetrek). Aan Lapland daar is seisoenale geskeduleerde vlugte (Desember-Mrt) sowel as af en toe direkte huur (veral in Desember). Die hele jaar is daar direkte vlugte na Tampere en Turku vanaf 'n paar buitelandse bestemmings, na Lappeenranta van Bergamo, Wene en Boedapest, aan Turku van Belgrado, Gdańsk, Kaunas, Krakau, Larnaca, Skopje, Warskou, en aan Mariehamn, Tampere, Turku en Vaasa van Stockholm.
As u êrens in Suid-Finland is, kan dit ook die moeite werd wees om goedkoop te vlieg Tallinn en volg die bootinstruksies vir die laaste been.
Met die trein
VR en Russiese Spoorweë bedryf gesamentlik dienste tussen Saint Petersburg en Helsinki, stop by Vyborg, Kouvola en Lahti onderweg (spoor is in Finland ingevoer onder Russiese bewind, dus die maat is dieselfde). Die grensbeheer word onderweg in die bewegende trein uitgevoer om vertraging op die grens te voorkom. Die lyn is in 2010 opgegradeer en die nuwe nuutjie Allegrohandelsmerktreine gly binne drie en 'n half uur tussen die twee stede met tot 220 km / h. Die roete word vier keer per dag vir albei rigtings bedien. Pryse wissel tussen € 30 en € 80 per rigting, afhangende van die gewildheid van die vertrek en wanneer u bespreek. Daar is ook 'n tradisionele stadige oornagslaper van Moskou, wat ongeveer 15 uur duur.
Daar is geen direkte treine tussen mekaar nie Swede of Noorweë en Finland (die treinspoor is anders), maar die bus oor die gaping vanaf Boden/Luleå (Swede) aan Kemi (Finland) is gratis met 'n Eurail/Interspoor slaag, en u kan ook 50% afslag kry op die meeste veerbote met hierdie passe. Die Sweedse spoorwegoperateur beplan om vanaf 2021 hul diens na Haparanda uit te brei.
Met die bus
Busse is die goedkoopste, maar ook die stadigste en gemaklikste manier om tussen te ry Rusland en Finland.
- Gereelde gereelde busse ry tussen Saint Petersburg, Vyborg en groot suid-Finse dorpe soos Helsinki, Lappeenranta, Jyväskylä en al wes tot by Turku, tjek Matkahuolto vir skedules. Helsinki – St. Petersburg word drie keer per dag bedien, kos € 38 en neem 9 uur bedags, 8 uur snags.
- Verskeie direkte minibusse ry tussen die Oktyabrskaya-hotel in Sint Petersburg (oorkant Moskovsky-treinstasie) en Tennispalatsi in Helsinki (Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 8, een blok verder as Kamppi). Teen 15 € is dit die goedkoopste opsie, maar die minibusse vertrek slegs vol. Soggens (ongeveer 10:00) vertrek die meeste van Helsinki, terwyl vertrek vanaf Sint Petersburg gewoonlik oornag (omstreeks 22:00).
- Daar is 'n daaglikse diens tussen Petrozavodsk en Joensuu (moontlik opgeskort, tjek).
- Daar is 'n diens tussen Murmansk en Ivalo in Noord-Finland drie keer per week (moontlik opgeskort, tjek).
U kan ook 'n bus vanaf die noorde gebruik Swede of Noorweë na Finland.
- Haparanda in Norrbotnia area van Swede het busverbindings na Tornio, Kemi, Oulu en Rovaniemi. Sien meer van Matkahuolto.
- Eskelisen Lapinlinjat bied byvoorbeeld busverbindings vanaf noordelike dele van Noorweë Tromsø. Sien meer van Eskelisen Lapinlinjat.
- Tapanis Buss het 'n roete vanaf Stockholm na Tornio langs die E4 kusroete. Van Tornio is dit moontlik om Finse langafstandbusse of treine te gebruik.
Per boot
Een van die beste maniere om na en van Finland te reis, is per see. Die veerbote vanaf Estland en Swedeveral reusagtige, drywende paleise en afdelingswinkels met meerdere verdiepings, met goedkoop pryse gesubsidieer deur die verkoop van belastingvrye drank: 'n retoerreis na Tallinn, insluitend 'n hut vir tot vier mense, kan tot so laag as € 30 beloop, en 'n oorgang van Stockholm na Turku is in dieselfde reeks (met gewone kaartjies is aansienlik duurder as aanbiedinge). As u verby reis Interspoor, kan u 50% afslag op die tariewe kry. Die beste manier om in Helsinki aan te kom is om op die buitedek te staan met 'n uitsig vooruit.
Die passe oor die See van Åland of Kvarken en die Golf van Finland van onderskeidelik Swede en Estland is kort genoeg vir die meeste seiljagte op 'n rustige dag (baie kom ook oor die see vanaf Gotland). Aangesien Finland bekend is vir sy eilandgroepe, veral die Argipelsee, kom met klein vaartuig is 'n goeie alternatief. Grensbeheer is gewoonlik nie nodig vir plesiervaartuie van Estland na Finland nie; die grenswag kan egter na goeddunke individuele vaartuie beveel om by grensbeheer aan te meld. Alle vaartuie wat van buite die Schengen - gebied aankom, moet hulle aanmeld by grensbeheer (sien Grenswag-bladsy).
Estland en die Baltiese state
Helsinki en Tallinn is net 80 km van mekaar af. Viking Line, Eckerö en Tallink Silja die hele jaar deur volle diens motorveerbote bestuur. Afhangend van die tipe veerboot, is die reistyd van 2 (Tallink's Star-klas-veerbote) tot 3½ uur (Tallink Silja se grootste cruiseskepe). Sommige dienste ry oornag en parkeer tot die oggend buite die hawe.
Die bootvaartboot Tallink tussen Tallinn en Stockholm bel Mariehamn (in die nag / vroegoggend). Daar is ook 'n diens vanaf Paldiski aan Hango deur DFDS.
Daar is geen geskeduleerde dienste nie Letland of Litaue, maar van die bogenoemde operateurs bied semi-gereelde vaarte in die somer aan met Riga die gewildste bestemming te wees.
Duitsland
Finnlines bedryf vanaf Travemünde naby Lübeck en Hamburg aan Helsinki, neem 27–36 uur eenrigting.
Verkeer na Duitsland was vroeër lewendiger, die beste voorbeeld hiervan was die GTS Finnjet, wat in die 1970's die vinnigste en grootste passasierboot ter wêreld was. Vrag en passasiers kon binne slegs 22 uur tussen Helsinki en Travemünde (en die res van die kontinentale Europa wes van die Ystergordyn) vervoer word, baie vinniger as die destydse ander (nie-lug) roetes.
Rusland
For years scheduled ferry services from Russia have been stop-and-go. St Peter Line offers regular ferry service from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki for as low as €30 one way.
Saimaa Travel offers sailings along Saimaa Canal van Vyborg aan Lappeenranta in the summer months. This route is mostly used for cruises aan Russia, taking advantage of the Russian visa exception for short-term cruise visitors. The canal can also be used to reach Saimaa and the lake district by own vessel.
If coming by yacht from Russia, customs routes have to be followed, see Boating in Finland#Get in.
Sweden
Both Silja en Viking offer overnight cruises to Helsinki and overnight as well as daytime cruises to Turku van Stockholm, usually stopping in the Åland islands along the way. These are some of the largest and most luxurious ferries in the world, with as many as 14 floors and a whole slew of restaurants, bars, discos, pool and spa facilities, etcetera. The cheaper cabin classes below the car decks are rather Spartan, but the higher sea view cabins can be very nice indeed.
There is also a car ferry connection between Umeå en Vaasa (Wasa line; 4 hours), without taxfree sales, but trying to achieve the same feeling as on the southerly routes.
Note that, due to crowds of rowdy youngsters aiming to get thoroughly hammered on cheap tax-free booze, both Silja and Viking do not allow unaccompanied youth under 23 to cruise on Fridays or Saturdays. (The age limit is 20 on other nights, and only 18 for travellers not on same-day-return cruise packages.) In addition, Silja does not offer deck class on its overnight services, while Viking does.
Note also that with Viking Line it often is cheaper to book a cruise instead of "route traffic". The cruise includes both ways with or without a day in between. If you want to stay longer you simply do not go back – it might still be cheaper than booking a one-way "route traffic" ticket. This accounts especially to last minute tickets (you could, e.g., get from Stockholm to Turku for around 10€ over night – "route traffic" would be over 30€ for a cabin with lower quality).
In addition to the big two, FinnLink offers the cheapest car ferry connection of all from Kapellskär aan Naantali (from €60 for a car with driver).
Car ferries usually stop for a few minutes at Mariehamn or Långnäs in the Åland Islands, which are outside the EU tax area and thus allow the ferries to operate duty-free sales. There are also ferries on shorter routes from Sweden to Åland only.
Met die motor
Sweden
As mentioned above, one of the easiest ways to get by car from Sweden to Finland is a car ferry. The European Route E18 includes a ferry line between Kapellskär en Naantali. You could also take the floating palaces, either the nearby pass Stockholm–Turku or the longer pass Stockholm–Helsinki. Farther north there is the E12 (along the Blue Highway, forking off as Finnish national highway 3 to Helsinki), with car ferry (4 hours) between Umeå en Vaasa.
There are also land border crossings up in Lapland at Tornio, Ylitornio, Pello, Kolari, Muonio en Karesuvanto.
Norway
European Routes E8 and E75 connect northern Norway with Finland. There are border crossings at Kilpisjärvi, Kivilompolo (near Hetta), Karigasniemi, Utsjoki, Nuorgam en Näätämö. For central and southern parts of Norway, going through Sweden is more practical, e.g. deur E12 (van Mo i Rana via Umeå) or E18 (from Oslo via Stockholm or Kapellskär).
Russia
European route E18, like Russian route M10, goes from St. Petersburg via Vyborg to Vaalimaa/Torfyanovka border station near Hamina. From there, E18 continues as Finnish national highway 7 to Helsinki, and from there, along the coast as highway 1 to Turku. In Vaalimaa, trucks will have to wait in a persistent truck queue. This queue does not directly affect other vehicles. There are border control and customs checks in Vaalimaa and passports and Schengen visas if applicable will be needed.
From south to north, other border crossings can be found at Nuijamaa/Brusnichnoye (Lappeenranta), Niirala (Tohmajärvi, near Joensuu), Vartius (Kuhmo), Kuusamo, Kelloselkä (Salla) and Raja-Jooseppi (Inari). All except the first are very remote, and most of those open in daytime only.
Estonia
As mentioned above, there are car ferries between Tallinn and Helsinki. They form a part of European route E67, Via Baltica, which runs from the Polish capital Warskou, via Kaunas in Litaue en Riga in Latvia, to the Estonian capital Tallinn. The distance from Warsaw to Tallinn is about 970 kilometers, not including any detours. There is a car and cargo ferry service van Paldiski aan Hanko.
Per fiets
Bikes can be taken on the ferries for a modest fee. You enter via the car deck, check when to show up. As you will leave the bike, have something to tie it up with.
There are no special requirements on the land borders with Norway and Sweden.
In 2016, Finnish Border Agency did forbid crossing the border by bicycle over the northernmost checkpoints from Russia (Raja-Jooseppi and Salla), the restriction has probably expired, but check! The southern border stations were apparently not affected.
On the trains from Russia, the bikes have to be packed, check the regulations.
Te voet
Walk-in from Sweden and Norway is allowed anywhere (unless you have goods to declare, which can probably be handled beforehand), but crossing the Russian border by foot is not. This ban is probably enforced by the Russian border guard (as asked to by Finland). If they let you walk out, perhaps the Finnish border guard lets you in, given your papers, if any, are in order. Entering the Finnish-Russian border zone or crossing the border outside designated crossings nets you an arrest and a fine.
Kry rond
Finland is a large country and travelling is relatively expensive. Public transportation is well organized and the equipment is always comfortable and often new, and advance bookings are rarely necessary outside the biggest holiday periods, but buying tickets on the net a few days in advance (or as soon as you know your plans) may give significantly lower prices.
There are several route planners available. VR and Matkahuolto provides timetable service nationwide for trains and coaches, respectively, and there are several regional and local planners. As of 2020, Google Maps and Apple Maps have coverage nationally. opas.matka.fi includes train traffic, local transport of many cities and towns, and public service obligation traffic (i.e. services offered on behalf of the government) in the countryside. Matkahuolto Reittiopas is focused on local, regional and long-distance buses. There are deficiencies in most or all of them, so try different names and main stops if you don't get a connection, and do a sanity check when you get one. Knowing the municipality and the name in both Finnish and Swedish is useful. Sometimes the local connections are unknown to the digital services.
On popular routes tickets for some services can often be bought cheaper in advance on the net, for coaches and trains as well as aeroplanes. Useful websites for finding the cheapest coach, train and plane tickets are:
- Perille - able to combine different modes of transportation and different companies connections, including train, bus and airplane
- Matkakeisari en Pikavuorot.fi - these find only connections using one mode of transport
"Street addresses" work with many electronic maps also for the countryside. "Street numbers" outside built up areas are based on the distance from the beginning of the road, in tens of metres, with even numbers on the left hand side ("Exampleroad 101" is about a kilometre from the fork, on the right hand side, distance from the road to the house not counted). Many roads change names at municipality borders, so that what is Posiontie in Ranua becomes Ranuantie in Posio.
Met die vliegtuig
Flights are the fastest but traditionally also the most expensive way of getting around. The new low-cost airliners however provide prices even half of the train prices in the routes between north and south. In some cases it may even be cheaper to fly via Riga than take a train. Finnair and some smaller airlines still operate regional flights from Helsinki to places all over the country, including Kuopio, Rovaniemi, Ivalo en Vaasa. It's worth booking in advance if possible: on the Helsinki–Oulu sector, the country's busiest, a fully flexible return economy ticket costs a whopping €251 but an advance-purchase non-changeable one-way ticket can go as low as €39, less than a train ticket. Finnair has cheaper fares usually when you book at least three week before your planned trip and your trip includes at least three nights spent in destination or one night between Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. You may also be able to get discounted domestic tickets if you fly into Finland on Finnair and book combination ticket directly to your final destination. Finnair also has a youth ticket (16–25) and senior ticket ( 65 or pension decision) that is substantially cheaper and fixed price regardless of when you book.
There are two major airlines selling domestic flights:
- Finnair, the biggest by far. Serves nearly all of the country, with some flights operated by their subsidiary Nordic Regional Airlines..
- Norwegian Air Shuttle flies from Helsinki to Oulu and Rovaniemi.
In addition there's a handful of smaller airlines, often just flying from Helsinki to one airport each. The destinations served are often easy to reach by train, bus and car making flights unprofitable wherefore companies and services tend to come and go.
By train
VR (Valtion Rautatiet, "State's Railways") operates the railway network. Trains are usually the most comfortable and fastest method of inter-city travel. Van Helsinki aan Tampere, Turku en Lahti, there are departures more or less every hour in daytime.
The following classes of service are available, with example last-minute price and duration for the popular Helsinki–Tampere service in parenthesis.
- Pendolino tilting trains (code S) often fastest (€8.90–18.00, 1hr29min–1hr50min)
- InterCity (IC) en InterCity2 (IC2) express trains (€8.90–18.00, 1hr29min–1hr50min)
- Ordinary express (pikajuna, P), only slow night trains for this connection (€21.00, 2hrs44min–2hrs58min)
- Plaaslik en regional trains (lähiliikennejuna, lähijuna of taajamajuna), no surcharge, quite slow (€14.40, 2hrs12min)
The trains are generally very comfortable, especially the intercity and long distance services, which (depending on connection and type of train) may have restaurant and family cars (with a playing space for children), power sockets, and free Wi-Fi connection. Check the services of individual trains if you need them, e.g. facilities for families and wheelchair users vary considerably. Additional surcharges apply for travel in first class, branded "Extra" on some trains, which gets you more spacious seating, newspapers and possibly a snack.
Overnight sleepers are available for long-haul routes and very good value at €11/21/43 for a bed in a three/two/one-bed compartment (with one-bed compartments only available in first class). The modern sleeper cars to Lapland have 2-berth cabins, some of which can be combined for a family. On the Tolstoi train to Moscow 2nd class cabins are for 4, other cabins for 2 persons. There are ensuite showers in the upper floor cabins in the modern Lapland trains and in business class in the Tolstoi trains, otherwise showers are shared. On the old "blue" sleeper trains there are no showers, only a small sink in the cabin (these cars are now mostly used as supplement in the busiest holiday periods). In each modern Finnish sleeper car, one cabin is for a disabled person and his or her assistant, another for travelling with a pet.
Die restaurant cars mostly serve snacks, coffee and beer. On some routes (such as those to Lapland) you can get simple real meals. Shorter intercity routes usually just have a trolley with snacks and coffee. Drinking alcoholic beverages you brought yourselves is not allowed. Own food at your seat should be no problem as long as you don't make a mess or spectacle out of it; bringing packed meals, other than for small children, has become rare.
One child under 17 can travel for free with each fare-paying adult (check: might have changed), and seniors over 65 years old and students with Fins student ID (ISIC cards etc. not accepted) get 50 % off. Groups of 3 or more get 15 % off. If booking a few days (better: at least two weeks) in advance on the net you may get bargain prices.
Pets can be taken on trains (€5), but seats must be booked in the right compartments. If your pet is big, book a seat with extended legroom (or, on some trains, a separate seat for the pet). The pets travel on the floor (a blanket can be useful), other than for dogs a cage is mandatory. Vaccination etc. should be in order. For regional transport the rules are different.
Finland participates in the Inter Rail en Eurail systems. Residents of Europe can buy InterRail Finland passes offering 3–8 days of unlimited travel in one month for €109–229 (adult 2nd class), while the Eurail Finland pass for non-residents is €178–320 for 3–10 days. You would have to travel a lot to make any of these pay off though; by comparison, a full-fare InterCity return ticket across the entire country from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and back is €162.
Train tickets can be purchased online, from ticketing machines on mid-sized and large stations, from manned booths on some of the largest stations and e.g. from R kiosks (not all tickets). A fee of €1–3 applies when buying over the counter or by phone. There are usually cheaper offers if you buy several days in advance, to get the cheapest tickets, buy them at least 2 weeks advance. A seat is included in the fare of these tickets. The HSL-operated trains in the Helsinki region no longer sell tickets on board. On long-distance trains tickets can be bought with major cards only (not with cash). Buying on board (with an additional fee of €3–6) allows using booked-out trains, possibly with seat part of the journey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, seats must be reserved in advance.
This means that for walk-up travel at many mid-sized stations, you'll need to buy a ticket from the machine. This is easier if no-one tries to assist you! Otherwise, thinking to be helpful, they'll press Aloita and you'll be faced by a screen asking you to choose between Aikuinen, Eläkeläisen en Lapsi. So spurn their help, wind back to the beginning and press "Start" to get the process in English, including the bank card reader instructions. Or if you're feeling adventurous you can press Börja since you can figure out whether you're vuxen, pensionär of barn, but you'll have to choose "Åbo" to get a ticket to Turku. Larger machines take cash, but most provincial stations have only small ones for which you need a debit/credit card with chip.
In some situations your group or voyage does not make sense to the booking system. There are usually tricks to fool the system to allow what you want to do, but unless you find a solution, you might want to book by phone, to leave the problem to somebody more experienced.
Generally, the trains are most crowded at the beginning and end of the weekend, i.e. Friday and Sunday evening. Shortly before and at the end of major holidays like Christmas/New Year and Easter, trains are usually very busy, with car-and-sleeper tickets for the most popular services sold out immediately when booking opens. If you try booking for these days at a late time, you may find the seat you reserve to be among the least desirable, that is, facing backwards, without recline, and facing towards and sharing the legroom with other passengers.
While VR's trains may be slick, harsh winter conditions and underinvestment in maintenance mean that delayed trains are not uncommon, with the fancy Pendolinos particularly prone to breaking down. Also much of the network is single-track, so delays become compounded as oncoming trains have to wait in the passing loop. As in the rest of the EU, you'll get a 25% refund if the train is 1–2 hours late and 50% if more. Real-time train traffic data for every train station in Finland in webapp or iOS app is enabled by the Trafi licensing this data under the CC-BY free licence.
Met die bus
There are coach connections along the main roads to practically all parts of Finland. This is also the only way to travel in Lapland, since the rail network doesn't extend to the extreme north. Connections may be scarce between the thoroughfares.
Long haul coaches are generally quite comfortable, with toilet, reclining seats, AC, sometimes a coffee machine and perhaps a few newspapers to read (often only in Finnish, though). Wi-Fi and power outlets (USB or 230 V) are getting common. Some long-haul services stop at an intermediate destination long enough for you to buy a sandwich or eat an ice cream. Coaches seldom restrict the amount of luggage. They have fees for luggage transport, but these are generally not invoked for any you would carry. Bulky luggage is usually placed in a separate luggage compartment, at least if the coach is more than half-full.
There is no dominating operator, but many smaller ones. Matkahuolto maintains some services across companies, such as timetables, ticket sale and freight. Their browser-based route planner, with address based routing for coaches, is available (sometimes useful, but often suggests convoluted connections despite there being direct ones). Their Routes and Tickets mobile app has an address based routing and also a ticket purchase option. Some regional public service obligation bus routes are missing. They can be found in the opas.matka.fi route planner, and often from the local bus company, the web page of the municipality (often well hidden in Finnish only) or similar. There are Matkahuolto service points at more or less every bus station, in small towns and villages often by cooperation with a local business. Although the staff generally is helpful, they and their tools may not know very much about local conditions in other parts of the country; checking with locals (such as the local host or local bus company) for any quirks is sometimes advantageous.
Most coaches between bigger towns are express services (pikavuoro/snabbtur), having fewer stops than the "standard" (vakiovuoro/reguljär tur) coaches, near extinction on some routes. Between some big cities there are also special express (erikoispikavuoro/express) coaches with hardly any stops between the cities. Using coaches to reach the countryside you should check not only that there are services along the right road, but also that any express service you are going to use stops not too far away from where you intend to get off or on, and that any service runs on the right day of the week. Non-express services have stops at most a few kilometres apart.
Coaches are generally slightly higher priced than trains, although on routes with direct train competition they can be slightly cheaper. Speeds are usually slower than trains, sometimes very much so (from Helsinki to Oulu), sometimes even faster (from Helsinki to Kotka and Pori). On many routes, though, coaches are more frequent, so you may still get to your destination faster than if you wait for the next train. Tickets can be bought in advance (bargains possible on some routes), with the seldom used option to reserve seats, although paying to the driver is common (there are few if any conductors left). Credit and debit cards should be accepted on the main express and long-haul services (and when buying tickets in advance), on "regular" services on short distances you are more likely to need cash.
Pets are usually accepted on coaches as well as buses. In buses, bigger dogs often travel in the area for prams and wheelchairs. There is a fee for some pets on some services (Koiviston auto: €5 in cash unless they fit on your lap).
Onnibus offers a cheaper alternative (often €5–10 even for long rides if bought early enough) with double-deckers on routes between major cities in Finland. Tickets must be bought online as they do not accept cash. Onnibuses include free unencrypted Wi-Fi and 220 V power sockets. The general standard is lower than on other coaches and there is less legroom than in any other buses in Finland. Also the overhead racks are tight, so put everything you do not need in the luggage compartment. Be at the stop 15 minutes before departure, more if you want good seats. Note that the routes do not necessarily serve the city centres, but can provide direct access to some nearby locations.
Onnibus also has cooperation ("Onnibux flex") with some other bus companies, for legs they do not serve themselves. These services can be found through Onnibus, Matkahuolto or the site of the real operator; standard and prices are mostly the same as usually on coaches, not those of Onnibus.
Discounts
Senior discounts are for those over 65 years old or with Finnish pension decision.
As with trains, student discounts are available only for Finnish students or foreign students at Finnish institutions. You need either a Matkahuolto/VR student discount card (€5) or a student card with the Matkahuolto logo.
For coaches, children aged 4–11 pay about half the price (infants free), juniors (12–16) get a reduction of up to 30 % or 50 % on long non-return trips. In city buses age limits vary from one city or region to another, often children fees apply for 7–14 years old. An infant in a baby carriage gives one adult a free ride in e.g. Helsinki and Turku (but entering may be difficult in rush hours).
You can get the BusPass travel pass from Matkahuolto, which offers unlimited travel in specified time, priced at €149 for 7 days and €249 for 14 days. The pass is not accepted by Onnibus.
Local transport
Local transport networks are well-developed in Greater Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio, Jyväskylä en Lahti. In other big towns public transport networks are often usable on workdays, but sparse on weekends and during the summer, while many small towns only have rudimentary services. For information about local transport in cities and some regions around Finland, see the link list provided by Matkahuolto (in Finnish; scroll to the bottom of the page).
There are route planners usable by web browser. Matka.fi covers most cities (Helsinki, Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna, Iisalmi, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Järvenpää, Kajaani, Kotka, Kouvola, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pieksämäki, Pori, Rovaniemi, Seinäjoki, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, Varkaus). Some of the remaining cities are included in Matkahuolto Route Planner (Kemi, Kokkola, Lohja, Loviisa, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma, Riihimäki, Salo, Savonlinna, Tornio, Valkeakoski).
As for smartphone apps, Nysse en Moovit have a route planner for local transport services of many cities (Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kotka, Kouvola, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa).
General advice
Both coaches and city buses are stopped for boarding by raising a hand at a bus stop (blue sign for coaches, yellow for city buses; a reflector or source of light, such as a smartphone screen, is useful in the dusk and night). In some rural areas, such as northern Lapland, you may have luck also where there is no official stop (and not even official stops are necessarily marked there). On coaches, the driver will often step out to let you put most of your luggage in the luggage compartment – have what you want to have with you in a more handy bag.
Ring the bell by pushing a button when you want to get off, and the bus will stop at the next stop. Often the driver knows the route well and can be asked to let you off at the right stop, and even if not (more common now, with increased competition), drivers usually try their best. This works less well though on busy city buses.
Met die veerboot
In summertime, lake cruises are a great way to see the scenery of Finland, although many of them only do circular sightseeing loops and aren't thus particularly useful for getting somewhere. Most cruise ships carry 100–200 passengers (book ahead on weekends!), and many are historical steam boats. Popular routes include Turku–Naantali, Helsinki–Porvoo and various routes on Saimaa and the other big lakes.
The archipelago of Åland en die Archipelago Sea have many inhabited islands dependant on ferry connections. As these are maintained as a public service they are mostly free, even the half-a-day lines. Some are useful as cruises, although there is little entertainment except the scenery. These is meant for getting somewhere, so make sure you have somewhere to sleep after having got off.
There is a distinction between "road ferries" (yellow, typically on short routes, with an open car deck and few facilities), which are regarded part of the road network and free, and other ferries (usually with a more ship-like look and primarily serving car-less passengers). Whether the latter are free, heavily subsidized or fully paid by passengers varies. Sien Archipelago Sea for some discussion.
Met die motor
- Main article: Driving in Finland
No entry
Priority for oncoming traffic
Speed limit for zone
Traffic drives on the right. There are no road tolls or congestion charges. From February 2018, driving licences of all countries for ordinary cars are officially accepted in Finland. The only requirement is that the licence is in a European language or you have an official translation of it to Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, English or French.
Car rental in Finland is expensive, with rates generally upwards of €80/day, although rates go down for longer rentals. A foreign-registered car may be used in Finland for up to six months. A longer stay requires registering it locally and paying a substantial tax to equalize the price to Finnish levels.
Main roads are usually fairly well maintained and extensive, although motorways are limited to the south of the country and near the bigger cities. Local roads may to some extent suffer from cracks and potholes, and warnings about irregularities in the pavement of these roads are seldom posted.
Look out for wild animals, particularly at dawn and dusk. Collisions with moose (frequently lethal) are common countrywide, deer cause numerous collisions in parts of the country, and semi-domesticated reindeer are a common cause of accidents in Lapland. Try to pass the rear end of the animal to let it escape forward. Call the emergency service (112) to report accidents even if you are OK, as the animal may be injured.
VR's overnight car carrier trains are popular for skipping the long slog from the south up to Lapland and getting a good night's sleep instead: a Helsinki–Rovaniemi trip (one way) with car and cabin for 1–3 people starts from €215.
A few unusual or unobvious rules to be aware of:
- Headlights or DRLs are mandatory even during daylight. New cars usually come with headlight-related automatics which do not always work properly, so double check your car's behavior and use manual toggles if necessary. This is especially important in the dark Finnish winter.
- Always give way to the right, unless signposted otherwise. The concept of minor road refers only to exits from parking lots and such (a decent rule of thumb is whether the exit crosses over a curb). Nearly all intersections are explicitly signposted with yield signs (either the stop sign or an inverted triangle); watch for the back of the yield sign on the other road. Major highways are often signposted with an explicit right of way (yellow diamond with white borders).
- Turning right on red at traffic lights is always illegal. Instead, intersections may have two sets of traffic lights, one with regular circular lights and the other displaying arrows. A green arrow light also means there is no crossing traffic or pedestrians in the indicated direction.
- Times on signage use the 24h clock with the following format: white or black numbers are for weekdays, numbers in parentheses for Saturdays and red numbers for Sundays and public holidays; e.g. "8–16" in white means M–F 8AM–4PM. If the numbers for Saturdays and Sundays are absent, the sign does not apply on weekends at all.
- Trams (present in Helsinki and Tampere) always have the right of way over other vehicles, but not over pedestrians at zebra crossings. You do not want to crash into one.
- Vehicles are required by law to stop at zebra crossings if a pedestrian intends to cross the road or if another vehicle has already stopped to (presumably) give way. Unfortunately, this sometimes causes dangerous situations at crossings over multiple lanes since not all drivers follow the rule properly. Many pedestrians are aware of this and "intend" to cross the road only when there is a suitable gap in the traffic, but you are still required to adjust your speed to be able to stop in case. Use your best judgement and watch out for less careful drivers.
- Using seat belts is mandatory. Children under 135 cm tall must use booster seats or other safety equipment (except when "temporarily" travelling in the car, such as in taxis).
Finnish driving culture is not too hazardous and driving is generally quite safe.Winter driving can be risky, especially for drivers unused to cold weather conditions. Winter tyres are mandatory December–February and studded tyres allowed from November 1st to after Easter, and "when circumstances require", with a liberal interpretation. Most cars are equipped with proper steel-studded tyres, which allow quite dynamic driving. The most dangerous weather is around freezing, when slippery but near-invisible black ice forms on the roads, and on the first day of the cold season, which can catch drivers by surprise.
Speed limits default to 50 km/h in built-up areas (look for the sign with a town skyline) and 80 km/h elsewhere. Other limits are always signposted. Major highways often have a limit of 100 km/h, with motorways up to 120 km/h. Some roads have their limits reduced in the winter for safety.
A blood alcohol level of over 0.05 % is considered drunk driving. Finnish police strictly enforce this by random roadblocks and sobriety tests.
If you are driving at night when the petrol stations are closed (many close at 21:00), always remember to bring some cash. Automated petrol pumps in Finland in rare occasions do not accept foreign credit/debit cards, but you can pay with Euro notes. In the sparsely-populated areas of the country, distances of 50 km and more between gas stations are not unheard of, so don't gamble unnecessarily with those last litres of fuel.
Met die taxi
Taksit.fi is a catalog for finding local taxi companies in Finland (not complete, though).
Most taxi companies are small, with one or a few cars, but in the cities, and increasingly elsewhere, they have agreements with call centres, which impose common standards. Some drivers might give you their private number, to allow your negotiating a future drive directly with them. This is useful in special cases.
Finnish taxi regulation was largely abandoned from July 2018. Taxi businesses are now free to take any price they wish and to use more or less any vehicle. Still, most companies stick to standards similar to those before the reform, and call centres usually enforce uniform standards and maximum pricing (negotiating a different price with a driver is allowed, but unusual). If the fare is to be more than €100 the customer has to be warned, and in any case the pricing must be stated in print in a standardized way or told to the customer before the journey begins. Taximeters are not compulsory any more (but may return by an amendment 2021). Drivers still have to take a test to get a taxi licence and the vehicle has to be registered as taxi. Formerly the test included local knowledge, but that part was skipped and many drivers rely on their GPS for less common destinations.
Prices differ depending on what call centre the taxi is associated to. There are also a few "wild" taxis setting their own standards. The standard pricing scheme is a flag fall fee differing between daytime in weekdays (usually €4–7) and Sundays, holidays and nights (by varying definitions; usually €7–9), a distance based fee varying by number of passengers, and often a time based fee effectively about doubling the price. Formerly the distance based fee was €1.50–2.15/km (with a waiting time fee for traffic lights etc. added but no other time based fee). You should get roughly the same figures if you add the distance and time fees (the latter doubled in rush hours) – but prices in the capital area have increased notably since then. Pre-booking a taxi is either free or costs about €7. In cities the meter is activated when the taxi reaches your address or you agree on boarding, in the countryside you may have to pay for the fetching distance (formerly according to complicated rules). There are usually extra fees for services out of the ordinary, such as carrying luggage or handling a wheel chair. Some companies have fixed fees for some typical journeys.
When booking on the net or by an app, the fee is usually computed based on addresses and fixed and accepted at the time of booking. In the countryside you should probably check that fetching distance does not make the fee much higher than expected – you may get a taxi from far away.
At nightclub closing times and at air- and seaports there may be some drivers trying their luck with less careful (drunk or foreign) customers. Prices differ also otherwise, e.g. €30–50 between the big companies for getting from Helsinki Airport to Helsinki centre (for that drive there are often special fixed prices). In the capital region prices rose some 14% in the year after the liberalisation, elsewhere they stayed about the same.
The usual ways to get a taxi is either to find a taxi rank, order by phone (in towns mostly using a call centre for the area) or, increasingly, use a smartphone app. In the countryside you might want to call a taxi company or driver directly. The call to the call centre is nearly always extra cost, for some call centres outright expensive. Taxi companies can be found from local tourist services, and any pub or restaurant will help you get a taxi – expect to pay €2 for the call.
Pre-booking is not a guarantee to get a taxi. Most call centres try to get a free car only some time before, and if taxis are busy, they may not take that ride. In cities with many cars this should not be a problem except in the worst hours. Calling a specific small local company, not the call centre, you may get them commit to your ride. In the country side pre-booking may be the only way to get a taxi a quiet night, and also otherwise there is no guarantee that there are cars available when you need them – don't call in last minute for a train or flight.
There are increasingly several call centres to choose from, with different pricing. Many companies are enlarging their area of operation. Check that they have enough cars (or a free car nearby for you to use) in the relevant area – them claiming they serve the area does not necessarily mean they have a big market share there.
Taxis can come in any colour or shape, and the yellow "TAXI" sign (usually spelled "TAKSI") on the roof is not compulsory any more. A normal taxi will carry 4 passengers and a moderate amount of luggage. For significant amounts of luggage, you may want to order a "farmari" taxi, an estate/wagon car with a roomier luggage compartment. There is also a third common type of taxi available, the tilataksi, a van which will comfortably carry about 8 people. The tilataksis are usually equipped for taking also a person in wheelchair. If you want child seats, mention that when ordering, you may be lucky. Child seats are not compulsory for "temporary" rides, such as with a taxi.
In city centres, long queues at the taxi stops can be expected on Friday and Saturday nights. The same is true at ferry harbours, railway stations and the like when a service arrives. It is not uncommon to share a taxi with strangers, if going towards the same general direction. At airports, railway stations and other locations from where many people are going to the same direction at the same time, there may also be "Kimppataksi" minivans publicly offering rides with strangers. They are as comfortable as other taxis and will leave without much delay.
- Valopilkku (Taksi Helsinki). Taxis ordered by smart phone app. Pricing not told on the web.
- 02 Taksi. Call centre and smart phone app offers address based routing and gives price offers from one or more taxi companies (mainly big companies, i.e. useful mostly in cities, towns and around them). Price or price logic told when booking. Price for calling the call centre horrendously expensive: normal tariff €1.25/call €3/min.
- Menevä. Smart phone app offers address based routing and calculates price according to them. For price information, see Menevä web site.
- Cabo. Smart phone app offers address based routing and calculates price according to them. For price information, see Cabo web site.
By ridesharing
Peer-to-peer ridesharing services:
- kyydit.net – Carpooling site with search engine
- kimppakyyti.fi – Carpooling site
- kimppa.net – Oldest and most retro looking carpooling site in Finland
By thumb
Hitchhiking is possible, albeit unusual, as the harsh climate does not exactly encourage standing around and waiting for cars. Many middle age and elderly people hitchhiked as young, but in the last decades high standards of living and stories about abuse have had a deterring effect. The most difficult task is getting out of Helsinki. Spring and summer offer long light hours, but in the darker seasons you should plan your time. The highway between Helsinki en Saint Petersburg has a very high percentage of Russian drivers. Sien Hitchhiking Club Finland liftari.org or the Finland article on Hitchwiki for further details if interested.
Voetgangers wat in die donker op skouers van onbeligte paaie loop, is volgens die wet verplig om veiligheidsweerkaatsers te gebruik. Die gebruik daarvan word gewoonlik aanbeveel, aangesien die sigbaarheid van voetgangers met weerkaatser baie verbeter. Snelwegbeheerde toegang (groen borde) is vir voetgangers beperk.
Per fiets
Die meeste Finse stede het goeie fietspaaie, veral buite die sentrums, en om 'n fiets te neem, kan 'n vinnige, gesonde en omgewingsvriendelike manier wees om plaaslik rond te kom. Verder van die stede, waar die fietspaaie eindig, kan nie alle hoofpaaie veilig fietsry nie. U kan gereeld geskikte stil roetes vind, maar soms verg dit moeite. Plaaslike inwoners ry dikwels redelik vinnig op grondpaaie met min verkeer; wees waaksaam en hou regs. Daar is fietsrykaartjies vir baie gebiede.
Fietsry word beskou as 'n deel van die reg op toegang, maar fietsry kan erosie of ander skade berokken, dus kies u roete met inagneming en trek u fiets af op sensitiewe dele. Daar is 'n paar roetes wat eksplisiet (ook) vir veldfietse bedoel is, bv. by sommige nasionale parke.
Kinders jonger as 12 jaar kan die sypaadjie gebruik waar daar geen fietspad is nie, solank dit voetgangers nie onredelik steur nie. Fietse op fietspaaie moet oplewer vir motors op kruisende paaie, tensy daar 'n opbrengsteken is, as die motor draai of die fietspad gemerk word dat dit oor die dwarsstraat gaan (wees versigtig, nie alle bestuurders let op fietsryers nie). As u 'n fiets lei, is u 'n voetganger.
Die paaie is oor die algemeen goed geplavei, hoewel grondpaaie soms onvermydelik is. Solank as wat u nie met die veld ry nie, het u nie vering of gegroefde bande nodig nie.
Pasop dat 'n goeie fietspad skielik kan eindig en u tussen die motors kan uithaal; die pogings tot die bou van fietsnetwerke word nie te goed gekoördineer nie. Ook by padwerke word aanwysings vir fietsryers dikwels afgeskeep.
As gevolg van die relatief sagte topografiese verligting is te heuwelagtige terrein selde 'n probleem, maar in die koue maande is die verkoeling van klere en sweet 'n noukeuriger keuse van klere as om te loop. In sommige munisipaliteite word fietspaaie in die winter goed onderhou, in ander is dit nie. Om in die winter tussen die motors te fiets, is gewoonlik te gevaarlik (sommige inwoners doen dit, maar hulle ken die omstandighede). In die donker ure is koplig, agterlig en weerkaatser verpligtend, en syweerkaatsers word aanbeveel.
Vanweë die lang afstande word fietstoeriste aangeraai om goed te beplan en bereid te wees om openbare vervoer vir die minder interessante stukke te gebruik. Afrigters is goed toegerus om 'n paar fietse aan boord te neem. Tariewe wissel volgens maatskappy en afstand, gewoonlik ongeveer die helfte van 'n gewone kaartjie, of 'n vaste € 5. Die inpak van die fiets is nie nodig nie, maar om by die busstasie aan te gaan en betyds te arriveer, kan help om plek vir die fiets te vind. Op sommige lyne moet u die vorige dag kyk.
Treine neem fietse vir € 5 as daar genoeg plek is (wissel per treintipe, in sommige treine is vooraf bespreking nodig; by IC-treine benodig u ook 'n muntstuk van 50c; tandemfietse of fietse met sleepwaentjie pas slegs in sommige treine, € 10) . Verpakte fietse is gratis as die pakket klein genoeg is (vereis dat die fiets uitmekaar gehaal word, presiese afmetings kan per treintipe verskil). In die treine na Rusland is die fietse nodig (100 cm x 60 cm x 40 cm). Fietse word ook gratis in plaaslike treine in die Helsinki-streek uitgepak, maar word slegs toegelaat as daar genoeg plek is.
Ferries neem gewoonlik fietse gratis of teen 'n minimale koste.
Om 'n fiets by u bestemming te huur, moet moontlik wees. In verskeie dorpe, waaronder Helsinki en Turku, is daar ook munisipale fietsstelsels.
Fietse word dikwels gesteel, ten minste in stede, so moet u 'n slot hê en dit gebruik, en probeer vermy om die fiets op onveilige plekke te laat.
Per boot
- Sien ook: Vaar in Finland
Finland is 'n goeie bestemming om te vaar as 'n land met baie mere, 'n lang kus en groot eilandgroepe. Daar is ongeveer 165 000 geregistreerde motorbote, ongeveer 14 000 seiljagte en ongeveer 600 000 roeibote en klein motorbote wat deur plaaslike inwoners besit word, dit wil sê 'n boot op elke sewende Finn. As u by 'n huisie bly, is die kans groot dat daar 'n roeiboot beskikbaar is.
Jagte en motorbote is in die meeste groter dorpe by geskikte waterweë te huur. U kan ook 'n kano of kajak huur vir die verkenning van die eilandgroepe of gaan af in 'n rivier.
Te voet
Daar is gewoonlik voldoende plaveisels en sebra-kruisings in dorpe. Motors is in beginsel verplig om stil te hou sebraoorgange, as 'n voetganger van plan is om die pad oor te steek - maar aangesien die meeste slegs die pad oorsteek as daar 'n voldoende groot gaping in die verkeer is, kan bestuurders aanvaar dat u "nie nou van plan is om oor te steek nie", en nie stop. Laat geen twyfel dat u die pad sal oorsteek nie, en motors sal meestal stop. Met 'n bietjie oefening werk dit glad, doeltreffend en sonder om onnodige risiko's te neem. Moenie dit probeer as bestuurders u nie betyds kan sien nie, en onthou dat sommige hul aandag sal moet vestig op iets anders.
In die nag en skemer weerkaatsers is teoreties verpligtend - en dit is baie nuttig om deur bestuurders gesien te word. Dit is veral belangrik op landpaaie met smal skouers.
Praat
- Sien ook: Finse frase-boek, Sweedse frase-boek
Finland is amptelik tweetalig in Fins (suomi) en Sweeds (svenska), en albei tale is in byna alle skole verpligtend (met verskillende resultate). Ook Sámi, Romeinse en Finse gebaretaal word in die grondwet erken, maar dit word nie buite hul onderskeie gemeenskappe gepraat nie en die sprekers is tweetalig met Finsk. Padtekens en dies meer gebruik meestal die taal of tale van die munisipaliteit, dus kan verkeerstekens soms verwarrend wees, tensy u albei name ken, en aanlynkaarte kan met min logika gebruik.
Fins, die moedertaal van 92 persent van die bevolking, is nie verwant aan Sweeds, Russies, Engels of enige ander Indo-Europese taal nie. In plaas daarvan behoort dit tot die Oeraliese taalgroep (wat Hongaars, Esties en Samies insluit), wat dit moeilik maak vir sprekers van die meeste ander Europese tale. Terwyl Fins en Estnies 'n mate van wedersydse verstaanbaarheid het, is Hongaars en Fins ongeveer so na aan mekaar as Spaans en Russies (maar omdat die belangrikste Oeral-tale min is, is daar 'n spesiale verhouding).
Die lees van uithangborde kan moeilik wees, want Finse gebruik relatief min leenwoorde. Die gebruik van 'n woordeboek, veral vir langer tekste, word bemoeilik deur die woord buiging; ook die stam van baie woorde wissel ietwat (bv. katto, "dak" in die onderstaande voorbeeld). Die verband tussen spelling en formele uitspraak, aan die ander kant, is eenvoudig (leer net hoe om individuele letters uit te spreek - die probleem lê daarin om daarby te bly), terwyl die omgangstaal aansienlik verskil van wat in die meeste taallesse geleer word.
Die Finse taal het relatief min uitsonderings, maar baie reëls (waar sommige reëls as slim vermomde uitsonderings beskou kan word). Daar is 15 grammatikale gevalle vir "kry sommige koffie en kry die koffie, gaan in 'n kroeg, wees in 'n kroeg, kry uit die kroeg, wees aan die dak, kry op die dak, kry af die dak gebruik iets as 'n dak, ensovoorts, wat in die woordeindes gekodeer is (kahvia, kahvi, pubiin, pubissa, pubista, katolle, katolta, kattona). Die vervoeging van werkwoorde is ongelukkig ietwat ingewikkelder. Baie verskillende woorde word uit dieselfde wortel gevorm deur ander eindes: kirjain, kirjasin, kirjuri, kirjoitin, kirje, kirjelmä, kirjasto en kirjaamo is almal selfstandige naamwoorde wat verband hou met kirja, "boek" (letter, lettertipe, boekhouer, drukker, ...), en dan is daar verwante werkwoorde en byvoeglike naamwoorde.
Sweeds, Germaans soos Engels en nou verwant aan Noors en Deens, is die moedertaal vir 5,6% van die Finne. Ongeveer die helfte van die bevolking beskou hulself as vertroud met Sweeds, insluitend byna alle nasionale politici. Baie geskrewe materiaal van openbare instellings (bv. Stadsregerings, parlement, openbare museums) is in Sweeds beskikbaar. Aangesien die taal baie verwante met Engels het, kan fragmente vir 'n Engelssprekende verstaanbaar wees.
Die Sweedssprekendes is langs die grootste deel van die kus gekonsentreer, met kleiner gemeenskappe in sommige stede elders. Die groter stede het deesdae almal Finse meerderheid, maar bv. die munisipaliteite van Närpes, Korsnäs en Larsmo is min of meer uitsluitlik Sweeds sprekend, net soos die klein outonome provinsie Åland en 'n groot deel van die platteland elders in die Sweeds-sprekende gebiede. In Åland en die Sweedse dele van Ostrobothina praat mense gewoonlik min of geen Fins nie. In tradisioneel Sweedse meerderheidsstede soos Vaasa (Vasa) en Porvoo (Borgå) is byna die helfte van die bevolking Sweedsksprekend en word daar in Sweeds deur baie Sweedssprekende inwoners verwag. In stede soos Helsinki en Turku, aan die ander kant, is daar 'n lewendige Sweedse kulturele toneel en die meeste mense ken genoeg Sweeds om eenvoudige gesprekke te hanteer waarmee u as toeris deelneem en dikwels ten minste 'n bietjie verder, maar om te leef sou taai wees sonder kennis van Fins. Die meeste groter hotelle en restaurante in gebiede waar Sweeds wyd gepraat word, het personeel wat Sweeds bekwaam is. In die Finssprekende binneland kom dit minder voor dat iemand toevallig Sweeds magtig is.
Die meeste mense praat Engels baie goed of ten minste goed genoeg om geen ernstige taalprobleme te hê nie: 73% van die volwasse bevolking beskou hulself as vertroud, en behalwe klein kinders, baie van die bejaardes en sommige immigrante, sal byna almal genoeg praat om aanwysings te gee. Moenie huiwer om hulp te vra nie: Finne kan skaam wees, maar help gewoonlik mense in nood.
Besighede met 'n plaaslike kliëntebasis het hul webbladsye en ander bemarkingsmateriaal dikwels slegs in Fins. Dit is nie 'n aanduiding dat hulle nie in Engels diens kan lewer nie (hoewel hulle miskien meer moet improviseer as wat buitelanders gebruik het). As die onderneming interessant lyk, skakel hulle net om die inligting te kry wat u benodig.
Russies kan verstaan word in winkels en hotelle wat voorsiening maak vir Russiese toeriste, veral naby die Russiese grens, byvoorbeeld in Lappeenranta, Imatra en Joensuu, maar ook in sommige groot winkels in Helsinki, soos Stockmann. Toeristebestemmings wat gewild is onder Russe in Oos- en Noord-Finland, het 'n aantal Russies sprekende personeel. Andersins praat min Finne Russies.
Behalwe die tale hierbo, kan sommige Finne praat Duits (18% vertroud) of Frans (3% vertroud). Ander sekondêre tale soos Spaans en Italiaans skaarser is. Sommige toerismedienste word egter ook in 'n wyer verskeidenheid tale aangebied, insluitend byvoorbeeld Sjinees en Japannees: toerpakkette bevat dikwels gidse wat vaardig is, en daar is dikwels brosjures, webblaaie en soortgelyke inligting vir die belangrikste bestemmings en besienswaardighede.
Buitelandse TV-programme en films, insluitend dele van plaaslike programme met vreemde taal-dialoog, word byna altyd met klank in die oorspronklike taal vertoon, maar ondertitels in Finse of Sweeds. Slegs kinderprogramme, kinderfilms, sekere soorte dokumentêre films (die vertellergedeelte) en natuurfilms word in Fins of Sweeds oorgedoop.
Sien
'N Keur van die belangrikste besienswaardighede in Finland:
- Sentraal Helsinki, die Dogter van die Oossee, op 'n warm en sonnige somersdag
- Die historiese plekke van Turku en die Argipelsee daaromheen, die beste gesien vanaf 'n jag of vanaf die dek van 'n reuse motorboot.
- Puttering rondom die skilderagtige houthuise van Porvoo, Finland se tweede oudste stad
- Huur 'n motor en verken die meerland van Oos-Finland, 'n gebied met ongeveer 60 000 mere met 'n soortgelyke aantal eilande, wat weer hul eie mere het ...
- Olavinlinna-kasteel in Savonlinna, Die mees atmosferiese kasteel van Finland, veral tydens die jaarlikse Operafees
- Kasteel Hämeenlinna in Hämeenlinna is Finland se oudste kasteel. Gebou in die 13de eeu.
- Ysbreker vaar en die wêreld se grootste sneeukasteel in Kemi
- Sien die Noordeligte en probeer u hand in 'n baan van 'n kilometer lank afsaag by Saariselkä
- 'N Rit met die historiese "Linnanmäki" hout-achtbaan (Helsinki). In teenstelling met moderne ontwerpe, hou slegs swaartekrag dit op die spoor, en dit vereis dat 'n bestuurder in elke trein moet rem.
Daar is 'n museumkaart (museokortti), wat gratis toegang verleen tot die meeste groter museums vir € 40. Daar is 40 deelnemende museums in die hoofstadstreek, 250 in die hele land. Daar is ook 'n eenjarige weergawe vir € 65.
Reisroetes
- Argipelroete, per pad en per veerboot deur die Argipelsee
- Blou snelweg, 'n pad van Noorweë na Rusland, deur mere en riviere
- E8 deur Finland en Noorweë, die hoofweg van die Finse weskus
- Finland oor tien dae per motor, 'n voorgestelde roete wat van die belangrikste besienswaardighede in Finland vertoon
- Snelweg 4 (Finland), deel van die Europese roete E75, wat byna oor die volle lengte van die land strek van suid na noord
- Hanko-Uusikaupunki per boot, die hoof ontspanningspad deur die Archipelago See
- Hämeen Härkätie, 'n historiese roete van Turku na die binneland
- King's Road (Finland), die ou posroete langs die suidkus
- Nordkalottleden, 'n langpad staproete deur die Käsivarsi Wildernisgebied
Doen
Sport
Finland is veral 'n gebrek aan klipperige berge of gekronde fjorde nie die adrenalienbelaaide wintersport paradys wat u kan verwag: die tradisionele Finse tydverdryf is langlauf deur min of meer plat terrein. As u op soek is na afdraande ski, snow, ensovoorts, moet u op pad wees na Lapland en oorde soos Levi en Saariselkä.
Die koning van sport in Finland is yshokkie (jääkiekko), en die wen van die wêreldhokkie vir yshokkie is net so naby aan Nirvana as die land - veral as hulle aartsvyande Swede verslaan, soos in 1995 en 2011. Die jaarlikse nasionale kampioenskap is die Liiga (Fins), waar 15 spanne dit uitspook. Daarbenewens is die Helsinki-gebaseerde Jokerit, 'n voormalige lid van Liiga, speel in die Kontinental Hokkieliga, 'n Russiese liga wat ook spanne uit verskeie ander post-Sowjet-state, Slowakye en China, insluit. As u gedurende die seisoen (September tot Maart) besoek, is dit die moeite werd om 'n speletjie te vang. Kaartjies begin vanaf ongeveer € 16, en hoewel die aksie op die ys wreed is, is aanhangers oor die algemeen goed gedra (indien nie noodwendig nugter nie). As u toevallig in Finland is wanneer hulle die Wêreldkampioenskap wen, kan die verkeer in die middestede deurmekaar wees, want die ondersteuners hardloop in die strate en vier gewoonlik dronk.
Die nasionale sport van Finland is wel pesäpallo, wat letterlik vertaal word as 'baseball', maar lyk en speel eerder anders as die Amerikaanse voorvader. Die opvallendste verskil is dat die kruik saam met die beslag by die tuisblad staan en direk opwaarts slaan, wat die bal makliker maak en moeiliker vang. Die Superpese liga speel vir die jaarlikse kampioenskap in die somer, met beide mans- en vrouespanne.
En as u iets unieks Fins wil probeer, moet u nie die oorvloed van bisarre sportwedstryde in die somer misloop nie, insluitend:
- Wêreldkampioenskappe vir lugkitare. Augustus, Oulu. Bring u innerlike kitaarheld na vore!
- Wêreldkampkampioenskappe. Julie, Utajärvi. Ja, u het reg gelees.
- Kampioenskap vir selfone gooi. 2016 opgeskort. Augustus, Savonlinna. Herwin jou Nokia!
- Moeras Sokker Wêreldkampioenskap. Julie, Hyrynsalmi. Seker die morsigste sportgebeurtenis ter wêreld. Hulle reël ook elke Februarie 'n sneeu-sokker-wêreldkampioenskap.
- Vrou wat wêreldkampioenskap dra. Julie, Sonkajärvi. Die groot prys is die vrou se gewig in bier.
- Sulkavan Suursoudut. Julie, Sulkava Finland se grootste roei-byeenkoms
Buitelewe
Gedurende die kort somer kan u swem, kano, ry of seil in die mere of in die see. Die water is op sy warmste rondom 20 Julie, met 'n temperatuur van ongeveer 20 ° C (68 ° F). Plaaslike koerante het gewoonlik die huidige oppervlaktemperature, en 'n kaart van die oppervlaktemperature kan ook by die Ministerie van Omgewing gevind word webwerf. Gedurende die warmste weke, laat in die nag of vroeg in die oggend, kan die water aangenaam voel as die lugtemperatuur laer is as die water. Die meeste dorpe het ook swembaddens met effens warmer water, maar dit is dikwels gedurende die somer gesluit. Baie Finne swem buite in die winter ook. Daar is lewensredders in besige ure by sommige strande, maar nie ooglopende risiko's is skaars nie; bykans enige oewer kan gebruik word solank u nie spring sonder om hindernisse na te gaan nie. Algbloei (sinilevä/sianobakterier) kan gedurende die warmste tydperk gebeur, dus as dit lyk of die water groot hoeveelhede blougroen vlokkies bevat, moenie swem of die water gebruik nie, en moenie kinders of troeteldiere daarin laat kom nie.
Die reg op toegang en die yl bevolking maak dit maklik om te gaan stap waar ookal jy is. As u ernstig daaroor is, kan u dit nagaan Stap in die Nordiese lande vir advies en Finse nasionale parke vir bestemmings. Daar is roetes vir maklike daguitstappies sowel as vir weeklange staptogte - en groot agterbos vir ervare. Die beste seisoen vir stap is vroeg in die herfs, nadat die meeste muskiete afgesterf het en die herfskleure uitgekom het, maar die somer ook goed is en alle seisoene moontlik. Om 'n oop vuur te maak, benodig u toestemming van grondeienaars (wat u op kampvuurplekke by die meeste stapbestemmings het) en is dit verbode tydens veldbrandwaarskuwings, ongeag die toestemming.
'N Ligter weergawe van buitelugwees is om te gaan bessie pluk in een of ander nabygeleë woud. Ook in groter stede is daar gewoonlik geskikte bosse met die voorstede afgewissel (dit wil sê binne 'n halwe kilometer vanaf 'n plaaslike bushalte). Bosbessie (Vaccinium myrtillus, mustikka/blåbär, nou verwant aan die bloubessie) is algemeen genoeg dat u byna oral (in Julie-Augustus) vinnig die hele week bessies vir u oggendpap sal vind, vir pasteie en woestyne met room en suiker. Ander algemene bessies sluit in wilde aarbei (metsämansikka/smultron, vanaf einde Junie), lingonberry (puolukka/lingon, Augustus – September), bog bosbes (juolukka/reuk), framboos (vadelma/hallon) en kraai (variksenmarja/kråkbär/čáhppesmuorji). Op moerasse kan u wolkbessie (lakka/hjortron/luomi) en cranberry (karpalo/tranbär), laasgenoemde is laat in die herfs gekies. U kan selfs oortollige bessies op 'n plaaslike mark verkoop (alhoewel dit beperk kan word vir wolbessies in Lapland).
Baie Finne kies ook sampioene, maar dit vereis dat u weet wat u doen, want daar is dodelike mense, insluitend die doodskap en die Europese vernietigende engel, wat maklik is om 'n fout te maak Agaricus (veld / knop / gewone sampioen en dies meer). 'N Goeie reël is om nooit wit sampioene, sampioene wat op stompe groei, te pluk nie Cortinarius spesies met 'n kortina ('n web van vesels wat soos 'n spinnerak lyk) en gewoonlik rooierige kieue. U moet natuurlik geen sampioene pluk wat u nie ken nie, maar eetbare sampioene in hierdie kategorieë word maklik verwar met gewone dodelike.
In die winter (en in die lente in die noorde) is die weg om te gaan natuurlik langlauf. Daar is onderhoude bane in die meeste stede, sowel as wintersport sentrums en in nasionale parke. Wildernis-rugsakreisigers gebruik groter ski's en vertrou nie op bestaande bane nie.
Baie Finne is ywerige vissermanne en ontspanning visvang is ewe beskikbaar vir buitelanders. In die meeste stille waters is hengel- en haakvisvangs gratis. Visvang met (enkele) katrol en kunsaas is toegelaat in die meeste stille waters, mits dit 'n burger is visgeld betaal is, by 'n Metsähallitus-dienspunt (soos 'n besoekersentrum in die nasionale park) of R-kioski, in die webwinkel of per bankgiro (2016: € 39 vir 'n jaar, € 12 vir 'n week, € 5 vir 'n dag, plus enige bank- of kiosk-toeslag; kinders onder 18 en ouer as 64 jaar is vrygestel). Rapporteer die begindatum van die betaling wanneer u betaal en toon die ontvangsbewys op aanvraag. Vir stroomwater wat ryk is aan salm of verwante spesies en sommige spesiaal gereguleerde waters, moet daar ook afsonderlike permitte gekoop word. Met die nasionale permit en toestemming van die eienaar van die waters (die meeste grondeienaars op die platteland het 'n aandeel) kan u met die meeste wettige metodes visvang. Daar is minimum groottes, beskermde spesies en ander spesiale regulasies wat u moet nagaan, bv. wanneer u die permit kry, by 'n besoekersentrum of 'n geskikte onderneming. Meer inligting van 020-69-2424 (08: 00–16: 00), die webwinkel of bv. ahven.net. As u tussen sekere waters beweeg, moet u u toerusting ontsmet, insluitend boot en stewels, en wees versigtig met die hantering van water en binnegoed (daar is salmparasiete en kreefplaag). Baie klein ondernemings reël visuitstappies. Vang-en-vry-visvang word nie beoefen nie (maar vis van ondermaat word vrygelaat).
Åland het sy eie viswet, waar byna alle visvang toestemming benodig van die eienaar van die waters, wat u vir baie spesifieke gebiede kan kry deur 'n fooi te betaal. Inwoners mag in hul tuisgemeente per hengel en haak visvang, behalwe 15.4–15.6 en Noordse inwoners mag op enige wettige manier vir huishoudelike gebruik visvang in waters sonder 'n eienaar (ver genoeg van bewoonde eilande).
Die Bosbou-administrasie (Metsähallitus) hou 'n aanlyn-onderhoud Uitstappiekaart met paadjies en hutte gemerk.
Musiek
- Sien ook: Nordiese musiek
Finland huisves baie musiekfeeste gedurende die somer. Sommige van die bekendste feeste van populêre musiek (festari) insluit:
- Sauna opelug. Swaarmetaal, Tampere, vroeg in Junie
- Provinssirock. Rots, Seinäjoki, middel Junie
- Nummirock. Swaarmetaal, Nummijärvi (naby Kauhajoki), einde Junie (Midsomer)
- Raumanmeren juhannus. Pop- / disko-musiek, Pori, einde Junie (Midsomer)
- Tuska Opelug. Swaarmetaal, Helsinki, einde Junie
- Tangomarkkinat. Tango, Seinäjoki, vroeg in Julie
- Ruisrock. Rots, Turku, Julie
- Ilosaarirock. Rock, pop, reggae, Joensuu, middel Julie
- Pori Jazz. Jazz / wêreldmusiek, Pori, middel Julie
- Vloei. Indie / elektronies / stedelik, Helsinki, middel Augustus
- Qstock. Rock, pop, rap, Oulu, einde Julie
Die meeste van die feeste duur 2-4 dae en is baie goed georganiseer, met baie verskillende bands wat speel, met bv. Foo Fighters en Linkin Park se hooflinie by Provinssirock in 2008. Die normale volle kaartjieprys (alle dae) is ongeveer € 60–100, wat 'n kampeerterrein insluit waar u kan slaap, eet en ander feesgaste kan ontmoet. Die atmosfeer op feeste is wonderlik en waarskynlik vind u nuwe vriende daar. Natuurlik is baie bier drink 'n deel van die ervaring.
Daar is ook baie feeste van klassieke musiek, die meeste daarvan in die somer. By hierdie feeste kom mense net byeen vir individuele konserte.
Ander gebeure
- Finncon, Helsinki, Turku, Tampere of Jyväskylä. Finland se grootste wetenskaplike byeenkoms en die enigste belangrike wetenskaplike byeenkoms ter wêreld wat heeltemal gratis is. Word op 'n naweek in die somer gehou, gewoonlik middel Julie. Verniet.
Noordeligte
Besien die grusame Noordeligte (aurora borealis, of herontwikkeling in Finsk) gloeiend in die lug is op die agenda van baie besoekers. Ver noord Lapland in Finland is een van die beste plekke om aurorae te aanskou, aangesien dit goeie toeganklikheid het, akkommodasie van hoë gehalte is en die binnelandse Finland relatief helder lug het, vergeleke met bv. na die kus Noorweë. Om hulle te sien, verg egter bietjie beplanning en geluk. Om 'n goeie kans te hê om hulle te sien, moet u gedurende die regte seisoen minstens 'n paar dae, verkieslik 'n week of langer, in die verre noorde vertoef.
In die suide word noordligte selde gesien. In bv. In Helsinki is daar ongeveer een keer per maand noordligte, maar jy is waarskynlik êrens met te veel ligbesoedeling. In die winter in die noorde van Lapland, aan die ander kant, is die waarskynlikheid van sommige noordelike ligte 50-70% elke nag met helder lug, en daar is baie maklik om ligbesoedeling daar te vermy.
Sauna
Die sauna is miskien Finland se belangrikste bydrae tot die wêreld (en die wêreld se woordeskat). Die sauna is in wese 'n kamer wat tot 70–120 ° C verhit word; volgens 'n dikwels aangehaalde statistiek, het hierdie land van 5 miljoen nie minder nie as 2 miljoen sauna's, in woonstelle, kantore, somerhuisies en selfs die parlement (baie ooreenkomste in die sakewêreld en die politiek word informeel bereik na 'n sauna). In antieke tye was sauna's (die skoonste plekke in die omgewing) die plek om geboorte te gee en die siekes te genees, en die eerste gebou wat gebou is tydens die oprigting van 'n nuwe huishouding. Die ou Finse gesegde; "As dit nie deur sauna, teer en drank genees word nie, dan is dit lewenslank" kan die Finse eer vir die heilige kamer kristalliseer.
As u uitgenooi word om 'n Finse huis te besoek, kan u ook uitgenooi word om in die sauna te bad - dit is 'n eer en dit moet as sodanig behandel word, alhoewel Finne wel verstaan dat buitelanders nie lus is vir die idee nie. Gaan na die stort naak in die sauna, want die dra van 'n badpak of enige ander klere word as 'n bietjie beskou faux pas, alhoewel as u skaam voel, kan u uself in 'n badhanddoek toedraai. Anders as in sommige ander kulture, is daar nie veel erotiek betrokke by Finse Sauna vir Finne nie, selfs nie as hulle unisex bad nie, dit is bloot vir skoonmaak en verfrissing, of vir besprekings oor bv. lewe of politiek. Openbare saunas in swembaddens en spa's word oor die algemeen geskei. Daar kan 'n aparte gemengde sauna wees met uitgange na beide mans- en vrouestorte, nuttig vir bv. paartjies of gesinne; toegang tot die verkeerde kant moet vermy word. Op plekke met 'n enkele sauna is daar gewoonlik afsonderlike skofte vir mans en vroue, en moontlik 'n verskuiwing van gemengde geslagte. Kinders onder die ouderdom van 7 kan gewoonlik aan enige skof deelneem. In privaat saunas organiseer die gasheer gewoonlik die baddraaie in soortgelyke lyne.
Nadat u versadig is, kan u afkoel deur na buite te gaan, net om op die stoep te gaan sit, om in die sneeu te rol (in die winter) of om 'n duik in die meer te maak (enige tyd van die jaar, sandale of dit kan in die winter prakties wees) - en gaan dan weer in vir nog 'n ronde. Herhaal dit 'n paar keer, maak dan 'n koue bier oop, braai 'n wors oor 'n vuur, en geniet 'n totale ontspanning in die Finse styl.
Deesdae is die mees algemene tipe sauna met 'n stoof wat elektries verhit is, wat maklik is om te beheer en te onderhou. Op die platteland kan jy nog steeds houtgestookte sauna's vind, maar puriste verkies die (nou baie skaars) tradisionele skoorsteenlose rook saunas (savusauna), waar 'n groot hoop klippe verhit word en die sauna dan goed geventileer word voordat dit binnegekom word.
Bejaardes of mediese toestande (veral hoë bloeddruk) moet hul geneesheer raadpleeg voordat hulle 'n sauna gebruik. Alhoewel die bad van bad as 'n gewoonte goed is vir u hart, moet u kundige advies benodig vir u eerste besoek.
Sosiale dans
As u van sosiale dans hou - foxtrot, tango, wals, jive, ens. - moet u die danspawiljoene (Fins: lavatanssit by 'n tanssilava), gewoonlik langs 'n meer of in 'n ander mooi plattelandse omgewing. Hulle het sedert die 1950's gewild geraak, maar het 'n getroue gehoor. Soortgelyke danse word in baie landelike gemeenskapsentrums gereël. In die somer word daar hoogstens weekliks danspaviljoene gedans, en dikwels word daar meestal iewers in die streek gedans. In die winter kan u 'n deel van dieselfde skare vind op verhitte binnenshuise plekke (meestal gemeenskapsentrums, enkele van die paviljoene, sommige dansrestaurante). Sien ook Tangomarkkinat, die tangofees van Seinäjoki.
Koop
Geld
Wisselkoerse vir euro's Vanaf 4 Januarie 2021:
Wisselkoerse wissel. Huidige tariewe vir hierdie en ander geldeenhede is beskikbaar vanaf XE.com |
Finland gebruik die euro, soos verskeie ander Europese lande. Een euro is verdeel in 100 sent. Die amptelike simbool vir die euro is €, en die ISO-kode is EUR. Daar is geen amptelike simbool vir die sent nie.
Alle banknote en munte van hierdie gemeenskaplike geldeenheid is wettig betaalmiddel in al die lande, behalwe dat muntstukke met 'n lae denominasie (een en twee sent) in sommige daarvan uitgefaseer word. Die banknote lyk dieselfde in lande, terwyl munte 'n standaard ontwerp op die agterkant het, wat die waarde uitdruk en 'n nasionale landspesifieke ontwerp aan die voorkant. Die voorkant word ook gebruik vir verskillende ontwerpe van gedenkmuntstukke. Die ontwerp van die voorkant beïnvloed nie die gebruik van die muntstuk nie.
In kontanttransaksies in Finland alles somme is afgerond tot die naaste vyf sent. Dus word een en twee sent muntstukke selde gebruik (hoewel wettig betaalmiddel), en die seldsame Finse muntstukke is versamelaarsitems. As u met 'n kaart betaal, word die betaling gehef aan die sent.
Die meeste plekke aanvaar die belangrikste kredietkaarte (met skyfies kan ID benodig word). In sommige situasies word slegs kontant aanvaar (soos plaaslike en streekbusse, opelugmarkte en ander kleinskaalse ondernemings), terwyl treinkondekteurs nie kontant aanvaar nie. Notas van 100, 200 en 500 euro word nie deur kitsbanke uitgedeel nie en word selde gebruik. Berei uself voor as u probeer om met hulle te betaal. Busse en baie soorte kleiner kiosks aanvaar dit dikwels nie, plaaslike busse soms nie eens note van 50 euro nie.
Die meeste Finne gebruik 'n afgebreekte debietkaart (sirullinen pankkikortti of sirukortti) vir hul daaglikse aankope. EMV-kontaklose kontaklesers is algemeen vir aankope onder € 50. Kredietkaarte (VISA, MasterCard, soms ander kaarte) word algemeen aanvaar, maar u sal om identifikasie gevra word as u meer as € 50 koop (en kan gevra word om dit selfs vir kleiner aankope aan te toon). Visa Electron- en Visa-debietkaartlesers kom voor in alle groot en klein winkels, dus groot hoeveelhede kontant is gewoonlik nie nodig nie. Vir opelugmarkte het klein akkommodasie-ondernemings, om handwerk by die werkswinkel en soortgelyke te koop, kontant (käteinen) of gaan vooraf na. 'N Teken wat lees "Ydel käteinen"beteken" slegs kontant ". Baie Finne gebruik deesdae 'n kaart, selfs vir klein aankope, en die gebruik van kontant neem vinnig af. Die gebruik van 'n buitelandse kaart kan 'n probleem word as u kaart nie op 'n skyfie gebaseer is nie; baie verskaffers benodig PIN. Moet jou nie vererg as Finne klein bedrae van € 1–5 met behulp van kaarte betaal nie, selfs nie as daar 'n lang tou agter is nie. Tjeks word nooit gebruik nie. nie aanvaar word, alhoewel die Sweedse kroon aanvaar kan word in Åland en noordelike grensdorpe soos Tornio (en Noorse krone ook in die uiterste noorde). As uitsondering aanvaar Stockmann Amerikaanse dollars, Britse pond, Sweedse kroon en Russiese roebels. Ook op die veerbote vanaf Swede en Estland kan baie geldeenhede aanvaar word.
Pryse word gewoonlik gegee sonder om die geldeenheid eksplisiet aan te dui. Sente word na 'n komma vertel, wat die desimale skeier is. Dus beteken 5,50 vyf euro en vyftig sent, terwyl 5, - vyf euro beteken.
Bankdienste
Geld kry of ruil is selde 'n probleem in stede, aangesien kitsbanke (pankkiautomaatti, bankautomat) is algemeen en kan dit met internasionale krediet- en debietkaarte (Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro) bedryf word. Die meeste kitsbanke behoort tot die Otto stelsel, sommige aan die Nosto (albei name kan as "teken" geïnterpreteer word). Eersgenoemde is 'n samewerking tussen die banke, laasgenoemde word dikwels op S-markte aangetref, 'n onafhanklike nuwe mededinger. Op die platteland is dit moeiliker om kitsbanke te vind. Kontant kan met sommige kaarte by sommige winkels verkry word. Ruilburo's (bv. Forex, herkenbaar aan sy heldergeel logo), kan in die groter stede en naby grense gevind word en het gewoonlik beter tariewe, langer openingstye en vinniger diens as banke. Let daarop dat glad nie alle bankkantore kontant hanteer nie, en diegene wat dit wel doen, kan steeds nie valuta-uitruil hanteer nie. Because of widespread electronic banking, routine bill payment and other banking tasks are rarely conducted at a bank office. Banks have scaled down their office network and personal service, so that you might have to queue for that.
Finland is a part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), which covers EU and EEA, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland. Any chipped credit or debit card issued by a SEPA bank should work, and money can be transferred between banks by giro over the whole SEPA area. Nevertheless, if you're moving into the country, get a Finnish bank account (pankkitili, bankkonto), because Finnish banks do not charge fees for giros within Finland if they are submitted online, and bank giro (pankkisiirto, bankgiro) is – for all intents and purposes – the only method to pay bills and get salaries paid. You will be issued electronic banking credentials, which can be used to execute most daily banking tasks including giro payments. Many vendors offer "electronic bills" (e-lasku, e-räkning), which sends the bill directly to your user account at the bank for approval, and you can also have the bank pay the bill automatically at a specified date, useful for e.g. rent. Banking credentials also serve as identity checks for e.g. insurance or government electronic services.
Tipping
As a rule, tipping is entirely optional and never necessary in Finland and restaurant bills already include service charges. Indeed tipping is almost unheard of outside restaurants with table service and taxi fares; the latter are occasionally rounded up to the next convenient number. Cloakrooms (narikka) in nightclubs and better restaurants often have non-negotiable fees (usually clearly signposted, €2 is standard), and – in the few hotels that employ them – hotel porters will expect around the same per bag. Bar patrons may tip the bouncer when leaving for satisfactory service in the establishment in general. Consequently tips are most often pooled. Bars often have a brass tippikello (tip bell) near the counter. Upon receiving a tip, the service person strikes it with the largest denomination of coin given in the tip.
Tipping government and municipality personnel for any service will not be accepted, as it could be considered a bribe.
Kostes
Declared the world's most expensive country in 1990, prices have since abated somewhat but are still steep by most standards, though somewhat cheaper than Norway; Norwegians living near the border often drive into Finland to purchase groceries. Rock-bottom travelling if staying in hostel dorms and self-catering costs at least €25/day and it's safer to assume double that amount. Groceries in Finland cost approximately 20% over the EU average. The cheapest hotels cost about €50 per night (without breakfast) and more regular hotels start from about €80–100. Instead of hotels or hostels, look for holiday cottages, especially when travelling in a group and off-season; you can find a full-equipped cottage for €10–15 per person a night. Camp-sites typically cost €10–20 per tent or caravan, plus about €5/2 per person.
Museums and tourist attractions have an entrance fee in the range of €5–25. Using public transport costs a few euros per day and depends on the city. One-way travel between major cities by train or by bus costs €20–100, depending on the distance. Children, by varying definitions, often pay about half price or less (small children free), except at children's attractions.
A VAT of 24 % is charged for nearly everything (the main exception being food at 14 %), but by law this must be included in the displayed price. Non-EU residents can get a tax refund for purchases not intended for local use above €40 at participating outlets, just look for the Tax-Free Shopping logo and check how to get the refund.
Shopping
As you might expect given the general price level, souvenir shopping in Finland isn't exactly cheap. Traditional buys include Finnish puukko knives and handwoven ryijy rugs. For any Lappish handicrafts, look for the "Sámi Duodji" label that certifies it as authentic. Popular foods to try or to bring home to astonish your friends include every conceivable part of a reindeer, lye-soaked lutefisk (lipeäkala), and pine tar (terva) syrup. If you can't bring yourself to try terva on your pancakes, then you can also get soap scented with it in nearly any grocery or drug store. There are also candies with tar flavour, the most common being the Leijona Lakritsi candies.
Popular brands for modern (or timeless) Finnish design include Marimekko clothing, Iittala glass, Arabia ceramics (especially their Moomin mugs are a must), Kalevala Koru jewelry, Pentik interior design and, if you don't mind the shipping costs, Artek furniture by renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto. Kids, and more than a few adults, love Moomin characters, which fill up souvenir store shelves.
Shopping hours are not regulated any more, and depend on the location, size and type of shop: it is best to check their websites for opening hours of the day. The most available are local grocery stores, such as Sale, Alepa of K-Market, which usually are open 07:00–23:00, in some cases around the clock. Larger shops, shopping centres and department stores are generally open until 20:00 or 21:00 on weekdays and 18:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. For small and speciality shops, normal weekday opening hours are from 9:00 or later to 17:00 or 18:00, but most of them close early on Saturday and are closed entirely on Sundays. Shopping hours in Helsinki are the longest, with some department stores open around the clock. Shopping hours in the countryside and small cities are shorter, although most national chains keep the same hours throughout the country (except for 24 hr operations). During national holidays, almost all stores are closed, although some grocery stores may remain open. Finally, shops may operate longer than usual hours during the Christmas shopping season.
Convenience stores like the ubiquitous R-Kioski keep quite long hours, but still tend to be closed when you most need them. If in desperate need of basic supplies, fuel station convenience stores (Shell, Neste, Teboil, ABC!) are usually open on weekends and until late at night, and especially stores in ABC! stations commonly operate around the clock. Supermarkets in Helsinkise Asematunneli, underneath the Central Railway Station, are open until 22:00 every day of the year, except on Christmas Day (25 December).
For alcohol, see Drink below.
Most products need to be imported, and unfortunately this shows in the selection of goods and the pricing. It is not uncommon to see exactly the same product in different shops, at exactly the same price. When buying consumer electronics, one should be aware that the shelf life of products can be rather long, especially if the shop isn't specialized in consumer electronics. There is a risk of buying an overpriced product that has already been discontinued by the manufacturer or replaced with a newer model.
While shopkeepers may vehemently deny this to a foreigner, prices in smaller stores are by no means fixed. When buying hobby equipment, it is not uncommon to get 30% discount (hint: find the international price level from a web shop and print it out). In the kinds of shops where such ad hoc discounts are possible, you could at least ask for the price to be rounded down some 5%, or to get some lesser product included. This is not like the bargaining in some other countries – you should mostly ask for the price you hope to get, or just suggest you'd appreciate a reduced price.
Tässä.fi website helps to find the nearest grocery store or supermarket according to the given location.
Eet
Finnish cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbors (see Nordic cuisine en Russian cuisine), the main staples being potatoes en brood with various fish and meat dishes on the side. Dairy products are also important, with a wide variety of cheeses and milk a common beverage even for adults. Due to the harsh climate, spices in Finland were historically largely limited to salt and pepper, with lashings of dill in the summer. While traditional Finnish food is famously bland, the culinary revolution that followed joining the EU has seen a boom in classy restaurants experimenting with local ingredients, often with excellent results. Contemporary Finnish cuisine includes tastes and influences from all over the world, and the dining scene in larger cities has become quite cosmopolitan.
As the ingredients make much of the food, in Finland, the agricultural products might suffer of the cold climate. Yet the fish, while small in size and rare in occurrence, are tasty. Salmon in shops and on markets in Finland is often imported from Norway. When traveling in the middle of the Finland, there is a rare occasion to purchase freshly caught and prepared fish from one of the thousand lakes.
Seafood
With tens of thousands of lakes and a long coastline, fish is a Finnish staple, and there's a lot more on that menu than just salmon (lohi). Specialities include:
- Baltic herring (silakka), a small, fatty and quite tasty fish available coal roasted (hiilisilakka), pickled, marinated, smoked, grilled and in countless other varieties
- Gravlax ("graavilohi"), a pan-Scandinavian appetizer of raw salted salmon
- Smoked salmon (savulohi), not just the cold, thinly sliced, semi-raw kind but also fully cooked "warm" smoked salmon
- Vendace (muikku), a speciality in eastern Finland, a small fish served rolled in a mix of breadcrumb flour and salt and fried in butter till crunchy. They are traditionally served with mashed potatoes and you will find them sold at most music festivals.
Other local fish to look out for include zander (kuha), an expensive delicacy, pike (hauki), flounder (kampela) and perch (ahven). If you're in Finland around October, keep an eye out for the Herring Fair (Silakkamarkkinat), celebrated in most larger coastal cities.
Meat dishes
- Karelian stew (karjalanpaisti), a heavy stew usually made from beef and pork (and optionally, lamb), carrots and onions, usually served with potatoes
- Liver casserole (maksalaatikko), consisting of chopped liver, rice and raisins cooked in an oven; it tastes rather different from what you'd expect (and not liver-y at all)
- Loop sausage (lenkkimakkara), a large, mildly flavored sausage; best when grilled and topped with a dab of sweet Finnish mustard (sinappi), and beer
- Meat balls (lihapullat, lihapyörykät) are as popular and tasty as in neighboring Sweden
- Reindeer (poro) dishes, especially sauteed reindeer shavings (poronkäristys, served with potato mash and lingonberries), not actually a part of the everyday Finnish diet but a tourist staple and common in the North. In addition to poronkäristys also reindeer jerky (ilmakuivattu poro) is a known delicacy and hard to come by and slightly smoked reindeer beef cutlets are available at all supermarkets though they too are expensive (delicious with rye bread)
- Swedish hash ("pyttipannu"), (originally from Swede, Swedish: "pytt i panna") a hearty dish of potatoes, onions and any meaty leftovers on hand fried up in a pan and topped with an egg
- Makkara traditional Finnish sausage. Affectionately called "the Finnish man's vegetable" since the actual meat content may be rather low.
Milk products
Cheese and other milk products are very popular in Finland. Large quantities of kaas (juusto) are consumed, much of it locally produced mild to medium matured. Imported cheeses are freely available and local farm cheeses can be sampled and purchased at open air markets (tori) and year round market halls. A flat fried bread-cheese (leipäjuusto) can be eaten cold with (cloud berry) jam, in a salad or reheated with meals, a baked egg cheese (munajuusto) block is a common food ingredient made with milk, buttermilk and egg. The most common varieties are mild hard cheeses like Edam and Emmental, but local specialities include:
- Aura cheese (aurajuusto), a local variety of Roquefort blue cheese, also used in soups, sauces and as a pizza topping.
- Breadcheese (leipäjuusto of juustoleipä), a type of very mild-flavored grilled curd that squeaks when you eat it, best enjoyed warm with a dab of cloudberry jam
Fermented dairy products help stabilize the digestion system, so if your system is upset, give them a try:
- Piimä, a type of buttermilk beverage, thick and sour and contains naturally healthy lactic acid bacteria.
- Viili, a type of curd, acts like super-stretchy liquid bubble gum but is similar to plain yoghurt in taste. It is traditionally eaten with cinnamon and sugar on top.
Yoghurt (jugurtti), often premixed with jam, is commonly eaten. Skyr, a cultured milk product originally from Ysland, has become a popular yogurt substitute. Kefir, a Russian yoghurt drink, is available in many flavors.
Other dishes
- Pea soup (hernekeitto), usually but not always with ham, traditionally eaten with a dab of mustard and served on Thursdays; just watch out for the flatulence!
- Karelian pies (karjalanpiirakka), an oval 7 by 10 cm baked pastry, traditionally baked with rye flour, containing rice porridge or mashed potato, ideally eaten topped with butter and chopped egg (munavoi)
- Porridge (puuro), usually made from oats (kaura), barley (ohra), rice (riisi) or rye (ruis) and most often served for breakfast
Bread
Bread (leipä) is served with every meal in Finland, and comes in a vast array of varieties. Rye bread (ruisleipä, rågbröd) is the most popular bread in Finland. It can be up to 100% rye and usually it is sourdough bread, which is much darker, heavier and chewier than American-style mixed wheat-rye bread. Most Finnish types of rye bread are unsweetened and thus sour and even bitter, although Swedish varieties sweetened with malt are also widely available.
Typically Finnish breads include:
- reikäleipä, round flat rye bread with a hole, western Finland, the hole was for drying it on sticks by the ceiling
- ruispala, the most popular type of bread, a modern unholed, single-serving, pre-cut variant of reikäleipä in a rectangular or oblong shape
- hapankorppu, dry, crispy and slightly sour flatbread, occasionally sold overseas as "Finncrisp"
- näkkileipä, dried, crispy flatbread, traditionally from rye
- ruislimppu, traditionally rye, water and salt only (limppu is a catch-all term for big loaves of fresh bread)
- perunalimppu, rye bread with potato and malt, quite sweet
- svartbröd (saaristolaisleipä of Maalahden limppu), sweet and heavy black bread from the south-western archipelago (especially Åland), made in a complicated process; originally less sweet, for long fishing and hunting expeditions and for seafarers, excellent as a base for eating roe with smetana
- piimälimppu, wheat bread with buttermilk, usually sweetened
- rieska, unleavened bread made from wheat or potatoes, like a softer and thicker variant of a tortilla, eaten fresh
Seasonal specialities
Attack of the killer mushrooms Die false morel (korvasieni) has occasionally been dubbed the "Finnish fugu", as like the infamous Japanese pufferfish, an improperly prepared false morel can kill you. Fortunately, it's easily rendered safe by boiling with the right ceremonies (you should get instructions when you buy it – and don't breathe in the fumes!), and prepared mushrooms can be found in gourmet restaurants and even canned. |
Around Easter keep an eye out for mämmi, a type of brown sweet rye pudding. It looks famously unpleasant but actually tastes quite good (best eaten with creamy milk and sugar). One sweet speciality for May Day is tippaleipä, a palm sized funnel cake traditionally enjoyed with mead. At the Midsummer celebration in late June it is common to serve the first potatoes of that years' harvest with herring. From the end of July until early September it's worthwhile to ask for crayfish (rapu) menus and prices at better restaurants. It's not cheap, you don't get full from the crayfish alone and there are many rituals involved, most of which involve large quantities of ice-cold vodka, but it should be tried at least once. Around Christmas, baked ham (kinkku) is the traditional star of the dinner table, with a constellation of casseroles around it.
Regional specialities
There are also regional specialities, including:
- Savoniase kalakukko, a rye pie made with small whole fish (often vendace), baked slow and low so that even the fish bones become soft
- Tamperese black sausage (mustamakkara), a blood sausage canonically served with lingonberry jam and a pint of cold milk
Grill kiosks (see below) also like to put their local spin on things, ranging from Lappeenrantase vetyatomi ("hydrogen atom"), a meat pie with ham and fried egg, to Lahti's spectacularly unappetizing lihamuki ("meat mug"), a disposable soda cup filled with the cheapest grade of kebab meat, your choice of sauce, and nothing else.
Desserts
For dessert or just as a snack, Finnish pastries abound and are often taken with coffee (see Drink) after a meal. Look for cardamom coffee bread (pulla), a wide variety of tarts (torttu), and donuts. Traditional Finnish deep-fried doughnuts, which are commonly available at cafes, come in two varieties: munkki, which is a deep-fried bun, and munkkipossu, which is flat and roughly rectangular; both contain sweet jam. A slice of giant oven pancake (uunipannukakku) is a common accompaniment to pea soup on Thursdays.
In summer, a wide range of fresh berries are available, including the delectable but expensive cloudberry (lakka), and berry products are available throughout the year as jam (hillo), soup (keitto) and a type of gooey clear pudding known as kiisseli.
Finnish chocolate is also rather good, with Fazer products including their iconic Sininen ("Blue") bar and Geisha candies exported around the world. A more Finnish speciality is licorice (lakritsi). Particularly the strong salty liquorice (salmiakki) gets its unique (and acquired) taste from ammonium chloride.
After a meal it's common to chomp chewing gum (purukumi) including xylitol, which is good for dental health. Jenkki is a popular domestic chewing gum brand with xylitol (many flavours available).
Places to eat
Finns tend to eat out only on special occasions, and restaurant prices are correspondingly expensive. The one exception is lunchtime, when thanks to a government-sponsored lunch coupon system company cafeterias and nearly every restaurant in town offers set lunches for the corresponding prices (around €9–10), usually consisting of a main course, salad bar, bread table and a drink. University cafeterias, many of which are open to all, are particularly cheap with meals in the €2–4 range for students, although without Finnish student ID you will usually need to pay about €5–7. There are also public cafeterias in office areas that are open only during lunch hours on working days. While not particularly stylish and sometimes hard to find, those usually offer high-quality buffet lunch at a reasonable price. Any lunch eatery will have these offers 11:00–14:00, while some have them e.g. 10:30–15:00, very few until dinner time.
For dinner, you'll be limited to generic fast food (pizza, hamburgers, kebabs and such) in the €5–10 range, or you'll have to splurge over €20 for a meal in a "nice" restaurant. For eating on the move, look for grill kiosks (grilli), which serve sausages, hamburgers and other portable if not terribly health-conscious fare late into the night at reasonable prices. In addition to the usual hamburgers and hot dogs, look for meat pies (lihapiirakka), akin to a giant savoury doughnut stuffed with minced meat and your choice of sausage, fried eggs and condiments. Hesburger is the local fast-food equivalent of McDonald's, with a similar menu. They have a "Finnish" interpretation of a few dishes, such as a sour-rye chicken sandwich. Of course most international fast food chains are present, especially Subway and McDonald's (which offers many of their sandwich buns substituted with a sour-rye bun on request.)
The Finnish word for buffet is seisova pöytä ("standing table"), and while increasingly used to refer to all-you-can-eat Chinese or Italian restaurants, the traditional meaning is akin to Sweden's smörgåsbord: a good-sized selection of sandwiches, fish, meats and pastries. It's traditionally eaten in three rounds — first the fish, then the cold meats, and finally warm dishes — and it's usually the first that is the star of the show. Though expensive and not very common in a restaurant setting, if you are fortunate enough to be formally invited to a Finn's home, they will likely have prepared a spread for their guest, along with plenty of coffee. Breakfast at better hotels is also along these lines and it's easy to eat enough to cover lunch as well!
If you're really on a budget, you can save a considerable amount of money by self-catering. Ready-to-eat casseroles and other basic fare that can be quickly prepared in a microwave can be bought for a few euros in any supermarket. Note that you're usually expected to weigh and label any fruits or vegetables yourself (bag it, place it on the scale and press the numbered button; the correct number can be found from the price sign), and green signs mean possibly tastier but certainly more expensive organic (luomu) produce.
At restaurants, despite the high prices, portions tend to be quite small, at least when compared to VSA en Kanada, and even many European countries. Finns are used to eating a substantial breakfast (included in the price of hotels and some other lodgings) and lunch, so the dinner doesn't need to be very heavy, and can be two- or single-course. Dinner is served rather early, sometimes as early as 16:00, but usually at 17:00 or 18:00.
Dietary restrictions
Traditional Finnish cuisine relies heavily on meat and fish, but vegetarianism (kasvissyönti) is increasingly popular and well-understood, and will rarely pose a problem for travellers. Practically all restaurants offer vegetarian options, often marked with a "V" on menus. Take note that egg (kananmuna of muna) is found in many prepared foods, ready meals and baked goods, so vegan meals are not common outside selected restaurants but the selection of raw ingredients, speciality grains and health foods is adequate for preparing your own. Likewise gelatine (liivate) in yoghurt, jellies and sweets is common. Both will always be indicated on labels.
Two ailments commonly found among Finns themselves are lactose intolerance (laktoosi-intoleranssi, inability to digest the milk sugar lactose) and coeliac disease (keliakia, inability to digest gluten). In restaurants, lactose-free selections are often tagged "L" (low-lactose products are sometimes called "Hyla" or marked with "VL"), while gluten-free options are marked with "G". However, hydrolyzed lactose (EILA, or HYLA brand) milk or lactose-free milk drink for the lactose intolerant is widely available, which also means that a lactose-free dish is not necessarily milk-free. Allergies are quite common among Finnish people, too, so restaurant workers are usually quite knowledgeable on what goes into each dish and often it is possible to get the dish without certain ingredients if specified.
Kosher and halal food are rare in Finland and generally not available outside very limited speciality shops and restaurants catering to the tiny Jewish and Islamic communities. Watch out for minced meat dishes like meatballs, which very commonly use a mix of beef and pork. Die Jewish Community of Helsinki runs a small kosher deli in Helsinki.
A range of ingredients that have more common allergies and dietary restrictions associated with them may be printed in bold text in the list of ingredients (ainekset of ainesosat) on all packaged goods, at restaurants and markets you will have to ask.
Drink
Thanks to its thousands of lakes, Finland has plenty of water supplies and tap water is always potable (In fact, never buy bottled water if you can get tap water!). The usual soft drinks and juices are widely available, but there is also a wide array of berry juices (marjamehu), especially in summer, as well as Pommac, an unusual soda made from (according to the label) "mixed fruits", which you'll either love or hate. Juice from many berries is to be mixed with water, also when not bought as concentrate; sugar is often already added. Note the difference between mehu en mehujuoma, where the latter may have only traces of the nominal ingredient.
Coffee and tea
Finns are the world's heaviest koffie (kahvi) drinkers, averaging 3–4 cups per day. Most Finns drink it strong and black, but sugar and milk for coffee are always available and the more European variants such as espresso and cappuccino are becoming all the more common especially in the bigger cities. Starbucks has arrived in Helsinki, but all the biggest towns have had French-style fancy cafés for quite some time and modern competitors, like Wayne's, Robert's Coffee or Espresso House, are springing up in the mix. For a quick caffeine fix, you can just pop into any convenience store, which will pour you a cuppa for €2 or so. Tea hasn't quite caught on in quite the same way, although finding hot water and a bag of Lipton Yellow Label won't be a problem. For brewed tea, check out some of the finer cafés or tea rooms in the city centres.
Finnish coffee, however, is prepared usually using filters ("sumppi"), producing rather mild substance. Finding a strong high pressure espresso might be an issue somewhere, but tasting the smooth flavor of mocca blend is something to try about. Discussing the preparation mechanics of coffee with Finns is not such a bad idea, generally they are open for new ideas and tastes. The more traditional option for the filtered coffee in Finland is the Eastern style "mud coffee". In that preparation the grounded coffee beans are boiled in a large pot. Before serving, the grounded coffee is let to calm down, before serving the smooth flavored coffee on the top. Today, one might not be able to find this kind of "pannukahvi" in finer cafés (in big cities), but they are largely available pretty much anywhere else. You can even purchase special grounded coffee in most of the supermarkets for that purpose (it is not that fine-grounded like normal filter coffee let alone like espresso). It is specially tasty with cream, rather than milk.
Dairy
In Finland it is quite common for people of all ages to drink milk (maito) as an accompaniment to food. Another popular option is piimä (buttermilk, Swedish: surmjölk).
Alcohol
Alcohol is very expensive in Finland compared to most countries (though not to its Nordic neighbours Swede en Noorweë), although low-cost Estland's entry to the EU has forced the government to cut alcohol taxes a little. Still, a single beer will cost you closer to €4–5 in any bar or pub, or €1 and up in a supermarket. While beer and cider are available in any supermarket or convenience store (09:00-21:00), the state monopoly Alko is your sole choice for wine or anything stronger. The legal drinking age is 18 for milder drinks, while to buy hard liquor from Alko you need to be 20. This applies to possession of such alcohol as well; if you are under 20 years old you are not allowed to carry a bottle of vodka with you. Bars and restaurants are allowed to serve all alcohols to customers over 18 within their premises. ID is usually requested from all young-looking clients (nowadays all looking to be under 30). Some restaurants have higher age requirements, some up to 30 years, but these are their own policies and are not always followed, especially not at more quiet times.
Despite the unusually high cost of booze, Finnish people are well known of their tolerance and culture around celebration. Do not hesitate to join the Finnish parties, which usually are not dry. While Finnish people tend to stick to individual bills in the bar, when you get with them into the summer cottage, things usually turn the other way around and everyone enjoys together what there is on the table.
The national drink is nie Finlandia Vodka, but its local brand Koskenkorva of Kossu in common speech. However, the two drinks are closely related: Kossu has 38% ABV while Finlandia has 40%, and Kossu also has a small amount of added sugar, which makes the two drinks taste somewhat different. There are also many other vodkas (viina) on the market, most of which taste pretty much the same. As a rule of thumb: products with word vodka in their name are completely without added sugar while products called viina have some.
A once very popular Finnish specialty is Salmiakki Kossu or more commonly just Salmari. It is prepared by mixing in salty licorice, whose taste masks the alcohol behind it fearfully well. There are several brands for salmari available. Add in some Fisherman's Friend menthol cough drops to get Fisu ("Fish") shots, which are even more lethal. In-the-know hipsters opt for Pantteri ("Panther"), which is half and half Salmari and Fisu. Other famous classics are Jaloviina of Jallu in everyday speech, a mixture of vodka and brandy, popular especially among university students, and Tervasnapsi ("tar schnapps") with a distinctive smoky aroma. Both Salmari and Tervasnapsi are strongly acquired tastes and the Finns enjoy seeing how foreigners react to them. Marskin Ryyppy is a spiced vodka which was the favorite schnapps of the marshal and former president of Finland C.G.E. Mannerheim. Marskin Ryyppy should be served ice cold in a glass which is poured as full as ever possible. Spilling the schnapps is, of course, forbidden.
Beer (olut or more softly kalja, öl in Swedish) is very popular. Finnish beers used to be nearly identical mild lagers, but import and the microbrewery trend has forced also the big players to experiment with different types. Big brands are Lapin Kulta, Karjala, Olvi, Koff en Karhu. Pay attention to the label when buying: beers branded "I" are inexpensive due to their low alcohol content (and thus: low tax), while "III" and "IV" are stronger and more expensive. The Finnish standard is "III beer" with 4.5–4.7% ABV. In grocery stores you will not find any drinks with more than 5.5% alcohol. You may also encounter kvass or kotikalja (literally "home beer"), a dark brown beer-like but very low-alcohol beverage. Kotikalja is popular especially at Christmas time but may be served around the year (cf the Swedish julmust and svagdricka). Imported beers are available in bigger grocery stores, most pubs and bars, and Czech beers in particular are popular and only slightly more expensive than local ones. Some microbreweries (Laitila, Stadin panimo, Nokian panimo etc.) are gaining foothold with their domestic dark lagers, wheat beers and ales.
Sahti is type of unfiltered, usually strong, top-fermented beer. Traditionally it is brewed without hops but is flavored with juniper instead. Commercially available sahti is usually around 8% ABV and therefore available in Alko stores only. Sahti is often considered as an acquired taste. Some villages in Häme and Satakunta provinces have prominent sahti-tradition.
A modern development is ciders (siideri, Swedish: cider). Most of these are artificially flavoured sweet concoctions which are quite different from the English or French kinds, although the more authentic varieties are gaining market share. The ever-popular gin long drink of lonkero ("tentacle"), a pre-bottled mix of gin and grapefruit soda, tastes better than it sounds and has the additional useful property of glowing under ultraviolet light. At up to 610 kcal/litre it also allows to skip dinner, leaving more time for drinking.
During the winter, do not miss glögi (Swedish: glögg), a type of spiced mulled wine most often served with almonds and raisins. Although it was originally made of old wine the bottled stuff in grocery stores is usually alcohol free and Finns will very often mix in some wine or spirits. In restaurants, glögi is served either alcohol-free, or with 4 cl vodka added. Fresh, hot glögi can, for example, be found at the Christmas markets and somewhat every bar and restaurant during the season.
Fins wines are made of cultivated or natural berries instead of grapes. The ones made of blackcurrant form a fruity alternative for grape wines. Elysee No 1 is a fairly popular sparkling wine made of white currant. Alko stores (especially some of them) have a wide selection of foreign wines, and these are much more commonly drunk than their few domestic rivals.
Quite a few unusual liquors (likööri) made from berries are available, although they're uniformly very sweet and usually served with dessert. Cloudberry liquor (lakkalikööri) is worth a shot even if you don't like the berries fresh.
Home-made spirits (pontikka, Swedish: hembränt): you have been warned! More common in rural areas. It is illegal and frequently distilled on modified water purification plants – which are subject to import control laws nowadays – anecdotal evidence suggests that those are occasionally played as a prank on unsuspecting foreigners. Politely decline the offer, especially if still sober. Kilju refers to sugar wine, a fermented mix of sugar and water with an ABV comparable to fortified wine (15–17%). Manufacturing this for one's own use is legal (as is "homewine", basically the same thing but with fruits or berries added), selling isn't.
Finally, there is traditional beverage worth looking for: the mead (sima, Swedish: mjöd). Sima is an age-old wine-like sweet brew nowadays usually made from brown sugar, lemon and yeast and consumed particularly around Mayday (Vappu). If you are lucky you might encounter some varieties of sima such as one spiced with meadow-sweet. Try them!
Slaap
Accommodation in Finland is expensive, with typical hotel rooms about €100/night or more. Many large hotels are cheaper during the weekends and in summer. In addition to the usual international suspects, check out more or less local hotel chains Scandic, Finlandia en Sokos. Die Omena chain offers often very cheap self-service hotels, where you book online and get a keycode for your room, with no check-in of any kind needed (and little service available). What is remarkable is the absence of foreign hotel chains outside the capital, you only rarely find global hotel brands, but most of the hotels are run either by locals or by some domestic brand. So do not expect to accumulate your points when staying in the rural areas. Also, if you insist on a five-star hotel, the rating is up to the individual hotelier.
When searching for budget options – and outside cities – check whether breakfast and linen are included, they are in regular hotels, but not in many budget options. Extras, such as sauna, are sometimes included also in cheap prices, and virtually all accommodations (except remote cottages) nowadays have free Wi-Fi.
One of the few ways to not spend too much is to stay in youth hostels (retkeilymaja/vandrarhem of hostelli), as the Hostelling International has a fairly comprehensive network and a dorm bed usually costs less than €20 per night. Many hostels also have private rooms for as little as €30, which are a great deal if you want a little extra privacy.
There are also camping grounds all around the country. Typical prices are €10–20 per tent or caravan €4–6/€2 per person, although there are some more expensive locations. A discount card may be worthwhile. Night temperatures are seldom an issue in season (typically 5–15°C, although freezing temperatures are possible also in midsummer, at least in Lapland). Most campsites are closed off season, unless they have cottages adequate for winter use.
An even cheaper option is to take advantage of Finland's right to access, or Every Man's Right (jokamiehenoikeus/allemansrätten), which allows wild camping. This is occasionally misinterpreted by visiting foreigners, so check what to respect – or simply ask at the nearest house – to avoid embarrassing situations. In Åland the right to access is somewhat more limited than on the mainland. Note that making an open fire always requires landowner's permission.
Virtually every lodging in Finland includes a sauna for guests — don't miss it! Check operating hours though, as they're often only heated in the evenings and there may be separate shifts of men and women. Saunas at cottages are often heated with wood, you should probably ask for instructions unless the hosts take care of heating and drying.
Cabins
- Sien ook: Vacation rentals, Second homes
For a taste of the Finnish countryside, an excellent option is to stay at a cottage of cabin (Finnish: mökki, Swedish: stuga, Ostrobothnia: villa), thousands of which dot the lake and sea shores. These are generally best in summer (and many are closed in winter), but there are also many cottages around Lapland's ski resorts. In fact, at some localities hiring a cabin is not just the cheapest but perhaps the only option. Usually, cottages are clean and nice, but as the Finns themselves are mostly fairly happy with minimal services, the small amount of services available may confuse foreign travelers. When making the reservation check carefully what will be included.
Beware that, while all but the most basic ones will have electricity, it is very common for cottages to lack running water! Also, the cottage might have a shared toilet, either a standard one or maybe even a pit toilet. You are probably expected to bathe in a shared shower or a sauna (you might have to book the sauna in advance) or even in the sauna and lake.
Traditionally (into the 1990s) most cottages for rent were cottages built for private use, and although facilities were very basic, they were fairly roomy. Some of these are former farm houses, with kitchen serving as living room (perhaps also with beds), a bedroom, and possibly other rooms. Other ones were built as cottages, with combined kitchen and living room plus one or two minimal bedrooms fairly common. Buitekamers wat as gastekamers vir die somergebruik gebou is, is ook baie algemeen. Aangesien hierdie huise en kothuise deur 'n enkele gesin vir privaat gebruik op die platteland gebou is, is die ligging dikwels buite die gebaande weë, en die gasheer woon miskien op 'n afstand en besoek slegs na behoefte.
Later jare het privaat kothuise al hoe meer fasiliteite gekry, met elektrisiteit en lopende water wat alombekend is in nuwe en in baie ouer huise geïnstalleer (alhoewel baie Finne daarvan hou om terug te gaan na die basiese beginsels en dit nie te weier nie). Dit kan te huur wees as dit nie deur die eienaars gebruik word nie. Aan die ander kant is baie kothuise gebou vir betalende gaste, en dit is gewoonlik minimaal - 6 m² vir twee persone is nie ongewoon nie, tensy dit op die luukse mark gerig is. Gewoonlik word hierdie kothuise in groepe gerangskik om die administrasie en diens te vergemaklik, soms met net genoeg spasiëring om privaatheid te bied, soms in 'n ry naby die parkeerplek en die gedeelde fasiliteite. Daar is miskien 'n paar huisies 'n bietjie verder, miskien vroeër gebou, vir diegene wat meer ruimte wil hê. Gedeelde geriewe sluit gewoonlik kombuis in (dikwels met 'n minimale kombuisie in die hut), watertoilet, storte, sauna, en miskien 'n kafee en kiosk. Daar kan 'n roeiboot, 'n soort speelgrond en soortgelyke aktiwiteitsinfrastruktuur wees. Die meeste het 'n soort strand vir swem en afkoel na saunasessies.
Huisies vir die winter- en skouerseisoen is groter, aangesien termiese isolasie en verwarming relatief meer ekonomies volgens grootte is, en binnenshuise geriewe in die winter belangriker is. Dit kan die ou soort wees (sien hierbo), of gebou word op ski-oorde of as basis vir visvang of jag. Sommige is voormalige woestynhutte (vir gebruik deur die publiek of die grenswag), afgeleë genoeg om hul instandhouding vir openbare gebruik as onekonomies te beskou. Al hierdie kothuise is natuurlik ook in die somer beskikbaar.
Pryse wissel baie, afhangende van fasiliteite, ligging en seisoen: eenvoudige huisies met beddens en kookgeriewe kan tot € 20 per nag kos, hoewel € 40–80 meer tipies is. Daar is ook duur groot en selfs taamlik luukse kostes wat etlike honderde euro per nag kos. Die prys by winteroorde kan meer as verdubbel as daar 'n wintervakansieseisoen in skole is. Nie alle kothuise is vir een nag beskikbaar nie, soms moet u minstens twee nagte of 'n week oornag. Om 'n motor of fiets te huur, is dalk nodig omdat daar geen fasiliteite (winkels, restaurante, ens.) Binne loopafstand is nie (busse ry nie te gereeld in die platteland van Finland nie). Besluit of u 'n huisie ver van mense af wil hê, naby 'n gewone dorpie, by 'n 'cottage' of 'n kompromie. Die grootste dienste vir kothuise is Lomarengas en Nettimökki, wat albei Engelse koppelvlakke het.
In nasionale parke, wildernisgebiede en deur gewilde staproetes, het die Finse Bosadministrasie (Metsähallitus/Forststyrelsen) hou vol wildernishutte, veral in die noorde, is die meeste van hulle oop en gratis om dit vir 'n dag of twee te gebruik sonder fooie deur iemand wat onafhanklik te voet of per ski kom. Laatkommers het 'n onbetwisbare reg om in die oop hutte te bly, dus as u vroeg kom, wil u dalk u tent opslaan. Daar is ook geslote en bespreekbare hutte. Sien Finse nasionale parke # Slaap en Stap in die Nordiese lande # Slaap vir wat om te verwag.
Leer
Finse universiteite word oor die algemeen hoog aangeskryf en bied baie uitruilprogramme aan. Alhoewel Finland nie een van die groot studiebestemmings is nie, is daar, in verhouding tot die plaaslike bevolking, heelwat internasionale studente aan die meeste universiteite. Uitruilprogramme is dikwels in Engels, net soos sommige gevorderde kursusse. Terwyl ander lesings gewoonlik in Fins (of Sweeds soos in Åbo Akademi of Novia) aangebied word, is die meeste gevorderde handboeke in Engels. Dit is dikwels moontlik om alle kursusse deur opdragte en eksamens in Engels te voltooi. Universiteite bied ook die opsie om Fins (of Sweeds) op verskillende vlakke te studeer.
Daar is geen klasgeld vir gewone graadstudente nie, insluitend buitelandse graadstudente wat in Fins of Sweeds studeer en uitruilstudente studeer onderrigfooie (in die reeks € 8,000–15,000 / jaar in 2019) is in die herfs van 2017 bekendgestel vir nuwe nie-EU / EER-studente wat in Engels studeer vir 'n baccalaureus- of meestersgraad. 'N Stelsel met beurse is ook ingestel.
Daar is gewoonlik heelwat aktiwiteite vir studente uit die buiteland, gereël deur die studenteverenigings en uitruilstudenteverenigings, insluitend sosiale aktiwiteite en uitstappies na ander dele van die land of ander interessante bestemmings.
Die Finse hoëronderwysstelsel volg die Duitse model, wat beteken dat daar twee soorte universiteite is: akademies (yliopisto/universiteit) en beroepsgerigte (ammattikorkeakoulu/yrkeshögskola, afgekort AMK in Fins; baie hiervan het voorheen bekend gestaan as polytechnics). Yliopisto van studente word verwag om 'n meestersgraad te behaal. Die universiteitsbaccalaureusgraad is hoofsaaklik bedoel as 'n tussentydse stap en is baie nuttig. Vir buitelanders is daar 'n paar magisterprogramme in Engels. Daar word van AMK-studente verwag om as baccalaureus-graad af te handel en direk by die werksmag in te gaan. 'N AMK-baccalaureus kwalifiseer nie direk vir akademiese magisterprogramme nie; indien aanvaar, is daar ongeveer 'n jaar se addisionele oorbruggingsstudies nodig.
'N Redelike maandelikse begroting (insluitend koshuise) sou € 700–1,000 wees. Studente-unie-lidmaatskap teen ongeveer € 100 per jaar is verpligtend vir voorgraadse studies. Behuising is die verantwoordelikheid van die student en behuising is skaars wanneer studente in die herfs arriveer (vanaf Julie, wanneer eerstejaarstudente leer dat hulle aanvaar word); daar is waglyste en 'n paar jaar noodbehuising in gedeelde kamers. Daar kan kwotas wees vir uitruilstudente, en alle mense van buite die stad word dikwels vooropgestel in die rye. Baie uitruilprogramme subsidieer akkommodasie in studentesale volledig of gedeeltelik, maar die staat voorsien nie studenteverblyf nie.
Studentebehuising is gewoonlik direk of deur middel van stigtings wat deur die studenteverenigings besit word, en dit kos ongeveer € 250-400 / maand in 'n kamer met 'n gedeelde kombuis en badkamer tot ongeveer € 500-700 / maand vir onafhanklike eenkamerwoonstelle ( ook groter woonstelle is beskikbaar, hoofsaaklik vir gesinne). Huurgeld op die privaat mark verskil, afhangend van die ligging, sodat die regte pryse in Greater Helsinki en veral Helsinki maklik twee keer die prys van goedkoper plekke of studentebehuising kan wees. 'N Paar vriende wat 'n groter woonstel deel, is baie algemeen, maar kyk hoe om die kontrak te skryf om slaggate te vermy. As u 'n egpaar is (gereken), sal u maat se inkomste in aanmerking geneem word by moontlike lewensubsidies, en in sommige konfigurasies kan u verantwoordelik word vir onbetaalde huurgeld ens.
Basiese gesondheidsorg vir studente word gereël deur 'n stigting wat deur die studenteverenigings besit word. Vanaf 2021 het ook AMK-studente toegang, en die jaarlikse fooi word aan Kela / Fpa betaal in plaas daarvan dat dit by die lidmaatskapgeld vir studente-unies ingesluit word. Die diens is vergelykbaar met dié van munisipale gesondheidsorgsentrums, maar ook basiese tandheelkunde is ingesluit. Gaan besonderhede na.
EU / EER-burgers kan eenvoudig die land binnekom en na hul aankoms as student registreer (indien hulle tot 'n program toegelaat word), terwyl studente van elders vooraf hul verblyfpermit moet reël. CIMO (Sentrum vir Internasionale Mobiliteit) administreer uitruilprogramme en kan beurse en stagiaires in Finland reël, terwyl die Finse Nasionale Onderwysraad bied basiese inligting oor studiegeleenthede.
Werk
Finse vakbondkoers is hoog (70%), salarisse is redelik goed, selfs vir eenvoudige werk, en arbeidswette is streng, maar dit kan moeilik wees om werk te kry - en om te woon, en veral huisvesting in die hoofstad, is duur . Daar is min informele werk te vinde, en sommige klasse werk vereis ten minste 'n remediërende Finse taal en Sweeds (hoewel buitelanders van die vereiste vrygestel kan word).
Burgers van die Europese Unie, die Nordiese lande, Switserland en Liechtenstein kan vrylik in Finland werk, maar die verkryging van 'n werkspermit van ander lande beteken dat u die stryd teen die berugte moet doen Finse immigrasie diens (Maahanmuuttovirasto). Oor die algemeen moet daar 'n tekort aan mense in u beroep wees om 'n werkspermit te kry. Studente mag voltyds in Finland studeer is toegelaat word om deeltyds te werk (tot 25 uur per week, mits hulle suksesvol is met hul studies) of selfs voltyds gedurende vakansietydperke.
Finland is bekend vir die lae inname van immigrante, vergeleke met buurlande. Tog is daar gemeenskappe van buitelanders uit baie lande in die meeste universiteitsdorpe en in sommige meer landelike munisipaliteite. In sommige ambagte is professionele mense uit die buiteland baie algemeen.
Vir werk wil u miskien die Ministerie van Arbeid. Die meeste poste wat in die pos gepos word, word in Fins beskryf, dus u sal dalk hulp nodig het met die vertaling, maar sommige poste is in Engels. Publieke poste is gewoonlik baie mededingend en vereis gewoonlik 'n graad of professionele kwalifikasie en spesifieke werkservaring. Informele kanale of hulp van 'n ervare plaaslike bevolking is dus waardevol. As u direk kontak met moontlike werkgewers, kan u werksgeleenthede opstel wat nêrens gepubliseer word nie. Seisoenale werk by oorde is dikwels beskikbaar, as u die regte houding en vaardighede het, en kontak vroeg genoeg.
Aangesien plaaslike inwoners oor die algemeen goed Engels praat, is dit 'n posisie Engels onderrig vereis gewoonlik spesiale kwalifikasies; buitelanders word nie vir basiese onderrig gewerf nie, maar in sommige scenario's. Die meeste poste vir buitelanders is in privaat taalskole vir kinders en studente, op ESP-kursusse vir volwassenes, in voorskoolse skole en in enkele internasionale skole. Vir onderwyserswerk in gewone skole benodig u 'n plaaslik erkende onderwyserseksamen. Die leerlinge is gewoonlik gemotiveerd. 'N Openbare skoolonderwyser se salaris is € 2.600–4.300 / maand (somervakansie ingesluit, maar tydelike onderwysers kry dit miskien nie). In die omvattende skool verwag u ongeveer 20 uur per week in die klas en ongeveer dieselfde voorbereiding en ander verwante werk, met oortyd in die klas betaal, oortyd vir die res gewoonlik nie. As buitelandse besoeker is dit onwaarskynlik dat u 'n voltydse werk sal kry, dus dit is moontlik dat dit € 1200–2000 per maand realisties is. Dit kan privaatlesse vir € 10-30 per uur insluit.
'N Vinnig groeiende tendens in Finland, veral vir die jonger generasie, is om vir plasingsagentskappe te werk. Alhoewel die afgelope tien jaar 'n geweldige toename in openbare ondernemings plaasgevind het, blyk dit dat die neiging aangevuur word deur die toenemende vraag na meer buigsame werkskedules, asook die vryheid om seisoenaal of sporadies te werk. Vanweë die aard van hierdie soort agentskappe sowel as die soorte werk wat hulle lewer, is dit algemeen dat hulle nie-Finne in diens neem. Sommige agentskappe sluit in Adecco, Staff Point, Manpower, Aaltovoima en Biisoni.
Vir somer werk, soos leerlingposisies vir universiteitstudente en somerwerk by hotelle en kafees, begin die soektog baie vroeg, rondom Januarie, en die aansoekperiodes eindig einde Maart. Laaste oomblik posisies wat in Mei open, is baie min en vinnig ingeneem.
Vir Noordse jeug (18–28 / 30) - of ander EU / EER-burgers wat Sweeds, Noors of Deens ken - daar is die Nordjobb. Met die fokus op somerwerk as kulturele uitruil, bied dit nou ook ander poste.
As u na 'n werksonderhoud, onthou dat beskeidenheid 'n deug in Finland is. Finne waardeer feite en direkheid, so bly by die onderwerp en wees eerlik. Oordrywing en gespog word gewoonlik geassosieer met leuens. U kan verwagte salarisse by die vakbond vir u vakgebied nagaan; hulle het gewoonlik gedefinieerde minimum lone - behalwe hierdie is daar geen nasionale minimum loon nie. Salarisse wissel van € 1200 tot € 6500 per maand (2010) vir die meeste voltydse poste, waarvan die mediaan ongeveer € 3.500 is. Fooie vir verpligte versekering, sosiale sekerheid en pensioene word gedeel tussen werkgewer en werknemer en kan nie deur die werknemer gekies of bestuur word nie (daar kan ook vrywillige onderhandelbare voordele wees).
Een kategorie informele werk is: bessie pluk, hetsy op 'n plaas of wilde bessies pluk. Om so 'n werk te kry, moet u die werkgewer meestal oortuig dat u hard gaan werk, harder as wat die meeste Finne bereid is om te doen. Om wilde bessies te pluk en te verkoop, is vrygestel van belasting en dit is u vry om self sake te doen (soos die plaaslike bevolking), maar u sal dit waarskynlik net doen as u 'n prettige manier wil hê om sakgeld te kry. As u vir die inkomste kom, sal u iemand alles reël (insluitend akkommodasie en vervoer) en sal u slegs formeel onafhanklik wees (met die ekonomiese risiko: geen loon nie, net iemand wat die bessies koop; u kan dalk 'n de facto werk bewys, maar slegs met 'n goeie advokaat). As u op 'n plaas werk, sal u formeel in diens wees: nog steeds lae-betaalde stukwerk, maar die arbeidswet is van toepassing.
U moet altyd skriftelik vra dienskontrak. Dit is nie verpligtend nie, maar geen ernstige werkgewer mag daarteen beswaar hê om u een te gee nie; as iemand wat minder bekend is met die Finse werksmark, is u meer geneig om in aanraking te kom met diegene wat nie volgens die reëls speel nie. Kontantbetaling is gewoonlik nie moontlik nie (te veel moeite vir die werkgewer), daarom het u 'n Finse bankrekening nodig. Ongelukkig wissel die bereidwilligheid van verskillende banke om dit aan buitelanders uit te reik. U benodig dalk ook 'n Finse nommer vir die sosiale sekerheid (henkilötunnus) van die plaaslike maistraatti (registerkantoor); sien die registerkantoorwebwerf vir inligting. Vir konstruksieterreine is 'n belastingnommer nodig; sien belastingadministrasie inligting oor belastingnommers.
Bly veilig
Risiko's in Finland
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Misdaad
Finland het 'n relatief lae misdaadsyfer en is oor die algemeen 'n baie veilige plek om te reis. Ouers laat hul slapende babas gereeld in 'n baba-waentjie op straat terwyl hulle 'n winkel besoek, en op die platteland word motors en huisdeure dikwels oopgesluit.
Gebruik gesonde verstand in die nag, veral op Vrydag en Saterdag toe die jeug van Finland die strate binnegedring het om dronk te word en in sommige ongelukkige gevalle moeilikheid soek.
Rassisme is gewoonlik 'n besorgde saak vir toeriste, veral in die kosmopolitiese groot stede, maar sommige dronk mense wat op soek is na probleme, kan meer geneig wees om mense in die buiteland te soek. Om argumente met dronk bendes te vermy, kan belangriker wees as u die beskrywing pas. Immigrasie na Finland was nogal beperk voor die negentigerjare en nie almal het gewoond geraak aan die globalisering nie.
Sakkies Dit was vroeër skaars, maar deesdae het die situasie verander, veral in die besige toerismemaande in die somer, wanneer georganiseerde sakkerollers uit Oos-Europa aankom. Moet nooit u telefoon, skootrekenaar, tablet, sleutels of beursie sonder toesig in restaurante laat nie. Daar was 'n paar gevalle in Helsinki waar diewe ontbytbuffets in hotelle gerig het, waar mense waardevolle artikels dikwels vir 'n paar minute onbewaak laat. Ongeag daarvan, die meeste Finne dra hul beursies in hul sakke of beursies en voel redelik veilig terwyl hulle dit doen.
Fietsdiewe oral is, moet u fiets nooit vir 'n minuut oopsluit nie.
Fins polisie (poliisi/polis) word deur die publiek gerespekteer, selfs teenoor dronkaards en diewe, en nie korrup nie. As daar iets sou gebeur, moet u nie huiwer om met hulle in aanraking te kom nie.
In die geval dat 'n polisiebeampte u nader, sal u kalm en beleefd help om die situasie op die vlak van bespreking te hou. Hulle het die reg om u identiteit en u reg om in die land te bly, na te gaan. Hulle vra miskien vreemde vrae soos waarvandaan kom u, waarheen is u op pad, waarheen u bly, of u iemand al gesien, ontmoet het of ken. As u van mening is dat die een of ander vraag u privaatheid kan benadeel, kan u dit gerus sê. Die Finse polisie het wye bevoegdhede vir inhegtenisneming en deursoeking, maar hulle sal dit waarskynlik nie misbruik nie. As die situasie egter versleg, sal hulle u waarskynlik in aanhouding neem, indien nodig met geweld.
Wat ook al gebeur, onthou dat Finland een van die minste korrupte lande ter wêreld is. Voorstelle vir omkoopgeld sal deur verbasing of erger versoen word. As u 'n boete kry, word betaling ter plaatse nooit verwag of selfs moontlik nie. 'N' Polisie 'wat geld vra, is 'n dooie weggee dat hulle nie regte polisie is nie. Benewens die polisie behoorlik, die grenswag (rajavartilaitos/gränsbevakningsväsendet) en doeanebeamptes (tulli/tulle) polisiemagte het; die grenswag tree namens die polisie op in sommige yl bevolkte gebiede. Al hierdie moet normaalweg in uniform wees.
Doeane en die polisie is streng op dwelms, insluitend dagga. Snuffelhonde word in hawens en lughawens gebruik, en 'n positiewe nasien sal altyd lei tot 'n volledige soektog. Cannabisgebruik word gewoonlik nie onder die bevolking geduld nie.
Prostitusie is nie onwettig nie en is meestal ongereguleerd. Daar is egter geen bordele nie, want pimp is onwettig. Dit is ook onwettig om van 'n prostituut wat 'n slagoffer van mensehandel is, se dienste te gebruik.
Aard
Daar is min ernstige gesondheidsrisiko's in Finland. Jou primêre vyand is die koud, veral in die winter en op see.
Finland is 'n yl bevolkte land, en as u die woestyn in gaan, is dit noodsaaklik dat u u reisplanne registreer by iemand wat reddingsdienste kan inlig indien u nie terugkom nie. Hou u selfoon altyd by u as u probleme ondervind. Trek warm aan in lae en bring 'n goeie sonbril saam in die sneeutyd om te voorkom sneeublindheid, veral in die lente en as u van plan is om hele dae in die buitelug deur te bring. Hou altyd 'n kaart, 'n kompas en verkieslik 'n GPS by u in die wildernis. Neem ekstra voorsorg in Lapland, waar u 'n paar dae kan stap na die naaste huis of pad. Die weer kan vinnig verander, en alhoewel die son nou skyn, kan u 'n gemiddelde sneeustorm op u hande hê (geen grap nie!) 'N uur of twee later. Alhoewel die weervoorspelling oor die algemeen van goeie gehalte is, is daar omstandighede waar die weer moeilik is om te voorspel, veral in streke met valle of eilande. Onthou ook dat baie voorspellings slegs dagtemperature noem, terwyl dit in die nag en vroegoggend dikwels 10–15 ° C (20–30 ° F) kouer is.
As u op die mere en see is, moet u onthou dat wind en water u vinniger sal afkoel as koue lug, en om droog te bly, beteken om warm te bly. 'N Persoon wat naby die vriespunt in water val, moet vinnig bespaar word, en selfs in die somer sal water jou binnekort afkoel. Veiligheid in klein bote: Moenie alkohol drink nie, sit en dra te alle tye 'n reddingsvest. As u boot omslaan - hou klere aan om warm te bly en hou vas aan die boot. Klein bote is gemaak om nie te sink nie.
Gegewe die omvang van die Finse bevolking, verdrink 'n verrassende groot aantal mense elke jaar in die somer. Soos opgemerk deur 'n jaarlikse openbare bewusmakingsveldtog (deels Finse swart humor, deels die waarheid), behels die stereotipiese ongeluk 'n bedwelmde amateurvisser wat sy boot omslaan terwyl hy opstaan om te piepie. Ander risiko's sluit in dat u 'n lang afstand oor die water probeer of 'n rots onder die water of 'n onderdompelde houtkap slaan wanneer u eers in die kop spring.
In die winter is mere en die see gevries. Om te loop, skaats of selfs met 'n motor op die ys ry, word gereeld gesien, maar noodlottige ongelukke is ook nie ongehoord nie, so vra plaaslike plaaslike advies. As die ys misluk, is dit moeilik om weer uit die water te kom, want die ys sal glad wees. Ysplukkers word as veiligheidstoerusting verkoop ('n paar staalnaalde met helder plastiekgrepe, verbind met 'n veiligheidslyn). Bly kalm, skree om hulp, breek die ys in die rigting waarvandaan jy kom, staan op, kruip weg en gaan sonder vertraging binne. Hulp van iemand met 'n tou, 'n lang stok of soortgelyke geïmproviseerde hulpmiddel kan nodig wees (dit is nie nodig om albei in die water te hê nie).
Die belangrikste giftige insekte in Finland is perdebye (ampiainen), horings (herhiläinen), bye (mehiläinen) en hommels (kimalainen). Hul angel kan pynlik wees, maar is nie gevaarlik nie, tensy u baie angel of 'n angel deur die lugpyp ontvang (moenie 'n perdeby op u toebroodjie lok nie!) Of as u baie allergies daarvoor is. In die laat somer kan perdebye 'n oorlas wees, maar andersins is hierdie insekte geneig om mense alleen te laat as hulle nie steur nie.
Daar is net een soort giftige slang in Finland, die Europese opteller (Fins: kyy of kyykäärme). Hulle byt is baie selde dodelik (behalwe vir klein kinders en allergiese persone), maar 'n mens moet in die somer versigtig wees. As u deur 'n slang gebyt word, moet u altyd mediese hulp kry.
Wat ander betref gevaarlike wildlewe, bruin bere (karhu), wolwe (susi), lynxes (ilwe), en wolwe (asma) kom regoor Finland voor, maar jy is gelukkig as jy een van hierdie groot vleiseters sien! Om met u geselskap in die woud te praat, moet genoeg wees om hulle weg te hou, veral om nie tussen 'n beer en haar welpies te kom nie. As u 'n beer sien, moet u kalm terugtrek.
Hou ook afstand tot ander natuurlewe, soos elande. Bulle kan aggressief raak en op mense belas, asook koeie wat hul kalwers verdedig. Die ergste risiko is egter om een raak te loop op die pad. In Lapland, Noord-Ostrobothnia en Kainuu is daar 'n risiko vir rendier botsings. Hulle vertoef dikwels rustig op die pad; as u een rendier op enige plek naby die pad sien, verminder u spoed onmiddellik en verstaan dat daar meer van hulle is. Bel altyd 112 na 'n botsing, selfs as u nie beseer is nie, soos die dier waarskynlik gedoen het.
In geval van nood
112 is die nasionale telefoonnommer vir alle nooddienste, insluitend polisie en maatskaplike dienste, en dit benodig nie 'n areakode nie, ongeag watter soort telefoon u gebruik. Die nommer werk op enige selfoon, of dit nou met sleutelsleutel is of nie, en met of sonder 'n SIM-kaart. As 'n selfoon u met 'n PIN-kode uitdaag, kan u eenvoudig 112 as 'n PIN-kode intik - die meeste telefone sal die keuse gee om die nommer te skakel (of bel sonder om te vra). Die operateur sal in Fins of Sweeds antwoord, maar u hoef nie na Engels oor te skakel nie.
Daar is 'n 112-app wat u GPS sal gebruik om u posisie te kry wanneer u dit gebruik om die nooddienste te skakel. Die app ken ook 'n paar verwante telefoonnommers. Die opgedateerde weergawe is beskikbaar vir Android en iPhone in die onderskeie toepassingswinkels. Laat dit installeer voordat u dit nodig het! Dit is afhanklik van mobiele data, dus is dit in sommige afgeleë gebiede nie betroubaar nie, en die GPS-posisie is onbetroubaar, tensy die GPS al 'n geruime tyd aan is. Maar langs die hoofweë, waar u waarskynlik nie u posisie sal ken nie, is mobiele dekking goed.
Bel die nasionale vir navrae oor gifstowwe of gifstowwe (van sampioene, plante, medisyne of ander chemikalieë) Toxin Inligtingskantoor by 358 9 471-977. Finne het dikwels 'n "optellerstel" (kyypakkaus, 50 mg hidrokortisoon) by hul huisies, alhoewel dit nie op sigself genoeg is nie, behalwe miskien vir bye of perdebye: met 'n bytbyt moet u ook 112 skakel sonder enige onnodige vertraging.
Die tyd om hulp te bereik, kan redelik lank wees in yl bevolkte gebiede (ongeveer 'n uur, meer in uiterste gebiede; in stede slegs enkele minute), dus is dit sinvol om basiese noodhulpvoorrade byderhand te hê as u huisies of die woestyn besoek. Noodhulpopleiding is baie algemeen, dus kan amateurhulp beskikbaar wees. In die geval van hartstilstand, openbare defibrillators (Fins: defibrillaattori) is soms beskikbaar; begin steeds na die beste van u vermoë onmiddellik met KPR, nadat u vir iemand gesê het om 112 te skakel.
Bly gesond
Tekens om op te let (in Fins en Sweeds)
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U sal waarskynlik nie probleme met die maag in Finland hê nie kraanwater is altyd drinkbaar (en oor die algemeen ook lekker), en higiëne-standaarde in restaurante is streng. As u allergieë het, vertoon baie restaurante dikwels die mees algemene bestanddele waarvoor mense allergies is, in die menu. Voorbeelde: (L) = Laktosevry, (VL) = Lae laktose, (G) = Glutenvry, as u nie seker is nie, vra die kelnerin of restaurantpersoneel.
Medisyne is slegs in apteke beskikbaar, nie in gewone winkels nie (behalwe deur spesiale reëlings in baie afgeleë gebiede). Enige nie-triviale medisyne benodig 'n voorskrif (strenger kriteria as in baie ander lande).
Peste
Die gevaarlikste plae is die bosluise (Fins: puutiainen of in die omgangstaal punkki, Sweeds: fästing), wat Lyme se siekte (borreliose) of bosluisgedraagde virale enkefalitis (TBE) kan dra. Dit kom algemeen voor in sommige gebiede, maar kan in die grootste deel van die land voorkom Simo, en is aktief as die temperatuur oor 5 ° C klim. In hoë gras en struike word u broek in u sokkies aanbeveel, en u moet u liggaam nagaan (of beter: laat u maat dit kyk) as u saans terugkom, ideaal as hulle nog steeds rondkruip op soek na 'n goeie plek. Borreliose kan maklik behandel word as dit die dae na die byt opgemerk word (as gevolg van plaaslike simptome), terwyl albei in latere stadiums (met neurologiese probleme) ernstig is.
Daar is ook 'n aantal irriterende insekte, maar as u van plan is om in die sentrums van groot stede te bly, sal u dit waarskynlik nie teëkom nie. 'N Erge oorlas in die somer is muskiete (hyttynen, mygga, Samies: čuoika) waarvan hordes in die somer voorkom - veral in Lappland, waar hy en sy kollegas genoem word räkkä. Daar is ook swartvlieë (mäkärä, knoop, muogir), familielede van muskiete, baie kleiner en ook volop in Lapland, en gadflies (paarma, broms; algemeen waar daar beeste is). Die takbokke (hirvikärpänen, älgfluga), wat in die laat somer verskyn, byt selde, maar kruip rond nadat hy sy vlerke verloor het en is moeilik om ontslae te raak.
Wespe kom soms bymekaar om u buitelughappie te deel. Moenie dit saam met die ham en die sap eet nie (wat die angel gevaarlik maak), maar neem om die beurt byt - hulle is fassinerend, vlieg weg met 'n groot hoeveelheid klein hamblokkies - of gaan weg as u dit nie kan uithou nie. Ook hommels en bye mag steek, maar net soos uitgelok. In die herfs is perdebye geïrriteerd en laat staan nog heeltemal.
Lug kwaliteit
Luggehalte is meestal goed in stede en uitstekend buite middestede, maar in stede kan daar strate en problematiese tye wees. 'N Paar weke in die lente is die slegste tyd in baie stede, wanneer die sneeu weg is en die strate droog is, maar stof van die winter oorbly. Inversie kom in sommige stede voor, maar is gewoonlik 'n klein probleem. Die meteorologiese instituut monitor die lug kwaliteit.
Gesondheidssorg
Finse gesondheidsorg is meestal publiek, veral intensiewe, gevorderde en noodgesondheidsorg. Inrigtings wat die meeste relevant is vir reisigers is munisipale poliklinieke, veral (terveyskeskus/hälsocentral), (sentrale) hospitaal met chirurgie ((keskus) sairaala, (sentraal) sjukhus), en universiteitshospitale (yliopistollinen keskussairaala, universitetscentralsjukhus). Tandartse werk buite hierdie stelsel en is meestal privaat.
Daar is ook privaat klinieke (lääkäriasema/läkarstation of lääkärikeskus/läkarcentral), wat dikwels 'n afspraak met minder toue kan beplan, met meer aansienlike fooie (inwoners kry gewoonlik vergoeding). As u nie 'n inwoner van die EU / EER is nie, kan die prysverskil minder belangrik wees. Raadpleeg u versekeringsmaatskappy. Die klinieke moet egter in elk geval die pasiënt na 'n openbare hospitaal verwys as gevorderde dienste benodig word. Die onderskeid tussen openbare en private versorging was die afgelope jare minder duidelik, en sommige munisipaliteite het 'n deel van die mediese dienste uitgekontrakteer (deels in reaksie op 'n groot omstrede hervorming - sê 'sote' om diep sug van enigiemand te kry - 'n nuwe inkarnasie waarvan weer voorberei word).
Vir noodgevalle, skakel 112. Andersins kontak die terveyskeskus of 'n privaat kliniek. Elke munisipaliteit moet 'n kliniek 24/7 hê, maar dit is soms in 'n nabygeleë stad, terwyl die plaaslike kliniek beperkte ure het waar die bevolking yl is. U kan telefonies advies kry. Besoeke aan 'n dokter moet gewoonlik bespreek word, terwyl u moontlik 'n verpleegkundige kan sien instap (vra telefonies). Die tydbesprekingsnommers werk dikwels deur 'n verpleegster wat terugbel (gewoonlik ongeveer 'n uur) nadat 'n masjien u oproep beantwoord het en u die kans gegee het om te spesifiseer watter diens u benodig. Net om dit te laat praat totdat dit op is, kan genoeg wees om die oproep te laat registreer.
Universiteit en AMK studente toegang hê tot basiese gesondheidsorg wat deur die studenteverenigings gereël word. Sien Leer hierbo.
EU / EER en Switserse burgers het toegang tot nood- en gesondheidsdienste met hul Europese Gesondheidsversekeringskaart, wat in die meeste gevalle nominale fooie vir openbare gesondheidsorg beteken (besoek dokter gewoonlik € 15-30, minderjariges gratis, dagchirurgie € 100; sommige verwante koste kan vergoed word ). Ander buitelanders word ook dringend benodigde behandeling gegee, maar moet moontlik alle koste betaal. Sien meer inligting op Kontakpunt vir grensoverschrijdende gesondheidsorg.
Respek
Visse Finse styl Dit was 'n pragtige somersdag, en Virtanen en Lahtinen was in 'n klein roeibootjie in die middel van 'n meer om te hengel. Twee uur het verbygegaan, albei mans het rustig gesit, en toe het Lahtinen gesê: "Mooi weer vandag." Virtanen knor en staar stip na sy visstok. |
Finne het oor die algemeen 'n ontspanne houding teenoor maniere en aantrek, en dit is waarskynlik dat 'n besoeker hulle per ongeluk sal aanstoot gee. Gesonde verstand is in die meeste situasies genoeg, maar daar is 'n paar dinge wat u in gedagte moet hou:
Finne is 'n bekende stilswyende mense wat min tyd het vir praatjies of sosiale gesellighede, moet dus nie te veel woorde soos "dankie" of "u is welkom" hoor nie. Hulle gaan gewoonlik direk na sake. The Finnish language lacks a specific word for "please" so Finns sometimes forget to use it when speaking English, with no intention to be rude. Also lacking in Finnish is the distinction between "he" and "she", which may lead to confusing errors. Loud speaking and loud laughing is not normal in Finland and may irritate some Finns. Occasional silence is considered a part of the conversation, not a sign of hostility or irritation. Notice that although the phrase mitä kuuluu translates to "how are you", it has a literal meaning in Finnish, i.e. a longer discussion is expected; it is not a part of the greeting as in English.
All that said, Finns are generally helpful and polite, and glad to help confused tourists if asked. The lack of niceties has more to do with the fact that in Finnish culture, honesty is highly regarded; one should open one's mouth only to mean what one is about to say. Do not say "maybe later" when there is no later time to be expected. A visitor is unlikely to receive many compliments from Finns, but can be fairly sure that the compliments received are genuine.
Another highly regarded virtue in Finland is punctuality. A visitor should apologize even for being a few minutes late. Being late for longer usually requires a short explanation. Ten minutes is usually considered the threshold between being "acceptably" late and very late. Some will leave arranged meeting points after fifteen minutes. With the advent of mobile phones, sending a text message even if you are only a few minutes late is nowadays a norm. Being late for a business meeting, even by one or two minutes, is considered rude.
The standard greeting is a handshake (although avoided since a few years by healthcare personnel, and now by many, to avoid spreading a disease). Hugs are only exchanged between family members and close friends in some situations, kisses, even on the cheek, practically never. Touching is generally restricted to family members. The distance between strangers is ca. 1.2 m and between friends ca. 70 cm.
If you are invited to a Finnish home, the only bad mistake visitors can make is not to remove their shoes. For much of the year, shoes will carry a lot of snow or mud. Therefore, it is customary to remove them, even during the summer. During the wet season you can ask to put your shoes somewhere to dry during your stay. Very formal occasions at private homes, such as baptisms (often conducted at home in Finland) or somebody's 50th birthday party, are exceptions to these rules. In the wintertime, this sometimes means that the guests bring separate clean shoes and put them on while leaving outdoor shoes in the hall. Bringing gifts such as pastry, wine, or flowers to the host is appreciated, but not required.
In Finland, there is little in the way of a dress code. The general attire is casual and even in business meetings the attire is somewhat more relaxed than in some other countries, although sport clothing in a business meeting would still be bad form. Topless sunbathing is accepted but not very common on beaches in the summer, and thong bikinis have become fashionable in 2018. While going au naturel is common in saunas and even swimming by lakeside cottages, Finns aren't big on nudism in itself, as there are very few dedicated nudist beaches. At normal public beaches swimwear is expected for anybody over 6 years old.
Finns are highly egalitarian. Women participate in society, also in leading roles up to the Presidency. Equal respect is to be given to both genders, and there is little formal sex segregation. Social rank is not usually an important part of social code, thus a Dr. Roger Spencer is usually referred to as simply "Spencer", or even as "Roger" among coworkers, rather than "tohtori Spencer" or "herra Spencer", without meaning any disrespect. Nevertheless, compared to similar European nationalities, Finns are rather nationalistic. Finns are neither Swedes nor Russians or any mixture of the two and will reject any suggestion to this effect. Finland was not a part of the Soviet Union or the Soviet bloc, so prepare for strong opinions if you want to discuss these things. There is mandatory military service, so that most men (80%) have been in the army, and war veterans are highly respected.
When traveling with public transport, it is generally accepted to talk with your friends or ask for help, but only if you keep your voice down. No need to whisper, just don't shout or laugh too loud. It is of course appreciated if you give your seat to someone in need, but it is in no way a vital part of the culture today, and most Finns won't do that themselves.
Verbind
By mail
Finland's mail service is run by Posti, nowadays a state owned business concentrating on parcels; the delivery time of normal domestic letters has increased to four days. A stamp for a postcard or normal letter (max 50g domestic, max 20g abroad; as of 2020) costs €1.75. Most stamps are "no-value" (ikimerkki, fixvärdesmärke), which means they are supposed to be valid indefinitely for a given service. Real post offices are all but extinct, with the services mostly handled by local businesses and automats. Stamps etc. can be got from these businesses or e.g. in book stores. The network of letterboxes is still adequate.
Daar is Poste restante services in the cities, but often a better option is to get the post to some trusted address, e.g. your accommodation.
Åland has its own mail service, with stamps of its own.
By phone
As you'd expect from Nokia's home country, mobile phones are ubiquitous in Finland. Modern 4G/5G networks blanket the country, although it's still possible to find wilderness areas with poor signal, typically in Lapland and the outer archipelago. The largest operators are Telia, Elisa (a Vodafone partner) and DNA'. Most locals use packages with data, messages and normal calls included in the monthly fee (from €20, as of 2020).
Prepaid packages cost from about €5, including all the price as value. Ask at any convenience store for a list of prices and special offers. Finland has an exception to the EU roaming rules because of low domestic prices, so if you need to use the SIM abroad, check the fine print (EU roaming is usually free or cheap, but is treated separately and may not even be included). Also note prices for calling abroad (home) – you are typically referred to the internet, but might want to insist on the clerk finding the right page and translating if needed. For data, you typically pay €1/day or €0.01/MB, for normal domestic calls €0.066/min (surcharge for service numbers often more), for SMS à €0.066 (as of 2020). A prepaid card with data (100 Mbit/s), messages and normal calls included costs about €1/day, either counting days in use (even for a second) or days from activation. Reserve some leeway for calls not included in an "all included" package.
Public telephones are close to extinction in Finland, although a few can still be found at airports, major train/bus stations and the like. It is best to bring along a phone or buy one – a simple GSM model can cost less than €40 (be very clear about wanting a cheap, possibly used one: the shops might otherwise not suggest their cheapest options).
The area codes (one or more digits following the 358) are prefixed by 0 when used without the country code, i.e. 358 9 123 456 (a land line number in Helsinki) can be dialled as 09 123 456 (123 456 from local land lines), and is often written "(09) 123 456". Mobile phone numbers – as other numbers without true area codes – are always written without the parenthesis: "0400 123 456" vir 358 400-123-456. Mobile phone numbers usually start with 04x or 050 as in the example. If you have a local SIM, note that any service numbers, including the 020 numbers, may have an inflated operator's surcharge, and are usually not included in the "all included" packages.
Numbers starting with 0800 or 116 are toll free with domestic phones. Numbers starting with 0700 are possibly expensive entertainment services. There is no guarantee that any service number is reasonably priced – e.g. Eniro number and timetable information is €6/min, with the price told in Finnish only – but prices should be indicated where the number is advertised; "pvm/mpm" or "lsa/lna" stands for your operator's surcharge, for landlines the price of a normal local call, for mobile phones often slightly more. Queuing may or may not be free. Service numbers usually start with 010, 020, 030, 060, 070 or 075 (here including the area code prefix 0) or 10 (without 0). There are also service numbers prefixed with a true area code (such as often for taxi call centres). Many service numbers are unavailable from abroad.
The prefix for international calls (from local land lines) is 00, as in the rest of EU. Other prefixes may be available.
Telephone numbers can be enquired from e.g. the service numbers 0200 16100, 020202, 0100 100,0300 3000 and 118, with hard to discover varying costs (often given per 10s instead of per minute), e.g. €1–2/call €1–6/min with some combinations of operators, service and time of day. Having the service connect the call usually costs extra. For the moment (February 2021) e.g. 0200 16100 costs €1.84/call €2,5/min (€0.084/min mpm during a connected call). Some services have a maximum cost of e.g. €24/call.
All of the main carriers offer good roaming services, so using your foreign SIM card should not be an issue. However the costs can be rather impressive. The European Union has agreed on the abolishing of roaming charges; domestic calls with an EU SIM via an EU operator should cost as domestic calls in the country of origin (and likewise with SMS and data), but again, check the fine print. The Finnish operators got an exception, but most will probably have reasonable surcharges and some have none – check before buying a Finnish SIM for use abroad.
By net
Internet cafés are sparse on the ground in this country where everybody logs on at home and in the office, but nearly every public library in the country has computers with free Internet access, although you will often have to register for a time slot in advance or queue, unless there is Wi-Fi and you are using your own device.
Wi-Fi hotspots are increasingly common: in cafés, public transport, marinas, what have you. University staff and students from institutions in the Eduroam cooperation have access to that net on most campuses and at some other locations.
Mobile phone networks are another option, either for your smartphone or for a 3G dongle for your laptop. The dongles themselves (mokkula) are usually sold as part of a 24 months' subscription, so check how to get one if using this option. At least Elisa/Saunalahti and DNA offer a dongle with a prepaid subscription, likely a better alternative for most travellers. There are used ones to be bought on the net (tori.fi, huuto.net etc.), with seemingly random prices.
LTE (4G) networks cover most of the country. The mobile phone operators all offer SIM cards for prepaid Internet access (some tailored for that, some for all-round smartphone use – but check surcharges for incoming calls): DNA, Elisa/Radiolinja en Sonera. You can buy them as soon as you arrive at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport at the vending machine by baggage claim, or at R-kioskis, post offices and mobile phone stores around Finland. Remember that you can use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot for other devices. Prices start from under €10, with about €20–30 for thirty days (one month or individual calendar days) of unlimited use. As of 2021 also 5G coverage is available in major cities and urban areas.
Hanteer
Newspapers
There are usually newspapers available in libraries for the public to read. In bigger towns these often include a few in foreign languages, including English. Foreign language newspapers are also on sale in some bookstores and in some R kiosks.
Radio
Most stations are on analogue FM channels.
The public broadcasting company YLE sends short news in English 15:55 on Yle Radio 1 (87.9 or 90.9 FM) and 15:29 or 15:30 on Yle Mondo, the latter a multilingual channel aired only in the Helsinki region. There are programmes also in Sweeds (own channels), Sámi (Northern, Inari and Skolt) and Russies. The programmes can be heard also by Internet, usually up to a month since they where aired. Yle also publishes written news.
Toilets
Toilets are usually marked with "WC", image of rooster (and hen, if separate), pictograms for men and women (now sometimes also unisex pictograms) or the letters "M" (miehet, men) and "N" (naiset, women). Where there is more than one toilet, there is usually also an accessible/family toilet marked with a wheelchair pictogram, equipped for use with wheelchair, for changing nappies and for small children. A family room can also have its own pictogram.
There should be toilet paper, sink and soap, some method for drying your hands, a waste basket for paper towels and often one with lid and pedal for used sanitary napkins. Bidet showers are nowadays common. At cottages without running water there are usually only outhouses of varying standard: at some summer cottages they are a sight, with carpet, lace curtains and a nice view, for wilderness huts you might need to bring toilet paper and take care of hand washing on your own.
Toilets in public buildings are free, while toilets in the street (quite rare), at bus stations, in shopping malls and the like usually require a suitable coin (€0.5–2). There are toilets for the customers in all restaurants and cafés, while others often can use them for a token fee – but it is more polite to become a real customer. At festivals there are usually free (and stinky) portable toilets. Also toilets at rest spots are sometimes in bad condition.
Gaan volgende
- Rusland to the east. You will probably need a visa unless just visiting Vyborg of Saint Petersburg on a cruise, but even Moskou is just an overnight train away. There are tours and regular connections to some internationally less known destinations, such as Petrozavodsk (Fins:Petroskoi).
- Swede, of which Finland was part for 650 years, is reachable by an overnight (or day) cruise, or overland from Lapland.
- Estland, a couple of hours away from Helsinki.
- Noorweë's county of Finnmark en Troms can be accessed overland from Lapland.