Finland Travel Guide

Finland is located in the north of Europe. Its lakes are connected to narrow watercourses, short rivers, and rapids, forming interconnected waterways. Therefore, Finland is known as the "Country of Thousand Islands" and the "Country of Thousands of Lakes". The terrain is high in the north and low in the south. The inland water area accounts for 10% of the country's area. There are about 179,000 islands and about 188,000 lakes. To be precise, there are 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands across the country. "Xin is a Qianhu Country with many harbors, forest peaks and mountains, and islands like stars." This is a poem left by Guo Moruo when he visited Finland in the 1950s.

Best time to travel Finland is located in northeastern Europe and is one of the northernmost countries in the world, with a quarter of the country's territory within the Arctic Circle. Winter is relatively cold. The average winter temperature in Helsinki is-14 to 3 degrees, and the lowest temperature can reach about-30 degrees; the lowest temperature in the north is about-50 degrees. The climate in summer is mild, with an average temperature of 13 to 17 degrees, and the sunshine period is long. From the end of May to the beginning of August, the sun never sets. The best season to travel in Finland is from June to September every year.

Visas and Transit China citizens need to apply for a visa to go to Finland. Generally speaking, the visa applied for is a unified Schengen visa (Category C), which can be valid for up to 90 days. A unified Schengen visa (if not specifically noted on the visa) can be allowed to travel to Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.

The embassies and consulates of the main destination country to which the applicant travels are qualified to review and decide on applications for a unified Schengen visa. When the main visit destination cannot be defined, the Schengen member state where the applicant has entered and stayed for the longest shall be responsible for reviewing and deciding on the application for a unified Schengen visa. If the applicant plans to stay in different Schengen member states for the same period of time, he or she should apply for a unified Schengen visa from the embassy or consulate of the member state where he or she first enters.

Duration of stay: Short-term individual tourist visa shall not exceed 90 days. Those exceeding 90 days are within the scope of application for a residence permit.

Recommended processing time: Up to three months in advance.

Visa fee: 500 RMB.

Materials and key points required for Schengen visa processing: 1. Passport: 2 2 2-inch photos. Passport must provide copies of all visa records.

2. Visa application form: Go to the website of the other consulate and download it.

3. Round-trip ticket booking form: Any ticket office or ticket agent that can purchase international tickets can issue it.

4. One visa insurance: the insurance amount is 30,000 euros or more than 300,000 yuan, and must cover the entire journey. Find an insurance company or buy online.

5. Certificate of overseas travel: A certificate issued by the work unit that includes the applicant's name, position, salary, and travel time abroad. It shall also indicate the name, address and telephone number of the person in charge of the work unit, affix the official seal and issue a certificate of the person in charge's name, position and signature, with an English translation.

6. Proof of residence and reception in Schengen countries: Some countries can accept website booking certificates, while some countries only accept hotel fax certificates, which can be checked first on the website.

7. Household registration booklet: Original and photocopy, all content needs to be translated.

8. Personal financial guarantee: salary, non-frozen deposit certificate, or property ownership certificate, or vehicle purchase, etc. Original and translation are required.

9. ID card: Original and translation are required.

10. All the above materials require 1 original and 1 copy. All must be on A4 paper and sorted and submitted in the above order.

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Entry and Exit Instructions Passengers traveling to Finland from other EU countries can bring the following quantities of duty-free alcoholic beverages and tobacco into the country: Alcoholic beverages: 1 liter of spirits (alcohol content more than 22%) and 3 liters of pre-dinner wine or sparkling wine (alcohol content less than 22%) and 5 liters of other alcohol and 32 liters of beer; Tobacco: 300 cigarettes or 150 cigars or 400 grams of tobacco.

Passengers traveling to Finland from outside the European Union can bring the following amounts of duty-free alcoholic beverages and tobacco into the country: Alcoholic beverages: 1 liter of spirits (alcohol content more than 22%) or 2 liters of pre-dinner wine or sparkling wine (alcohol content less than 22%) and 2 liters of other alcohol and 16 liters of beer; Tobacco: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillas or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco; Perfume: 50 grams of perfume or 0.25 liters of toilet water; Tea and coffee: 100 grams of tea leaves or 40 grams of tea essence, 500 grams of coffee or 20 grams of coffee essence.

Transportation Tips In the impression of many China, Finland is a distant country. But in fact, she is much closer than expected. Finland and China are only separated by Russia, and it takes only 8 hours to fly from Beijing or Shanghai to Helsinki.

Communications and Networks Finland's largest mobile phone operators are Sonera and Elisa. DNA's prepaid mobile phone card is also very suitable for tourists. The city's wireless network covers a wide range of areas. There are not many Internet cafes in the city and their distribution is relatively scattered.

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Accommodation Information Finland's hotel industry is very developed and can provide accommodation facilities of various price points and styles. Tourists can choose based on their interests, itineraries and financial capabilities.

Hotels: Finland's hotels are mostly well-equipped and comfortable. Ordinary rooms are equipped with shower equipment, telephone, TV, minibar, etc. Guests staying at the hotel can use the hotel's swimming pool, sauna, gym and other health and entertainment facilities for free. Most hotels provide guests with a delicious and generous Finnish breakfast for free. The restaurants and bars in the hotel are generally open until the early hours of the morning and provide room service. Using "Finnish Hotel Checks" is a very cost-effective option when staying at a hotel in Finland.

Spa Hotel (Spa Hotel): It is a special hotel that has recently emerged in Finland. Most of these hotels are built in resorts. In addition to traditional hotel facilities, the spa hotel also has high-end beauty centers, various baths and spa spas, and is equipped with professional doctors and nurses to provide guests with beauty and wellness services.

Youth Hotels: There are about 100 youth hotels under the Finnish Youth Hotels Association, which are also part of the International Youth Hotels Association. Although the hotels affiliated to the Finnish Youth Hotels Association vary in standards and grades, they all aim to provide tourists with comfortable and affordable accommodation services.

Villas, farms and resorts: Most of Finland's villas, farms and resorts are located in beautiful forests and lakes and are ideal for enjoying a peaceful vacation life.

Camping: There are more than 330 campsites across Finland, most of which are located on lakes, rivers or seashore. At these campsites, tourists can live in tents or travel caravans. Many campsites also have simple wooden houses to rent out to tourists.

Food Notice

Finland's food structure is mainly meat, fish and potatoes, among which beef and pork are the main meat. Tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and cabbage are the most common vegetables. Milk and cheese are the main non-staple foods. In addition, Finnish caviar (eaten with yogurt and shredded onions) is also a very charming delicacy. Potatoes are the main grain, served with different fish or gravy, which is a common household food. Finland is also the home of black barley. Rye is made into various breads or porridge, and beneficial fiber is added to make it delicious and nutritious.

Fish Finland is known as the "Country of Thousands of Lakes". The country's coastline is winding and the supply of fish is very abundant. Salmon, Baltic herring, salmon, and freshwater cod are all delicious, and they are worthy of being a paradise for fish lovers. Processing methods include smoking, roasting with open fire, steaming, baking, etc.

Berries and mushrooms As soon as August enters, Finnish forests begin to produce a large number of wild berries. There are more than ten kinds of blue berries (Mustikka), red berries (Karpalo), black currants, wince and even wild strawberries. According to local laws, everyone, including tourists, is free to pick these natural resources. At this time of year, Finns are busy making them into pastries or jams. Sometimes they hold various trade conferences or hold picking competitions to allow people to enjoy themselves in the forest while chewing the delicious berries. Fresh wild mushrooms can be tasted in restaurants in autumn. If you want to pick mushrooms yourself, you must also know about fungi. Some wild mushrooms are poisonous or need to be cooked before they can be eaten.

Home-baked bread is very common in Finland. Bread made with rye is particularly popular and is the basic staple food in families and military camps. Finns call themselves the "Kingdom of Black Bread."

Game The most famous game in Finland is reindeer. This kind of tall polar animal that migrates in the cold mountains and rivers is a very nutritious tonic in the eyes of China tourists. From the perspective of medical care, reindeer meat with very little fat content is indeed a beneficial choice. Most of the reindeer eaten now are farm-raised.

During the hunting season in the late summer and autumn wind, many mountain poultry and game fill the tables of major hotels. Especially wild ducks and Riekko are popular. The authentic Nordic-style game is often recommended to tour groups. Try it fresh. If tourists are lucky, they can also taste the increasingly common bear meat dishes in traditional restaurants. Other famous dishes include Kaalikaaryleet and Lihapullat. Known as the "hunter's steak" is Metsastatajanpihvi.

Soup China people like to drink soup, which is roughly the same as the habits of Finns. The sweet and delicious salmon soup is the first choice for tourists before meals, and the fresh sweet and creamy soup is unforgettable. In winter, people use the fattest freshwater cod to make thick soup, which is also the most delicious fish soup. Fish soup is usually boiled together with potatoes, and even the soup with ingredients is eaten, which makes a soup feast that can wrap your stomach. Hemekeitto is a particularly heart-warming food after winter exercise. When the temperature is slightly higher in summer, ordinary Kesakeitto vegetable soup is cooked.

Shopping tips Finland's industrial design level has a good reputation around the world, has a unique style, strict production process control, and excellent product quality. Tableware, porcelain, glass products, etc. are the first choice for shopping in Finland. In addition, Sami handicrafts with strong ethnic style, authentic Finnish vodka, delicious chocolates and even whole reindeer skins are also good tourist souvenirs.

Moreover, tourists who buy more than 40 euros at any Finnish merchant with the "Tax Free Shopping" logo can enjoy a tax refund of about 12% of the value of the purchased goods (the maximum tax refund is 16%). Tourists who need tax refund services need to issue a passport to the merchant to prove their identity every time they make a purchase, and ask for a tax refund certificate. Taxes will be refunded at airports in the EU country where the tourist last left.

In Finland, summer is short and spring is even shorter. In southern Finland, there is often snow on the ground starting in April; a few young crocus have just popped out. There is no endless summer in Finland, but there is a "summer" that seems to be endless. In midsummer in Helsinki, the sun is still shining high after ten o'clock in the evening. When you enjoy a long dinner in the restaurant, the evening sky is still as bright as day. In Lapland, in places as far north as Utsjoki, a "summer" can last for two months. Even in southern Finland, there is no real night; late at night in summer is only a few hours of slightly dimmer dusk. The autumn, which is full of red, brown and yellow, is particularly beautiful in the wilderness of Lapland and is even called the "Ruska" ruska).

The location of the

is in Lapland, and the entire month of December and January is dark without sunlight. It is in this darkness that the mysterious and magnificent northern lights shine. Many Norse myths contain speculations about the cause of the Northern Lights: some people believe that the Northern Lights are the dancing of the souls of the dead, while others say that it is the light emitted by the shield of the goddess of war when she flies. According to statistics, the chance of seeing the northern lights in the northernmost part of Lapland is 75%, which is not difficult to explain why so many addicts come to this wasteland during the coldest and darkest time of the year. To clearly view the northern lights, the location should avoid the harassment of urban lights. Therefore, many travel companies in Rapp organize camping in the wild, allowing people to sit around a warm bonfire and enjoy the northern lights while enjoying tea. There are hotels in Ivo and Saliserka that have built round glass-roofed huts. Guests can stay indoors and comfortably wait for the wonders to arrive without facing the wind and snow.

September is the most popular time for long-distance hiking in northern Finland. The snow season in northern Finland starts in November and lasts until at least May. As for inland areas of southern and central Finland, the first disaster usually comes in early December and does not begin to melt until March and April. In March and April in Lapland, you can ski in the bright sun for twelve to sixteen hours a day. Lapland's best skiing season starts in February and lasts until May. You can go downhill skiing or cross-country skiing. Otherwise, you can go wild on dog sledding or snowmobile; of course, you can skate or fish on ice. Winter in Finland lasts for half a year and is rich in winter activities during this period.

Finland also has many large-scale amusement parks with advanced facilities, such as Castle Hill Amusement Park, Shazhou Point Paradise, and Moomin World, each of which can allow the whole family to have a great time. Especially the Christmas Garden near Santa Claus Village is not only a playground, but also a place where everyone's warmest childhood fantasies become reality.

Language tip: Many Finns can speak fluent English, but learning a few words of the local language is very good for quickly getting closer to each other; not to mention shouting "Apua!" in Finland during an emergency. It's better than "Help!" or "Help!" Much more useful.

Clothing: Finland has a mild summer climate and shorts can be worn during the day; however, due to the large temperature difference between day and night, it is recommended to prepare a thin coat. The clothes in spring and autumn are basically the same as those in China. When traveling to Finland in winter, even if it is just a general sightseeing tour, you should also prepare clothing with good warmth (including ear-covering hats, gloves, scarves, etc.) and boots with good water resistance. If you also plan to engage in winter sports such as skiing in Finland, you should prepare professional cold-proof equipment (you can also rent such equipment in Finland's larger winter resort centers). In addition, some high-end restaurants in Finland may require guests to wear formal attire to enter the table.

Power outlet:

C Voltage:

230V

Frequency:

50Hz Shopping: Finland is doing a good job in electronizing currency. There are almost no places where credit cards are not accepted. Visa and Master are the most common cards. Most supermarkets and restaurants also receive Diners Club. However, the popularity of UnionPay cards is not high.

Shopping tax refund: Any merchant in Finland with the "Tax Free Shopping" logo can enjoy a tax refund of about 12% of the value of the purchased goods for purchases of more than 40 euros (the maximum tax refund amount is 16%). However, tourists who need tax refund services need to issue a passport to the merchant to prove their identity every time they make a purchase and ask for a tax refund certificate. Moreover, the tax will be refunded only at the airport of the EU country where the tourist last left.

Tips: Finnish restaurants generally do not have tips and the service charge is included in the bill. There is generally no need to spend when taking a taxi, just round the cost to a whole number. If you need to use the hotel's baggage handling staff, you will need 2 euros per piece of luggage.

Self-driving: Finland only accepts 1. tourists holding driver's licenses issued by countries of the European Union or the European Economic Area; 2. tourists holding both permanent residence and driver's licenses of parties to the Vienna Conference on Road Transport and the Geneva Conference on Road Transport (China has not joined the above parties). The translation of the international driver's license and the domestic driver's license can be used for one year in Finland. If you stay in Finland for a long time, you will need to take a Finnish driver's license.

Traffic rules: Similar to domestic traffic rules, there are a few points that need special attention: 1. The headlights need to be turned on day and night; 2. When entering the roundabout, if there are cars driving inside the roundabout, you need to stop and wait for the vehicles in the roundabout to drive out of the roundabout before entering; 3. If there are no traffic lights and pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, be sure to be polite to the pedestrians; 4. Remember not to exceed the speed limit. The fine is determined based on the owner's income. A Finnish colleague was fined a speeding ticket of 2000 euros; 5. Pay attention to whether there are charges and time limits when parking from Monday to Saturday. If you violate parking regulations, you will be fined.