'''Bold text''' ANNALIZA WAS HERE :]
<!-- don't repeat the regions already mentioned above --> While a convenient and unambiguous bureaucratic division, the provinces do not really correspond to geographical or cultural boundaries very well. Other terms you may hear include '''Tavastia''' (''Hame''), covering a large area of central Finland around Tampere, and '''Karelia''' (''Karjala'') to the far east, the bulk of which was lost to the Soviet Union in World War II (still a sore topic in some circles).
Finland was an integral part of Sweden from the 12th to the 19th century and an autonomous grand duchy under Russian rule after 1809. It finally won its complete independence in 1917, although the country promptly plunged into a brief but bitter '''civil war''' between the conservative Whites and the Socialist Reds, eventually won by the Whites.
During World War II, Finland was attacked by the Soviet Union in the '''Winter War''', but fought them to a standstill that saw the USSR conquer 12% of Finnish territory with extremely high casualties for a small piece of land. Finland then allied with Germany in an unsuccessful attempt to repel the Soviets, was defeated and, as a condition for peace, had to turn against Germany instead. Thus Finland fought three separate wars during World War II. After the war, Finland fell into the Soviet sphere of influence, but maintained a studied policy of '''official neutrality''' and managed to retain a free market economy and multi-party elections. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy featuring high-tech giants like Nokia, and per capita income is now on par with Western European countries.
Finland joined the European Union in 1995, and was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
Unlike craggy Norway and Sweden, Finland is mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills, with mountains (of a sort) only in the extreme north and Finland's highest point, Mount Halti, rising only to a modest 1,328 m. Finland has 187,888 lakes (about 60,000 of them are big lakes) according to the Geological Survey of Finland, making the moniker '''Land of a Thousand Lakes''' actually an underestimation. Along the coast and in the lakes are (according to another estimate) 179,584 islands, making the country an excellent boating destination as well.
Finland is not located on the Scandinavian peninsula, so despite many cultural and historical links, it is technically ''not'' considered a part of Scandinavia. Even Finns rarely bother to make the distinction, but a more correct term that includes Finland is the "Nordic countries" (''Pohjoismaat'').
Due to the extreme latitude, Finland experiences the famous '''Midnight Sun''' near the summer solstice, when (if above the Arctic Circle) the sun never sets during the night and even in southern Finland it never really gets dark. The flip side of the coin is the '''Arctic Night''' (''kaamos'') in the winter, when the sun never comes up at all in the North. In the South, daylight is limited to a few pitiful hours with the sun just barely climbing over the trees before it heads down again.
Buffeted by its neighbors for centuries and absorbing influences from west, east and south, Finnish culture as a distinct identity was only born in the 19th century: "we are not Swedes, and we do not wish to become Russian, so let us be Finns."
The Finnish founding myth and national epic is the '''''Kalevala''''', a collection of old Karelian stories and poems collated in 1835 that recounts the creation of the world and the adventures of '''Vainamoinen''', a shamanistic hero with magical powers. Kalevalan themes such as the '''Sampo''', a mythical horn of plenty, have been a major inspiration for Finnish artists, and figures, scenes and concepts from the epic continue to color their works.
While Finland's state religion is '''Lutheranism''', a version of Protestant Christianity, the country has full freedom of religion and for the great majority everyday observance is lax or nonexistent. Still, Luther's teachings of strong '''work ethic''' and a belief in '''equality''' remain strong, both in the good (women's rights, low corruption) and the bad (conformity, high rates of depression and suicide). The Finnish character is often summed up with the word '''''sisu''''', a mixture of admirable perseverance and pig-headed stubbornness in the face of adversity.
Finnish '''music''' is best known for classical composer '''Jean Sibelius''', whose symphonies continue to grace concert halls around the world. Finnish pop, on the other hand, has only rarely ventured beyond the borders, but heavy metal bands like '''Nightwish''' and '''HIM''' have garnered some acclaim and latex monsters '''Lordi''' hit an exceedingly unlikely jackpot by taking home the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006.
In the other arts, Finland has produced noted architect and designer '''Alvar Aalto''', authors '''Mika Waltari''' (''Sinuhe'') and '''Vaino Linna''' (''The Unknown Soldier''), and painter '''Akseli Gallen-Kallela''', known for his ''Kalevala'' illustrations.
Finland has a 5.6% Swedish-speaking minority and is officially a bilingual country, so maps nearly always bear both the Finnish and Swedish names for eg. cities and towns. For example, Turku and ''Abo'' are the same city, even though the names differ totally. Also many other things bear two names, such as streets, roads and suburbs. Roads, for example, can be especially confusing - what first appears on a map to be a road that changes its name is, in most cases, one road with two names. This is common in the Swedish-speaking areas on the southern and western coasts, whereas in the inland Swedish names are far less common. In far north Lapland, you'll almost never see Swedish, but you will occasionally see signage in Sami instead.
Finns aren't typically very hot on big public carnivals; most holidays are spent at home with family. The most notable exception is ''Vappu'' on May 1, as thousands of people (mostly the young ones) fill the streets. Important holidays and similar happenings include:
Typical vacation time is in July, unlike elsewhere in Europe, where it is in August. The midsummer time is also vacationing time. During these days, cities are likely to be less populated, as Finns head for their summer cottages.
Ryanair's Finland hub is in Tampere, with flights around Europe. Other airlines have limited regional services to other cities, mostly just to Sweden, and, in the winter high season, occasional direct charters (especially in December) and seasonal scheduled flights (Dec-Mar) to Lapland. It may also be worth your while to get a cheap flight to Tallinn and follow the boat instructions below to get to Finland.
One of the best ways to travel to and from Finland is by sea. The boats to Estonia and Sweden, in particular, are giant, multi-story floating palaces and department stores, with cheap prices subsidized by sales of tax-free booze: a return trip to Tallinn including a cabin for up to four people can go as low as 50€. If travelling by Inter Rail, you can get 50% off deck fares. The best way to arrive in Helsinki is standing on the outside deck with a view ahead.
There are no scheduled services to Latvia or Lithuania, but some of the operators above offer semi-regular cruises in the summer, with Riga being the most popular destination.
Both '''Silja''' [http://www.siljaline.fi] and '''Viking''' [http://www.vikingline.fi] offer overnight cruises from Helsinki and overnight as well as daytime cruises from Turku to Stockholm, usually stopping in the Aland islands along the way. These are some of the largest and most luxurious passenger ferries in the world, with as many as 14 floors and a whole slew of restaurants, bars, discos, pool and spa facilities, etc. The cheaper cabin classes below the car decks are rather Spartan, but the higher sea view cabins can be very nice indeed.
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.
In addition to the big two, Seawind [http://www.seawind.fi/] operates car ferries on the Turku-Stockholm route, and FinnLink [http://www.finnlink.fi] offers the cheapest car ferry connection of all from Naantali to Kapellskar (from €60 for a car with driver).
Car ferries usually stop at Mariehamn port in Aland islands, because Aland is outside the VAT area of the EU, which allows tax-free sales despite crossing from one EU country to another.
There are also land border crossings up in Lapland at Tornio, Ylitornio, Pello, Kolari, Muonio and Kaaresuvanto.
From south to north, other border crossings can be found at Nuijamaa/Brusnichnoye (Lappeenranta), Niirala (Tohmajarvi), Vartius (Kuhmo) Kelloselka (Salla) and Raja-Jooseppi (Sodankyla). All except the first are very remote.
Finland's a large country and traveling is relatively expensive. Public transportation is mainly well organized and the equipment is always comfortable and very often brand new. The domestic Journey Planner [http://www.journey.fi/] helps to search for the best connections between any two locations covering all domestic coach and train lines.
There are two competing airlines selling domestic flights:
Also there are some smaller airlines, which fly flights for Finnair; their tickets can be bought from Finnair. FinnComm Airlines [http://www.fc.fi/mainpage], however, also sell some seats on their own website cheaper than through Finnair.
'''VR''' [http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html] (Finnish Railways) operates the fairly extensive railroad network. The train is the method of choice for travel from Helsinki to Tampere, Turku and Lahti, with departures at least once per hour and faster speeds than the bus. The trains are generally very comfortable, especially the express services, and amenities usually include toilets, a restaurant/cafe car and on some trains even play rooms for children.
The following classes of service are available, with example prices and durations for the popular Helsinki-Tampere service in parenthesis.
Pendolino and IC trains have restaurant cars, family cars (IC only, with a playpen for children), power sockets and smoking sections. Other trains, including some short-distance IC2 services, do not. Additional surcharges apply for travel in first class, branded "Business" 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; note that one-bed compartments are only available in first class.
Finland participates in the Inter Rail and Eurail systems. Finnish Rail passes [http://www.scandinavianrail.com] are also available for international guests to Finland. There are discounts (50%) for students who study in Finland and have a VR/Matkahuolto student card or other Finnish student card that VR recognizes. However, '''foreign student cards do not give eligibility for student discounts'''.
Local transport networks are well-developed in Greater Helsinki, but to a lesser degree in other places.
Car rental is possible in Finland but generally expensive, with rates generally upwards of ? 80/day, although rates go down for longer rentals. Foreign-registered cars can only be used in Finland for a limited time and registering it locally involves paying a semi-arbitrary but huge tax to equalize the price to Finnish levels. If you opt to buy a car in Finland instead, make sure it has all annual taxes paid and when its next annual inspection is due: the deadline is the same day as the car's first registration date. All cars must pass emissions testing and precise tests of brakes etc. Police may remove the plates of vehicles that have not passed their annual inspections in time.
Traffic drives on the right, and there are no road tolls in Finnish cities or highways so far. Roads are well maintained and extensive, although expressways are limited to the south of the country. Note that '''headlights''' must be kept on ''at all times'' when driving, in and outside cities, whether it's dark or not. Drivers must stay very alert, particularly at dawn and dusk, for wild animals. Collisions with '''moose''' (lethal) are common countrywide, '''deer''' (survivable) cause numerous collisions in South and South West parts of the country, and half-domesticated '''reindeer''' are a common cause of accidents in Lapland. '''Bear''' collisions happen sometimes in eastern parts of the country. VR's overnight car carrier trains [http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/aika/fautojuna.htm] are popular for skipping the long slog from Helsinki 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.
Winter driving can be somewhat hazardous, especially for drivers unused to cold weather conditions. Winter tires (M+S) are mandatory from 1 December through the end of February. The most dangerous weather is in fact around the zero degree mark (C), when slippery but near-invisible '''black ice''' forms on the roads. Finnish cars often come equipped with a block heater (''lohkolammitin'') used to keep the engine warm overnight, and many parking places have electric outlets to feed them. Liikenneturva, the Finnish road safety agency, maintains a Tips for winter driving page [http://www.liikenneturva.fi/en/safety_info/tips_for_winter_driving.php] in English.
Finnish speeding tickets are based on your income, so be careful. A Nokia VP who'd cashed in some stock options the previous year was once hit for $204,000! If you are not from Finland, the Finnish police has no access to your tax records, so a speeding violation will probably be around 100-200 Euros. You have the right to respectfully say "that information is private" if someone tries to ask what your salary is, as that information is protected under European Union law. A blood alcohol level of over 0.05% is considered drunk driving, so think twice before drinking that second beer.
Keep in mind that if you are driving at night when the gas stations are closed (they usually close at 9 PM), always remember to bring some money for gas. Automated gas pumps in Finland DO NOT ACCEPT foreign visa/credit cards! However, you can pay with Euro notes.
If spectator sports and especially motor sports are more to your liking, do not miss the WRC Neste Rally [http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/], 30.7. to 2.8. in 2009, Jyvaskyla. Arrive by car. Accommodation is limited so book well in advance. And if you'd like to try your hand at something uniquely Finnish, don't miss the plethora of bizarre sports contests in the summer, including:
Most of the festivals last 2-4 days and are very well organized, with many different bands playing, with eg. Foo Fighters and Linkin Park headlining at Provinssi 2008. The normal full ticket (all days) price is about ?60-100, which includes a camp site where you can sleep, eat and meet other festival guests. The atmosphere at festivals is great and probably you'll find new friends there. Of course drinking a lot of beer is a part of the experience.
Getting or exchanging money is rarely a problem, as ATMs are common and they can be operated with international credit and debit cards (Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard, Maestro). Currencies other than the euro are generally ''not'' accepted, although the Swedish krona may be accepted in Aland and northern border towns like Tornio. Pre-2002 Finnish mark notes may be accepted on an ad-hoc basis and can be exchanged into euros at Bank of Finland [http://www.bof.fi/] branches until 2012. Money changers are common in the bigger cities (the Forex chain [http://forex.fi] is ubiquitous) and typically have better rates, longer opening hours and faster service than banks. Credit cards are widely accepted, but if using a card with PIN chip, you will be asked for ID if you purchase more than ?50 (and may be asked to show it even for smaller purchases).
As a rule, '''tipping''' is never necessary in Finland and restaurant bills already include service charges. That said, taxi fares and other bills paid by cash are often 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 hotel porters will expect around the same per bag.
Note that a VAT of 22% is charged for nearly everything, but by law this must be included in the displayed price. Non-EU residents can get a tax refund for purchases above ?40 at participating outlets, just look for the Tax-Free Shopping logo.
Popular brands for modern (or timeless) Finnish design include Marimekko [http://www.marimekko.fi] clothing, Iittala [http://www.iittala.fi] glass, Arabia [http://www.arabia.fi] ceramics, Kalevala Koru [http://www.kalevalakoru.fi] jewelry, Pentik [http://www.pentik.fi/] interior design and, if you don't mind the shipping costs, Artek [http://www.artek.fi] furniture by renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto. Kids and not a few adults love Moomin [http://www.moomin.fi/] characters, which fill up souvenir store shelves throughout the country.
Beware of limited Finnish '''shopping hours'''. For smaller shops, normal weekday opening hours are 9 AM to 6 PM, but most shops close early on Saturday and are closed entirely on Sundays. Larger shops and department stores are generally open until 9 PM on weekdays and 6 PM on Saturdays. During the summer months and the month before Christmas, stores are allowed to stay open on Sundays until as late as 9 PM. Smaller shops are allowed to open on Sundays also in other times of the year.
Convenience stores like the ubiquitous '''R-Kioski''' [http://www.rkioski.fi/] keep somewhat longer hours, but still tend to be closed when you most need them. If in desperate need of basic supplies, gas station convenience stores are usually open on weekends and until late at night (some of the gas station convenience stores are open 24/7). Supermarkets in Helsinki's Asematunneli, underneath the Central Railway Station), are open until 10 PM every day of the year, except on Christmas Day (December 25th), when they are closed.
Finnish cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbors, the main staples being '''potatoes''', '''milk''' and '''bread''' with various fish and meat dishes on the side. Milk or cream is traditionally considered an important part of the diet and is often an ingredient in foods and a drink at the meal (even for adults). Various milk products such as cheeses are also produced. 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.
Other local fish to look out for include zander (''kuha''), an expensive delicacy, pike (''hauki'') and perch (''ahven'').
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. Or try to sneak onto a corporate crayfish party guestlist, places are extremely coveted at some. Around Christmas, '''baked ham''' is the traditional star of the dinner table, with a constellation of casseroles around it.
There are also regional specialties, including Eastern Finland's ''kalakukko'' (a type of giant '''fish pie''') and Tampere's infamous '''blood sausage''' (''mustamakkara''). Around Easter keep an eye out for ''mammi'', a type of brown sweet '''rye pudding''' which is eaten with cream and sugar. It looks famously unpleasant but actually tastes quite good.
Finnish chocolate is also rather good, with '''Fazer''' [http://www.fazermakeiset.fi/] products including their iconic '''Sininen''' ("Blue") bar exported around the world. A more Finnish speciality is '''licorice''' (''lakritsi''), particularly the strong, salty kind known as ''salmiakki'', which gets its unique (and acquired) taste from ammonium chloride.
For dinner, you'll be limited to generic fast food (hamburgers, kebabs and such) in the 4-10€ range, or you'll have to splurge 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. '''Hesburger''' [http://www.hesburger.fi] 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 McDonald's, which offers many of their sandwich buns substituted with a sour-rye bun on request.
The '''buffet table''' (''seisova poyta'') is the Finnish version of ''smorgasbord''. Typically a good-sized selection of sandwiches, various meats and pastries. Though not very common in a restaurant setting, if you are fortunate enough to be invited to a Finn's home, they will likely have prepared a spread for their guest, along with plenty of coffee.
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.
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"), while gluten-free options are marked with "G". Notice that hydrolyzed lactose (HYLA brand) milk, suitable 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. The Jewish Community of Helsinki [http://www.jchelsinki.fi/] runs a small Kosher deli in Helsinki.
'''Alcohol''' is very expensive in Finland, although low-cost Estonia's entry to the EU has forced the government to cut alcohol taxes a little. Still, a single beer will cost you closer to €5 in any bar or pub, or €0.5 and up in a supermarket. While beer and cider are available in any supermarket or convenience store, the state monopoly Alko [http://www.alko.fi/] is your sole choice for wine or anything stronger. Also note that alcohol is only sold in shops between 9 AM and 9 PM even though some shops may be open later! The legal drinking age is 18 for milder drinks (to buy hard liquor from Alko, you need to be 20), ID is usually requested from all young-looking clients. Some restaurants have higher age requirements, these may be up to 30 years, but these are their own policies and are not always followed (especially at more quiet times).
The national drink is not, as you might expect, Finlandia Vodka, but its local brand '''Koskenkorva''' [http://www.kossu.org/eng/spirit/] (or '''Kossu'''). The two drinks are closely related. Kossu is 38% while Finlandia is 40% and Kossu has a small amount of added sugar, which makes the two drinks taste somewhat different. A local speciality is '''Salmiakki-Kossu''', prepared by mixing in salty black ''salmiakki'' licorice, whose taste masks the alcohol behind it fearfully well. Add in some Fisherman's Friend menthol cough drops to get '''Fisu''' ("Fish") shots, which are even more lethal.
'''Beer''' (''olut'' or ''kalja'') is also very popular, but Finnish beers are mostly nearly identical, mild lagers: common brands are '''Lapin Kulta''', '''Karjala''', '''Olvi''', '''Koff''' and '''Karhu'''. Pay attention to the label when buying: beers branded "I" are inexpensive but almost alcohol-free, while "III" and "IV" are stronger and more expensive. In normal shops you will not find any drinks with more than 4.7% alcohol. You may also encounter ''kotikalja'' (lit. "home beer"), a dark brown beer-like but very low-alcohol beverage. Imported beers are available in bigger grocery stores, most pubs and bars, and Czech beers in particular are popular and only slightly more expensive.
The latest trend is '''ciders''' (''siideri''). Most of these are artificially flavored sweet concoctions which are quite different from the English or French kinds. The ever-popular '''gin long drink''' or ''lonkero'' (lit. "tentacle"), a prebottled mix of gin and grapefruit soda, tastes better than it sounds and has the additional useful property of glowing under ultraviolet light.
During the winter don't miss '''glogi''', a type of spiced mulled wine served with almonds and raisins which can easily be made at home. The bottled stuff in stores is usually alcohol free, although it was originally made of old wine and Finns will very often mix in some wine or spirits. In restaurants, glogi is served either alcohol-free, or with 2cl vodka added. Fresh, hot glogi can, for example, be found at the Helsinki Christmas market.
Finally, two traditional beverages worth looking for are '''mead''' (''sima''), an age-old wine-like brew made from brown sugar, lemon and yeast and consumed particularly around May's Vappu festival, and '''sahti''', a type of unfiltered, usually very strong beer often flavored with juniper berries (an acquired taste). Like kotikalja, sima and sahti sometimes include marinated raisins.
Finland is officially bilingual in Finnish and Swedish, but in practice Finland is largely (93%) monolingual in Finnish. Finnish is not related to any of the other Scandinavian languages (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Faroese) and in fact, is not even an Indo-European language, instead belonging in the Uralic group of languages which includes Hungarian and Estonian, making it hard for speakers of most other European languages to learn. Swedish is the mother tongue for 5.6% of the Finns, and in continental Finland the Swedish-speaking communities are mainly in smaller rural municipalities and along the Southwest coast. There are no large cities with a Swedish majority. Many towns and road signs on the coast use alternate Finnish and Swedish names, so road signs can be confusing. The small autonomous province of Aland is exclusively Swedish-speaking. Because Swedish is mandatory subject in schools, everyone is supposed to speak and understand it. In reality, this is not the case unless you are travelling in areas with a significant Swedish speaking population. Workers in hotels and restaurants are always capable of communicating in Swedish and there is almost always at least one person who knows how to speak German so don't be afraid to ask!
Most Finns also speak some English. In larger cities, nearly all people you could possibly meet as a tourist, speak English very well, and with the younger people even in the rural locations. Note that Finns might be shy to speak English, even though they might understand it quite well. Besides English, a significant proportion of Finns can speak German, Spanish, French or Russian, other secondary languages being rare. Reading signboards can also be difficult as Finnish has relatively few loan words from common European languages, and as a result it is very hard to guess what words in Finnish mean. Often neologisms are used instead of loanwords, e.g. a phone is ''puhelin'', parking space is labelled ''pysakointi'' and a station is ''asema''. Additionally, Finnish is an agglutinating language such that it may not be obvious that e.g. ''Pysakointi vain paikan varanneille'' "Parking only to those who have reserved a place" contains the words ''paikka'' and ''varata''.
TV programs and movies are nearly always subtitled. Only children's programmes and movies get dubbed into Finnish.
If invited to visit a Finnish home, you may be invited to bathe in the sauna as well — this is an honor and should be treated as such, although Finns do understand that foreigners may not be keen about the idea. Enter the sauna nude after taking a shower, as wearing a bathing suit or any other clothing is considered a bit of a ''faux pas'', although if you are feeling shy, you can wrap yourself in a bath towel. (When there are guests, men and women usually bathe separately.) The temperature is regulated by throwing water onto the stove (''kiuas''): the resulting rush of heat, known as ''loyly'', is considered the key to the sauna experience. Some sauna-goers also like to flagellate themselves with leafy branches of birch (''vihta'' in western Finland, ''vasta'' in eastern Finland), which creates an enjoyable aroma and improves blood circulation.<br><br> If the heat is too much, cup your hands in front of your mouth or move down to a lower level to catch your breath. After you've had your fill, you can cool off by heading outside for a dip in the lake or, in winter, a roll in the snow — and then head back in for another round. Repeat this a few times, then cork open a cold beer, roast a sausage over a fire, and enjoy total relaxation Finnish style.<br><br> These days the most common type of sauna features an electrically heated stove, which is easy to control and maintain. In the countryside you can still find wood-fired saunas, but purists prefer the (now very rare) traditional chimneyless '''smoke saunas''' (''savusauna''), where the sauna is heated by filling it with hot smoke and then ventilated well before entering.<br><br> '''Anyone elderly or with a medical condition (especially high blood pressure) should consult their physician before using a sauna.'''
Accommodation in Finland is expensive, but many large hotels are cheaper during the summer. In addition to the usual international suspects, check out local chains Cumulus [http://www.cumulus.fi/], Scandic [http://www.scandichotels.fi/] and Sokos [http://www.sokoshotels.fi/]. The small but fast-growing Omena [http://www.omena.com] chain offers cheap self-service hotels, where you book online and get a keycode for your room, with no check-in of any kind needed.
One of the few ways to limit the damage is to stay in youth hostels (''retkeilymaja''), as the Finnish Youth Hostel Association [http://www.srmnet.org] has a fairly comprehensive network throughout the country and 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.
An even cheaper option is to take advantage of Finland's right to access, or '''Every Man's Right''' (''jokamiehenoikeus''), which allows camping, hiking, and berry and mushroom picking as well as simple (rod and hook) fishing on uncultivated land. Note that making a fire requires landowner's permission.
Virtually every lodging in Finland includes a sauna (''see box'') 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.
A reasonable monthly budget (excluding rent) would be ?600 to ?900. Rents vary depending on location such that in Greater Helsinki and particularly Helsinki proper prices may be two times that of cheaper locations or student housing. The average rent in Helsinki is ?11.40/m2 (2008).[http://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/artikkeli/Helsingin+kalleimmat+neli%C3%B6vuokrat+nousseet+70+sentill%C3%A4+vuodessa/1135236590612?ref=rss] Many exchange programs fully or partly subsidize accommodation in student dorms. However, the state does not provide student accommodation and dorms are owned by e.g. student unions or foundations. Student union membership at around ?70-100/year is obligatory, but this includes free access to student health services.
EU citizens can simply enter the country and register as a student after arrival, while students from elsewhere will need to arrange their residence permit beforehand. CIMO [http://www.cimo.fi] (Centre for International Mobility) administers exchange programs and can arrange scholarships and traineeships in Finland, while the Finnish National Board of Education [http://www.edu.fi] offers basic information about study opportunities.
For jobs, you might want to check out the Ministry of Labour [http://www.mol.fi]. Most of the posted jobs are described in Finnish so you may need some help in translation, but some jobs are in English.
Rapidly growing in Finland is the trend (especially of the younger generation) to work for 'placement agencies'. Although there has been a massive surge of public companies going private in the last ten years, this trend seems to be fueled by the increased demand for more flexible work schedules as well as the freedom to work seasonally or sporadically. Due to the nature of these types of agencies as well as the types of work they provide, it is common for them to hire non-Finns. Some agencies include Adecco, Staff Point [http://www.staffpoint.fi/], Manpower and Biisoni [http://www.biisoni.fi].
Pickpockets are rare, but not unheard of, especially in the busy tourist months in the summer. Most Finns carry their wallets in their pockets or purses and feel quite safe while doing it. Parents often leave their sleeping babies in a baby carriage on the street while visiting a shop, and in the countryside cars and house doors are often left unlocked.
On the other hand, you have to be careful if you buy or rent a bicycle. Bicycle thieves are everywhere, never leave your bike unlocked even for a minute.
A serious nuisance in summer are '''mosquitoes''' (''hyttynen''), hordes of which inhabit Finland (particularly Lapland) in summer, especially after rains. While they carry no malaria or other nasty diseases, Finnish mosquitoes make a distinctive (and highly irritating) whining sound while tracking their prey, and their bites are very itchy. As usual, mosquitoes are most active around dawn and sunset — which, in the land of the Midnight Sun, may mean most of the night in summer. There are many different types of mosquito repellants available which can be bought from almost any shop. Another summer nuisance are '''gadflies''' (''paarma''), whose bites can leave a mark lasting for days, even for month. A more recent introduction to Finnish summers are '''deer keds''' (''hirvikarpanen''), that can be particularly nasty if they manage to shed their wings and burrow into hair (although they rarely bite as humans are not their intended targets, and mainly exist in deep forests). Use repellent, ensure your tent has good mosquito netting and consider prophylaxis with '''cetirizine''' (brand names include ''Zyrtec''), an anti-allergen that (if taken in advance!) will neutralize your reaction to any bites. Topical anti-allergens in the form of gels and creams are also available as over-the-counter medication. A flea comb can be useful for removing deer keds. To this day there are no known deaths caused by mosquitos, so they are more a nuisance than a health hazard.
In southern Finland, especially Aland, Lappeenranta-Parikkala-Imatra-axis and areas near Turku's coast, there are '''ticks''' (''punkki'') which appear on summertime and can transmit Lyme's disease (borreliosis) and viral encephalitis through a bite. Although these incidents are relatively rare and all ticks don't carry the disease, it's advisable to wear dark trousers rather than shorts if you plan to walk through dense and/or tall grass areas (the usual habitat for ticks). You can buy special tick tweezers from the pharmacy (''punkkipihdit'') which can be used to remove a tick safely if you happen to get bitten. You should remove the tick from your skin as quickly as possible and preferably with the tick tweezers to reduce the risks of getting an infection. If the tick bite starts to form red rings on the skin around it or if you experience other symptoms relating to the bite, you should go visit a doctor as soon as possible.
The poisonous insects in Finland is are '''wasps''' (''ampiainen''), '''bees''' (''mehilainen'') and '''bumblebees''' (''kimalainen''). Their stings can be painful, but are not dangerous, unless you receive several stings or if you are allergic to it.
There's only one type of poisonous snake in Finland, the '''European adder''' (''kyy'' or ''kyykaarme''), which has a distinct zig-zag type of figure on its back, altough some individuals are almost completely black. The snake occurs across Finland all the way from the south to up north in Lapland. Although their bites are extremely rarely fatal (except for small children and allergic persons), one should be careful in the summertime especially when walking in the forests or on open fields at the countryside. Walk so that you make ground vibrate and snakes will go away, they attack people only when somebody frightens them. If you are bitten by a snake, always get medical assistance. If you are planning to travel in the nature on summertime, it's advisable to buy a ''kyypakkaus'' ("Adder pack", a medicine set which contains a couple of hydrocortisone pills). It can be bought from any Finnish pharmacy. It is used to reduce the reactions after an adder bite, however it's still advisable to see a doctor even after you've taken the hydrocortisone pills. The ''kyypakkaus'' can also be used to relieve the pain, swelling and other allergic reactions caused by bee stings. If you see an ant nest in area, ants have quite likely taken care of all snakes there.
As for other dangerous wildlife, there's not much more than a few extremely rare encounters with '''brown bears''' (''karhu'') and '''wolves''' (''susi'') in the wilderness. Both of these animals are listed as endangered species. Contrary to the popular belief abroad, there are no polar bears in Finland, let alone polar bears walking on the city streets. The brown bear, which occurs across Finland has been spotted on a few very exceptional occasions even in the edges of largest Finnish cities, but normally bears try to avoid humans whenever possible. The brown bear hibernates during the winter. In least densely populated areas near the Russian border, there has been some rare incidents of wolf attacks - mainly lone, hungry wolves attacking domestic animals and pets. During the past 100 years there has been one recorded case of a human killed by a large predator. In general, there's no need to worry about dangerous encounters with wild beasts in Finland.
Tap water is perfectly safe, fresh and tasty. Finland is ranked as having the best water in the world.
Finns generally have a relaxed attitude towards manners and dressing, and a visitor is unlikely to offend them by accident. Common sense is quite enough in most situations, but there are a couple of things one should keep in mind:
Finns are a famously '''taciturn''' people who have little time for small talk or social niceties, so don't expect to hear phrases like "thank you" or "you're welcome" too often. The Finnish language lacks a specific word for "please", so Finns sometimes forget to use it when speaking English, even when they don't mean 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.
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, and one should only open their mouths if they really mean what they are about to say. A visitor is unlikely to receive many compliments from Finns, but conversely, they can be fairly sure that the compliments they do receive are genuine.
Another highly regarded virtue in Finland is '''punctuality'''. A visitor should apologize even for being late for a few minutes. Being late for longer usually requires a short explanation. 15 minutes is usually considered the threshold between being "acceptably" late and very late. Some will leave arranged meeting points after 15 minutes or 30 minutes (maximum). 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 1-2 minutes, is considered bad form.
The standard greeting is a '''handshake'''. Hugs and kisses, even on the cheek, are only exchanged between family members and close friends.
If you are invited to a Finnish home, the only bad mistake a visitor can make is not to '''remove their shoes'''. For much of the year shoes will carry a lot of snow or mud, and 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 a baptism (often conducted at home in Finland) or somebody's 50th birthday party, are an exception to these rules. In the wintertime this sometimes means that the guests bring separate clean shoes and put them on while leaving outdoor shoes to 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 dressing is somewhat more relaxed than in some other countries. Topless sunbathing is accepted but not very common on beaches in the summer, while going ''au naturel'' is common in lake saunas and dedicated nudist beaches.
As you'd expect from Nokia's home country, mobile phones are ubiquitous in Finland. GSM and WCDMA (3G) networks blanket most of the country, although it's still possible to find wilderness areas without coverage, typically in Lapland and the outer archipelago. The largest operators are '''Sonera''' [http://www.sonera.fi/] and '''Elisa''' [http://www.elisa.fi], a Vodafone partner, but travellers who want a local number may wish to opt for '''DNA''''s [http://www.dnafinland.fi/] Prepaid package (€17, including €10 call time). Asking in one of the many R-Kiosks might be a good idea, since they usually have lists of prices and special offers of various phone companies.
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's best to bring along a phone or buy one.