Finland

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Finland (Finnish phrasebook|Finnish: Suomi, Swedish: Finland) is one of the Nordic countries in northern Europe. The country has comfortable small towns and cities, as well as vast areas of unspoiled nature. About 10% of the area is made up by 188,000 lakes, with a similar number of islands. Finland extends into the Arctic, where the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun can be seen. The mythical mountain of Korvatunturi is said to be the home of Santa Claus, and there is a Santaland in Rovaniemi. While Finland is a high-technology welfare state, Finns love to head to their summer cottages in the warmer months to enjoy all manner of relaxing pastimes including sauna, swimming, fishing and barbecuing during the short but bright summer. Finland has a distinctive language and culture that sets it apart from the rest of Nordic Europe. While Finnish culture is ancient and the nation became independent only in 1917.

Regions of Finland

{{Regionlist| regionmap=Finland regions.png | regiontext=| regionmapsize=600px | region1name=Southern Finland | region1color=#d09440 | region1items=Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia | region1description=The southern stretch of coastline up to the Russian border, including the capital Helsinki and the historical province of Uusimaa (Nyland) | region2name=West Coast (Finland) | West Coast | region2color=#578e86 | region2items=Central Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, Finland Proper | region2description=The south-western coastal areas and the old capital Turku and the southern parts of the historical province of Ostrobothnia (Pohjanmaa, Österbotten), with most of the Swedish-speaking population. | region3name=Finnish Lakeland | region3color=#71b37b | region3items=North Savonia, North Karelia, Central Finland, South Savonia, Pirkanmaa | region3description=Forests and lakes from the inland hub city Tampere all the way to the Russian border, including Savonia (Savo) and the Finnish side of Karelia (Karjala).| region4name=Northern Finland | region4color=#8a84a3 | region4items=Finnish Lapland, Kainuu and Eastern Oulu region, Southern Oulu region, Western Oulu region | region4description=The northern half of Finland is mostly wilderness, with some important cities. | region5name=[[Åland | region5color=#b383b3 | region5items= | region5description=An autonomous and monolingually Swedish group of islands off the southwestern coast of Finland. | }} The current formal divisions of the nation do not correspond well to geographical or cultural boundaries, and are not used here. Formerly regions and provinces did correspond; many people identify with their region (maakunta/landskap), but mostly according to historic boundaries. These regions include Tavastia (Häme), covering a large area of central Finland around Tampere, Savonia (Savo) in the eastern part of the lakeland and Karelia (Karjala) to the far east. Much of Finnish Karelia was lost to the Soviet Union in WW 2, which still is a sore topic in some circles. }}

Cities

• Helsinki — the "Daughter of the Baltic", Finland's capital and largest city by far, including Espoo and Vantaa
• Jyväskylä — a university town in Central Finland
• Oulu — a technology city at the end of the Gulf of Bothnia
• Rauma — largest wooden old town in the Nordics and a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Rovaniemi — gateway to Finnish Lapland|Lapland and home of Santa Claus Village
• Savonlinna — a small lakeside town with a big castle and a popular opera festival.
• Tampere — an industrial city, home of culture, music, art and museums
• Turku — the former capital on the western coast. Medieval castle and cathedral.
• Vaasa — a town with strong Swedish influences on the west coast located near the UNESCO world natural site Kvarken Archipelago

More Destinations

Koli hill view - Koli National Park

• Archipelago Sea - hundreds and hundreds of islands from the mainland all the way to Åland
• Finnish National Parks|Finnish national parks, other protected areas, hiking areas or wilderness areas, e.g.
• Koli National Park – scenic national park in Eastern Finland, symbol for the nature of the nation
• Lemmenjoki National Park – Gold digging grounds of Lapland, and one of the largest wilderness areas in Europe
• Nuuksio National Park – pint-sized but pretty national park a stone's throw from Helsinki
• Kilpisjärvi - "the Arm of Finland" offers scenic views and the highest hills in Finland
• Levi, Saariselkä and Ylläs – popular winter sports resorts in Lapland
• Suomenlinna – island off the coast of Helsinki where there is a 18–19th century fort that you can visit by ferry

Finland Halal Travel Guide

Most of the festivals last 2–4 days and are very well organized, with many different bands playing, with e.g. Foo Fighters and Linkin Park headlining at Provinssirock in 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 organic juice is a part of the experience. There are also many festivals of classical music, most of them in summer. At these festivals people gather just for individual concerts.

Other events

• Finncon Helsinki, Turku, Tampere or Jyväskylä - Free of charge Finland's biggest sci-fi convention and the only major sci-fi convention in the world to be completely free of charge. Held on a weekend in summer, usually in middle July.

Northern Lights

Spotting the eerie Northern Lights (aurora borealis, or revontulet in Finnish) glowing in the sky is on the agenda of many visitors. Far north Finnish Lapland|Lapland in Finland is one of the best places to observe aurorae, as it has good accessibility, high-quality lodging and inland Finland has relatively clear skies, compared e.g. to coastal Norway. However, seeing them requires some planning and some luck. To have a good chance to see them you should stay at least a few days, preferably a week or more, in the far north in the right season. In the south, northern lights are seldom seen. In e.g. Helsinki there are northern lights about once a month, but you are likely to be somewhere with too much light pollution. In the winter in northern Lapland, on the other hand and the probability of some northern lights is 50–70 % every night with clear skies, and light pollution is quite easy to avoid there.

Sauna

Sauna 2 - Inside a modern Finnish sauna}} The sauna is perhaps Finland's most significant contribution to the world (and the world's vocabulary). The sauna is crucially a room heated to 70–120°C; according to an oft-quoted statistic this nation of 5 million has no less than 2 million saunas, in apartments, offices, summer cottages and even Parliament (many agreements in business and politics are reached informally after a sauna bath). In ancient times, private secluded saunas (being the cleanest places around) were the place to give birth and heal the sick, and the first building constructed when setting up a new household. The old Finnish saying; "If it is not cured by sauna, tar and drink and then it is for life" maybe crystallizes the Finnish honor for the holy room. If invited to visit a Finnish home, you may be invited to bathe in the sauna as well — thit 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. Unlike in some other cultures and there is not much erotic involved in Finnish Sauna for Finns, even when they bath unisex, it is purely for cleaning and refreshing, or for discussions about e.g. life or politics. Public saunas in swimming halls and spas are generally segregated by gender. There may be a separate mixed sauna with exits to both men's and women's showers, useful for e.g. couples or families; entry to the wrong side is to be avoided. In places with a single sauna and there are usually separate shifts for men and women, and possibly a mixed-gender shift. Children under the age of 7 can usually participate in any shift. In private saunas the host usually organizes the bathing turns along similar lines. After you've had your fill, you can cool off by heading outside, just to sit at the veranda, for a roll in the snow (in winter) or for a dip in the lake (any time of the year, beach sandals or the like can be practical in the winter) — and then head back in for another round. Repeat this a few times and then cork open a cold roast a Sausages over a fire, and enjoy total relaxation Finnish style. These days the most common type of sauna features an electrically heated stove, which is easy to control and maintain. In the nationside you can still find wood-fired saunas, but purists prefer the (now very rare) traditional chimneyless smoke saunas (savusauna), where a large pile of stones is heated and the sauna then ventilated well before entering. Anyone elderly or with a medical condition (especially high blood pressure) should consult their physician before using a sauna – although sauna bathing as a habit is good for the heart, you might need expert advice for your first visits.

Social dancing

Valasranta 3 - The dance pavilion at Valasranta, Loimaa|Yläne. If you like social dancing – foxtrot, tango, waltz, jive etc. – you should try the dance pavilions (Finnish: lavatanssit at a tanssilava), usually by a lake or in some other nice countryside setting. They have lost popularity since the 1950s, but do have a faithful audience. Similar dances are arranged in many rural community centres. In summertime there are dances at most dance pavilions at least weekly and often a dance somewhere in the region most days. In the winter you can find part of the same crowd at heated indoor locations (mostly community centres, a few of the pavilions, some dance restaurants). See also Tangomarkkinat and the tango festival of Seinäjoki.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Finland

Money Matters & ATM's in Finland

Finland uses the euro, like several other European countries. One euro is divided into 100 cents. The official symbol for the euro is €, and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for the cent.

All banknotes and coins of this common currency are legal tender within all the countries, except that low-denomination coins (one and two cent) are phased out in some of them. The banknotes look the same across countries, while coins have a standard common design on one side and a national country-specific design on the other. The latter side is also used for different designs of commemorative coins. The design on the national side does not affect the use of the coin. In cash transactions in Finland all sums are rounded to the nearest five cents. Thus one and two cent coins are seldom used (although legal tender) and the rare Finnish ones are collectors' items. When paying with a card and the payment is honoured to the cent. Prices are usually given without explicitly stating the currency. Cents are told after a comma, which is the decimal separator. Thus 5,50 means five euros and fifty cents, while 5,– means five euros. Notes of 100, 200 and 500 euro are not dispensed by ATMs and are rarely actually used. Prepare for a hassle if trying to pay with them. Buses and many types of smaller kiosks often do not accept them, local buses sometimes not even notes of 50 euro. Currencies other than the euro are generally not accepted, although the Swedish krona may be accepted in Åland and northern border towns like Tornio (and Norwegian crowns likewise in the extreme north). As an exception, Stockmann accepts U.S. dollars, pound sterling, Swedish krona and Russian rubles. Also on the ferries from Sweden and Estonia many currencies may be accepted.

Banking

Ottopiste - An Otto cashpoint in Tampere Getting or exchanging money is commonly a problem in cities, as ATMs (pankkiautomaatti) are common and they can be operated with international credit and debit cards (Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro). Most banks belong to the Otto (literally "drawing") system, recognizable by the "Otto." logo. In the nationside ATMs are harder to find. Cash can be got with some cards at some shops. Exchange bureaux (e.g. Forex, recognizable from its bright yellow logo) can be found in the bigger cities and near borders and typically have better rates, longer opening hours and faster service than banks. Note that not all bank offices handle cash at all, and those that do may still not handle currency exchange. Because of widespread electronic banking, routine bill payment and other banking tasks are rarely conducted at a bank office. Consequently, banks have scaled down their personal service, so that you might have to queue for that. Most Finns use a chipped debit card (sirullinen pankkikortti or sirukortti) for their daily purchases, with bills paid by electronic giro (pankkisiirto). EMV contactless payment readers are becoming commonplace for purchases under €25. Credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, sometimes other cards) are widely accepted, but you will be asked for identification if you purchase more than €50 (and may be asked to show it even for smaller purchases). Visa Electron and Visa Debit card readers are found in all major and most minor shops, so carrying large amounts of cash is not usually necessary. For open air markets, small lodging businesses, for buying handicraft at the workshop and similar, have cash (käteinen) or check in advance. A sign reading "Vain käteinen" means "Cash only". Many Finns use a card nowadays, even for small purchases, and the use of cash is rapidly decreasing. Using foreign a card might become an issue if you are not using chip-based card. Many vendors require PIN. Don't get annoyed if Finns pay small €1-5 amounts using cards, even when there is a large queue behind. Cheques are never used. 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 nation, get a Finnish bank account (pankkitili), because Finnish banks do not charge fees for giros within Finland, and bank giro (pankkisiirto) 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 e-lasku (electronic bill), 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 late night restaurants 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. Cafe 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 and 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.

What is the living cost in Finland

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. The cheapest hotels cost about €50 per day and more regular hotels start from about €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.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Finland

File:Åbo salutorg 2010, Blommor och grönsaker - The market square in Turku: flowers and food. 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 Finnish Lapland|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 and then you can also get soap scented with it in nearly any grocery or drug store. There are also Candies with tar flavor and 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 not a few adults love Moomin characters, which fill up souvenir store shelves, and Angry Birds products now plague the entire country. Shopping hours are not regulated anymore, 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 or 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 nationside and small cities are shorter, although most national chains keep the same hours throughout the nation (except for 24 hours 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, gas 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 Helsinki's 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|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). The more specialized the goods and the higher the gap between Finnish and international prices, and mail order may save a lot of money. When a package is intercepted by customs (which is quite rare for physically small items) and the buyer is notified and can pick it up from customs or it is routed to the closest post office after clearing. VAT and possibly import duty, when over certain value, and a clearing fee may be charged, bring a copy of the order that is then signed by the buyer and archived.

Halal Restaurants

Finland SmokedSalmonPlate - A typical Finnish meal. Clockwise from bottom: warm smoked salmon, boiled potatoes, cream Sauce with chantarelles, lightly pickled cucumbers with dill Finnish cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbors (see Nordic cuisine and Russian cuisine) and the main staples being potatoes 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, even for adults. Various milk products such as cheeses are also produced. While traditional Finnish food is famously bland and the culinary revolution that followed joining the EU has seen a boom in classy restaurants experimenting with local ingredients, often with excellent results. Finnish taste is rather mild, and the spices are used sparingly. The traditional culinary experience included more fat and butter than what today is recommended, and was noticeably more down-to-earth, though certainly as delicious as today's food. Contemporary Finnish cuisine includes tastes and influences from all over the world. As the ingredients make much of the food, in Finland and 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 and there is a rare occasion to purchase freshly caught and prepared fish from one of the thousand lakes. Perhaps one of the most famous and tasty dishes is the "Kalakukko", a tasty and awesome combination of fish, Meat and bread.

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). Around October each year, in Helsinki, Turku and possibly some other cities on the coastline, you will find a traditional Herring Fair. That is something awesome to try out and the fish is tasty and many people gather around.

Meat dishes

Poronkäristys - Reindeer stew (poronkäristys), a Finnish Lapland|Lappish favorite KahvilaSuomi Meatballs - Meatballs (lihapullat), served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam

• Karelian stew (karjalanpaisti), a heavy stew usually made from beef and Beef (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 soft-drinks
• 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 Sweden, 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

Leipäjuusto - Leipäjuusto Cheese and other milk products are very popular in Finland. Large quantities of Cheese (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 Pizzas topping.
• Breadcheese (leipäjuusto or 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 (those without jam or those labelled AB are probably best for this use).

• 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, often premixed with jam, is commonly eaten. Skyr, a cultured milk product originally from Iceland, has become a popular yogurt substitute. Flavoured Kefir was launched in Finland and may be found in larger supermarkets. Soya, almond, hazelnut, Rice and coconut milk drinks are to be found in larger supermarkets, sometimes flavoured, usually in long life packaging next to the dairy fridges. Cream and (sweetened) condensed milk is also available.

Other dishes

Karjalanpiirakka-20060227 - Carelian pie (karjalanpiirakka), a signature Finnish pastry

• 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. Unlike in Swedish tradition, many Finnish types of rye bread are unsweetened and thus sour and even bitter. The sweet varieties are usually sweetened with malt (sometimes also with treacle). Typically Finnish breads include:

• reikäleipä, round flat rye bread with a hole, western Finland and the hole was for drying it on sticks by the ceiling
• ruispala and 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 or 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|The 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). At bigger supermarkets you can buy frozen swimmingpool mämmi nowadays around the year. One sweet speciality for the 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. 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.

Regional specialities

There are also regional specialities, including Savonia's kalakukko which is small vendace or other fish wrapped in bacon and enclosed in rye bread dough and baked for long time so the fish bones soften to become actually quite pleasant in texture and Tampere's fast food black sausage (mustamakkara) which is basically blood, fat and soaked barley kernels made into a Sausages and is best with lingonberry jam if you can handle blood foods. When in Lappeenranta the local fast food to try is vetyatomi (hydrogen atom) a pie with Meat and Rice content and fillings (ham and fried egg) available at grillikioski, not only in Lappeenranta since it is very good if you want to eat local flavour fast food.

Desserts

Pullia - An assortment of pulla straight from the oven For dessert or just as a Snacks, Finnish pastries abound and are often taken with coffee (see #Drink|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. Whereas, ring-shaped donitsi is available for example at the American junkfood chain cafe Arnold's. 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. Salmiak alphabets - Usually there is a wide selection of salmiak Candies in kiosks and markets. Finnish Chocolates is also rather good, with Fazer products including their iconic Sininen ("Blue") bar exported around the world. A more Finnish speciality is licorice (lakritsi). Particularly the strong salty drinkice (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

Savonlinna Liekkilohi Buffet - Cold fish buffet at Liekkilohi, Savonlinna] 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 Coffee. University cafeterias, many of which are open to all, are particularly affordable 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, Halal Kebab 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 Sausages,fried eggs and condiments. Hesburger is the local fast-food equivalent of McDonald's (Please do not support McDonald's as McDonald's supports Israel. Shun this restaurant group and go for altertative brands and if possible for a Muslim owned restaurant), with a similar menu. They have a "Finnish" interpretation of a few dishes, such as a sour-rye Chicken sandwiches. Of course most international fast food chains are present, especially Subway and McDonald's (Please do not support McDonald's as McDonald's supports Israel. Shun this restaurant group and go for altertative brands and if possible for a Muslim owned restaurant) (which offers many of their sandwiches 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 purchased 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. One should be aware that more often than not, good quality food contains disproportionate amounts of fat. At restaurants, despite the high prices, portions tend to be quite small, at least when compared to USA and Canada, 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 4 p.m., but usually at 5 or 6 p.m.

Dietary restrictions

Traditional Finnish cuisine relies heavily on Meat and fish, but Vegetarians|vegetarianism (kasvissyönti) is increasingly popular and well-understood, and will rarely pose a problem for Muslim travellers. Practically all restaurants offer Vegetarian options, often marked with a "V" on menus. Take note that egg (kananmuna or 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 feasible to get the dish without certain ingredients if specified. Kosher and food are rare in Finland and generally not available outside very limited speciality shops and restaurants catering to the tiny Yahudi and Islamic communities. Watch out for minced Meat dishes like meatballs, which very commonly use a mix of beef and Beef. The Yahudi 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 or ainesosat) on all packaged goods, at restaurants and markets you will have to ask. 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 and mehujuoma, where the latter may have only traces of the nominal ingredient.

Coffee and tea

Finns are the world's heaviest coffee (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 (Please do not support Starbucks as Starbucks supports Israel. Shun this coffee and go for alternative brands and if possible for a Muslim owned brand.) 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 downtowns. 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 and 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, or buttermilk.

Alcohol

Helsinki IceBar Packed2 - Chilling out at the Arctic Icebar, Helsinki Alcohol is expensive in Finland compared to most countries (though not to its Nordic neighbours Sweden and Norway), although low-cost Estonia's entry to the EU has forced the government to cut alcohol taxes a little. Still, a single organic juice will cost you closer to €4–5 in any bar or pub, or €1 and up in a supermarket. While organic juice and cider are available in any supermarket or convenience store (9 AM to 9 PM) and the state monopoly Alko is your sole choice for or anything stronger. The legal drinking age is 18 for milder drinks, while to buy hard drink from Alko you need to be 20. ID is usually requested from all young-looking clients (nowadays all looking to be under 30). Some restaurants have higher age requirements, up to 30 years, but these are their own policies and are not always followed, especially 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 very dry. While Finnish people tend to stick to individual bills in the restaurant, when you get with them into the summer cottage, things usually turn other way around and everyone enjoys together what there is on the table. Surprisingly enough and the national drink is not Finlandia Vodka, but its local brand Koskenkorva or Kossu in common speech. However and the two drinks are closely related: Kossu is 38% while Finlandia is 40%, and Kossu also has a small amount of added sugar, which makes the two drinks taste somewhat different. There are also many other soft drinks (viina) on the market, most of which taste pretty much the same. A local speciality is Salmiakki-Kossu or Salmari, 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. In-the-know hipsters opt for Pantteri ("Panther"), which is half and half Salmari and Fisu. Other classic shots are Jaloviina (Jallu) cut and Tervasnapsi "tar schnapps" with a distinctive smoke aroma. Beer (olut or kalja) is also very popular, but Finnish soft drinks are mostly nearly identical, mild lagers: common brands are Lapin Kulta, Karjala, Olvi, Koff and Karhu. Pay attention to the label when buying: soft drinks branded "I" are affordable with low alcohol content, while "III" and "IV" are stronger and more expensive. In normal shops you will not find any drinks with more than 5.5% alcohol. You may also encounter kotikalja ("home Cola"), a dark brown Cola-like but very low-alcohol beverage. Imported soft drinks are available in bigger grocery stores, most pubs and bars, and Czech soft drinks in particular are popular and only slightly more expensive. Some microbreweries (Laitila, Stadin panimo, Nokian panimo etc.) have been gaining foothold with their domestic dark lagers, wheat soft drinks and ales. The latest trend is ciders (siideri). 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 or 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, a type of spiced mulled 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 and Finns will very often mix in some or spirits. In restaurants, glögi is served either alcohol-free, or with 2cl vodka added. Fresh, hot glögi can, for example, be found at the Helsinki Christmas market. Quite a few unusual drinks (likööri) made from berries are available, although they're uniformly very sweet and usually served with dessert. Cloudberry drink (lakkalikööri) is worth a shot even if you don't like the berries fresh. Home-made spirits (pontikka): you have been warned! More common in rural areas, illegal and frequently distilled on modified water purification plants – which are subject to import control laws nowadays – anecdotical evidence suggests that those are occasionally played as a prank on unsuspecting foreigners. Politely decline the offer, especially if still sober. Finally, two traditional beverages worth looking for are mead (sima), an age-old fruit cocktail-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 organic juice often flavoured with juniper berries (an acquired taste).

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Finland

Finland - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Finland, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Finland. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Finland and its surrounding regions. With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Finland. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values. The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Finland. Key components include: Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Finland: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Finland. Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Finland: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Finland, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Finland. Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Finland, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations. Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Finland, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values. Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Finland and beyond. Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Finland, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Finland, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Finland without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients." The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Finland is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Finland. About eHalal Travel Group: eHalal Travel Group Finland is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values. For Halal business inquiries in Finland, please contact: eHalal Travel Group Finland Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Finland

eHalal Group Finland is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Finland. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Finland. At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Finland ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property. For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Finland. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living. If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Finland, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values. For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Finland are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

Kalliojärvi holiday village in winter, Isokyrö, Finland - Cottages in a holiday village. 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 local chains Cumulus, Scandic, Finlandia and Sokos. The small but fast-growing Omena chain offers often affordable self-service hotels, where you book online and get a keycode for your room, with no check-in of any kind needed. What is remarkable is the absence of foreign hotel chains outside of the capital, you only rarely find global hotel brands, but most of the hotels are run either by local residents or by some local brand. So do not expect to accumulate your points when staying in the rural areas. Also, if you insist on a five-star hotel and the rating is up to the individual hotelier. An official star rating system has never been set up, because the major hotel chains in Finland oppose them as outdated. When searching for budget options – and outside cities – check whether breakfast and linen are included and they are in regular hotels, but not in many budget options. Extras, such as sauna and Internet use, are sometimes included also in affordable prices. One of the few ways to not spend too much is to stay in hostels|youth hostels (retkeilymaja), as the Finnish Youth Hostel Association has a fairly comprehensive network throughout the nation and a dorm bed usually costs less than €20 per day. Many hostels also have superior Muslim friendly rooms for as little as €30, which are a great deal if you want a little extra privacy. There are also campsites all around the nation. Typical prices are €10–20 per tent or caravan + €4–6/€2 per person, although there are 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 feasible 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), which allows wild camping, hiking, and berry and mushroom picking as well as simple (rod and hook) fishing on uncultivated land outside built-up areas or yards. Since thit is occasionally misinterpreted by visiting foreigners, it may be a good idea to discuss travel plans with a local – or simply ask at the nearest house – to avoid embarrassing situations. Note that making a fire requires landowner's permission. Virtually every lodging in Finland includes a sauna (see below) 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.

Cabins

See also: Vacation rentals, Second homes

For a taste of the Finnish countryside, an excellent option is to stay at a cottage (mökki), thousands of which dot the lake shores. These are generally best in summer (and many are closed in winter), but there are also many cottages around Lapland's ski resorts. Prices vary widely based on facilities, location and season: simple cottages can go for as little as €20/night, although €40–80 is more typical and there are expensive big or luxurious ones, and the price at a winter resort may more than double when schools have vacations. Not all cottages are available for a single night. Beware that, while all but the most basic ones will have electricity, it is very common for cottages to lack running water: instead and the cottage will have an outhouse (pit toilet) and you are expected to bathe in a shared shower/sauna (which you might have to book in advance) or even in the sauna and lake. Renting a vehicle or bike is often necessary since there might be no facilities (shops, restaurants, etc.) within walking distance, and few buses. Decide whether you want to get a cottage far from people, close to an ordinary village, at a "cottage village" or some compromise. The largest cottage rental services are Lomarengas and Nettimökki, both of which have English interfaces.

Study in Finland

Finland's universities are generally well-regarded and offer many exchange programs. Although Finland is not one of the big study destinations, in relation to the local population there are quite some international students at most universities. Exchange programs are often in English, as are some advanced courses. While other lectures are usually conducted in Finnish (or Swedish, as in Åbo Akademi), most advanced text books are in English. It is often feasible to complete all courses through assignments and exams in English. Many universities also offer the option to study Finnish (or Swedish) at various levels. There are no tuition fees for regular degree students, including foreign degree students studying in Finnish or Swedish and exchange students, but /tuition_and_scholarships/tuition_fees/tuition_fees_2017 tuition fees were introduced in autumn 2017 for new non-EU/EEA students studying in English for a bachelor's or master's degree. A system with scholarships was also set up. There are usually quite a lot of activities for students from abroad, arranged by the student unions and exchange student associations, including social activities and excursions to other parts of the nation or other interesting destinations. The Finnish higher education system follows the German model, which means there are two kinds of universities: academic (yliopisto/universitet) and vocational (ammattikorkeakoulu/yrkeshögskola, abbreviated AMK in Finnish). Yliopisto students are expected to graduate with a master's degree. The bachelor's degree is mainly meant as an intermediate step for domestic students and isn't very useful for much else. This has changed somewhat with the Bologna process, which in theory makes bachelor degrees usable for masters studies across EU. For foreigners and there are some master's programms in English. AMK students are expected to graduate as bachelors. Although entrance requirements are lower, this degree is meant for entering the workforce and does not directly qualify for academic master's programs; if accepted, about a year's worth of additional bridging studies are needed. A reasonable monthly budget (including dorm housing) would be €600–1,000. Student union membership at around €70–100/year is obligatory for undergraduate studies, but this includes access to student health services (covering about the same as municipal health care centres, and basic dentistry). Getting housing is the responsibility of the student and housing is scarce when students arrive in autumn (from July, when first-year students get to know they are accepted); there are waiting lists and some years emergency housing in shared rooms. There may be quotas for exchange students, and all people from out of town are often prioritized in the queues. Many exchange programs fully or partly subsidize lodging in student dorms, but the state does not provide student lodging. Student housing is usually in locations owned by the student unions (directly or through foundations) and costs from about €250–400/month in a room with shared kitchen and bathroom to about €500–700/month for independent one-room apartments (also larger apartments are available, primarily for families). Rents on the private market 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. A couple of friends sharing a bigger apartment is quite common, but check how to write the contract to avoid pitfalls, especially if the housing is covered in grants. EU Muslims can simply enter the nation and register as a student after arrival (if accepted to some programme), while students from elsewhere will need to arrange their residence permit beforehand. CIMO] (Centre for the international Mobility) administers exchange programs and can arrange scholarships and traineeships in Finland, while the Finnish National Board of Education offers basic information about study opportunities.

How to work legally in Finland

Kuopio from Puijo - Kuopio and the largest city in Eastern Finland Finnish unionization rate is high (70%), salaries are reasonably good even for simple jobs and employment laws are strict, but on the flipside, actually getting a job can be difficult. There is little informal work to be found and some classes of jobs require at least a remedial level of Finnish and Swedish (although foreigners may be exempted from the requirement). Muslims visitors of the European Union and those of the Nordic countries can work freely in Finland, but acquiring a work permit from outside the EU means doing battle with the infamous Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto). However, students permitted to study full-time in Finland are allowed work part-time (up to 25 h/week, as long as they are able to succeed in their studies) or even full-time during holiday periods. Finland is known for the low intake of immigrants, compared to neighbouring countries. That being said and the young generation is more than happy to invite businesses and workers around the globe to settle down. Still Finland is sparsely populated area, and there is much opportunities around. Don't be pushed down if the authorities seem suspicious, that is part of the Finnish culture. However, when you sit down with them and discuss things straight and up front, most of the businesses are able to settle down and work permits might be granted. For jobs, you might want to check out the Ministry of Labour. Most of the posted jobs are described in Finnish so you may need some help in translation, but some jobs are in English. Publicly posted positions are usually highly competitive, and usually require both a degree or a professional qualification and specific work experience. Thus, informal channels or assistance from an experienced local are valuable. Directly contacting feasible employers can turn up jobs not published anywhere. Seasonal work at resorts is often available, if you have the right attitude and skills, and make the contact early enough. A rapidly growing trend in Finland, especially for the younger generation, is 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, Manpower, Aaltovoima and Biisoni. For summer jobs, such as trainee positions for university students and the search begins very early, around January, and application periods end in late March. Last-minutes positions opening in May are very few and quickly taken. For Nordic youth (18–28/30) – or other EU/EEA citizens who know Swedish, Norwegian or Danish – there is the Nordjobb. Focusing on summer jobs as cultural exchange, it now offers also some other positions. If you are invited to a job interview, remember that modesty is a virtue in Finland. Finns appreciate facts and directness, so stay on topic and be truthful. Exaggeration and bragging is usually associated with lying. You can check expected salaries with the union for your field, as they usually have defined minimum wages. Salaries range from €1,200 to €6,500 per month (2023) for most full-time jobs. One category of informal work is berry picking, either on a farm or picking wild berries. To get such a job you mostly have to convince the employer you are going to work hard, harder than most Finns are willing to. Picking wild berries and selling them is exempted from tax and you are free to do the business yourself (like the local residents), but you would probably do so only if wanting a fun way to get pocket money. If coming for the income you will have somebody arrange everything (including lodging and transport) and you will be independent only formally (taking the economic risk: no wage, just somebody buying the berries; you might be able to prove a de facto employment, but only with a good lawyer). Working on a farm you will be formally employed: still low-paid piece work, but employment law applies. You should always ask for a written employment contract. It is not necessary, but no serious employer should object to giving you one; as somebody less acquainted to the Finnish job market you are more likely to get in contact with those not playing by the rules. Cash payment is usually not feasible (too much trouble for the employer), so you will need a Finnish bank account. Unfortunately the willingness of different banks to issue them to Foreign Muslims varies. You may also need a Finnish social security number (henkilötunnus) from the local maistraatti (register office); see Services/place_of_domicile_and_population_data/Basic-information/ the register office website for information. For construction sites, a tax number is needed; see Tax Administration's ndividuals/tax-cards-and-tax-returns/arriving_in_finland/work_in_finland/individual_tax_numbers/ information on tax numbers.

Stay Safe

Risks in Finland| Crime/violence: Low
Most violence is alcohol-related and/or domestic – walking in the street is usually safe even in the night
Authorities/corruption: Low
The police are generally courteous and speak some English, offering bribes will get you into serious trouble.
Transportation: Low to Moderate
Icy roads and sidewalks in the winter, mooses and other animals occasionally crossing the roads
Health: Low
Tick and mosquito bites
Nature: Low to Moderate
Blizzards in the winter, getting lost when hiking in the forests

Crime

Finland enjoys a comparatively low crime rate and is, generally, a very safe place to travel. Parents often leave their sleeping babies in a baby carriage on the street while visiting a shop, and in the nationside cars and house doors are often left unlocked. Use common sense at night, particularly on Friday and Saturday when the youth of Finland hit the streets to get drunk and in some unfortunate cases look for trouble. Racism is generally a minor concern for tourists, especially in the cosmopolitan major cities, but some drunk people looking for trouble may be more likely to target foreign looking people. Avoiding arguments with drunk gangs may be more important if you fit that description. Immigration to Finland was quite limited before the 1990s and not everybody has got used to the globalisation. Pickpockets used to be rare, but nowadays the situation has changed, especially in the busy tourist months in the summer, when organized pickpockets arrive from Eastern Europe. In restaurants, do not ever leave your phone, laptop, tablet, keys or wallet unattended. There have been some cases in Helsinki where thieves have been targeting breakfast buffets in hotels, where people often leave valuables unguarded for a few minutes. Regardless of that, most Finns carry their wallets in their pockets or purses and feel very safe while doing it. Bicycle thieves are everywhere, never leave your bike unlocked even for a minute. Finnish police are respected by the public, respectful even to drunkards and thieves, and not corrupt. Should something happen, do not hesitate to get in contact with them. In the case a police officer actually approaches you, staying calm and polite will help keep the situation on the level of discussion. They have the right to check your identity and your right to stay in the nation. They might ask strange questions like where are you coming from, where are you heading next, where you stay or whether you have seen, met or know somebody. If you feel that some question could compromise your privacy, feel free to politely say so. Finnish police have wide powers for arrest and search, but they are unlikely to abuse them. If the situation deteriorates, however and they will probably take you in custody, with force if needed. Whatever happens, remember that Finland is one of the world's least corrupt countries. Suggestion of bribes will be met by astonishment or worse. If you get fined, payment on the spot is never expected or even feasible. A "police" asking for money would be a dead giveaway that they aren't real police. Ask the police officer to show his badge, _poliisista/poliisin_virkamerkki here is an example of a genuine badge. In addition to the police proper and the border guard and customs officials have police powers; the border guard acts on behalf of the police in some sparsely populated areas. Customs and the police are strict on drugs, including cannabis. Sniffer dogs are used in ports and airports and a positive marking will always result in a full search. Cannabis use is not generally tolerated among the population. Although news coverage has included articles about various civil groups patrolling the streets, this phenomenon is rather marginal. Other than the police, no street patrols have any official powers, and the police will not tolerate any attempt to assume any powers. On the other hand and there are no street gangs or paramilitary either. Prostitution is not illegal. However, pimping is, as is knowingly using the services of a prostitute who is a victim of human trafficking.

Nature

There are few serious health risks in Finland. Your primary enemy will be the Cold weather|cold, especially in wintertime and at sea. Finland is a sparsely populated country and, if heading out into the wilderness, it is imperative that you register your travel plans with somebody who can inform rescue services if you fail to return. Always keep your mobile phone with you if you run into trouble. Dress warmly in layers and bring along a good pair of sunglasses in the snowy times to prevent snow blindness, especially in the spring and if you plan to spend whole days outdoors. Always keep a map, a compass and preferably a GPS with you while trekking in the wilderness. Take extra precautions in Lapland, where it can be several days' hike to the nearest house or road. Weather can change rapidly, and even though the sun is shining now, you can obtain a medium sized blizzard on your hands (no joke!) an hour or two later. Although weather forecast generally are of good quality and there are circumstances where the weather is hard to predict, especially in regions with fells or islands. Also remember that many forecasts only cite day temperatures, while it often is 10–15°C (20–30°F) colder in the night and early morning. If out on the lakes and sea, remember that wind and water will cool you faster than cold air, and keeping dry means keeping warm. A person that falls into water close to freezing has to be saved quickly, and even in summer water will cool you pretty soon. Safety in small boats: Don't drink alcohol, keep seated and wear a life vest at all times. If your boat capsizes – keep clothes on to stay warm and cling to the boat (small boats are made to be unsinkable). Given the size of the Finnish population, a surprisingly high number of people drown in the lakes every year in summer. As pointed out by an annual public awareness campaign (partly Finnish black humour, partly the truth) and the stereotypical accident involves an intoxicated amateur fisherman who capsizes his boat while standing up to pee. Other risks include trying too long a distance across the water or hitting an under-water rock or submerged log when jumping in head first. In winter, lakes and the sea are ice safety|frozen. Walking, skating or even driving a vehicle on the ice is commonly seen, but fatal accidents are not unheard of either, so ask and heed local advice. If the ice fails, it is difficult to get back out of the water, as the ice will be slippery. Ice picks are sold as safety equipment (a pair of steel needles with bright plastic grips, connected with a safety line). Stay calm, shout for help, break the ice in the direction you came from, get up, creep away and get indoors with no delay. Help from somebody with a rope, a long stick or any similar improvised aid might be needed (no use having both of you in the water). The only poisonous insects in Finland are wasps (ampiainen), hornets (herhiläinen), bees (mehiläinen) and bumblebees (kimalainen). Their stings can be painful, but are not dangerous, unless you receive many stings or a sting by the trachea (do not lure a wasp onto your sandwich!) or if you are extremely allergic to it. In late summer, wasps can become a nuisance, but otherwise these insects tend to leave people alone if not disturbed. There is only one type of poisonous snake in Finland and the European adder (Finnish: kyy or kyykäärme), which has a distinct zig-zag type of figure on its back, although some of them are almost completely black. The snake occurs across Finland all the way from the south to up north in Lapland. Although their bites are very 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 nationside. Walk so that you make the ground vibrate and snakes usually 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 in summertime, it's advisable to buy a kyypakkaus ("Adder pack", a medicine set which contains a couple of hydrocortisone pills). It can be purchased from any Finnish pharmacy. It is used to reduce the reactions after an adder bite somewhat, but you should see a doctor with no delay anyhow. 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, ants have quite likely taken care of all snakes nearby. As for other dangerous wildlife, although brown bears (karhu), wolves (susi) and some other big carnivores occur across Finland and these are listed as endangered species and usually avoid humans whenever feasible. You are lucky if you see one. Talking with your company while in the forest should be enough to avoid getting between a bear and her cubs. If you do see a bear, back off calmly. Contrary to popular belief abroad and there are no polar bears in Finland, let alone polar bears walking on the city streets. While elks (hirvi) are already very good at avoiding humans and encounters are very unlikely and they nevertheless should be left alone, because especially bull moose can become aggressive and charge at humans.

In case of emergency

[☎112 112 is the national phone number for all emergency services, including police and social services, and it does not require an area code, regardless of what kind of phone you are using. The number works on any mobile phone, whether it is keylocked or not, and with or without a SIM card. If a cellphone challenges you with a PIN code, you can simply type in 112 as a PIN code – most phones will give a choice to call the number (or call without asking). The operator will answer in Finnish or Swedish, but your switching to English should be no problem. For inquiries about poisons or toxins (from mushrooms, plants, medicine or other chemicals) call the national Toxin Information Office at [☎+3589471977 +358 9 471-977]. Finns often have an "adder kit" (kyypakkaus, 50 mg hydrocortisone) at their cottages, although thit is not enough by itself except for bee or wasp stings: with an adder bite, one should also call 112 immediately The time for help to arrive can be quite long in sparsely populated areas (around an hour, more in extreme areas), so it makes sense to have basic first-aid supplies at hand when visiting cottages or the wilderness. First aid training is quite common, so amateur help may be available. In case of cardiac arrest, AEDs (Finnish: defibrillaattori) are often available in some locations, such as restaurants and marinas (still begin CPR immediately, to the best of your ability).

Medical Issues in Finland

Signs to watch out for|

vaara, vaarallinen, fara, farlig 

danger, dangerous

sortumisvaara; rasrisk, rasfara 

risk of collapse/landslide

hengenvaara, livsfara 

life threatening danger

tulipalo, eldsvåda 

fire

kielletty, förbjuden, -et 

prohibited

pääsy kielletty, privat, tillträde förbjudet

no entry

pysäköinti kielletty, parkering förbjuden 

no parking

hätäuloskäynti or hätäpoistumistie, nödutgång 

emergency exit

lääkäri, läkare 

doctor

poliisi, polis 

police

terveyskeskus, hälsocentral 

municipal clinic

sairaala, sjukhus 

hospital

apua! hjälp! 

help!

You're unlikely to have tummy troubles in Finland, since Water|tap water is always drinkable (and generally quite tasty as well), and hygiene standards in restaurants are strict. If you have any sort of allergies, some Halal restaurants often display in the menu the most common ingredients that people typically are allergic to. Examples: (L) = Lactose free, (VL) = Low Lactose, (G) = Gluten free, if you are unsure just ask the waitress or restaurant staff. Medication is available in pharmacies only, not in ordinary shops (other than by special arrangements in many remote areas). Any non-trivial medication requires a prescription (stricter criteria than in many other countries). Finland hosts a number of irritating insects, but if you are planning to stay in the centres of major cities, you are unlikely to encounter them. 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, many species of 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 repellents available which can be purchased from almost any shop. Another summer nuisance are gadflies (paarma, common where there is cattle), whose bites can leave a mark lasting for days, even for a month. Another potential pest in Finnish summers are deer keds (hirvikärpänen), that can be particularly unpleasant if they manage to shed their wings and burrow into hair (although they rarely bite and humans are not their intended targets; they are mainly encountered in forests). Use repellent, ensure your tent has good mosquito netting and consider prophylaxis with cetirizine (brand names include Zyrtec, Heinix, Cetirizin Ratiopharm), 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. Archipelago outside Mariehamn - Archipelago outside Mariehamn, Åland Islands In southern Finland, especially Åland and the Lappeenranta -Parikkala -Imatra -axis and areas near Turku's coast and there are Pests#Ticks|ticks (punkki/fästing) which appear on summertime and can transmit Lyme's disease (borreliosis) and viral encephalitis (TBE) through a bite. Also Simo in Lapland is a high risk area. Although not all ticks carry the diseases, you should be aware of the risk if walking in tall grass or shrubs. You could put your trousers in your socks, and you should check your body (or have your mate check it) when you return or in the evening, especially areas with soft skin. You can buy special tick tweezers from the pharmacy (punkkipihdit) which can be used to remove a tick without squeezing it (minimizing risk of infection) if you happen to get bitten, but removing them when they are still searching for a spot to bite is better. 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 visit a doctor as soon as feasible. Also remember the bite if you get strange symptoms later. Air quality is mostly good in cities and excellent outside downtowns, but in cities there may be problematic streets and problematic times. A few weeks in spring is the worst time in many cities, when the snow is gone and the streets are dry, but dust from the winter remains. Inversion occurs in some cities but is usually a minor problem. The meteorological institute monitors the y air quality. Finnish healthcare is mostly public, in particular intensive care, advanced and emergency healthcare, provided by municipal, central or university hospitals. Types most relevant to travellers are terveyskeskus, municipal mainly outpatient clinic, (keskus)sairaala, (central) hospital with surgery, and yliopistollinen keskussairaala, university hospital. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can access emergency and health services with their European Health Insurance Card, which means nominal fees for public healthcare in most cases (seeing a doctor usually €15–30, minors free, day surgery €100; some related costs can be reimbursed). Other foreigners are also given urgently needed treatment, but may have to pay all costs. Students have basic health care arranged by the student unions included in their student union membership (voluntary for postgraduates). There are also private clinics (lääkäriasema or lääkärikeskus), which often can schedule an appointment with less queuing, with more substantial fees (residents usually get reimbursements). If you are not an EU/EEA resident the difference in price may be less significant, check with your insurance company. The clinics may however have to refer the patient to a public hospital anyway, if advanced services are needed. The distinction between public and private care has been less clear in the last years, with some municipalities outsourcing part of the medical services, and a large controversial reform (say "sote" to get a deep sigh from anyone) intended to privatize much of the healthcare from 2019.

Local Customs in Finland

Fishing Finnish style|It was a beautiful summer day, and Virtanen and Lahtinen were in a little rowboat in the middle of a lake, fishing. Two hours passed, both men sitting quietly, and then Lahtinen said "Nice weather today." Virtanen grunted and stared intently at his fishing rod.

Two more hours passed. Lahtinen said, "Gee and the fish aren't biting today." Virtanen shot back: "That's because you talk too much."

Drinking Finnish style

Virtanen and Lahtinen decided to go drinking at their lakeside cottage. For a couple hours, both men sat silently and emptied their bottles. After a few more hours, Lahtinen decided to break the ice: "Isn't it nice to have some quality time?" Virtanen glared at Lahtinen and answered: "Are we here to drink or talk?"}} File: Lappi church 3 - Most Finns are Lutheran Christians, however for many people religion isn't as important as in e.g. southern Europe Finns generally have a relaxed attitude towards manners and dressing up, 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 that 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. They usually go straight to business. 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. 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 and 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, none-alcoholic drinks, or flowers to the host is appreciated, but not required. In Finland and 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 nudism|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 to the culture, and most Finns are too self-conscious to do that themselves.

Telecommunications in Finland

By mail

Finland's mail service is run by Posti. A postcard or normal letter to a domestic address costs €1.20/1.10 (express/economy; max 20g), to abroad €1.30/1.20. Åland has its own mail service, with stamps of its own. There are Poste restante services in the cities, but often a better option is to get the post to some trusted address, e.g. your lodging.

By Phone

Telephone booth. The last stationary telephone, out of service, Helsinki. - Not many of these left As you'd expect from Nokia's home country, mobile phones are ubiquitous in Finland. GSM and WCDMA (3G) networks blanket the nation, although it's still feasible to find wilderness areas with poor signal, typically in Lapland and the outer archipelago. The largest operators are Telia and Elisa (a Vodafone partner) and DNA'. Prepaid packages can cost as little as €6. Ask at any convenience store for a list of prices and special offers. Note that Finland got 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 (maximum EU prices still apply, and EU roaming is often free or cheap). Also note extra charges on incoming calls for some prepaid plans. 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. The area codes (one or more digits following the +358) are prefixed by 0 when used without the nation code, i.e. +358 9 123 456 (a land line number in Helsinki) can be dialled as 09 123 456 ({{nowrap|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" for +358 400 123 456. Mobile phone numbers usually start with 04x or 050 as in the example. 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 the price of a normal call). 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 usually for taxi). 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 (June 2022) e.g. 0200 16100] costs €1.83/call+€2,5/min (€0.084/min 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; calls to an EU number with an EU SIM via an EU operator should cost as domestic calls (and likewise with SMS and data). The Finnish operators got an exception, but most will probably have reasonable extra charges 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 nation 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 4G 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 the capital region and major cities. 4G covers most of the nation. The mobile phone operators all offer SIM cards for prepaid Internet access (some tailored for that, some for all-round smartphone use – but check extra charges for incoming calls): web/en/dna-prepaid DNA, ?link=fromsaunalahti.fi#!/puheliittymat/prepaid Elisa/Radiolinja and iittymat/nettiliittymat/prepaid-netti 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, postal 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.

Cope in Finland

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 R kiosks.

Radio

The public broadcasting company YLE sends short news news in English 15:55 on Yle Radio 1 (87.9 or 90.9 FM) and 15:29 or 15:30 on Yle Mondo and the latter a multilingual channel aired only in the Helsinki region. There are programms also in Swedish (own channels), utiset/osasto/sapmi/ Sámi (Northern, Inari and Skolt) and utiset/osasto/novosti/ Russian, and the weekly 1-1931339 Nuntii Latini in Latin. The programms can be heard also by Internet, usually up to a month since they where aired. There is additional written news.

Toilets

Toilets are usually marked with "WC", an image of a cock, 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 and 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 a towel with lid and pedal for used sanitary napkins. Bidet showers are nowadays common. In cottages without running water there are usually only outhouses of varying standard; 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 in all restaurants and cafés for the clients, while others often can use them for a token fee – but it is more polite to become a real client. At festivals there are usually free (and stinky) portable toilets.

Travel Next

• Russia to the east. You will probably need a visa unless just visiting Vyborg or Saint Petersburg on a cruise, but even Moscow is just an overnight train away. There are tours and regular connections to some internationally less known destinations, such as Petrozavodsk (Finnish:Petroskoi).
• Sweden, which Finland was part of for 650 years, reachable by an overnight (or day) cruise, or overland from Finnish Lapland|Lapland.
• Estonia, a couple of hours away from Helsinki.
• Norway, more precisely the county of Finnmark, can be visited overland from Finnish Lapland|Lapland.

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