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Airport Guide

Airports in Finland

Finland offers travellers untouched landscapes, stunning isolation, a stylish capital city and of course, saunas - about two million of them, for a population of 5.3 million. There's more than one mobile phone per head of the population too. Nokia is the Finnish brand.

Finland has 35 national parks - from the Gulf of Finland to Lapland. It is also the land of thousands of lakes and islands. There are 187,888 lakes (larger than 500 sq m) and 179,584 islands. A fantastic destination for an outdoors holiday, activities on offer include Nordic skiing, yachting, cruises and kayaking. Bird-watching is popular and elk, reindeer and hare are all common game.

Under the concept of Everyman's Rights, the Finns have extensive freedom to roam around the countryside, but with these rights come responsibilities. Travellers stepping off Finland flights will discover just how seriously the Finnish take these responsibilities. The countryside is pristine. In wintertime, Finland's immaculate snow-covered forests, illuminated by a pale golden sun, are Christmas-card beautiful. In Lapland, at the far north of Finland, the Aurora Borealis is seen in winter. Lapland is also the home of Father Christmas and a popular day-trip destination for families in the run up to Christmas.

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Finland Climate

In general Finland has an extreme swing between summer and winter, with bitterly cold winters when temperatures drop to -20 degrees Celsius in many areas, particularly in northern Lapland. Summer, by contrast, can be warm with temperatures rising to 20 degrees or more. Temperatures as high as 30 degrees are possible in the south and east of the country. The capital, Helsinki, remains fairly temperate varying between an average of 17 degrees in July to -5 degrees in February. In the far north the sun does not set for about 73 days during summer, while in winter the sun remains below the horizon for a 51-day stretch.

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When to Fly to Finland

Peak Season:
Understandably, in a country where the winter is so dark, the most popular time for tourists to seek Finland flights and visit is during the summer months (May-September). There are exceptions, the month of December in the run-up to Christmas is popular with those coming to see Father Christmas in his natural habitat. The Northern Lights are most likely to be seen in September-October and March-April.

Off Season:
You’ll find travel deals in the winter months, though some major cities, such as Helsinki are year-round destinations.

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Getting Around Finland

Finland is a very large country. If you’re travelling long distances then a plane is by far the quickest option. There are a couple of airlines offering domestic Finland flights, including Finnair and Blue 1. About 20 destinations within the country are served by air.

The train service is efficient and covers a very good distance, though buses are necessary if visiting more remote towns. Both are reasonably priced and comfortable.

The road system is excellent. Cars are available to hire throughout the country.

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Finland Insider Information

  • Vibrant Helsinki is growing in popularity as a tourist destination. It’s a cultural city with museums, galleries, theatre and some excellent restaurants. Less well known, however, are its beaches. If visiting in summertime, and the weather is good, pack your swimming clothes and head for one of the many beaches.
  • Some of the more unusual events in Finland take place in the winter months. Reindeer racing, for example, takes place in northern Finland between February and April. The races consist of six reindeer, each pulling a skier, competing to reach the finishing line first. Though the sport is popular in Finland, the world record is currently held by a Norwegian.
  • Lots of winter sports, naturally, revolve around ice. Try your skills at ice-fishing, where a hole is cut into the ice and a line dangled through it, or, for the braver, ice swimming. Again, holes are cut into the thick ice, but this time it is people who go through to the water below and not fishing lines. If this makes you too cold, not to fear, there will almost certainly be a sauna nearby in which you can warm up.
  • For a more child-friendly reindeer experience, take your family to visit Father Christmas and his reindeer in Lapland. Many tours – ranging from one day to longer – are available and can be booked from most of the main towns.
  • Moomin World is the biggest theme park in the country. Dedicated to the Moomins, created by Finnish author Tove Janssen, the park is situated on an island and contains such delights as “Snork’s pancake factory” and the Moominhouse, where you can meet all the Moomins. The park is located close to Turku, about 193km from Helsinki.
  • If you want to take an unusual souvenir home, Finland is the place to shop. Reindeer hides, soapstone or birchwood mugs, fur and, of course, more conventionally, a huge array of design products.

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Finland Airports

Helsinki (HEL) (Helsinki-Vantaa) is Finland’s principal international airport, 19km (12 miles) north of the city.

The other international airports are Turku (TKU), 7km (4 miles) north of the city; Tampere (TMP), 15km (9 miles) from the city; and Rovaniemi (RVN), 10km (6 miles) from the city.

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Passport/Visa

The borderless region known as the Schengen area includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries issue a standard Schengen visa that, in principal, allows the holder to travel freely within the borders of all.

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Entry Requirements

British citizens require a valid passport to enter Finland for a stay of up to three months in a period of six months.

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Top flight deals

Cheap flights to Finland

London (LHR) to Helsinki, Finland (HEL)
from£143RTwith Flight Centre
London (LHR) to Helsinki, Finland (HEL)
from£141RTwith Scandinavian Airlines
London (LHR) to Helsinki, Finland (HEL)
from£144RTwith Expedia
London (LHR) to Helsinki, Finland (HEL)
from£143RTwith Netflights.com
London (LHR) to Helsinki, Finland (HEL)
from£142RTwith British Airways
London (LGW) to Oulu, Finland (OUL)
from£179RTwith Opodo
London (LHR) to Helsinki, Finland (HEL)
from£217RTwith GoLeif.co.uk

Approx flight times

London to Helsinki:
2 hr 55 mins
London to Tampere:
2 hr 41 mins
More flight times

In-flight Reading

A Short History of Finland

Fred Singleton“The Finns are in many ways a special people,” this book begins. Singleton goes on to explain how and why the Finns, and their country, are unique.

Anything from the Moomins series

Tove JanssenIncredibly popular series of children’s books both in Finland and abroad that are rapidly reaching cult status.

Finland: Cultural Lone Wolf

Richard LewisLewis looks at the transformation of the country over the past fifty years.

Travel Tips

Read expert tips on getting the most out of travel

Bagging a bargain
Cheapflights Newsletter
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Shoulder Seasons
Before you go
Travel Insurance
Before You Go
Facts about flying
Airline Alliances
Glossary of Flying Terms
Customs
Types of travel
Skiing Airports

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Contributors to this guide: Word Travels, World Airport Guide, Cheapflights

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Wordtravels.com

Destination guides to countries and cities worldwide www.wordtravels.com

World Airport Guides

Guide to more than 200 airports around the world www.worldairportguide.com

Cheapflights.co.uk

Cheap airline tickets to domestic and worldwide destinations www.cheapflights.co.uk

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