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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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
Tove JanssenIncredibly popular series of children’s books both in Finland and abroad that are rapidly reaching cult status.
Richard LewisLewis looks at the transformation of the country over the past fifty years.
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