Useful bits of information

Here is some information that you might find useful:

Population: 5 325 208

Spoken languages: Finnish, Swedish, English.
The Finnish language is a member of the Finno-Ugric linguistic family that includes, in one branch, Finnish, Estonian and a number of other Finnic tongues, and in the other, Hungarian, by far the biggest language of the Ugric group. Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, the latter spoken as a mother tongue by about 6 % of the people. The official status of Swedish has historical roots in the period when Finland was a part of the Swedish realm, a period that lasted from the early 13th century until 1809. Another indigenous language is Sami, spoken within the small community of Sami people in Lapland (also known as Lapps). English has become the most popular foreign language and is widely spoken. (Read more...)

Religion: There has been complete freedom of worship in Finland since 1923. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the country’s biggest denomination while a fraction of Finns belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church. Both denominations are designated as state religions. (Read more…)

Government: The head of state is the President of the Republic who is elected for a period of six years and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. The President is chosen by direct popular vote, with a run-off between the two leading candidates if no candidate wins an overall majority in the first round of voting. (Read more…)

Weather: As far as tourism in Finland is concerned, the weather both in summer and winter has its own exotic attraction. Autumn and spring are short and the weather in those seasons has its own beautiful features reflected by the natural surroundings. (Read more…)

The sauna and other Finnish habbits: A nation of five million people with 1.5 million saunas has no need to acquire a formal sauna education – learning to bathe in the sauna comes as naturally as learning to speak. Visitors would do well to have their first encounter with the sauna in the company of a Finnish friend or acquaintance, rather than following a mechanical set of instructions that reduces sauna bathing to a drill by numbers. (Read more…)

Currency: euro (€)

Currency exchange services: You will find currency exchange services here:

• Helsinki-Vantaa airport
• Tavex (Fabianinkatu 12), open Mon-Fri  9:00-18:00,  Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun closed.
• Forex (Pohjoisesplanadi 27), open Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 09.00-15:00, Sun closed.
• Forex (Railway station), open Mon-Fri 08:00-21:00, Sat 09:00-19:00, Sun 09:00-19:00.
• Forex Stockmann department store (Aleksanterinkatu 52B, 8th floor), open Mon-Fri 09:00-21:00, Sat 09:00-18:00.

ATM cash mashines

• When in Finland, look for the “OTTO” sign to get your euros. These ATMs serve you also in English and Swedish according to your selection if you have an international card carrying one of the following brands:

• You need to use the blue card slot, if you have an international (EMV) standard chip card. With other types of cards, use the card slot marked with yellow.

• Map of the ATMs in the city of Helsinki

Electric system in Finland

• Voltage: 230 V
• Frequency:  50 Hz
• Plugs: C and F  type (see below)

The best things in Helsinki are absolutely free: Travelling on a shoestring budget? Want to see everything there is to see in Helsinki? Helsinki is full of free performances, from concerts and stand-up comedy to theatres and clubs. Almost all museums offer free entry on certain weekdays and at certain times. Here are some tips to check out.

Summer in Finland: Click here to open a pdf document “Summer in Finland” introducing Finnish summer and culture. You’ll find there a presentation of the main destinations and a sample of the summer product supply.

Main travel companies and their web sites:
Finnair
Blue1 airline
Silja Line and Tallink
Viking Line
VR – Finnish Railways
Matkahuolto – transport services

Tourist services:

Finnish Tourist Board
Wild North – wilderness tours
Helsinki Expert
Finland.com – a gateway to tourist services and facilities

Travel to Estonia


Tallink
Eckerö Line
Linda Line
Nordic Jet Line
Copterline
Finnair