Finland

1. Hope you get to see the Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) - the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is also a feature of midsummer partying.

2. Bring in enough funds for your stay. For your information, Finland was declared the world's most expensive country in 1990, right before it was hit by recession. Since then the markka has been reasonably low and prices are much more bearable.

3. Finland's three national banks have offices all over the country, but they will charge you slightly more for exchanges than private exchange bureau.

4. Travelers cheques are expensive to change. Many Finnish ATMs will accept foreign cards on the Visa or Plus system, but if they don't take your plastic, be assured that credit cards are otherwise accepted all over the country.

5. Tipping is generally not necessary anywhere. Service charge is usually included in restaurants' listed price. Bargaining will get you nowhere in most shops, but could come in handy if you're after trekking equipment or used bikes, when you might get a 10% discount if you ask nicely.

6. If you love the gallery- Helsinki contains some of the most notable art museums in Finland.

7. Baltic ferries run from Sweden, Estonia and Germany to Helsinki, Turku, Vaasa and Pietarsaari. The ferries are impressive seagoing crafts and have been compared to hotels and shopping plazas; they actually make more money from duty-free shops than they do from passenger tickets!

8. For the food lover in you-Finnish food has elements of both Swedish and Russian cuisine, but with a lot of variations. Potato is the staple food, served with various fish or meat sauces. Some traditional meals include game: try snow grouse, reindeer stew, glowfired salmon or raw pickled salmon. Strong beers, wines and spirits are sold in licensed bars and restaurants and by the state network, aptly named Alko. Coupled with strict import restrictions, this makes alcohol prices prohibitively high and merry-making a serious business.

9. Attend a Finnish rock, tango or jazz concert-Finland is one of the live music capitals of Europe... once in a lifetime opportunity, make the most of it.

10. If you take the initiative, most people will be willing to talk to you and may even enjoy the chance to practice their English (people know English and may be shy to speak) ...Do say muikku! if you're trying to get Finns to smile for a photograph: Though it means "fish" literally in Finnish, it's just like saying "cheese!" in English-speaking countries...

11. Don't keep your hands in your pockets in Finland: It's considered rude...

12. Try some of the Finnish hot snacks sold in kiosks along the streets-they're a refreshing change from the more familiar fast food franchises (which are present as well).

13. Ask about getting a reindeer-driving license...

14. Don't take your children along if you're going to see a film that has violence. They won't be allowed in.

15. Take flowers for the hostess if invited to Finnish home. If you find yourself the honored guest at a party, don't touch the wine at dinner until after a toast is made at the beginning of the meal. You will be expected to make a toast of thanks to the host and hostess as soon as the dessert wine or dessert has been served...

16. Do pick berries and mushrooms (with someone who knows which are safe to eat) at the end of the summer...Take a reindeer sled ride if you're there in the winter...

17. Be punctual for all appointments. It's considered quite rude to be more than five minutes late. Shake hands when meeting Finns, including children...

18. Watch out for reindeer and moose when you're driving. There are road signs marking areas where you're likely to encounter them...

19. Enjoy a Finnish sauna. Most Finns do so once a week-it's a cherished ritual for which, they readily invite guests. Afterwards, they jump in a shower or swim in a pool or lake or plunge through a hole in the ice. A cold beer or soda follows this...

20. Don't forget that everyone must wear seatbelts while in a car...Don't drink and drive -drunk driving laws are strictly enforced (penalties range from heavy fines to imprisonment.... and the rule of thumb is that Passports and other valuables should be left in safe custody at the hotel or apartment.

There are excellent flight connections to Finland from all over the world. Whatever time of year you visit Finland, there's something happening. Most museums and galleries are open year-round. Nevertheless, you'll probably have a better time if you come in the warmer months, either in summer or anytime from May to September. As well as the advantages of warm weather, summer is the time of the midnight sun. Despite snowfalls from November, it stays pretty sludgy until late winter: skiing isn't great until February, the coldest month, and you can ski in Lapland right through to June.

Contacts-Finland

TIME ZONE

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in September.)

TELEPHONE SERVICES

Country Code: 358
IDD: International direct dialing is available
Outgoing Code: 990 (for international enquiries from Finland dial 92020).

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-Helsinki Police - 002; Doctor - 008 Ambulance and Fire - 000.

LOCAL TOURIST INFORMATION

Embassy Matkailun edistämiskeskus (Tourist Board) PO Box 625; Töölönkatu 11; 00101 Helsinki; Finland Tel: (0) 403 011 Fax: (0) 40 30 13 33.

PASSPORT INFORMATION

Valid passports are required by all except the following nationals providing they hold a valid ID card; Austria; Belgium; Denmark; France; Germany; Italy; Luxembourg; The Netherlands; and Sweden; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Norway and Switzerland. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

VISA INFORMATION

Not required by the following nationals: Nationals of Great Britain (holders of British Hong Kong passports do require a visa); Australia; Canada; USA; EU; Japan. NOTE: Many other nationals do not require visas - check with the nearest authority for a complete up to date list of visa requirements for Finland.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

Food; plants; medicine and any work of art will be subject to restrictions. Import of drinks with more than 60% vol. of alcohol are prohibited.

AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX

Not present.

RESTRICTED ENTRY

No further entry restrictions known.

HEALTH MATTERS

Typhoid, Malaria, Yellow Fever
Other Health Risks

FOOD AND DRINK

Water is considered drinkable; normal precautions should be observed with food.

CURRENCY

Markka (FMK) = 100 penniä. Exchange: banks and exchange bureaux at ports; airports; stations. All major credit cards are widely accepted. Travelers cheques are accepted throughout the country. US dollars are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Over 2000 locations.

MONEY WIRING SERVICES

MoneyGram: 0 800 1 115198 Western Union: 9 800 20440

CREDIT CARD EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Amex: 9 125 1600
Diners Club: (358) 8009 5555
Finland Visa: (1) 410 581 9091

TRAVELERS CHEQUES EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Finland Thomas Cook: +44 1733 318950 Finland

BANKING HOURS

0915 - 1615 Mon. to Fri.

COST OF LIVING

Relatively expensive. Similar to other Scandinavian countries.

LANGUAGES

Finnish. Swedish and English may also be spoken.

WEATHER

The climate is temperate; but with considerable variation in temperatures. Summers are warm whilst winters Oct - Mar are very cold. The North has snow cover from mid Oct to mid May.

RELIGIONS

Mostly Lutheran with others including; Finnish Orthodox; Baptists; Methodists; Free Church; Roman Catholic; Jews and Muslim.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

2000: Jan 01; 06. Apr 21-24; 30-May 01. June 01; 11; 23-24. Nov 04; Dec 06; 24 -26.
2001: Jan 01; 06. Apr 21-24; 30-May 01. June 01; 11; 23-24. Nov 04; Dec 06; 24 -26.

POST

3 days within Europe.

RADIO FREQUENCIES

BBC: 15.07 12.09 9.410 6.195 VOA: 11.97 9.760 6.040 5.995.

WOMEN IN SOCIETY

Generally safe, women need to exercise caution while traveling alone.

TRANSPORT

FLIGHTS:Cheap tickets can be found to the various airports throughout the country.
RAIL: Cheap and efficient; various discount schemes operate depending on status e.g. group travel 'Interail' and 'Scanrail'.
ROAD: A well developed road system; use of horns is frowned upon. (Signs indicate warnings of reindeer and other wildlife on the road)
BUS: An excellent network of routes is available offering cheap offers to specific groups.
CAR HIRE: Normally drivers should have at least 1 year's driving experience.