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So to start off, I'm an American guy from New York City. I'm not very well travelled and have never left the states before, although I really love exploring, seeing new things and meeting new people. I'm really great with maps and I love geography. Been browsing this forum and many others for quite a while now actually. I'm a freelance artist at the moment and am just finishing up high school. I'll have my drivers license by this summer. I only speak English.
I have two great online friends around my age in Finland, I've known them for around three years at this point and we Skype almost daily. They both speak incredibly fluent English and live in the capital region. Both of them have met up a few times before, and this summer I finally decided to take the trip out to visit them after talking to them through screens for all these years. I'll be going around mid July, and staying about two and a half weeks, though I haven't really looked into flights yet. I'd assume IcelandAir is my best bet. And yes, all of our parents are totally cool with it. Mine never even hesitated to say yes when I brought up the idea - as long as I graduate with my diploma they're happy to let me go off on my own, they don't seem worried a bit.
We'll be spending plenty of time in Helsinki and I'll be lodging in both their houses. We plan on doing small trips around the general region, including a day trip to Tallinn and a trip to St. Petersburg. But the main highlight of the trip will really be what we've been calling 'The Great Finnish Road Trip,' although a large portion of it will actually be in Norway, haha. The three of us will be hopping in a car and hitting a bunch of beautiful stops on our way up through southeastern Finland and through Lapland, Hiking a lot, driving all the way up to the northernmost point in continental Europe, and then spend some time winding our way through the Fjords of northern Norway before heading back down along the Bothnian coast. We'll be staying in hotels half the nights and sleeping out in a tent the other half to cut down on costs. We've got a clear route mapped with a lot of locations and cities in mind but we're pretty sure we can do it in around ten days give or take - we're not really going for speed here.
So here's where my curiosities come in. They've already filled me in on quite a bit, but that combined with my own research still leaves me with a bit of questions. I've got a few specific ones here:
-I've heard that Finnish people come off as pretty cold to outsiders. Like, reserved and quiet kind of cold. Is this true? Coming from New York, I'm no stranger to asses; heck, I am one myself, but does this make being a tourist difficult?
-What's the food like? How hard of a time will I have finding good food in cities above the Arctic Circle?
-How should I dress? I understand it's warm there in the summer but when we're up in Lapland and far north Norway how cold will it get in July? Does the temperature even fluctuate at 'night,' because there isn't really going to be one due to the eternal sun?
-Should I worry about bears?
-How much money should I bring to help with gas for our trip? How much is public transit? Is there an equivalent of a cheap 'motel' in America in Lapland, or will we be dishing out some serious cash just to get a shower and some beds? Where are the best malls and shopping districts in Helsinki and Espoo?
-Any words I should learn? I've picked up Celsius and Kilometers / meters, but my friends have told me not to worry about the language because everyone speaks at least a little english, especially anyone working at a store or restaurant. Other than the curse words they've taught me of course, should I learn anything that's on signage or whatever?
-How hard is it to sleep when the sun is out?
-Places to avoid at night? Is there bad crime or places I don't want to be in any cities? I know it's probably nothing in comparison to what I'm used to but what should I look out for?
-Best art museums in Finland? I'd love to see what they have and how they differ from New York's museums.
And lastly, this one's a little weird but:
-Any cliff jumping recommendations? Want to introduce them to cliff jumping but haven't had much luck finding spots in Finland other than a sketchy looking abandoned quarry.
Do you guys have any advice to share with me on anything I'll be facing as an 18 year old on another continent? Is there anything that I should know that most people won't tell me? Places we absolutely MUST see? Things we absolutely MUST do? I know Scandinavia isn't exactly known for it's summers but I'm sure there's still plenty of cool stuff to do and try. Advice for a first time alone traveller? First time international traveller? Should I just play it off like I'm a Canadian or do Europeans like Americans, especially after all the recent racial and political tension that makes us look like fools?
Just want to play it safe and have a good time, figured this would be a good place to get some extra insight. I hope you guys could give me some pointers, in all honesty I'm not so sure I know what I'm doing, haha.
I've heard that Finnish people come off as pretty cold to outsiders. Like, reserved and quiet kind of cold. Is this true? Coming from New York, I'm no stranger to asses; heck, I am one myself, but does this make being a tourist difficult?
Yes and yes.
Quote:
-What's the food like? How hard of a time will I have finding good food in cities above the Arctic Circle?
My experience in Finnland tells me its even hard to find good food in southern Finnland, and no matter if the food is good or bad, it will almost always be very pricey.
Quote:
-How should I dress? I understand it's warm there in the summer but when we're up in Lapland and far north Norway how cold will it get in July? Does the temperature even fluctuate at 'night,' because there isn't really going to be one due to the eternal sun?
Dress casually, no special items needed.
Quote:
-Should I worry about bears?
Yes.
Quote:
-How much money should I bring to help with gas for our trip? How much is public transit? Is there an equivalent of a cheap 'motel' in America in Lapland, or will we be dishing out some serious cash just to get a shower and some beds? Where are the best malls and shopping districts in Helsinki and Espoo?
Keep in mind Finnland is a very low bang4buck country, they even charge exorbitant prices for places that look like bums could be living there, from personal experience.
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-Any words I should learn? I've picked up Celsius and Kilometers / meters, but my friends have told me not to worry about the language because everyone speaks at least a little english, especially anyone working at a store or restaurant. Other than the curse words they've taught me of course, should I learn anything that's on signage or whatever?
If you have the curse words covered, you're good to go.
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-How hard is it to sleep when the sun is out?
Don't worry about that, for that you have booze.
Quote:
-Places to avoid at night? Is there bad crime or places I don't want to be in any cities? I know it's probably nothing in comparison to what I'm used to but what should I look out for?
No places to avoid really, in the evening the majority of Finns have drunk themselves into a delirium so it's pretty safe at night.
Quote:
-Best art museums in Finland? I'd love to see what they have and how they differ from New York's museums.
No idea.
Quote:
-Any cliff jumping recommendations? Want to introduce them to cliff jumping but haven't had much luck finding spots in Finland other than a sketchy looking abandoned quarry.
Finns already have a high number of suicides, so I don't know if dying from jumping off a cliff would be categorised as such but if you like your Finnish friends you might not want to introduce them to silly things, that will get them killed in the future.[/quote]
For information see The Official Travel Guide of Finland — VisitFinland.com you might try also posting question at www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope
See www.tripadvisor.com there is things to do in Finland with listing museums in Finland and other information.
Only Finland food I ever ate is Karelian pasty it is a pastry with a rice filling, quite unusual but doable and edible.
All Scandinavian northern countries people are reserved. Pack a sleep mask that really blocks out light so home test it.
For Finnish food https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_cuisine
Look up Finland YouTube videos on all sorts of tourist things to do and see.
Hope you have a very good time travelling in Finland. And stay safe.
-What's the food like? How hard of a time will I have finding good food in cities above the Arctic Circle?
What do you consider good food? When you are looking for truffles, caviar or frog legs, I guess that it will be difficult to find these things in grocery stores above the Arctic Circle. I guess it's also quite difficult to find other good food like Mac&Cheese or easy cheese. And don't expect several aisles with sugared cereals and soft drinks.
It should be obvious that people in those areas are neither starving nor malnourished. Finland, Sweden and Norway aren't backward Third World countries, quite the opposite.
Quote:
-How hard is it to sleep when the sun is out?
Hmm? You are 18 years old and you have never slept in the daytime? Living in New York City - doesn't that mean to party until sunrise, and sleeping between 8am and 4pm?
You are overthinking it. Just relax and have a good time.
The only one of your concerns that cannot be overstated is the bears. Wear a protective suit made of kevlar and stiff plastic panels at all times. They are not expensive and can be found right in the airport upon landing. They are not expensive as the cost is subsidized by the government in the interest of public safety.
Some vendors will try to sell you a suit of chain armour. DO NOT fall for it. They are more expensive, too heavy to wear for extended periods of time, and while they are good against the bear's swiping attacks with their paws, if they get their jaws around you their teeth will easily penetrate the links. These days the chain armour is mostly considered for ceremonial use such as parades which make bears nervous anyway, so they tend to stay away.
You are overthinking it. Just relax and have a good time.
The only one of your concerns that cannot be overstated is the bears. Wear a protective suit made of kevlar and stiff plastic panels at all times. They are not expensive and can be found right in the airport upon landing. They are not expensive as the cost is subsidized by the government in the interest of public safety.
Some vendors will try to sell you a suit of chain armour. DO NOT fall for it. They are more expensive, too heavy to wear for extended periods of time, and while they are good against the bear's swiping attacks with their paws, if they get their jaws around you their teeth will easily penetrate the links. These days the chain armour is mostly considered for ceremonial use such as parades which make bears nervous anyway, so they tend to stay away.
Are you making jokes or do you mean it serious? I have never been to an area where bears were common. But I have read several articles about how to behave when encountering a bear. I have never read or heard about a protective suit against bears. It sounds odd to me. How many people in Finland, Sweden or Norway died or were injured in the last 100 years by bear attacks? I don't know but I would think that the number is so low that no one would think to wear a protective suit. Do such suits look like moon suits?
People are overstating the danger of bears. Bears will usually disappear before you even noticed them. In Alaska, more people are killed by dogs than by bears.
There are good information on the Alaskan state park website on bears: Bear Safety
Usually in Finland there is not much to worry about, there is good infrastructure, shopping and food options (if you prepare and do not expect a McD in the middle of nowhere).
First question--who is bankrolling this trip? Whoever is paying for it should have plenty of cash for food on the road trip, not to mention--gas money! Everything is more expensive in Scandinavia than in the US. Everything is more expensive in Scandinavia (oh, pardon me, gang--Fennoscandia!) than in the rest of Europe, in fact. The far north in any part of the world is super-expensive, including Alaska and Canada.
How friendly Finns are really depends on the Finn. I got lucky, I guess, when I was passing through there; I met some real characters who were a lot of fun. YMMV.
All those plans sound like a lot for just 2-1/2 weeks. BTW, there are glaciers on the Norwegian side that you can go inside of, or underneath.
Bears, and sleeping outside; IDK, kid, I"d research that if I were you. I made a similar trip with a friend from the Swedish side, but we didn't sleep outside. We had a Ford Taurus, so we could sleep in the back of it, with the back seat down, and didn't have to sleep outside. You might ask your friends if they have access to a car with a cargo area that you could all sleep in. OTOH, all those reindeerherders don't have a problem sleeping in tents outside, so maybe it's not a problem.
1)-I've heard that Finnish people come off as pretty cold to outsiders. Like, reserved and quiet kind of cold. Is this true? Coming from New York, I'm no stranger to asses; heck, I am one myself, but does this make being a tourist difficult?
2) -What's the food like? How hard of a time will I have finding good food in cities above the Arctic Circle?
3) -How should I dress? I understand it's warm there in the summer but when we're up in Lapland and far north Norway how cold will it get in July? Does the temperature even fluctuate at 'night,' because there isn't really going to be one due to the eternal sun?
4) -Should I worry about bears?
5) -How much money should I bring to help with gas for our trip? How much is public transit? Is there an equivalent of a cheap 'motel' in America in Lapland, or will we be dishing out some serious cash just to get a shower and some beds? Where are the best malls and shopping districts in Helsinki and Espoo?
6) -Any words I should learn? I've picked up Celsius and Kilometers / meters, but my friends have told me not to worry about the language because everyone speaks at least a little english, especially anyone working at a store or restaurant. Other than the curse words they've taught me of course, should I learn anything that's on signage or whatever?
7) -How hard is it to sleep when the sun is out?
8) -Places to avoid at night? Is there bad crime or places I don't want to be in any cities? I know it's probably nothing in comparison to what I'm used to but what should I look out for?
9) -Best art museums in Finland? I'd love to see what they have and how they differ from New York's museums.
And lastly, this one's a little weird but:
10) -Any cliff jumping recommendations? Want to introduce them to cliff jumping but haven't had much luck finding spots in Finland other than a sketchy looking abandoned quarry.
Do you guys have any advice to share with me on anything I'll be facing as an 18 year old on another continent? Is there anything that I should know that most people won't tell me? Places we absolutely MUST see? Things we absolutely MUST do? I know Scandinavia isn't exactly known for it's summers but I'm sure there's still plenty of cool stuff to do and try. Advice for a first time alone traveller? First time international traveller? Should I just play it off like I'm a Canadian or do Europeans like Americans, especially after all the recent racial and political tension that makes us look like fools?
Just want to play it safe and have a good time, figured this would be a good place to get some extra insight. I hope you guys could give me some pointers, in all honesty I'm not so sure I know what I'm doing, haha.
Thanks for any help, all is appreciated!
1) Yes, Finns appear cold on the outside, as we don't have the culture to intrude on strangers. But that doesn't necessarily mean we ARE cold. Finns are always happy to help a tourist unless very busy, as we are very paranoid about our image abroad, and want tourists to have a good time and tell good things about our country. Don't expect them to be interested in your life story, though.
The people in Lapland are especially friendly and helpful, as especially in winter outsider help in an emergency may save your life. The Laplanders have somewhat of a reputation of being dishonest though, so keep your guard in unofficial transactions involving money.
2) The food is ok. Fresh and healthy, but not very complicated or spicy. A lot of potatoes, sausages, meat and fish. The few grocery stores you'll find in Lapland are well equipped, and if you want to make tortillas for dinner, it's possible.
To find ANYTHING in Lapland is gonna be hard, and you should come well prepared. The Lapland Province is 39,000 sq mi (1/4 of the total land area) but with only 180k inhabitants of which 60k live in the Rovaniemi province capital region. Having a jerry can of extra gas is absolutely essential. Also having dry and canned food in stock is important. Don't even consider leaving without a car jack and fluids.
3) Summers are mild for the latitude. In mid July the daytime temps inland in Lapland are usually hovering around 70F, but may range from 50F to 90F. Though there isn't an actual night, the sun will not warm you during the 'night', and low temps may and will drop below 50F, only if for a couple of hours. To make it easy, think about April and May in NYC and dress accordingly.
The Norwegian north coast is significantly cooler in summer. A typical day will not rise much above 55F, it's also quite windy, albeit not rainy.
The weather in July in Southern Finland resemble typical September weather in NYC. Keep in mind that when strolling in Helsinki (not to mention Saint Petersburg) AC is not common, so don't wear too much clothes even if early morning might feel a bit chilly.
4) Bears won't be a problem for you. They are quite docile creatures compared to their North American and Polar relatives and will attack only if they are wounded or feel their cubs are in danger. Bears have an extraordinary sense of smell, and will smell your dirty underwear and leave before you even have gained a slightest hint that there's one in the vicinity.
If you have the luck (good or bad it depends) to stumble upon a bear stay calm. Avoid eye-contact with the creature, retreat slowly and calmy away but not by turning your back. The bear will realise you're not a threat and go on with his/her business.
5) A lot of money for gas. Gas is very expensive (€1.50 a litre) and the distances long. Public transit in the Helsinki region affordable. It's frequent, clean and safe. A 24h ticket is €9 for unlimited travel within Helsinki city limits, and €14 for the capital region.
July is high season in tourism in Lapland, so affordable lodging may require a bit of research. Your Finnish friends should look into it. The price range in motels and B&B is from 'affordable' to 'highway robbery'. If you want to have a quick shower to get rid of sweat, just jump in a nearby river or lake.
Stockmann shopping centre in Central Helsinki is legendary, but rather upscale. Kamppi mall + bus station might be worth a visit.
Sello in Espoo and Itis in the Eastern Suburbs of Helsinki are places worth checking out, both are among the largest malls in Northern Europe. But why travel across the Atlantic to go shopping is beyond me. The prices will also be a bit higher, especially for clothing.
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Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
First question--who is bankrolling this trip? Whoever is paying for it should have plenty of cash for food on the road trip, not to mention--gas money! Everything is more expensive in Scandinavia than in the US. Everything is more expensive in Scandinavia (oh, pardon me, gang--Fennoscandia!) than in the rest of Europe, in fact. The far north in any part of the world is super-expensive, including Alaska and Canada.
Which is partly a myth. Norway is indeed extremely pricey, and that reputation has contaminated Sweden and Finland too. In reality the price level is on par with other parts of Northern Europe like England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium. That being said, Finland is not a bang-for-buck country, but if you don't drive in taxis, frequent nightclubs, sleep at the most expensive hotels or eat out at the most expensive restaurants, you can get away quite affordably if you care to do any kind of research.
Lapland is heavily subsidised by the central government, so the price level is not much higher there than in the south. Definitely much much cheaper than Alaska or Yukon.
6) Words to learn: kiitos (thank you), moi, moro, terve (hi), päivää (good day. use when talking to an old person) moi-moi (bye bye), mitä kuuluu (how are you), anteeksi (excuse / pardon me) but informally you can use sori, which is obviously sorry. Olut (beer), vesi (water), kahvi (coffee), vittu (f-word), homo (gay), huora (prostitute).
The letter ä is pronounced as the 'a' in hat, fan, clam. The letter a is pronounced as the 'a' in start, dart, chicago.
7) Sleeping in light outside might be hard when not accustomed. You may want to buy eyepads to ensure darkness. Difficult to say, as it depends so much on the person.
8) Finland is a very safe country, also at night. Your Finnish friends will know where to go and where not to go. In Helsinki use common caution like anywhere in a larger city. The Central Railway Station area is best avoided by night alone as a tourist, and it's also a pickpocket hotspot. The Kaisaniemi Park behind the Railway Station should be avoided at all cost at dark. The Kamppi square outside the bus station attracts all kinds of lowlives, so best not to linger out there at night, but inside there's 24/7 security so it's perfectly safe.
Apart from these few rowdy zones it's all ok. Muggings and random violence is extremely rare, and though some suburbs may have a rough reputation, it's like kindergarten compared to the more worse areas of NYC. Street gangs and scammers are totally nonexistant.
9) Ateneum is a classical art museum and has extremely high quality. Kiasma is the modern art museum, The National History museum is a must-see for anyone interested in history. LUOMUS is the natural history and botanical museum, so your best chance to see a bear is there (stuffed, though). All museums are within a walking distance from the Central Railway Station.
If you want to see many museums and other attractions, buy this: Helsinki Card - Experience Helsinki with one card
NOTE(!) that July is the high holiday season domestically. The people flock away from the cities to their summer houses on the countryside, and some places you might want to visit might not be open, or with limited opening hours. Also note that Monday is the new Sunday. Most museums will be closed for cleaning and maintenance.
10) Sorry, cannot help you there. Would not recommend. Must suck to hike with a broken ankle.
Other hints and tips:
Spending some nights in a tent, that's a very good idea! You would miss half the experience without doing that. Just keep your food locked inside the car not to attract animals and don't be in plain sight of the highway you travelling on and you will be perfectly safe.
Tipping is not customary. The restaurant personnel have decent wages, so it's only a waste of your money
When in Helsinki, don't do like the tourists normally do. The core historical centre is flooded with Russian, Chinese and Japanese tourists who have way more money than you do, and the prices there are according to that. Eat, drink and sleep in places where locals do a bit away from the tourist hotspots.
The Police is your best friend. Police in Finland is highly professional and have a high work ethic, so never hesitate to ask an officer for directions or any help you might need. Security guards are on another hand a mixed lot. They are employed by private companies and might range from willingly ignorant to very helpful, but are usually quite friendly
If you want to have lunch on a budget, DIY. Supermarkets have often small bakeries, salad bars and snack sized items, including cutlery. Buy a baguette, some fillings and a smoothie, and you'll get away a lot cheaper
Fixed prices are fixed prices. Do not attempt to barter when the other person cannot affect the price anyway. However, when buying handicraft items or souvenirs in small independent businesses it's always worth a try. Sometimes it's possible, other times not
As an US citizen you're exempt from VAT except for groceries. Shops who have a lot of tourists as patrons are willing to revise the price if you mention it
For Lapland, buy a pack of water purification tablets. That way you don't have to stock up on gallons and gallons of water, just take water from a lake or a river and put at tablet in. The water sources in Lapland are among the cleanest on the planet, and is safe to drink even without purifying
Traffic may be aggressive at times. Do not count for a car to stop at a zebra-crossing even if legally he's obliged to. In big cities running red lights is very common, and on rural road speed limits are considered mostly a suggestion. In Helsinki watch out for bikes. Cyclists are every day fighting a war of survival of the fittest. If you stumble on a bike lane, someone might run over you and don't give a damn
Antiamericanism is not a thing in Finland (or Norway). The US-Finnish relations are good, and Americans are viewed quite positively. No need to pretend to be a Canadian
Never under any circumstances try to compare Finland with Russia. The historical relations are traumatic, and people have very strong feelings about the subject, and are generally proud that we have stood our ground against Russia and communism. Relations with Russia is probably better avoided alltogether
Finns are not mincing their words or opinions and are generally very well educated about the world, so if you want to get in a heatened debate regarding for example politics or Trump, you will be playing by our rules. That will include frank non-PC speech which might throw you off
Finally: MOSQUITOES! IDK if you have been in Minnesota or Canada, but the mosquito problem especially in Lapland is at least the double. Buy a lot of mosquito repellant, and consider wearing full protection like track pants, socks, long sleeves and a hat when hiking. + A mosquito net for the tent if it already doesn't have one. To call the mosquito problem a nuisance is a gross understatement
Traffic may be aggressive at times. Do not count for a car to stop at a zebra-crossing even if legally he's obliged to. In big cities running red lights is very common, and on rural road speed limits are considered mostly a suggestion. In Helsinki watch out for bikes. Cyclists are every day fighting a war of survival of the fittest. If you stumble on a bike lane, someone might run over you and don't give a damn
Finally: MOSQUITOES! IDK if you have been in Minnesota or Canada, but the mosquito problem especially in Lapland is at least the double. Buy a lot of mosquito repellant, and consider wearing full protection like track pants, socks, long sleeves and a hat when hiking. + A mosquito net for the tent if it already doesn't have one. To call the mosquito problem a nuisance is a gross understatement
I thought that with traffic fines being based on your annual income speeding does not occur much in Finland and all traffic laws are obeyed
I was surprised that mosquitoes can be a problem in such cold climates until I found out that they grew so big that it is considered the state bird of Alaska. At least it would not cause diseases like mosquitoes in India.
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