Related Finland Favorites Tips

Favorite thing:
I knew I was going to end up here, I just didn’t realise the rest of the story!

I was looking for a flight from England to Tallinn, Estonia. I was new to the internet, but a ridiculously low price came up with a telephone number to ring of a travel agent. Not only was it really that price, but on Finnair as well! I could not believe my luck. I gave my credit card details and a paper ticket arrived a few days later. It did not show a change of plane in Helsinki or any arrival time. It was a very vague ticket.

On the appointed day I arrived at Manchester Airport handed over my ticket and passport and received a single boarding pass. There was some vague discussion of re-checking in at Helsinki. Fair enough.

So I went for a beer in the bar before boarding the plane. Then as soon as the small, narrow plane took off – I was offered another beer. In fact, at that time, Finnair’s policy was “ask and you shall receive another cold one”. No hesitation, even got smiles.

So I am happily on my second (or third) beer when I felt the plane starting to descend! I hadn’t had anything close enough to override the fear factor. We were not even half-way to Helsinki!

I called the attendant/bar tender over and she said “we are landing in Norway” in a very matter of fact tone. “Why?” I asked with a tinge of concern. “Oh, we always stop here”. OK. I did say the ticket was vague.

So we land and guess what? This was my introduction to the “Schengen Area”. OK, the
‘Non-EU’ area of the Schengen Area. Yes, we had to get off the plane, go inside and get in a long queue. The queue to get our passports checked so we could get in a queue to get back on our plane. OK.

Take-off. Beer please!

So I am just settling in to another beer and LOVING Finnair when we start DESCENDING AGAIN!

BY now the beers are talking to me and thinking ‘it may just be a mechanical problem lets get a beer before the staff sit down or we crash’.

Beer please! Thanks. Why are we descending? OK, you always land here too.

So we get off and have to now enter the EU side of the Schengen Area! Yes, big queue to go through passports and big queue to return to the plane. Obviously Mr. Schengen was not on the Environmental Committee of the EU,

Take-off. 2 Beers please! In case we start descending.

2 beers arrive and we begin to descend.

Helsinki? Yes.

So what to do in Helsinki? Check in, get boarding pass, go get a beer.

So on to a small propeller plane. Can I get a beer? Sure!

I love Finnair!!!

I vaguely remember getting to my hotel riding with the most perverted taxi driver in Tallinn – but that’s another story.

I LOVE YOU FINNAIR !!!

Favorite thing: Check when it's possible to see northern lights:
http://aurora.fmi.fi/public_service/

You can even book an auroral probability alert:
http://aurora.fmi.fi/public_service/english/Revontulialertti.html

Favorite thing: The Finnish seem to have some problems with the number 0. Otherwise, I do not have any explanation why they use an unusual counting of floors. If in your country, the street levelo floor would be 0, then you might have a problem when you find yurself in a Fnnish building. In Finland, 1 is usually street level, the first floor 2 and the first floor underground –1. There is no 0! Keep that in mind before you get lost in a department store or wonder where your car is.

Favorite thing: http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/08/newsweek_finland_worlds_best_country_1907500.html?sendtofriend=true

Newsweek magazine has ranked living conditions in 100 countries around the world. In the magazine’s analysis, Finland was judged to be the best.

I think I can agree this most parts. But we jsut made fun of this with my customer, and talked about our weather. It was obious, there wasn´t comparison about the weathers. Last winter was so cold and so much snow, that it was way too much of both of them. And two yaears ago it was raining a lot in winter, and it was cold and wet and slippery-I don´t know witch one of theses two is worse if you ask me.

And sometimes summers are rainiy all the time. This year we have had a great hot summer, witch I have loved! But some people don´t.

Anyway, if the wetaher would be nicer, I agree, this is a great palce to live. Finns say, "It´s like winning in lottory, if you are born in Finland" :D

Favorite thing: The most common European emergency number 112 (following Directive 2002/22/EC: Universal Service Directive) and also standard on GSM mobile phones. 112 is used in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom in addition to their other emergency numbers.

Here are some useful phone numbers that you might need while in Finland:

Global number 112

Favorite thing: Below few words in Finnish that you can use while visiting Finland.

How do you do or Hello Hyvää päivää (literally: Good day)
How are you? Mitä kuuluu?
Hi Hei
Welcome = Tervetuloa
Nice to meet you = Hauska tavata
Good morning = Hyvää huomenta
Good evening = Hyvää iltaa
Good night = Hyvää yötä
Nice weather today = Kaunis ilma tänään
Excuse me or Sorry = Anteeksi
Goodbye = Näkemiin
Sorry, I don't speak Finnish = Anteeksi, en puhu suomea
Do you speak English? = Puhutteko englantia?
Could I have the menu please? = Saisinko ruokalistan?
Could I have the wine list please? = Saisinko viinilistan?
What is this? = Mitä tämä on?
How much does this cost? = Paljonko tämä maksaa?
Could I have a beer please? = Saisinko yhden oluen?
Some water please? = Saanko vettä?
Can I buy you a drink? = Saanko tarjota sinulle drinkin?
Can I call you tomorrow? = Saanko soittaa sinulle huomenna?
Could I have a cup of coffee please? = Saisinko kupin kahvia?
Can I have the bill please? = Saanko laskun?
Excuse me, do you know where the youth hostel is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on retkeilymaja?
Excuse me, do you know where the post office is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on posti?
Excuse me, do you know where the railway station is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on rautatieasema?
Excuse me, do you know where the harbour is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on satama?
Excuse me, do you know where I can find a pharmacy? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on apteekki?
Excuse me, do you know where the nearest bank is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on lähin pankki?
Straight ahead = Suoraan eteenpäin
To the left = Vasemmalle
To the right = Oikealle
Excuse me, do you know where the taxi rank is please? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on taksi-asema?
Excuse me, do you know where the stadium is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on stadion?
Excuse me, could you tell me the time? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö mitä kello on?
Excuse me, I'm lost = Anteeksi, olen eksynyt
Thank you = Kiitos

Favorite thing: Mariehamn is the capital of Åland. Its town center is compartively small consisting of just a few streets. Yan can wander around the town center in just a couple of hours. Nevertheless there are numerous shops, hotels and restaurants to do your shopping, resting or to chill out! Mariehamn has a population of just around 25,000 inhabitants. Although Åland is part of Finland, majority of the population (estimated to be around 80%) speak Swedish. Thus Swedish is their main language.

Among the popular tourist attractions in and around Mariehamn are Åland Museum, Åland Art Museum, Åland Maritime Museum, St. Göran Church, Merchants House and Museum Ship Pommern. However if you hire a car, you can drive to Eckerö which is situated approximately 30 kilometers north of Mariehamn. The area has some beautiful landscapes. You may also visit other tourist attractions such as Kastelholm Castle and Bommarsund Museum in other parts of Åland.

Favorite thing: It seems that this is very often asked at the forum,so I´ll put this here,too.
So,how to get to Rovaniemi from Helsinki,and what it costs?
Here is the link to VR page.There should be allready picked one example to Rovaniemi:
http://service.vr.fi/ticket/langSelect.do
Only traincompany is VR.If the link didn´t work try this:
http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html
Distance is 830km.Train takes about 7 hours,if you choose IC witch is fastest.Bus might be cheaper,but very slowly-I wouldn´t recommend it to this long trip.Allthough buses are nice,but it is so long way and many stops.Train-ticket seemed to be 81e with return.I´m not sure if there is any discounts with international student-card if you have one.With Finnish student-card it was half the price when I was a student.
Many Finns say,that Rovaniemi isn´t Lapland yet,Lapland is norher.

http://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/VisitRovaniemi/In_English/

Fondest memory: Rovaniemi is a nice town.We just talked with one of my friends,that if you ask us,We wouldn´t spend so many hours by travelling there from Helsinki,if you have only some days in Finland.But if you must see"real Santa",(sorry Swedish people ;) )then go,and check first what there is to offer at the time of your travel.
And if you have many days to spend,of course,go!
It all depends a lot about what your intrests are!
When I clicked zoo,it is at Ranua,near here.