Practical Information for visiting Finland

Finland uses the euro, adopted in 1999 — the only Nordic country to do so.

The country is close to cashless. Cards and contactless work everywhere, including buses, market stalls, taxis and wilderness cafes, and many places no longer take cash at all. A foreign card is all a visitor needs.

ATMs — branded Otto — are in towns and scarce in the north, so draw before a long trip into Lapland if you want cash at all.

Alcohol above 5.5 per cent is sold only in state Alko shops, which close early and on Sundays; supermarkets sell beer and cider up to that strength until nine in the evening.

Tipping is not expected. Service is included, wages are proper, and rounding up is the most anyone does.

Finland has excellent connectivity and was the first country to declare broadband access a legal right. Coverage for mobile networks is strong from Elisa, Telia and DNA, including across most of Lapland and the national parks, though remote fells and deep forest have dead spots.

Data plans are famously generous — unlimited data is the norm rather than a premium — and prepaid SIMs are cheap from any R-kioski.

EU and EEA roaming applies at domestic rates.

Wi-Fi is free and fast in hotels, cafes, libraries, trains and long-distance buses, and Finnish public libraries are exceptional and open to anyone.

In winter, cold drains phone batteries very fast — keep it inside your jacket and carry a power bank, particularly on an aurora night.

Finland regularly ranks among the safest countries in the world, and crime affecting visitors is minimal. The dangers here are environmental.

• Cold. Frostbite and hypothermia are the real risk, and −25°C with wind is dangerous to exposed skin within minutes. Dress in layers with a windproof outer, cover extremities, and do not rely on a phone that has died in the cold.
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• Ice. Never walk or drive on lake or sea ice without local advice; thickness varies and outflows stay thin. Pavements in cities are genuinely treacherous — ice grips for your shoes are sold everywhere and are worth buying.
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• Driving in winter: black ice, short daylight, and elk and reindeer on the road. Reindeer move in groups; if one crosses, more will follow.
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• Wilderness: distances are large, signal is patchy, and a twisted ankle far from a road is serious. Tell someone your route.
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• Ticks in the south and the archipelago carry encephalitis and Lyme disease.
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• Mosquitoes in Lapland in midsummer are relentless rather than dangerous.

Healthcare is excellent. EU and EEA visitors are covered by the European Health Insurance Card for public treatment; everyone else needs insurance, as costs are high.

Vaccinations: routine cover. Tick-borne encephalitis is endemic in parts of the south-west, the archipelago and Aland, and is worth vaccinating against for a summer spent outdoors; Lyme disease is present too.

Cold injury is the most likely problem in winter — learn to recognise the white, numb patches of early frostbite on cheeks, nose and fingers, and warm them gradually rather than rubbing.

Sauna is safe for most people but dehydrates; avoid alcohol before it, leave when you have had enough rather than competing, and be careful with the plunge into cold water if you have a heart condition.

Tap water is among the cleanest in the world.

Berries and mushrooms may be picked freely, but several Finnish mushrooms are dangerous; do not eat anything you cannot identify.

Remove your shoes entering any Finnish home, without exception.

Silence is comfortable. Do not fill pauses, and keep your voice down in public — on trains and buses people are quiet.

Punctuality is expected precisely.

Sauna etiquette: wash before entering, go naked unless told otherwise (mixed public saunas may ask for a swimsuit), sit on a towel, ask before throwing water on the stones, and do not treat it as a place to be loud.

Everyman’s right allows access but not fires, damage or camping within sight of a house.

Alcohol: drink-driving limits are low and enforced hard.

Sami culture: ask before photographing people in traditional dress, and do not buy “Sami” crafts without the Sami Duodji mark.

Queue properly, often by number ticket.

Emergency number: 112 for police, ambulance, fire and sea and mountain rescue, with English-speaking operators. The official 112 Suomi app transmits your exact location and is genuinely worth installing before going into the wilderness.

Medical. Public health centres handle urgent care; carry your EHIC or insurance. Private clinics such as Mehilainen and Terveystalo are quick and charge accordingly.

In the wilderness, the national parks have free open autiotupa huts stocked with firewood, which are genuine shelter in bad weather. Register your route with your accommodation before a long walk or ski.

Road incidents with a reindeer or elk must be reported to 112 — it is a legal obligation, and the herders need to know.

Embassies are in Helsinki.