Changes

|language = Finnish, Swedish; recognised regional languages: Sami

|currency = Euro ( € )|hitch = {{good}}<rating country='fi' />|BW = FI|map = <map lat='64.8' lng='25.9' zoom='4' view='0' width='300' height='350' country='Finland'/>

'''Finland''' is a part of the Northern [[Europe]], and one of the Nordic Countriescountries. It is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. Its neighbouring countries are [[Sweden]], [[Norway]] and [[Russia]], but possibly the most probable transit country on your way hitchhiking there from Southern Europe is [[Estonia]]. Most people use this way, called as the [[E67|Via Baltica]] ([[E67]]) road connects Finland with [[Prague]] via the Baltic States and [[Poland]].

=== Cities ===* [[Jyväskylä]]It is illegal to hitchhike directly on motorways (''moottoritie'') and some two-land expressways roads (''moottoriliikennetie'') in Finland. You can recognize these from the green signs. On these roads, you can hitch from on-ramps (which often have bus stops that drivers will stop at) and [[Joensuu]]* [[Kuopio]]* [[Lappi]]* [[Helsinki]]* [[Oulu]]* [[Tamperepetrol station hitchhiking|petrol stations]]. The cars cannot stop in crossing areas, [[Turku]]and some drivers who disobeyed this rule and picked up hitchhikers have been fined.

== Crossing Borders ==Nothing special about In the Finnish borderssouth, it is a good idea to avoid motorways and opt for smaller local roads. Apart from the Russian borderThough there is less traffic, there is more room for cars to stop. Finnish drivers will only stop where they exist only on the mapfeel it is safe, not in realityso try to thumb at bus stops. Since the dawn __TOC__*I disagree with most of time has there been very liberal co-operation between the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian bordersabove. Finland signed See the [[Schengen Agreementhttp://hitchwiki.org/en/Talk:Finland Talk-page]], but .--[[AhvenanmaaUser:Astikain|Astikain]] where the ferries to [[Stockholm]] stop supposedly isn't14:40, so the border-control can use that as an excuse to go through your property.6 September 2012 (CEST)

=== From/to Sweden Regions ===Ferries to [[StockholmFile:Finland european roads.png|thumb|250px|Finnish motorways (blue) with their European numbers and national roads (red and yellow)]] go from [[Helsinki]] File:Erga-and [[Turku]]-a-friendly-finnish-man. The latter being closer is considerably cheaper. Both ferries also stop in [[Maarianhaminajpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Erga and a friendly Finnish driver]] in [[Ahvenanmaa]], or [[Mariehamn]] File:Erga-camping-in [[Åland]] as the swedish-speaking population there tend to call itfinland. The two companies running ferries between Finland and Sweden are jpg|thumb|250px|right|Find info on camping on [[http://Www.vikingline.fi Viking Linenomad:Finland|Nomadwiki] and [http://www.silja.com Silja Line]. Both of the companies concentrate on bringing the customers a cruise-experience, and are bound to be tacky. At least Viking Line sells simple tickets without a cabin, which would be rather useless on the daytime trips between [[Turku]] and * [[StockholmLapland]] anyway. A ferry from Stockholm to Turku costs about 25 euros and Stockholm-Helsinki 55 euros (both without a cabin).

Silja Line == Safety ==Hitchhiking is the poshier of the two, and thus more expensivequite safe in Finland. It's still tackyAs always, thoughcommon sense is your friend.

The Viking Line cruise ships have free tourist maps of Turku at == Culture ==Hitchhiking used to be popular in the 70's and 80's, and many drivers will tell the hitchhiker(s) they've hitched themselves back in their information desks onboarddays. Be warned that if you take a daytime cruise (which Nowadays this practice is about half the price)rather rare among Finns, but there are always some, you will arrive especially in Turku at nightsummer time around music festivals. In Hitching in Finland might be difficult during the Fall, Winter, and early Spring, that means no [[winter]] time because lack of daylight for hitchhiking, . The weather differences in Finland seem to effect greatly how well people pick you up. Sunny weather might help you a great deal because it makes people more happy and possibly extremely cold temperatures, as wellopen-minded.

It isn't Hitchhiking seems to say the archipelagoes of Stockholm or Turku don't make a nice scenery. On the ferries there's a constant attempt to lure people to buy as much tax-free booze and other stupid things as much as allowed by get easier the regulations. It really isn't much more affordable than at land especially since the regulations for importing from [[Estonia]], which they won't tell North you of course. So, do bring a book. Usually there's free Playstation or XBox games at the kids-section to spend the time, plus usually some other backpackers or other such to chat with. You can also try to spot a small islands severely damaged by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Cormorant great cormorants] a few hours off [[Stockholm]]. Then there's the Swedish [http://www.birka.se Birka Cruises], whose product is apparently closer to a more proper cruise. === From/to Estonia ===There is no land-connection between go in Finland and [[Estonia]]. There are several daily boats from Helsinki to Tallinn. === From/to Norway === === From/to [[Russia]] ==='''Note'''* There is no walking on any of existing crossing points.* Crossing ''Vaalimaa–Torfianovka'' border post via cycling was permitted at least in 2006 and, most probably, still permitted* Russian visa is not issued on the border The most important crossings to Russia ([[St. Petersburg]] region) are ''Vaalimaa–Torfianovka'' one the road [[E18]]/7 Helsinki-St-Petersburg because towns get smaller and ''Nuijamaa–Brusnichnoe'' near [[Lappeenranta]]. The first one is always animated, people feel more open 7 days a week and 24 hours a dayto help others. There's lots of through traffic as well as lots of locals from both sides of the borderHowever, with Russians coming to buy goods, Finnish people going to the other side to buy alcohol, cigarettes and fuel and all sort of traffickers. On Finnish side they highways are crowding on better in the first gas station, just before the customs zone. You can alternate asking drivers on the parking and those queueing to the terminal. A ride to [[Torfianovka]] is enough – there's lots of transport going to [[Vyborg]] South and [[St. Petersburg]] from there, that doesn't necessarily cross the border to the Finnish side. No use trying to get into Russia with trucks – freight terminal is separate, and sometimes you wait hours, sometimes days. Russia–Finland seems to be faster. To get back from [[Russia]] to Finland the best way is to ask on the parking of one of the supermarkets around. The other one is on the road '''13''' going south from [[Lappeenranta]] and bypassing the village of Niirala on the north. There is less more traffic here, but the route is more scenic, going along the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saimaa_canal Saimaa canal] (Russian: ''Сайменский канал''; Finnish: ''Saimaan kanava'') Next crossing point north from there is ''Niirala-Värtsilä'', on the road 70 south of [[Joensuu]]. The trafic is low, from there a road goes to [[Sortavala]], from where it is possible to reach [[St. Petersburg]] by the south shore of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ladoga lake Ladoga], with a portion of unpaved road, or [[Petrozavodsk]] via north shore.<!-- see infobox== Money ==Finland is a part of the [[EU]] and the currency used is Euro.-->

The language most people in Finland speak is Finnish, which isn't a Scandinavian language. The country is officially bilingual, as there is a large Swedish-speaking minorityon the west coast of Finland. Anyhow, most of the Most people speak at least some Englishtoo, so most of the international foreign hitchhikers won't have big language communication problems in Finland.Though you might encounter some old people who don't speak English. In this case it's good to know some Swedish (which is useful all over Scandinavia).

=== Useful expressions for hitchhikers ===* Hello = Moi* Hitchhiking = Liftaaminen* To Hitchhike = Liftata * A Ride = Kyyti* Thank You = Kiitos* Where are Some older people, however, might have no English language knowledge at all, so you driving to? = Minne ajat?might as well learn some basic Finnish phrases. Note, that with a knowledge of Swedish, however, you can come pretty far (it is useful all over Scandinavia).

== Safety ==Hitchhiking is quite safe in Finland indeed. As always, common sense is your friend. Useful Finnish expressions for hitchhikers== Legal matters for hitchhikers ==Hitchhiking is legal in Finland. Anyhow, there are some places where it is illegal for the cars to stop and some places where it* Hello = '''Terve'''s illegal for pedestrians to stand. Both of these make hitchhiking de facto illegal in these places.  Hitching and stopping at the motorways is forbidden, I recommend hitching onramps (sometimes there might be even a bus stop) * Hi = '''Moi''' ''or gas stations. Secondly the cars drive so fast that is hard for them to notice the hitch hiker soon enough and to stop. But on the other hand, there are not that many motorways in Finland.'' '''Hei'''* Hitchhiking = '''Liftaaminen'''* To hitchhike ='''Liftata''' * A ride = Highways '''Kyyti'''* Thank you very much ==It is illegal to hitchhike on the highways (called "moottoritie") and some motorways ("moottoriliikennetie") in Finland. You can recognize these from the green signs.'''Kiitos paljon''' The cars can not stop in crossing areas, and some cars not obeying this rule and taking hitchhikers on board * Where are know you driving to be fined. Hitching is illegal in Finland on the motorways and two lane expressways. On any other highway you can legally hitch. On motorways you can also legally use the on-ramps as well as the gas stations.This is the same with most countries in Europe and most states of USA.? = '''Minne ajat?'''* I don't speak Finnish == Culture ==Hitchhiking used to be popular in the 70's and 80's, and a considerable amount of the rides will tell the hitchkiker(s) they've hitched themselves back in the day. Nowadays itEn puhu suomea'''s quite rare among Finns, but of course there are some European backpackers, often heading to [[Lappi]], [[Lapland]].

{{nomadwiki}}* [http[:fi://www.liftari.org Etusivu|Finnish hitchhiker's clubHitchwiki]]* IRC Channel [[Liftari @ IRCnet]] The site is mostly in Finnish but there is an English section in the * [httphttps://www.liftarifacebook.orgcom/groups/liftarit/forum forumFinnish hitchhikers FB group]* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/kjokisal/liftaus/ Hitchhiker's guide to Europe] A Hitchhiking − a hitchhiking site by a Finn* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/ssmoland/peukalo/ Liftausvinkkejä] Hitchhiking − hitchhiking tips in Finnish* [http://laavu.org/ List of Laavus] − a site with all the Laavus (hiking shelters) in Finland. [http://laavu.org/lataa.php?paikkakunta=kaikki/ Download] the gpx-file.{{wikipedia-link}}