Difference between revisions of "Finland"

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'''Finland''' is a part of the Northern [[Europe]], one of the Nordic
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{{infobox Country
Countries. It's neighboring countries are [[Sweden]], [[Norway]] and
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|country = of Finland
[[Russia]], but possibly the most probable transit country on your
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|language = Finnish, Swedish; recognised regional languages: Sami
way hitchhiking there is [[Estonia]].
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|capital = [[Helsinki]]
 +
|pop = 5,301,701
 +
|currency = Euro (€)
 +
|hitch = <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 countries. It is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. Its neighbouring countries are [[Sweden]], [[Norway]] and [[Russia]], but the most probable transit country on your way hitchhiking there from Southern Europe is [[Estonia]] as the [[E67|Via Baltica]] ([[E67]]) road connects Finland with [[Prague]] via the Baltic States and [[Poland]].
  
==Arriving and leaving the country==
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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 [[petrol station hitchhiking|petrol stations]]. The cars cannot stop in crossing areas, and some drivers who disobeyed this rule and picked up hitchhikers have been fined.
  
Here would be the tips how to get to the country. Probably most of the
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In the south, it is a good idea to avoid motorways and opt for smaller local roads. Though there is less traffic, there is more room for cars to stop. Finnish drivers will only stop where they feel it is safe, so try to thumb at bus stops.
people coming and leaving Finland by [[thumb]] use the [[Via Baltica]]
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__TOC__
through [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]] and [[Lithuania]] towards [[Poland]].
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*I disagree with most of the above. See the [http://hitchwiki.org/en/Talk:Finland Talk-page].--[[User:Astikain|Astikain]] 14:40, 6 September 2012 (CEST)
  
==About crossing borders==
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=== Regions ===
Nothing special about the Finnish borders. Apart from the Russian border, they just exist on the map
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[[File:Finland european roads.png|thumb|250px|Finnish motorways (blue) with their European numbers and national roads (red and yellow)]]
anyway, and not in reality. Since the dawn of time has there been
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[[File:Erga-and-a-friendly-finnish-man.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Erga and a friendly Finnish driver]]
very liberal co-operation between the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian
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[[File:Erga-camping-in-finland.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Find info on camping on [[:nomad:Finland|Nomadwiki]]]]
borders.
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* [[Lapland]]
  
Finland is in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_treaty Schengen treaty], but [[Ahvenanmaa]] where the ferries to
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== Safety ==
[[Stockholm]] stop supposedly isn't, so the border-control can use
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Hitchhiking is quite safe in Finland. As always, common sense is your friend.
that as an excuse to go through your property.  They won't though, but
 
one busload of anti-EU protesters encountered this issue in 2003 when
 
traveling from Helsinki to an EU summit held in [[Gothenborg]].
 
  
===From/to Sweden===
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== 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 days. Nowadays this practice is rather rare among Finns, but there are always some, especially in summer time around music festivals. Hitching in Finland might be difficult during the [[winter]] time because lack of daylight. 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 open-minded.
  
Ferries to [[Stockholm]] go from [[Helsinki]] and [[Turku]].  The
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Hitchhiking seems to get easier the more North you go in Finland, because towns get smaller and people feel more open to help others. However, the highways are better in the South and there is more traffic.
latter being closer is considerably cheaper.  Both ferries also stop
 
in [[Maarianhamina]] in [[Ahvenanmaa]], or [[Mariehamn]] in [[Åland]]
 
as the swedish-speaking population there tend to call it.  The two
 
companies running ferries between Finland and Sweden are
 
[http://Www.vikingline.fi Viking Line] 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 [[Stockholm]] anyway.
 
  
Silja Line is the poshier of the two, and thus more expensive.  It's still tacky, though.
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== Language ==
 +
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 minority on the west coast of Finland. Most people speak English too, so most of the foreign hitchhikers won't have communication problems in Finland.
  
It isn't to say the archipelagoes of Stockholm or Turku don't make a
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Some older people, however, might have no English language knowledge at all, so you 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).
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 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 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
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====Useful Finnish expressions for hitchhikers====
product is apparently closer to a more proper cruise.
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* Hello = '''Terve'''
 +
* Hi = '''Moi''' ''or'' '''Hei'''
 +
* Hitchhiking = '''Liftaaminen'''
 +
* To hitchhike = '''Liftata'''
 +
* A ride = '''Kyyti'''
 +
* Thank you very much = '''Kiitos paljon'''
 +
* Where are you driving to? = '''Minne ajat?'''
 +
* I don't speak Finnish = '''En puhu suomea'''
  
===From/to Estonia===
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== Links ==
 +
{{nomadwiki}}
 +
* [[:fi:Etusivu|Finnish Hitchwiki]]
 +
* IRC Channel [[Liftari @ IRCnet]]
 +
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/liftarit/ Finnish hitchhikers FB group]
 +
* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/kjokisal/liftaus/ Hitchhiker's guide to Europe] − a hitchhiking site by a Finn
 +
* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/ssmoland/peukalo/ Liftausvinkkejä] − hitchhiking tips in Finnish
 +
{{wikipedia-link}}
  
There is no land-connection between Finland and [[Estonia]]. There are
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{{Cities Finland}}
several daily boats from Helsinki to Tallinn.
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{{Template:Europe/countries}}
 +
{{IsIn|Scandinavia}}
  
===From/to Norway===
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[[Category:Finland| ]]
 +
[[Category:Northern Europe]]
  
===From/to Russia===
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[[de:Finnland]]
 
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[[fi:Suomi]]
 
 
==Where to stay?==
 
 
 
==Money==
 
Finland is a part of the [[EU]] and the currency used is Euro.
 
 
 
==Language==
 
 
 
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 minority. Anyhow, most of the people speak
 
at least some [[English language | English]], so most of the
 
international hitchhikers won't have big language problems in Finland.
 
 
 
===Useful expressions for hitchhikers===
 
 
 
* Hello = Moi
 
* Hitchhiking = Liftaaminen
 
* To Hitchhike = Liftata
 
* A Ride = Kyyti
 
* Thank You = Kiitos
 
 
 
==Safety==
 
 
 
Hitchhiking is quite safe in Finland indeed.  As always, common sense
 
is your friend.
 
 
 
==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's illegal
 
for pedestarians to stand. Both of these make hitchhiking de facto
 
illegal in these places.
 
 
 
==Highways==
 
 
 
It is illegal to hitchhike on the highways (called "moottoritie") and
 
some motorways ("moottoriliikennetie") in Finland. You can recognize
 
these from the green signs.
 
 
 
The cars can not stop in crossing areas, and some cars not obeying
 
this rule and taking hitchhikers on board are know 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.
 
 
 
==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 it's quite rare among
 
Finns, but of course there are some European backpackers, often
 
heading to [[Lappi]], [[Lapland]].
 
 
 
==Places to see==
 
 
 
Cities of [[Helsinki]], [[Tampere]], [[Turku]], [[Jyväskylä]],
 
[[Joensuu]], [[Oulu]].  [[Lapland]], [[Lappi]] in is the area spanning
 
northern Finland, Sweden, Norway and also Russia, depending how you
 
look at it.
 
 
 
==External links==
 
 
 
*[http://www.liftari.org Finnish hitchhiker's club] The site is mostly in Finnish but there is an english section in the [http://www.liftari.org/forum forum]
 
 
 
*[http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/kjokisal/liftaus/ Hitchhiker's guide to Europe] A Hitchhiking site by a Finn
 
 
 
*[http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/ssmoland/peukalo/ Liftausvinkkejä] Hitchhiking tips in Finnish
 
 
 
[[Category:Europe]]
 

Revision as of 22:33, 4 October 2017

Flag of Finland Finland
Information
Language: Finnish, Swedish; recognised regional languages: Sami
Capital: Helsinki
Population: 5,301,701
Currency: Euro (€)
Hitchability: <rating country='fi' />
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots or BeWelcome
<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 countries. It is a member state of the European Union as well as the Schengen Agreement. Its neighbouring countries are Sweden, Norway and Russia, but the most probable transit country on your way hitchhiking there from Southern Europe is Estonia as the Via Baltica (E67) road connects Finland with Prague via the Baltic States and Poland.

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 petrol stations. The cars cannot stop in crossing areas, and some drivers who disobeyed this rule and picked up hitchhikers have been fined.

In the south, it is a good idea to avoid motorways and opt for smaller local roads. Though there is less traffic, there is more room for cars to stop. Finnish drivers will only stop where they feel it is safe, so try to thumb at bus stops.

  • I disagree with most of the above. See the Talk-page.--Astikain 14:40, 6 September 2012 (CEST)

Regions

Finnish motorways (blue) with their European numbers and national roads (red and yellow)
Hitchhiker Erga and a friendly Finnish driver
Find info on camping on Nomadwiki

Safety

Hitchhiking is quite safe in Finland. As always, common sense is your friend.

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 days. Nowadays this practice is rather rare among Finns, but there are always some, especially in summer time around music festivals. Hitching in Finland might be difficult during the winter time because lack of daylight. 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 open-minded.

Hitchhiking seems to get easier the more North you go in Finland, because towns get smaller and people feel more open to help others. However, the highways are better in the South and there is more traffic.

Language

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 minority on the west coast of Finland. Most people speak English too, so most of the foreign hitchhikers won't have communication problems in Finland.

Some older people, however, might have no English language knowledge at all, so you 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).

Useful Finnish expressions for hitchhikers

  • Hello = Terve
  • Hi = Moi or Hei
  • Hitchhiking = Liftaaminen
  • To hitchhike = Liftata
  • A ride = Kyyti
  • Thank you very much = Kiitos paljon
  • Where are you driving to? = Minne ajat?
  • I don't speak Finnish = En puhu suomea

Links

Check Nomadwiki for info on accommodation, showers etc. or Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)

WikipediaW.png Wikipedia has additional encyclopedic information on Finland


Finnish cities with more than 20.000 inhabitants

> 500.000: Helsinki

100.000-500.000: TampereEspooVantaaTurkuJyväskyläOuluLahtiKuopio

50.000-100.000: PoriSeinäjokiHämeenlinnaRovaniemiVaasaLappeenrantaKouvolaKotkaSalo

20.000-50.000: MikkeliPorvooKokkolaHyvinkääNurmijärviLohjaRaumaJärvenpääKajaaniTuusulaKirkkonummiKeravaNokiaKaarinaYlöjärviKangasalaRaseborgRiihimäkiImatraVihtiSavonlinnaSastamalaRaisioVarkausJämsäKemiRaaheTornioIisalmiHollolaHaminaSiilinjärviValkeakoskiLempääläÄänekoskiHeinolaMäntsälä