Changes

'''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]].

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 stationsstation hitchhiking|petrol stations]]. The cars cannot stop in crossing areas, and some drivers not obeying who disobeyed this rule and taking picked up hitchhikers on board have been fined.

==Safety = Cities ===* [[Espoo]]* [[Hämeenlinna]]* [[Helsinki]]* [[Joensuu]]* [[Jyväskylä]]* [[Kuopio]]* [[Lahti]]* [[Oulu]]* [[Pori]]* [[Seinäjoki]]* [[Tampere]]* [[Turku]]Hitchhiking is quite safe in Finland. As always, common sense is your friend.

=== Other areas =Culture ==* [[Lapland]] == Border crossing == There are no border checkpoints between Finland, Sweden and Norway. You can cross these borders without stopping.  * [[Torfyanovka-Valimaa border crossing]] with [[Russia]]* [[Brusnichnoe-Nuijamaa border crossing]] with [[Russia]] [[File:Washing car window Hitchhiking used to be popular in the North of Finland.JPG|thumb|240px|Hitchhiker [[User:guaka|guaka]] washing away mosquito corpses]] === From/to Sweden === Ferries to Stockholm go from [[Helsinki]] 70's and [[Turku]]. The latter is considerably cheaper. Both ferries also stop in [[Maarianhamina]] ([[Ahvenanmaa]])80's, or [[Mariehamn]] and many drivers will tell the hitchhiker([[Åland]]s), as its Swedish-speaking population calls it. The two companies which run ferries between Finland and Sweden are [http://www.vikingline.fi they''Viking Line''] and [http://wwwve hitched themselves back in their days.silja.com ''Silja Line'']. Both of the companies Nowadays this practice is rather rare among Finns, but there are focused on bringing the customers a cruise-experiencealways some, and are bound to be tackyespecially in summer time around music festivals. ''Viking Line'' sells cheaper tickets without a cabin, too, which would Hitching in Finland might be rather useless on difficult during the daytime trips between [[Turkuwinter]] and [[Stockholm]] anyway. As time because lack of August 2009, a morning ferry from Stockholm to Turku costs 15 euros, and Stockholm-Helsinki - 55 euros (both without a cabin, although prices vary according to season.  ''Silja Line'' is the posher of the two, and thus more expensivedaylight. It's still tacky, though. The ''Viking Line'' cruise ships have free tourist maps of Turku at their information desks on board. Be aware, though, that if you take a daytime cruise (which is about half the price), weather differences in Finland seem to effect greatly how well people pick you will arrive in Turku at nightup. During the autumn, winter and early spring that means no daylight which is no Sunny weather might help for hitchhiking. In winter nights, extremely cold temperatures might occur as well.  === From/to Estonia ===[[File:Erga-and-you a-friendly-finnish-man.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Erga and a friendly Finnish driver]]There is no land connection between Finland great deal because it makes people more happy and [[Estonia]]. There are several daily boats from Helsinki to [[Tallinn]]. It takes usually 1open-3 hours, costs about 20 euros (the cheapest one, without a cabin)minded. Links:

* [http://wwwHitchhiking seems to get easier the more North you go in Finland, because towns get smaller and people feel more open to help others.tallinksilja.com/fi/trips/routeTrips/ ''Tallink & Silja Line'']However, ferries to Estonia (only the highways are better in Finnish/Swedish)* [http://www.vikingline.fi/index.asp?lang=en ''Viking Line''] * [http://www.eckeroline.fi/en/default.aspx ''Eckerö Line'']* [http://www.lindaliinithe South and there is more traffic.ee/ ''Linda Line'']

====Useful Finnish expressions for hitchhikers:====

* Thank you very much = '''Kiitospaljon'''

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

== Sleeping == * [[File:Erga-camping-in-finland.jpgfi:Etusivu|thumb|250px|right|[[CampingFinnish Hitchwiki]] is legal almost anywhere in Finland, just stay slightly out of sight and you can even camp next to * IRC Channel [[motorwaysLiftari @ IRCnet]]* [https://www.facebook.]com/groups/liftarit/ Finnish hitchhikers FB group] Like the other Nordic countries, Finland has everyman* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/kjokisal/liftaus/ Hitchhiker's right (''jokamiehenoikeus'') meaning that it is allowed guide to camp on any land provided that you stay Europe] − a few hundred metres from houses, do not start hitchhiking site by a fire, and do not more than one night Finn* [http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/ssmoland/peukalo/ Liftausvinkkejä] − hitchhiking tips in any given placeFinnish* [http://laavu. While everyman's right technically doesn't apply inside org/ List of towns and cities, there is usually no problem Laavus] − a site with camping all the Laavus (hiking shelters) in isolated areas of parks -Finland. [http://laavu.org/lataa.php?paikkakunta=kaikki/ Download] the gpx- even if police see you, they are more concerned with gypsies than with backpackersfile.

== Culture Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==