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Finland
,{{infobox Country
|country = of Finland
|language = Finnish, Swedish; recognised regional languages: Sami
|capital = [[Helsinki]]
|pop = 5,301,701
|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. It's called as the [[E67|Via Baltica]] - road ([[E67]] between [[Helsinki]], ) road connects Finland and with [[Prague]], via the Baltic States and [[Czech RepublicPoland]].
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.__TOC__*I disagree with most of the above. See the [[Imagehttp://hitchwiki.org/en/Talk:ErgaFinland Talk-campingpage].-in-finland.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[CampingUser:Astikain|Astikain]] is legal almost anywhere in Finland14:40, just stay slightly out of sight and you can even camp next to [[highways]].]]6 September 2012 (CEST)
=== Cities Regions ===* [[Jyväskylä]], [[JoensuuFile:Finland european roads.png|thumb|250px|Finnish motorways (blue) with their European numbers and national roads (red and yellow)]]* [[KuopioFile:Erga-and-a-friendly-finnish-man.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Erga and a friendly Finnish driver]]* [[Lahti]]* File:Erga-camping-in-finland.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Find info on camping on [[Helsinki:nomad:Finland|Nomadwiki]], [[Hämeenlinna]]* [[Oulu]]* [[Pori]]* [[Seinäjoki]]* [[Tampere]], [[Turku]] ===Other areas===
* [[Lapland]]
== Crossing Borders Safety ==Nothing special about the Finnish borders. Apart from the Russian border, they exist only on the map, not Hitchhiking is quite safe in reality. Since the dawn of time has there been very liberal co-operation between the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian bordersFinland. Finland signed the [[Schengen Agreement]], but [[Ahvenanmaa]] where the ferries to [[Stockholm]] stop supposedly isn'tAs always, so the border-control can use that as an excuse to go through common sense is your propertyfriend.
== 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 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 = Terve* Hi = Moi ''or'' Hei* Hitchhiking = Liftaaminen* To Hitchhike = Liftata * A Ride = Kyyti* Thank You = Kiitos* Where are you driving to? = Minne ajat? == 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 pedestrians to stand. Both of these make hitchhiking de facto illegal in these places. == Highways ==[[Image:Finnish_motorway_sign_561.png|right|60px]]It is illegal to hitchhike on the highways (called “moottoritie”) and some motorways (“moottoriliikennetie”) in Finland. You can recognize these from the green signs.
== Links ==
{{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}}
{{Cities Finland}}
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{{IsIn|Scandinavia}}
[[Category:Finland| ]]
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