Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Since I have talked about Northern Europe so many times, as the first Nordic country I visited: Finland, I cannot miss it under any circumstances.

By chance, a work trip of mine collided with a trip to Finland that I had planned. There was only a 2-day difference, and both were in Lapland. As a result, I had the opportunity to stay in Finland for more than half a month. I had everything I needed to do, experience, and chat with the locals.

I just think these useful information are valuable. If Finland is your planned destination, be patient and read these 11 suggestions on practical information strategies and itineraries! Too long to collect.

1 · Essential information: Schengen visa and currency

Traveling to Finland requires a Finnish short-term travel visa. Finland is a Schengen country, so Friends who have a valid European Schengen multiple-entry visa, please skip this part in a humanitarian spirit and don’t laugh too loudly. Everyone is queuing up and having their fingerprints taken at the visa office.

Personally, it is recommended that you prepare the materials yourself and go to the visa office to apply for it. Unless you are dealing with a large VIP and the price is lower than the cost of handling it yourself, it is not cost-effective.

Because even if you find an agent, you still need to prepare all the information yourself. You hand the prepared information to the agent, but you still need to go to the visa office to have your fingerprints taken. There is no escape.

If you can't save anything, why spend more money?

Finland visa fee reference:

Adult : RMB 475/person/time + RMB 195 service fee/time = RMB 670/person/time

Children aged 6-12 years old : RMB 275/person/time + RMB 195 service fee/time = RMB 470/person/time

Children aged 0-5 years old : 0 yuan visa fee + 195 yuan service fee/time = 195 yuan/person/time

Price information: December 2019, VIA VFSGLOBAL.CN

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

The required information list and material specifications will be displayed on the official visa website. This website is in Chinese . Entry visas for many countries and regions are applied for through this platform:

HTTP://wuwuwu.VF is global.abilities/Finland/China/Chinese/index.HTML

In terms of materials, my experience and suggestions are: handle it in advance, prepare materials carefully, and make the content of the materials true. When we applied for a Finnish visa, this was the only time when we watched the staff counting the days of our stay with our accommodation certificate. Because we took the overnight train on the first night, we lost one night of accommodation. We were specifically asked about it and checked. It will only be OK if you have our train ticket purchase receipt.

At this stage, there is no risk of visa rejection due to missing materials, but you will be asked to submit supplementary materials, which is very troublesome.

List of required information (Chinese): http://117.128.6.33/cache/www.vfsglobal.cn/finland/china/chinese/pdf/Checklist-tourist-CN-New.pdf?ich_args2=468-23002917021809_640447fcf2840c57cbc2e392dbc5b68c _10001002_9c89632bd7c0f3d0913d518939a83798_ae2e8136940f2c0a69c8ba8b6ad70de6

You can directly reserve a processing time and check the progress through the application website. After the visa application is completed, it will be returned from the embassy to the processing office. You can choose to pick it up yourself or mail it (additional fee) .

The visa is a Schengen visa, and Finland is one of the five Nordic countries. The only currency used is Euro country, thank God.

If you are exchanging euros, my suggestion is never exchange them for banknotes with a face value of 500 euros. The maximum face value of 100 euros is the limit. Many euro zones do not accept cash with a face value of 500 euros, and it is difficult to exchange it at the bank in time, but domestic banks can easily exchange 500 euro banknotes.

Those who have a high demand for cash can exchange 400 euros at a time and go to the bank several times to exchange. If you have a credit card or a debit card that can be used directly overseas, it is recommended to use it directly. It is very convenient to swipe the card.

It is more recommended to use MASTER and VISA credit cards . Debit cards only support UnionPay, which may not be supported in some rural areas. Nowadays, when domestic banks use MASTER and VISA to pay foreign currencies, they basically use RMB for repayment, which is very convenient. If you are worried, you can contact the card issuer directly for consultation.

TIPS:

Chip credit cards offer a higher level of security. If you have doubts about the security of your credit card, you can call your bank to report the loss of your credit card after your trip. After reporting the loss, the bank will issue a new card and the card number will be changed.

2 · Essential information: Aurora and Arctic Circle

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

The aurora is a must-have in your travel package to Finland, but if you really choose to go to Finland during the Spring Festival holiday or the coldest winter, the heavy snow in the sky does not guarantee that you will definitely see the aurora.

The best season to see the Northern Lights is from September to November. , autumn. The night is very clear and it is easy to see the aurora.

This is not to say that there are no aurora in winter, but because the climate in the northern polar regions of Finland is very windy and snowy in winter, it is difficult for you to observe aurora in such weather. For example, when we were on the outskirts of Rovaniemi, one night the aurora index was overwhelming. We waited under the Lang Lang starry sky for half an hour. The Milky Way was within reach and meteors were flying all over the sky. Then the sky became cloudy and it started to snow. Sometimes you can see that the sky above the clouds is bright, and it is obviously an aurora, but you are blocked by the clouds and cannot see it.

So in It is not impossible to see the Northern Lights from December to February every year, but you need a little more luck.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

In terms of geographical location, it must at least enter the Arctic Circle, that is, the best observation area is in Lapland province north of Rovaniemi. If the northernmost point of your trip is Rovaniemi, you also have a good chance of seeing the Aurora. Of course, Rovaniemi is a city, and traveling away from the city can help you better observe the aurora. The other side of the river adjacent to the Polar Museum is a very good location.

Because observing the aurora takes place at night, please be sure to pay attention to safety. You can sign up for a local aurora observation group, and the leader will take you to the local observation point. However, whether you can see the aurora on the day you sign up for the group depends on luck, regardless of the season.

If you drive there by yourself, you can also see some marked aurora observation points through Google Maps. However, these places are relatively inaccessible. Going at night requires courage and good driving skills, so choose carefully. Regarding the road conditions of self-driving in Finland in winter, we will talk about it later.

Observing the aurora can be queried through APPs. These softwares are basically in English, and you only need to understand the data and pictures. What I personally recommend is this APP called My Aurora Forecast & Alerts. The interface is relatively friendly for people without observation experience. You can locate your location and then check the index of aurora occurrence. Personally, I would be more resistant to the "Aurora Become an observation expert in this field yourself.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

3 · Tips: Glass House Hotel and Igloo Hotel 🏰

There are two special hotels in northern Finland that are worth trying in winter. One is the internet-famous glass house, and the other is the brave man’s real, seasonal igloo hotel.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Glass House is basically a must-have for Internet celebrities. You can book Glass House hotels in Rovaniemi and several nearby cities. Generally speaking, this kind of hotel has glass houses and ordinary rooms that can be booked, but Glass House Make reservations early, as they are sold out quickly.

The hotel accommodation experience in the Glass House is really good, the facilities are very new, and the room size is not small. Although it uses a glass roof, the temperature of the room is still very good. The snow on the roof can also be removed by glass heating equipment. Of course, in addition to the value of posing for photos, if there happens to be an aurora, lying in a warm room to watch the aurora is the most beautiful thing.

However, the Glass House Hotel I stayed in did not place the necessary string lights in the room for photos, and I was afraid that I would have to carry them there myself.

Here is a brief list of glass house hotels that you can refer to. After all, it is difficult to search for the keyword glass house:

· Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle

City: Rovaniemi

Reference price of glass house: starting from 5,200 yuan

· Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – Igloos and Chalets

City: Sariselka

Reference price of glass house: starting from 4,200 yuan

· Aurora Village Ivalo

City: Ivalo

Reference price of glass house: starting from 4,000 yuan

· Golden Crown – Levin Iglut

City: Levi

Reference price of glass house: starting from 4,800 yuan

·Holiday Village Inari

City: Inari

Reference price of glass house: starting from 3,500 yuan

There are also some places where birds don’t poop that I won’t list. They are so remote that it gives people a headache.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

The Igloo Hotel is another story. It is also a special hotel in the Arctic Circle of the Three Brothers in Finland or Scandinavia. When it starts to snow, hotel operators will build a hotel out of ice and snow by the river, with guest rooms, bars, restaurants, and churches, open for tours and accommodation. In spring, the hotel melts naturally and flows back into the river. It is very natural and environmentally friendly.

In terms of style, it is similar to our ice and snow world. The igloo with colorful neon lights really limits the performance of Nordic design. Accommodation here costs about 3,000 yuan per night . The accommodation conditions are to sleep in an ice cellar made of ice and snow. The room temperature is around 0 degrees Celsius at night. The hotel provides sleeping bags and leather mattresses. If you can't bear it in the middle of the night, the hotel can provide ordinary rooms with bunk beds.

I think the most terrible thing about this is that there are no washrooms and toilets in the hotel. It is really difficult to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. We stayed at the Igloo Hotel for one night and had to walk to the Civic Center to wash up the next day, so we decided why bother.

Looking back on this experience, it seems meaningless, but if you have live broadcast needs, you can consider challenging it.

If you don’t want to stay, don’t delay visiting the igloo hotel for taking photos or having a meal:

· Snow Hotel

City: Kemi

Reference price of igloo: starting from 3,400 yuan

· SnowChalet Eanan Levi

City: Levi

Reference price of igloo: starting from 3100 yuan

As a digression, after checking many hotels, I found that hotels in Finland have a special tag called #SKI TO THE DOOR. With my skiing skills, I might be able to create a new label called #skiing into the room because I couldn’t stop in time.

4 · Fun stuff: Visit Santa Claus 🎅

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

In recent years, the atmosphere of celebrating Christmas in China has become much more intense, but in fact, people still have little affection for Santa Claus. However, as an attraction that Finland fought hard to bring back, it is also the biggest attraction in the city of Rovaniemi. It seems incomplete without visiting Santa Claus when you come here.

Santa Claus Village is located on the outskirts of Rovaniemi and can be reached directly by bus. It takes about 15 minutes by car. The village has a resort feel, the architecture is slightly like an outlet, and there are many shops inside, making it more like a village.

Santa's office is a big selling point here. There are many photos of Santa Claus and celebrities from all over the world hanging on the door of the room. You can take a closer look while waiting in line. After entering the room, you can freely communicate with Santa Claus in English. However, the well-trained Santa Claus can still make you happy with a little bit of Chinese.

Photo taking is done by on-site staff and is chargeable. Selfies are not allowed. Back then, when I was writing a travelogue, I posted a selfie and group photo, and I sold it. Later, I received many private messages asking me how I saved the money. In fact, it was because when I went to Santa Claus Village, I was working as an editor of Lonely Planet. It was a work-related interview rather than a visit for ordinary tourists. So, sorry, I can't save the money I should spend.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Another interesting thing to do in Santa Claus Village is "Crossing the Arctic Circle". A line symbolizing the Arctic Circle passes through Santa Claus Village. You can take photos of yourself crossing this cold latitude line here. The photos or videos are quite meaningful.

You can collect the certificate in the village, or you can have the stamp stamped, but I personally don’t recommend that you stamp the stamp on your passport. Many people do this, but it is risky. You can prepare a relatively small book, preferably with white pages inside, to collect seals from various places for use. MUJI sells it. When I was traveling in Taiwan with this book, I was stopped by a Shandong man who asked me to seal it. He told me very seriously that I could not stamp the pass casually. Thank you for your enthusiasm.

If you want to buy Santa Claus souvenirs, this is the best place to buy them. The souvenir shop after coming out of Santa Claus' office is the most comprehensive, followed by the shop at the post office, the quality and design are very good.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

In addition, there are reindeer sleigh rides and an igloo hotel. The price of reindeer sledding is much lower than that experienced in other places. The price is high and the trip is short. There are no reindeer houses to visit, so if you plan to go to Lapland cities outside Rovaniemi, it is not recommended to take a sleigh here. .

5 · Tips: How many clothes are appropriate to wear?

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Not to show off the selfie, just to see how much clothes you are wearing

It’s really hard to quantify how much clothing you should wear when going to a very cold place, but I won’t say nonsense like “Wear more clothes and keep warm” like some official travel guide said.

First of all, it depends on your luck. When traveling to northern Finland in winter, the weather is very changeable. For example, before we arrived, the local outdoor temperature was minus 40 degrees, but during the 14 days from the week we arrived to the end of my trip, the temperature was similar to Beijing’s winter temperature, so we can only say that we were very lucky.

Wind-resistant, cold-proof and warm, waterproof, anti-slip .

Down jackets should be waterproof, and shoes should be waterproof and non-slip. Please prepare a set of the thickest thermal underwear from Uniqlo. Don’t even think about not wearing long johns. In the photo, if the girl wears less, she will have to grit her teeth to take them off. In the photo of someone quickly snapping their coats, they are all wrapped in big down jackets behind the camera.

I was wearing UGG snow boots, which were not too slippery and surprisingly waterproof. If you are worried, you can choose waterproof spray and spray it on the shoes. This is a magic tool recommended to me by my colleague BIANGBIANG. It is great.

You must bring a scarf, it can really keep you warm. For hats, you can consider buying a Lei Feng hat. If you think it doesn’t look good, think more about keeping your ears warm, but you must have a hat, and it’s best to be waterproof. There are also gloves. If you want to take advantage of the deep snow to have a snowball fight, you can't fight a long-term battle with bare hands.

I don’t know much about whether there is really a risk of snow blindness because I have only seen it in textbooks and novels, so I carefully prepared sunglasses. This equipment can be used as a reference.

If you are taking photos in the snow, you will definitely look good if you choose brightly colored clothes. It’s snowing in northern Finland and it’s really all black and white. No matter how you take photos with bright clothes, it will look good. However, if you sign up for various short-term tours, you will be required to wear a uniform jumpsuit, which is also an interesting cross-dressing experience.

6 · Essential information: sleeper train and self-driving guide

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Going from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is the itinerary for most people on their Aurora tour in Finland. Flights are usually direct to Helsinki. When you arrive in Rovaniemi, you can choose to transfer or take the VR train, which is not wearing a helmet. That VR.

One of the interesting things about the VR train is the train travel, and the other is that you can go directly to the Arctic Circle in one night, which is super cool.

Ordinary carriages are small boxes for 2 people, with bunk beds and good space and facilities. If you get up early, you can go to the dining car to buy bread and coffee, and you can arrive in Rovaniemi before dawn. For example, a direct train departing at 18:49 will arrive at 7:32 the next day, and there is a 23:13 train that will arrive at 11:05 the next day.

Personally, I suggest that it is better to choose the direct train that leaves at 18:49. Because of the polar night, it will get dark very early in Helsinki, and the nightlife around the train station is not as rich as you imagine. You have to wait until 11 o'clock before departure. , it’s quite hard.

The reference fare for two people is 278 Euros, which is approximately RMB 2,757. Compared with the budget of air tickets + 1 night hotel, it is still relatively cost-effective.

When selecting the time and train, the fare will be displayed as 160 euros. This is the fare for a seat. Be sure to remember to change it to a sleeper car when selecting a seat. You can choose UPDATE or pay directly for the price, which will jump to the price of a sleeper car. , which is the price I mentioned above.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

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Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

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Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Tickets can be reserved directly through the Internet, website ( English ) :

HTTPS://wuwuwu.VR.FI/this time/VR/EN/FrontPage

For self-driving, students from Northeast China and Canada who have snow driving experience should automatically skip this part.

My third brother and I have relatively good driving experience and skills, but this was our first time driving in such heavy snow. How should I put it, I can’t see the road clearly at all.

Because there is snow on both sides and there is also snow on the road, it is a headache to tell where the road is. The two-way single lane is better. Otherwise, you can only pull over to the side.

It is also difficult to distinguish the location of the fork in the road, because snow is usually piled up at the fork in the road, but the roadside is always covered with snow, so I have always been an afterthought to the fact that I have reached the fork in the road.

It was really difficult to drive at night, especially when we went to many small towns. There were no street lights on the country roads and it was snowing heavily. The good thing was that there were reflective poles on the roadside, but the bad thing was that there was a tree branch stuck on the roadside to tell people. You are a Taoist. What's even worse is that the locals' speed starts at 80KM/H in such road conditions. After overtaking, a heavy snow and fog will kick up and you can't see anything.

If you rent a car, snow chains will be an extra charge. We didn't choose them at the time, because the assembly of snow chains in winter is required by law. If you don't choose, the rental company must also equip them. I don’t know if this is still the case now.

7 · Itinerary: Leave an extra day in Helsinki

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Helsinki is the capital of Finland and a popular destination for tourists. It is recommended to stay in Helsinki for 2-3 days. There are many interesting buildings and attractions here.

The last time we went, my biggest regret was not being able to spare an extra day to go to Tallinn. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, across the sea from Helsinki. You can take a ferry from the port of Helsinki directly to Tallinn to complete a day trip to Tallinn. Of course, check to see if your tourist visa is for multiple returns.

Although there are many interesting places in Helsinki that we did not go to, not going to Tallinn seems to be my biggest regret, because in terms of seniority, I may not want to travel to Estonia in my lifetime. But Finland’s summer is also good. Although there are no aurora and snow on a summer trip to the country of a thousand lakes, the Turku Islands are still one of the best summer destinations in Europe.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Helsinki itself is a very interesting city, with huge buildings and a winter-feeling urban atmosphere, as if it was born to belong only to winter. It is recommended to visit the port market. If your stomach allows, you can eat whatever you want. Compared with Lapland, Helsinki is the capital of gourmet food.

8 · Itinerary: Icebreaker in Kemi

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Two days ago, Yingying asked me about the icebreaker. I originally thought it was the least interesting attraction in Finland, but it seems that everyone is looking forward to the icebreaker experience.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

The icebreaker we boarded at that time was called SAMPO. There are other local icebreakers such as POLAR EXPLORER, which can be booked through the website or through an agent. The main experience is to take a half-day boat ride to see how the ship sails on the frozen sea.

This incident didn't leave me with any real sense of shock, maybe because the traces of ice breaking on the route were already very obvious, and I just felt like I was just going through the motions. But in terms of feelings, it varies from person to person. Don't listen to me, I like it. Just go and sit. You can also see the Igloo Hotel in Kemi, which is a very interesting city.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Halfway through the boat, you can go down to the sea and experience floating on the ice. The waterproof suit on the boat is put on the ice, and then you are pushed into the ice hole with your arms stretched out. The staff will pull you back after floating for a while. I didn't get off the boat because I thought the clothes were too ugly. What impressed me most was that a Taiwanese boy next to me said that he seemed to be cooking lobster dumplings.

I can’t find SAMPO’s reservation website. You can refer to POLAR EXPLORER’s.

The full price ticket for POLAR EXPLORERE's morning shift is 280 euros, which is approximately RMB 2,173. Lunch is included, the voyage is 3 hours, and a boarding shuttle bus from Rovaniemi or Kemi is also provided.

Reference website: https://icebreaker.fi/zh-hans/

Chinese is available, but Chinese cannot be selected on the booking page.

When we took the icebreaker, I thought the most interesting thing was riding a snowmobile to board the ship. In fact, because we didn’t have a driver’s license, the snowmobile couldn’t be rented to us. However, it was still dark on the frozen sea, and everyone rode snowmobiles forward, really looking like they were going hunting.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Parked the snowmobile on the ice, and then walked a few hundred meters to board the ship. I don’t know why we didn’t board the ship at the port. There were already many tourists on the ship at that time. They seemed to have made a special detour to pick us up on the return trip. When they arrived, they also specially sent us to the boarding area first. The snowmobiles were still parked in the same place, and no one really stole them on the big ice.

9 · Itinerary: Husky sleigh, reindeer sleigh and outdoor sauna

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Finland has really developed a complete range of things that can be played in winter. Husky sleigh and reindeer sleigh are the entry-level models, and advanced players can challenge the outdoor sauna.

The complete winter outdoor program also includes snow hiking, night snow hiking and ice fishing. I personally think the first two are quite boring so I didn’t play them. The latter one is because I really don’t like fishing, so I won’t talk about it.

First let’s talk about how to sign up.

When we were planning the itinerary, my third brother told me that we only had time to play one of the two types of sledding. The fact was that we overestimated the difficulty of participating in the sledding activity. You can sign up at the front desk of the local hotel or the SAFARI office. If you are lucky, you can participate on the same day, or you can sign up for the next day when you check in.

In terms of price, ordinary cities or small towns are lower than those around big cities, and the content of the experience is basically the same. The difference lies in the length of the line.

In principle, you can only sign up for through SAFARI. If you sign up through the hotel, the hotel will help you sign up through SAFARI. We were pretty lucky, we took the wrong road and drove to a reindeer farm. At first the farmer refused us to visit, but a French tour group came and just wanted to visit. The farmer asked us if we knew French, and I said Yes, it really hit the spot, wasn't it? So I took advantage of the French tour group's itinerary and paid the expenses directly to the farmer. These are luck points and cannot be turned into encouraging everyone to go farm on their own after reading the guide.

However, the reindeer farm and husky farm are not marked on the map. I wonder if it is a tacit agreement with the local tourism industry.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Let’s talk about husky sled first. There is really no such thing as abusing a dog. First, Huskies themselves are working dogs, and they are trained to pull sleds. Four dogs pull a sled, even in the snow. More importantly, these dogs are very smart. The sled is a team of two, one person sits on the sled and the other stands behind the sled. There is a staff member riding a snowmobile at the front of the team to lead the way when encountering turns and uphill slopes. Ah, the staff will call the friend standing behind the sled to "HELP THE DOGS". At this time, no one in the group of dogs is exerting any effort, and they are waiting for you to push.

It’s no exaggeration. After sitting down on a husky sled, I was much more tired than the dog.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

My personal suggestion is to push first and then sit. The dog has been idle for a long time and needs to clear its intestines when it first starts running. The height of the sitting person is directly opposite the dog’s crotch, so don’t mention the smell. Don't ask me how I know, I want to cry.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Reindeer sleigh is more PEACE.

It is not recommended to choose a route that is too long, because it is relatively tame and you will feel cold after a long time. Just walk around in a circle and take photos for fun. The farmer will invite you into the living room to drink local tea or coffee. The farmers are all Sami people. They dress up in festivals and tell you stories and sing songs for you, which is quite joyful.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

The cup you use is a highlight in the hospitality of the locals. They are all made of local handmade wood. If you like, you can also find souvenir shops to buy them. They will almost always have the same style.

Speaking of reindeer, because reindeer are raised as domestic animals in the local area, one of the ingredients you can easily find locally is reindeer meat. If you have a strong taste, consider eating the smoked version, which will be unforgettable. If you can't stand the unique taste of food, if you order black pepper reindeer rice bowl, the taste is not much different from ordinary beef.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Image from hannakuvaa via instagram

The most enjoyable part of outdoor saunas is to jump into the ice cave after steaming. Some are open-air and some are in hotels, but they are all equally cold and equally challenging. Sauna is the national quintessence of Finland. If your physical condition allows, you can choose to try it. If you choose an outdoor sauna, be sure to pack your swimsuit before your trip.

In terms of price, outdoor activities vary in price depending on the experience. Husky and reindeer sleighs are the most expensive, with single prices ranging from 170 to 200 euros.

10 · Itinerary: Ski resort

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

Finland is a world-famous skiing country with many ski resorts and top-level ski resorts. Friends with skiing skills may wish to try it. Saariselka and Levi are both home to top-level ski resorts. You can rent ski equipment on site, and the prices for ski equipment and snow passes are so reasonable that you can't even look directly at domestic ski resorts.

If you want to give it a try, you can rent ski equipment and play on the junior trails outside the ski resort. Finnish ski resorts are very generous to people who don’t know how to ski. They have complete facilities, but they don’t require you to buy a ski pass. Because Finnish children can basically walk and ski, and the number of people who don’t know how to ski is even less than that of wild monkeys.

Travel Tips | 11 Sincere Advice on Traveling to Finland

But for beginners who don’t know how to ski or are very skilled, really don’t want to challenge going up the mountain , although it is really tempting. First, the ski resorts in Finland are all natural. They are built close to the mountains and have many and complex snow trails. If you don’t have experience in ski resorts, you may not even be able to understand the schematic diagram of the ski trails. If you mistakenly enter a track of another level, it will be really dangerous. Nothing can be done.

Secondly, the Finnish locals have very good skiing skills, but they really lack the experience to rescue beginners who have strayed onto the slopes. I begged people to take me down the mountain on a snowmobile but they refused ruthlessly. He thought how could you not go down a gentle slope? Go, that's a cliffhanger in my eyes, they really can't understand it.

Third, the difficulty level of their ski resorts is generally higher than that of domestic ski resorts, so the beginner trails you think of are almost at the level of intermediate trails in China. The good news is that the locals have very good skiing skills, and no one will hit you if you fall and sit in the middle of the slopes for as long as you want.

Those who can skate should seize the opportunity to enjoy it. As a person who really can't skate, I think this place is really great.

11 · BUY: What to buy as souvenirs

Personal recommendation No.1: Reindeer hair mat

Made of pure natural reindeer skin, it is mostly sold at reindeer farms and souvenir shops in Lapland. The price I bought at that time was more than RMB 800, which is rare. But after returning to Beijing, the weather was too dry and she was shedding like crazy. I was afraid that I would only have one piece of reindeer skin left in two days, so I sealed it. But the feel, fluffiness, and softness are really nothing to say. They are much better than IKEA's sheepskin mats.

In addition, reindeer are only relatively rare here (Aoluguya is also rare). They are not protected animals. They are domestic animals in Finland. If you don’t feel guilty about using cowhide and sheepskin products, just buy them.

Personal recommendation No.2: Moomin series

Animated characters originating from Finland are cute and cute. Uniqlo has co-branded them. Many local souvenirs have the honest image of the Moomin family, which is very Finnish.

Personal recommendation No.3: Iittala glass products

Although there is a lot of risk in shipping glass products, I couldn't help but buy several cups. Moomin has a co-branded version, which is very cute. I also bought two very, very thin cups, so I couldn’t bear to drink from them.

end

Finland is the first country I traveled to in Northern Europe. I always feel that this travel experience is rich and valuable, and it is also a journey that I am very happy to share with others.

If you have any questions or questions, please leave a message.

All in all, Finland is a very unique country. If it is your destination, I wish you have a great time there and successfully encounter the Aurora.

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