Ranua Finland Northern Lights

Finland Travel Guide

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Arctic Fox Igloos Ranua Lapland

Planning a Trip to Finland

Finland was one of my absolute favorite trips of all time, and is my number one recommendation for an arctic winter adventure. I dreamed of visiting for years and finally took my bucket list trip to Helsinki & Lapland last winter and could not have fallen more in love with this country. The views, the activities, the culture, & nature; everything is so dreamy! I’d love to make it back and explore more on another trip

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Travel Guides by Area

Helsinki
Lapland
Reindeer Lapland
Sunrise Lapland Finland

Finland Itineraries

Lapland Itinerary – coming soon

Safety for Solo Female Travel in Finland

5 out of 5

Finland (and every other Nordic country I’ve visited) is incredibly safe. I never felt remotely unsafe. This is a great place for a solo trip. One thing to note if you’re visiiting the more remote areas of Lapland are more general safety tips & winter planning – make sure you have gas, download offline maps, have water, make sure you’re comfortable driving in the snow, have extra warm clothes, etc!

Levi Foxfires Spa Lapland Finland
Northern Lights Lapland Finland

Cost & Currency

Finland’s currency is the Euro, credit cards are widley accepted throughout Finland. I can’t think of anywhere I had to use cash directly, even in the remote areas of Lapland. Finland is expensive all around. Accomodations, food, activities, etc. are pricy in Finland, and Lapland was particularly expensive due to its remote nature, luxury accomodations and expensvie activities. The cheapest thing I did in Finland was ski (lift tickets were 58 euro) but generally it’s expensive (this was true of other Nordic countries I went to like Norway and Iceland)

Finland, especially Lapland, is a trip I’d recommend saving up for and splurging on. Trying to take this trip on a budget would really limit your ability to do all of the things Lapland has become so popular on instagram for.

Tipping & Restaurants

Tipping is not expected or required in Finland, as wages are included in general prices and staff are paid a wage not dependent on tips. Rounding up or leaving a few euros is appreciated, but not generally expected.

Wait to be seated by a host at sit down restaurants, but in cafes or places with counter service you generally seat yourself at any open table. Ask for tap water, which is safe and generally served for free. Also, try not to waste food, which can be considered rude.

Embrace coffee culture! Finland drinks more coffeee than anywhere else in the world, and cafes are a big part of Finnish culture. A coffee and cinnamon roll in a cozy cafe is a quintissential Finnish experience!

When to Visit Finland

Winter

My top recommendation for visiting Finland is winter. Lapland is a bucket list winter trip & winter in Finland really is a fairlytale. December features short days, tons of Christmas spirit (Rovaniemi is Santa’s home!) January & February are also filled with short days, freezing temps, lots of snow, cotton candy colors of partial daylight & lots of opporutinities to see Northern Lights. March days start to lengthen, but there’s still plenty of snow on the ground, milder temps are good for skiing and outdoor activities, plus it’s a great month for Northern lights.

Summer

For explpring Helsinki, summer is your best bet. Long, warm days bring Helsinki to life, and there’s tons of patios, outdoor pools, etc. Nordic cities in the summer are a vibe!

Spring/Fall

Shoulder season can be a good time to visit Lapland if you’re on a budget, but snow/Northern Lights are more of a chance than a guarantee in these seasons. It’s also a nice time to visit the city, but weather can be hit or miss.

Levi Lapland Sunset

Myllykoski Rapids Lapland

Getting Around Finland

Lapland

I really recommend having a car to enjoy Lapland, driving through the scenic, remote landscapes was one of the highlights of my trip. If you’re really anti-driving you can base yourself in Rovaniemi or Levi and get by with guided tours and stay in walking distance to restaurants or in a hotel with a restaurant, but you’ll be tied to what’s available via tour.

Taxis in Lapland are limited and quite expensive!

Helsinki

Walking, uber and publc transport are your best bet here, there’s no need to have a car in my opinion the city is very walkable and best explored on foot. Even in the winter walking was fine for me!

Finland – Top Blog Posts