Finland Motorhome Hire |
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'Touring Finland by road ...' |
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Driving RV's, motorhomes and campervans in FinlandGetting to Finland: There are excellent air services to Finland with all international flights arriving at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, 12 miles (20Km) north of the city centre. It is also possible to arrive in Finland by ferry from Sweden. Bus and rail services are excellent. Finland has a number of airports and internal flights are not terribly expensive, especially if booked well in advance. For the trailer traveller wishing to explore different parts of Finland but not wishing to drive the length and breadth of the country, this provides scope for hiring an RV in one area, exploring it and then flying to another area to rent another campervan to explore that area. Language: The Finnish language is very unusual to the western ear, as it does not resemble any other west European language. The Finnish people are neither Scandinavian nor Slavic and are believed to be descended from wandering tribes originating from the Ural Mountains in western Russia. As a consequence, their language is actually related to Estonian and Hungarian! Finnish is a language of many vowels and far fewer consonants than westerners are used to. In general, however, words are pronounced much as they are spelt. Luckily for many tourists, a large proportion of the Finnish people speak English so getting around whilst on a camper van holiday should not be too hard. In addition to Finnish, there is a small proportion of the population who are of Swedish origin and who speak Swedish rather than Finnish. Once again, however, most of these inhabitants also communicate well in English. Children: All Scandinavian countries are very child-friendly and facilities for children abound making them fantastic places for families to hire a trailer and enjoy a wonderful holiday. Apart from a multitude of special children's amusement parks, Finland also has numerous festivals throughout the summer designed for children. For example, in June Hämeenlinna has a Children's Theatre, a theatre run by children for children and in August it hosts the Children's Festival in the Castle. Most events that cater to adults will also have special children's events scheduled so everyone has something to keep them amused. If organised children's events are not to your taste, RV travellers can let their children revel in the majestic open spaces and numerous lakes instead. For more information, check out www.viitfinland.com/family. Activities on Offer: Finland has so many activities to chose between it will be hard for the motor home traveller to decide what to partake in. Finns have an affinity with nature and as a result, nature trails, cycle tracks and trekking routes are widely available. Finland has a rich culture, influenced over the years by Sweden and Russia who dominated the country until it became independent in 1917. As a result, there is an abundance of fine architecture to be found throughout the country as well as numerous museums exhibiting paintings and other works of art less common in other parts of Europe. Northern Finland consists of Lapland that also has its own rich and vibrant culture. Travellers who rent their motor home in Rovaniemi will find it easy to access Lapp areas to experience this. If you have never met Lapp people, you will be impressed with their colourful dress, beautiful handicrafts and their way of life. Much of the Lapp people's history can be seen in various museums in the north of Finland as well - a real story of survival against harsh weather and terrible odds. If you are lucky, you may even come across some of the reindeer that the Lapp people herd although actually touching one may be difficult as these are shy, wild animals. Other activities are: boating, fishing, hiking and trekking, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, swimming, shopping, wilderness expeditions, saunas and spas, golf (even midnight golf in the north!), visiting Santa, gold panning, bird watching and wildlife spotting, outdoor markets, visiting churches (including several orthodox Russian churches), gourmet eating and, if that isn't enough, how about taking part in the Wife Carrying World Championships! This isn't a joke. The Wife Carrying Championships began 15 years ago and takes place at Sonkajärvi on the weekend of 30th June to 2nd July 2006. It is a race over 253.5m of track (part sand, part grass and part asphalt) with deep routes in local history. Why not drive your caravan there and watch the performance if you don't actually take part - which you easily can - as you are unlikely to ever experience such an event ever again! More information can be obtained from www.visitfinland.com. Finland in summer is also home to a huge variety of festivals. These generally begin around May and continue right through till mid-September and include various types of music festival (rock, opera, classical, folk music, jazz, vocal music), art festivals, dance, theatre (children's and adults') and literature festivals, antique fairs and Orthodox Church festivals. There are also a huge number of sporting events on over the summer from long distance canoeing to horse shows and a multitude of marathons. In July there's even a sand castle building championship in Hailuoto! Shopping: Although Finland is a large country with a very small population, it has long been associated with some of the foremost design ideas in the world. Items to particularly look out for include silver and bronze jewellery, porcelain, ceramics, glassware, hand-woven Ryijy carpets, textiles and products made of reindeer skins and/or antlers. You may be lucky enough to come across an ale, a sale! Dining: Finland has an amazing array of natural products available and this is reflected in the traditional cuisine. Compared to some countries, Finland favours freshness over variety but their food is not to be underestimated. The traditional fare includes dishes made of pheasant, reindeer, hare grouse, fish, elk and shellfish. Finnish yoghurt and dairy products are also excellent. As summer begins in June, outdoor food and barbeques become de rigueur as does home smoking of fish and meat - delicious! As the summer advances, look out for wild strawberries, blueberries, cloudberries, tender rhubarb, freshly picked herbs, cucumbers and tomatoes, not to mention lovely mushrooms, lingonberies and cranberries. Much of these wonderful delights will be readily available in the market stalls enabling the RV traveller to create their own delightful menus but it is worth noting here that in Finland, you are allowed to pick berries and mushrooms in the wild - an unusual treat. Also available in many markets depending on the time of year will be tasty sausages and cheeses, Baltic herring and flounder. Midsummer is the largest summer celebration and for the occasion many towns produce special midsummer cheeses. The crayfish season begins on the 21st July and is an occasion not to be missed if you are a crayfish fan, especially since these are usually washed down with a glass or two of vodka! The Finnish Tourist Board recommends several 'foodie' websites that are worth visiting for more information. They can be found at: www.finfood.fi/helsinkimenu, www.skargardssmak.com, www.tasteofthenorth.org. Whilst in the larger cities, it is also worth trying out some of the more exotic and international restaurants. Helsinki, in particular, is known for its high quality Russian and Chinese cuisine. The Finnish word for 'restaurant' is ravintola, not easy to guess! Prices in restaurants are not easy to predict as they vary enormously with location and style but generally Scandinavian restaurants offer lunchtime menus at special reduced prices with evening meals being more expensive. In comparison to the other Scandinavian countries, Finland is the most reasonably priced. Ruokobaari or snack bars are more reasonably priced still but the food on offer remains of a good standard. The Finnish have an equivalent to the Swedish Smörgåsbord called voileipäpöyta. This is a unique experience that will enable the traveller to sample masses of different dishes during one meal and it is highly recommended. Alcohol sales are very regulated in Scandinavian countries and Finland is no exception. Larger, more upmarket restaurants and hotel restaurants are usually able to serve alcohol without restrictions but purchasing alcohol for use in your campervan can only be done in the state run off-licences that have very particular opening hours (the Tourist Board will be able to advise you). You may see bottled or canned beer, olut, for sale in some supermarkets, for example. This will be low alcohol beer that is consumed by many Scandinavians, especially during lunch. |
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