Travelling Through Finland - Suggestions

[Reykjaviking]

Hi

I am planning to travel from Helsinki to Kirkenes (Norway):

1. What places would you suggest me to visit in Finland?
2. What is the best/least expensive way to travel from Helsinki to Kirkenes (Finnmark)?
3. Is Inari a nice place stop by?

[Carcass]

It depends what you want to see, if you love mosquitos you should visit Inari. Let me know what kind of places you wish to see.

The cheapest way to travel is either by train or bus... a train to the very north of Finland will probably cost something around 65 euros. I have no idea what the communications are like up there, maybe you have to take a bus or something to reach Kirkenes.

[cliff]

1. What places would you suggest me to visit in Finland?
Helsinki, Porvoo, Turku, Tampere, Rovaniemi (definitely!).
also try to attend some festivals (best choices : Tuska Open Air in Hellsinki, Sauna Open Air in Tampere and Provinssirock in Seinäjoki)
places to avoid : Kemi, Oulu, Espoo, maybe also Lahti.

2. What is the best/least expensive way to travel from Helsinki to Kirkenes (Finnmark)?
Like Carcass said, you might have to take a bus to reach Kirkenes.
So, the best in your case : train until probably Ivalo, then bus. Check this out : http://www.laplandfinland.com/?deptid=16181
@Carcass : I guess the train from Helsinki to lapland is much more than 65€. It's already almost 60€ if you travel from Helsinki to Pohjois Savo.
I would rather say between 80€ and 95€.

3. Is Inari a nice place stop by?
Never been there.

[StratoTimo]

1. What places would you suggest me to visit in Finland?
places to avoid : also Lahti.

What a HELL

[Carcass]

Oh yeah, I'm a student, I get a discount... so double the prize.

Are you just passing through, or are you going to spend a longer time in Finland? Turku is a nice, green town in the summers.

[NeonVomit]

Buy lots of your own aspirin before you reach Tampere. Especially if it's a Saturday morning.

[cliff]

Turku is a nice, green town in the summers.

This is actually the same for almost every finnish town (there are so many parks, forests and lake everywhere!)... except in Oulu and LAHTI!!! (no no, I'm just teasing Timo! ).
I have to admit that Turku has something really unique, especially if you walk or sit on a laituri of its main river. With all those boats, it definitely feels like Paris or Firenze!

@NeonVomit : you mean aspirine because of krapula?

[NeonVomit]

Turku is a nice, green town in the summers.

This is actually the same for almost every finnish town (there are so many parks, forests and lake everywhere!)... except in Oulu and LAHTI!!! (no no, I'm just teasing Timo! ).
I have to admit that Turku has something really unique, especially if you walk or sit on a laituri of its main river. With all those boats, it definitely feels like Paris or Firenze!

@NeonVomit : you mean aspirine because of krapula?

No, I needed a lot of aspirin when I woke up in Tampere because of the night before... and I couldn't find anywhere that sold it

[Carcass]

With all those boats, it definitely feels like Paris or Firenze!

Hehe, not quite. But the banks of Aura river are very beautiful, I was riding my bike there earlier today. It's a pity they have to cut some of the old trees down. They are beginning to be too old, over 100 years. In 5 years or so (or was it ten?) they will start to cut the first ones.

[StratoTimo]

Turku is a nice, green town in the summers.

This is actually the same for almost every finnish town (there are so many parks, forests and lake everywhere!)... except in Oulu and LAHTI!!! (no no, I'm just teasing Timo! ).
I have to admit that Turku has something really unique, especially if you walk or sit on a laituri of its main river. With all those boats, it definitely feels like Paris or Firenze!

@NeonVomit : you mean aspirine because of krapula?

Ok... But have you ever been here in Lahti... This City is very beatuful with lake and everything... You have to come to here... I can show this town to you and Piiuska

[cliff]

@Neonvomit : you're right. In fact, the pbm in Finland is that they sell medicine ONLY if you have an health insurance (meaning, if you are finnish).
Just imagine, once I had one hell of a flu, and they refused to sell me medicine for it, they only gave me some stupid candies!
In France you can find that medicines for flu - at least painkiller - in most supermarket!

@Timo : you're right, I have never been to Lahti, it was so wrong from me to say that it's not a nice town.
Pii and I we promise to visit you next time I'm in Finland! (lähden suomesta sunnantaina...)

[StratoTimo]

@Timo : you're right, I have never been to Lahti, it was so wrong from me to say that it's not a nice town.
Pii and I we promise to visit you next time I'm in Finland! (lähden suomesta sunnantaina...)

Well that's nice that both of you come to here
Here is so much to show to you... Like Hartwall (brewery) <---BEER
And it's Okey that you said that, because gross of Finland is so boring...Like Lapland there is nothing except field and fells
So when this Frenchman is coming back to Finland
Sorry about those two words... I check those words in dictionary
But you have to buy some aspirin because of krapula and Sauna Open Air

[exe knight]

How about traveling the coast? you could visit my home town and HuitsinNevada the local bar.

[Reykjaviking]

And it's Okey that you said that, because gross of Finland is so boring...Like Lapland there is nothing except field and fells

At least they have trees. Where I live there are not even fields and forests, only sand, dust, 117 degrees fahrenheit, and flying thorn bushes.

Instead of mosquitos we have scorpions, roaches, locusts, and of course mountain lions.

[exe knight]

And it's Okey that you said that, because gross of Finland is so boring...Like Lapland there is nothing except field and fells

At least they have trees. Where I live there are not even fields and forests, only sand, dust, 117 degrees fahrenheit, and flying thorn bushes.

Instead of mosquitos we have scorpions, roaches, locusts, and of course mountain lions.

Pretty exotic, I quess it would be nice to visit that place sometime...

[NeonVomit]

@Neonvomit : you're right. In fact, the pbm in Finland is that they sell medicine ONLY if you have an health insurance (meaning, if you are finnish).
Just imagine, once I had one hell of a flu, and they refused to sell me medicine for it, they only gave me some stupid candies!
In France you can find that medicines for flu - at least painkiller - in most supermarket!

@Timo : you're right, I have never been to Lahti, it was so wrong from me to say that it's not a nice town.
Pii and I we promise to visit you next time I'm in Finland! (lähden suomesta sunnantaina...)

Hmm. Not to other EU citizens? I have this card that the Cyprus government gives out, that ensures you are looked after in any EU member state... interesting.

[cliff]

@Neonvomit : you're right. In fact, the pbm in Finland is that they sell medicine ONLY if you have an health insurance (meaning, if you are finnish).
Just imagine, once I had one hell of a flu, and they refused to sell me medicine for it, they only gave me some stupid candies!
In France you can find that medicines for flu - at least painkiller - in most supermarket!

Hmm. Not to other EU citizens? I have this card that the Cyprus government gives out, that ensures you are looked after in any EU member state... interesting.

I think i was a bit too high the day I wrote that message.
I meant that you need to have an health insurance, THEN visit a real doctor who gives you a prescription, you bring it to the apteeki and they give you the medecine. Sounds quite stupid to me, all those things just for a medicine for a simple flu.
Yes, if you have your EU Health Insurance card with you, it should be fine.
Otherwise, they'll just smile to your face
Quite weird, because in some countries (like France), they heal non-EU-citizen... for free!! Talk to me about a fair world.

[NeonVomit]

Yes, it seems fair, but a problem in the US is illegal immigrants getting free health care, from the moment that they shouldn't even really be there... the taxpayer pays for them! Illegal immigration isn't as big a problem in the EU but it's getting worse. Free, no questions asked health care _is_ a draw for illegal immigrants. Finland's system means that EU citizens and legal residents/successful asylum applicants get care, and not people who have no right to be there.

[Carcass]

I think i was a bit too high the day I wrote that message.
I meant that you need to have an health insurance, THEN visit a real doctor who gives you a prescription, you bring it to the apteeki and they give you the medecine. Sounds quite stupid to me, all those things just for a medicine for a simple flu.

You can get normal medication for flu without any prescriptions, papers or questions. If you want strong medicine or normal aspirin with a cheaper price and in larger quantites you need to see the doctor.

[cliff]

Finland's system means that EU citizens and legal residents/successful asylum applicants get care, and not people who have no right to be there.

which is a complete non-sense, because EU was created to make things easier between countries in Europe.
someone who lives in a european country should get free health in another european country, or at least be able to use the same health insurance than the one of his own country, without it's required to ask for any EU health insurance card. It should be automatic, we should be able to simply use our national health card there for ex.
Things should be more difficult for non-EU citizen than for EU citizen. Not the opposite!

[cliff]

You can get normal medication for flu without any prescriptions, papers or questions. If you want strong medicine or normal aspirin with a cheaper price and in larger quantites you need to see the doctor.

Maybe if you are finnish. Few years ago, I tried to buy some normal medicine for flu, including yskänsiirappi or aspiriini, they just told me that I can't buy (I can't remember if it's coz of I didn't have any health insurance document with me, or because I didn't have any prescription, but at least one of those). Instead, they sold me some mint candies, which I found later to be just regular fresh mint, nothing related to medicine.

[Carcass]

Strange, cause I have plenty of friends from abroad who have bought things from the pharmacy without any problems. Maybe it was the chemist's first day at work...

Coughmedicines usually require a prescription, since you can get high by drinking them.

[NeonVomit]

Strange, cause I have plenty of friends from abroad who have bought things from the pharmacy without any problems. Maybe it was the chemist's first day at work...

Coughmedicines usually require a prescription, since you can get high by drinking them.

Yes, it's the active ingredient in some of them that give you a really weird trip (according to friends of mine who have tried). Drink too much of the wrong type though and you die. I guess that's the reason they regulate alcohol medication so tightly in Finland... it's too cold to go outside for 6 months of the year so you need to pass the time somehow

[cliff]

Coughmedicines usually require a prescription, since you can get high by drinking them.

well, maybe this is the reason why they didn't want to give me those. Anyway, I know Finland and Finnish culture much more nowadays, next time that i have a flu, I'll go to ALKO and buy some Koskenkorva or some vodka, that might help

[NeonVomit]

Finland's system means that EU citizens and legal residents/successful asylum applicants get care, and not people who have no right to be there.

which is a complete non-sense, because EU was created to make things easier between countries in Europe.
someone who lives in a european country should get free health in another european country, or at least be able to use the same health insurance than the one of his own country, without it's required to ask for any EU health insurance card. It should be automatic, we should be able to simply use our national health card there for ex.
Things should be more difficult for non-EU citizen than for EU citizen. Not the opposite!

If you re-read what you quoted from my post, you'll see that's what I meant

[IceBreaker]

Anyway, I know Finland and Finnish culture much more nowadays, next time that i have a flu, I'll go to ALKO and buy some Koskenkorva or some vodka, that might help

I recommend also Salmiakkikossu, that can "replace" the normal cough mixtures. Or buy some Fisherman Friends and crush them to kossu/vodka, it seems to be very hit in Finland nowadays, and it works.

[NeonVomit]

Or buy some Fisherman Friends and crush them to kossu/vodka, it seems to be very hit in Finland nowadays, and it works.

I'm sure it is...

[StratoTimo]

Or buy some Fisherman Friends and crush them to kossu/vodka, it seems to be very hit in Finland nowadays, and it works.

I've heard that it's much better if you boild those candies or Turkinpippuri candies with water...Just a little bit water, crush candies, mix them then boild and then put that candywater (When water is cold of course ) then when temperature is good: just drink Drink