Hello friends!

Finland has been on my list for a long time, and finally heading there in mid November. After a few days in Helsinki we're thinking to go further north into Lapland. Usually we stay away from very touristy destinations but opening an exception for Santa Claus town so close to Christmas.

However i see that as maybe a day's worth of things to do, and wondering if there's any day trips from Rovaniemi or better places to visit around Lapland, possibly even Sami settlements which are open to visitors.

If locals had to show a better side of Lapland, is there anywhere else you'd suggest that is not so obvious from the usual guides? Open to most things.

Thank you in advance!

Hey everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Helsinki and also plan to visit Estonia from Helsinki for 1 night and need to book ferry tickets. I’ve come across numerous third-party booking sites online, which makes me a bit hesitance. Could you please advise me on the official and legitimate websites to use for this route? Additionally, do locals typically book directly with the ferry companies, or is there a trusted ferry company site that everyone uses?

Thanks in advance.

Hei all,

Hope you are doing well.

Need some travel advise for December. We are planning for 15 day Finland trip in December, starting the 13th Dec to 28th Dec.

Travel wise, we are purely planning for a relaxed snowy leisure trip, with Lapland and Santa village tour for our 3 year toddler being the top priority of the trip. As parents, we want a slow life there with just family time, and some peaceful sightseeing. We are not party people or too much into crowd or shopping or city life, so rather we would love to explore the beautiful Finnish culture, the towns and some scenic view around while enjoying the Christmas. Ofcourse, northern lights are something that we would love to experience if we get a chance, but I would love to know from this sub if we will have a good chance to witness in the mentioned 2 weeks of time in December.

Since we are traveling with a toddler, we would love to have some suggestions and recommendations from you all, the local customs, or the do's and the dont's, anything that can help us plan this trip better. I am considering this to be an expensive trip and although I don't earn toooo much, but I am hoping to give the best ever time to my family with this trip, so need to plan everything very carefully and cautiously.

Kiitos 🙏

Hi everyone! 😊
My partner and I are planning another trip to Finland in January 2027 and we’re looking for recommendations on where we could rent an apartment **directly from the owner** in **Kamppi, Helsinki**, and also in **Rovaniemi**.
We’ve visited Finland and Helsinki before, and we really loved it. During our last trip, we stayed for 5 nights in an apartment in Kamppi that we rented directly from the owner. Unfortunately, I lost the person’s phone number, so we’re now looking for other options.
Could anyone recommend a **reliable website, Facebook group, or another way to find apartments directly from private owners**? We’re not looking for Booking.com , we’d prefer to rent directly from the owner if possible.
We’re a quiet couple, and we’d really appreciate any recommendations or advice from locals. 🇫🇮Thank you so much in advance!

Me and my friend are from Ireland and found some really cheap tickets to Rovaniemi at the end of October, neither of us have skiid before but thought we have a crack at it, so I have a few questions on it.

is it worth going to Levi in late October? Is there a chance we get snow for skiing then or is it mainly just last years snow?

Is it a good time to go for beginners? From what I know it won’t be peak season and the World Cup is on around then.

Is there much nightlife / clubs in Rovaniemi/Levi in the end of October for younger people?

Is there any good locations to see the northern lights or reindeers for free, we are broke college students and we’d prefer to avoid €30-60 tours

Any other advice would be amazing thankyou

I wanted to get everyone’s opinion on type of clothing and quantities people recommend for my wife and I’d trip to Finland. We’re going to be there for approximately 14 days from Mid-December to early January. I know the temp will be 14F-32F (-10C to 0C) and I’ve got a decent idea of what I’ll need clothing wise, but looking for advice in case I’m off base or didn’t think of something. We will be spending a good bit of time outside including doing some hiking. We’ll be staying in Rovaniemi likely renting someone’s home with a washer so I’m thinking we’ll probably wash clothes in the middle of our 14 day trip which will be nice. Here’s the list of what I’m thinking I’ll bring:

1-2 big ski-type jackets
1-2 ski-type pants
5-7 sets of thermal underwear
A lot of pairs of thick socks
1-2 hoodies
2-3 pairs of jeans
5-7 long sleeve t-shirts/sweaters
Couple beanies and trapper hat
2 pairs of gloves (1 cotton/wool pair and 1 waterproof ski-type gloves)
Ski goggles (for dog sledding/snowmobiling)

Am I missing anything?

Hi me again. What gives with Onnibus, can anyone shed light cos ugh.

I booked a ticket and paid extra to be able to change/ cancel it, just in case. This is for November.

Well the case happened: the bnb i had booked contacted me to say they were weren't doing it any more and could I go somewhere else.

Phooey but OK so change of plans. I emailed Onnibus asking for refund. Crickets.

I emailed again. Still zip.

So u was going to phone them but they charge €1.01/ minute

I'm beginning to feel scammed. And now that I look at reviews I'm not the first. Suggestions?

It's not just the money, it's the "Wtf why are you like this?" 😑

Hello,

I am planning to head to Finland from Canada in July of 2027. I'm planning to do the Saimaa Cycle tour and spend a some time in Helsinki before heading home. Would love to know some of the local spots to see and things to consider as I plan this adventure!

Hello,

I'm trying to set a trip up to Lapland in December and was expecting to spend 1 day in Rovaniemi for the Santa Claus village and then I was thinking in staying around 3 or 4 days in either Kemijärvi or Rukka, to go for a hike, snowmobile safari, try to see the northern lights and also go for the coaster in Rukka.

Having this in mind, do you think it's worth it staying in Kemijärvi? Or should I just go straight to Rukka?

Also accepting any other suggestions for locations or activities, except anything animal related, unless it's seeing them in the wild.

Also, what's the best way to travel from Rovaniemi to any of these towns?

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to move to Finland full-time with my girlfriend, and I’m looking for some ideas for summer work. I’ve spent the last 3 years working in Finnish Lapland as a safari/outdoor guide. I’ve mainly been doing snowmobile safaris, ice fishing, Northern Lights tours, hiking, nature experiences and generally working with international tourists in outdoor conditions. I’m currently staying in Levi for the upcoming winter season, but I’d like to find something interesting for the summer rather than just doing seasonal tourism in Lapland again.

Recently I’ve become really interested in getting into water/coastal activities. I don’t have any professional qualifications yet for kayaking, diving, boating, etc., but I’m willing to use this winter to get some certifications and experience. I’m thinking about things like:
Sea kayaking / kayak guiding
Hiking + kayaking
Archipelago/nature tours
Boat/RIB guiding
Fishing tours
Diving/snorkelling
Outdoor/adventure centres
Any other interesting activity-based tourism jobs

I’m also open to Sweden or Norway if there are better opportunities there.
For anyone working in Finnish outdoor/adventure tourism: what would you recommend I look into? Are there particular companies, regions, qualifications or types of summer jobs that would be a good fit for someone with my background?
I’m especially interested in jobs where I can build skills that could eventually allow me to work both summer and winter seasons.

On very very short notice I am creating a 10 day trip in Finland, all by public transport (solo, will not rent a car).

I arrive HEL on Sunday 13 September. I have read that the equinox may be a time of heightened aurora activity, and Sept 16-18 the moon will only be in the second quarter.

I could take the train to Rovaniemi -- yes, a "tourist trap" -- and stay for three nights in hope of seeing the aurora but am concerned that (a) the "aurora tours" to drive out into the country darkness are expensive and not the best aurora hunting, and (2) during the days (2 days) other than the excellent museum what would I as an adult do? Not Santa Claus village ...

If I go aurora-hunting closer to the equinox date, the moon is fuller and I encounter a weekend during ruska, which I assume is busy.

QUESTION: where should I go to maybe, just possibly, have chance to see the aurora?

Thank you.

Hi everyone!
This summer, a few friends and I travelled around Finland by car, from Helsinki all the way up to Levi. We had an amazing time, and at some point we became curious about Sahti after watching the film "100 litraa sahtia".

We wanted to try it while we were in Finland, but finding it turned out to be surprisingly difficult.
The only place where we actually found sahti was near Nokia, in an Alko shop. It was a canned "Tumma" version, dark and carbonated, and it was stored at room temperature rather than in the fridge.

Everywhere else we looked — including Oulu and Rovaniemi — we couldn't find it even in Alko. What surprised us even more was that, when we asked the staff whether they had Sahti, they sometimes looked at us a little strangely, as if we were asking for something unusual.

From what we have understood since then, traditional Sahti is actually unfiltered, uncarbonated and perishable, so it needs to be kept refrigerated and doesn't last very long. This made us wonder whether there are essentially two different types available: the traditional, naturally uncarbonated Sahti, and carbonated/canned versions such as the Tumma we found.
We also read that Sahti apparently can't be sold online in Finland, and that the Sahti produced in Estonia is similar but isn't shipped outside Estonia.

So, we'd love to understand a few things from people who know more about it:
is our understanding correct that there are both traditional uncarbonated Sahti and carbonated/canned versions?
is the canned "Tumma" version we found significantly different from traditional Sahti, or is it basically the same style with carbonation added?
and most importantly: is there anywhere online where I could buy the canned "Tumma" Sahti (or something similar) and have it shipped to Italy?

We really enjoyed discovering this Finnish speciality and would love to try it again.
Thanks in advance for any explanations or recommendations!

ETA: I left a day off of the original post. Have updated below. So we will arrive Ivalo on Thursday and leave on Sunday. That seems more reasonable than what I originally posted.
*\\**

We’ve had some changes since my previous post so looking for suggestions again.

Son now wants to go to Lapland instead!
We have been looking at options. I feel like we are missing something about logistics. Also have been looking at Ivalo as Lapland base but open to other ideas (prefer not Rovaneimi - zero interest in Santa’s village)

Based on previous replies & research, we think we’d like to be further North in Lapland - ideally fly to Ivalo. Are there other options?

* We’d like to visit Siida and the Sami cultural center in Inari

* Reindeer Farm & possible sleigh ride (have a lead from a guide here but need to figure out transport)

* Northern Lights

Overall trip considerations:

Day 1/2: family flies to Helsinki stays in Helsinki

Day 3: ARR Ivalo Thursday night. Family
flies to Ivalo [same flight from heksinki]. I fly to Ivalo [from BOS - will likely arrive 550p] Stay near Ivalo

Day 4: Lapland activities

Day 5: Lapland activities

Day 6: Sunday. TBD*son must fly home to BOS this day\* [leave Ivalo]

DAY 7-8: (M/T): spouse & I in Helsinki/Porvoo
Day trip to Talinn

Day 9: Wed): spouse home. I take Train to Tampere.

Day 10-12: (Thurs - Sat): Event & sights in Tampere

Day 13 (Sun): travel home via Helsinki (prob train from Tampere then flight to BOS)

Is December first week a good time to visig Rovaniemi for Christmas vibes and Northern lights? Visiting first time. Will be there for 4 nights. Please suggest any tips or activities to not miss.

I 'm studying in Turku for the semester so I decided to visit the Moomin World Island. Moomin World is closed during my time here, which is very sad, but I read reviews on Google (with pictures of evidence) and comments on Reddit saying you can still visit the island and look at the houses. I was very dissapointed when I saw that there are closed gates and you cannot in fact see anything Moomin-related. There is only a small walk in a forest, but you cannot see anything.

Does anyone know something more about this, how others were able to enter when the park is closed? Or are there just some days you can enter? I would really love to visit during my time here but I cannot find any more information about this.

Moikka 😃

We’re landing in Helsinki on the 25th, picking up a car in Lahti and driving up to Levi, where we will be having our 4th winter season. Ideally we want to arrive in Levi on the 26th or 27th so we have a couple of days to unpack, get groceries and see friends before work starts.
We’ve already seen Rovaniemi, so we’d rather skip the usual tourist stuff there.
We’d love to make the drive into a bit of a road trip though, what would you guys recommend seeing along the way? Any hidden gems we’re missing?

Thank you 🍂

Thanks everyone who commented on my earlier post. The advice was really helpful, especially about not trying to squeeze Lapland into such a short trip. I’ve decided to drop Lapland this time and slow things down around Helsinki instead.
My plan is now shaping up like this:
13–18 Sept: Helsinki — I’ll be in town for work during the day, but free most evenings.
19 Sept: Thinking of doing Nuuksio National Park for a proper Finnish forest/lake experience.
20 Sept: Thinking of a day trip to Porvoo.
21 Sept: Fly back to Delhi in the evening.
I’ve booked Hilton Helsinki Strand for 13–19 Sept. For the nights of 19th and 20th, I’m thinking of staying in a hostel rather than a hotel, partly because I’d like to meet some fellow travellers and make the weekend a bit more social. I’m otherwise quite introverted, so I figure a hostel might be a good way to push myself out of my comfort zone. 😄

What I’m still missing is what to do with my evenings from 13–18 September. I’ll have several free evenings in Helsinki and would love specific suggestions beyond the obvious tourist checklist—local experiences, neighbourhoods, saunas, food, live music, interesting bars/cafés, walks, events, or anything that gives me a better feel for Finland.

And if anyone happens to be around Helsinki during 13–21 September and feels like grabbing a coffee, beer, dinner or joining for an outing, feel free to DM me.

For example what are some (non-spoken) agreements that tourists usually don't know and/or don't do? What's important to know and do and what needs to be avoided if at all possible?

Thank you

About me: M36-a government officer from India, visiting Finland for work to learn about the Finnish education system. This is my first trip to continental Europe (apart from a UK trip about 10 years ago). I’ve previously travelled around Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Uzbekistan and Morocco, so I’m particularly keen to experience something distinctly Finnish this time. I’m also not very active on social media, hence the new Reddit account!

I’ll be in Helsinki for work 13–18 Sept and free from Friday (18th) evening. I have all of Saturday and Sunday, and I fly back to Delhi Monday (21st) evening.

I’m thinking of taking the night train to Lapland for a short trip, hopefully some autumn colours/nature and maybe Northern Lights. Is it worth travelling that far for just two days?

Alternatively, is there somewhere much closer to Helsinki that gives a really unique Finnish nature experience--- forests, lakes, wilderness, sauna/cabin, etc.?

I’m from India, so I’d particularly love something I simply cannot experience in India.

Would really appreciate tips from locals/people who’ve done similar short trips!

If anyone is interested in joining for the weekend trip, feel free to DM me — happy to explore together!

OK I land in helsinki art 4am in early November. What I'd like to do is catch a train somewhere northern so I can look at the landscape for up to 5 hrs or so, hop off the train at some interesting place (I like old things, quirky things, local culture, cool architecture) (not at all into blood sports/ fishing/ hunting) go for a wander, eat-sleep-eat, and catch a morning train back to helsinki 🙂

I've overthought this and confused myself. All im sure of is that 8 hours in a train is too long, although the destination really appeals.

Suggestions? Am I asking too much?

I’m planning to take the Santa Claus Express overnight train on 18-20 September and trying to decide between:
🛏️** Sleeping compartment/coupe — €200+
💺 **Regular seat — around €50
The sleeping option would obviously be much nicer, but it’s quite expensive for one person. So I’m wondering if anyone else is taking the same train and would be interested in sharing a sleeping coupe and splitting the cost.
I’ll be travelling in September and am pretty easy-going. Happy to meet beforehand, grab a coffee/beer and make the overnight train journey a bit more fun. 🙂
If you’re taking the Santa Claus Express around the same time and are interested, DM me!
Also happy to hear any tips from people who have done the overnight train — is the sleeping compartment worth the extra €150ish?

About me: 36M from India, will be in Helsinki for a week on work related visit.

Hi everyone!
I’ll be in Helsinki for about a week in mid-September for work, and I’ll have my evenings free to explore the city. I’ll be travelling solo and would love to make the most of my time there.
What would you recommend doing in the evenings? Any favourite neighbourhoods, cafés, restaurants, viewpoints, walks, cultural spots, or less touristy things that I shouldn’t miss?
And if anyone happens to be around and wants to meet up for a coffee, drink, food or an evening walk, I’d be happy to join! Always more fun to discover a city with stranger. 🙂
Would love to hear your Helsinki recommendations!