Plan a trip to Finland
When to go, what it costs, getting around, and the things worth timing a trip for.
Christmas in Finland: what Finns actually do
Christmas Eve is the day that matters: porridge, sauna, the Christmas Peace from Turku at noon, candles in the cemetery and the big meal. The 2026 Christmas markets in Helsinki, Turku and Tampere, what closes, and what Lapland is like with two hours of daylight. Lapland
Cost of travelling in Finland: a daily budget
What a trip to Finland costs per day in 2026: hotel and hostel rates in Helsinki and Rovaniemi read off the operators' own booking pages for autumn, Christmas and summer, lunch and dinner prices, supermarket and Alko prices, transport tickets, activities, free things, and a budget, mid-range and comfortable day. Planning the trip
Dog sledding and reindeer in Lapland: how to choose
Husky or reindeer, how long you actually spend on the sled, what the trips cost from Rovaniemi, Levi and Saariselkä with prices checked in September 2026, what Finnish law says about kennels, and the questions worth asking before you book. Lapland
Finnish food: what to eat, and where to find it
Karelian pies, salmon soup, sautéed reindeer, rye bread and salmiakki; the lunch buffet that feeds the country; the market halls in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku with their hours; what is in season when; and Alko's rules after the July 2026 change, all checked on 27 September 2026. Planning the trip
Hobbyhorsing in Finland: the sport and championships
Hobbyhorsing began in Finland in the 2000s. The Finnish championships, held in Seinäjoki on 13 June 2026, draw around 500 riders: jumps of 100–110 cm, dressage, western, and shows. Festivals and odd championships
How dark is it in Lapland in September?
Not dark at all until the second week — Rovaniemi has no astronomical darkness until 8 September, and Utsjoki none until the 17th. Then it arrives fast: seven minutes of daylight lost a day. Straight answer
Is Finland expensive? The numbers
Yes, by about a fifth against the EU average, but less than the US, about level with the UK and Sweden, and well below Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Eurostat's 2025 price levels, what is dear and what is not, and what that means for a trip. Straight answer
Santa Claus Express: Helsinki to Rovaniemi train
See today's Santa Claus Express trains with live delays, plus cabin choices, prices, booking rules and on-board essentials for the Helsinki to Rovaniemi route. Lapland
Swamp soccer world championships in Hyrynsalmi
Six-a-side football in a Kainuu bog, two 10-minute halves, no offside. The 2027 championships are on 16–17 July at Vuorisuo near Hyrynsalmi; teams pay €259 to enter and spectators get in free. Festivals and odd championships
The best time to visit Finland, month by month
Daylight for Helsinki, Rovaniemi and Utsjoki on the 15th of every month, the months with no dark sky for the aurora, FMI's 1991–2020 temperature averages, when the snow comes and goes, and which months are honestly grim. Planning the trip
The Finnish sauna: etiquette, and where to go
What actually happens in a Finnish sauna, when to wear a swimsuit and when not to, and six public saunas in Helsinki, Vantaa and Tampere with their prices checked, from a free self-heated one on an island to a 1906 original. Planning the trip
The world sauna championships, and why they ended
Heinola ran a sauna endurance contest from 1999 to 2010: 110 °C, half a litre of water on the stones every 30 seconds. A finalist died in the 2010 final, and it has never been held again. Festivals and odd championships
Unusual championships in Finland: what still runs
Wife carrying, air guitar, swamp soccer and hobbyhorsing ran again in 2026. The sauna, mosquito-killing and phone-throwing contests have stopped. Towns, months and 2027 dates checked. Festivals and odd championships
Wife carrying world championships in Sonkajärvi
The wife carrying world championships are on 2–3 July 2027 in Sonkajärvi: a 253.5 m track with a water pit, a 49 kg minimum, the wife's weight in beer, a €55 entry, and the train to Iisalmi. Festivals and odd championships