Finland Information
Joined: 21 Oct 2006
Posts: 18
Home Country: finland
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 Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 8:37 am Post subject: GETTING AROUND IN FINLAND/ FINLAND TRANSPORT GUIDE |
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GETTING AROUND IN FINLAND
AIR
Finland has one of the densest and least expensive airline networks in Europe, with 24 airports throughout the country, including in the far north. For domestic flights there are several kinds of discount tickets. For further information, please contact your travel agent. Among the airlines that ply the routes internally are Finnair, Karair, Finnaviation, Blue 1, FinnComm Airlines and Golden Air. In the case of an emergency, Jetlife provide an air ambulance service.
f you plan to travel extensively throughout Scandinavia or into the Baltic countries, then consider the Finnair Nordic Air Pass. It is available only from May 1 to September 30, and you must have a transatlantic plane ticket to be eligible.
RAIL
Finland has its own Finnrailpass for use on the country's elaborate network of railroads. It's a "flexipass," entitling the holder to unlimited travel for any 3, 5, or 10 days within a 1-month period on all passenger trains of the VR Ltd. Finnish Railways. Travelers over 65 and children 6 to 16 are charged half the full fare (it may be necessary to show proof of age); children 5 and under ride free.
Second-class trains in Finland are comparable to first-class trains in many other countries. The Finnrailpass should be purchased before you enter Finland; sometimes it's available at border stations at the frontier.
Because Finnish trains tend to be crowded, you should reserve a seat in advance -- in fact, seat reservations are obligatory on all express trains marked "IC" or "EP" on the timetable. The charge for seat reservations, which depends on the class and the length of the journey, ranges from 3€ to 61€.
For more information, contact VR Ltd. Finnish Railways, P.O. Box 488, Vilhonkatu 13, FIN-00101 Helsinki (tel. 09/307-209-02). In the United States, contact RailEurope, Inc. (tel. 800/848-7245 or 800/4EURAIL; www.raileurope.com).
BUS
Finland has an extensive bus network operated by private companies. Information on bus travel is available at the Helsinki Bus Station, just west of the post office between Salomonkatu and Simonkatu (tel. 09/613-684-33). Tickets can be purchased on board or at the bus station. Ask about a "Coach Holiday Ticket," allowing travel up to 1,000 km (621 miles) during any 2-week period. These discount tickets can be purchased in Finland at a cost of 65€.
TAXIS
Service on most forms of public transportation ends around midnight throughout Finland, forcing night owls to drive themselves or to rely on the battalions of taksi (taxis) that line up at taxi stands in every Finnish town. In Helsinki, taxi stands are strategically situated throughout the downtown area, and it's usually less expensive to wait in line at a stand until one arrives. If you decide to call a taxi -- they can be found under Taksiasemat in the local Yellow Pages -- you have to pay the charges that accumulate on the meter from the moment the driver first receives the call, not from when he or she picks you up.
CAR
Because of the far-flung scattering of Finland's attractions and the relative infrequency of its trains and long-distance buses, touring the country by car is the best way to savour its sights and charms, especially during the summer months. Bear in mind that driving conditions can be very bad during the long winter months. Snow tires are compulsory in winter. All car-rental companies supply winter tires during the appropriate seasons as part of their standard equipment.
Foreigners bringing a motor vehicle into Finland must have a driver's license and a clearly visible sign attached to the vehicle showing its nation of origin. This rule is enforced at the border. Your home driver's license will be honoured; an international driver's license is not required.
Rentals -- Avis, Budget and Hertz are represented in Finland. Each company maintains 22 to 24 locations in Finland, usually in town centres or at airports, and sometimes in surprisingly obscure settings. For those who want to begin and end your tour of Finland in different cities, a drop-off within Finland can be arranged for a modest surcharge. A drop-off outside Finland, however -- if allowed at all -- is much more expensive; the surcharge could range from 340€ to 680€, plus additional charges for each kilometer driven. Because of the horrendous costs of one-way international car rentals originating in Finland, most visitors rent cars separately in each country you visit.
The charge to rent a luxury car begins at around 672€ a week, plus the 22% Finnish tax.
All three companies offer small, cost-efficient cars that might be able to seat four passengers. However, we recommend these subcompact cars for no more than two passengers plus luggage. Rentals range from 392€ at Avis to 233€ at Budget per week, with unlimited mileage; Hertz's cheapest car, quoted at 440€ per week, makes a comparison difficult since it includes the whopping 22% government tax in its rates. Both Budget and Avis consider the 22% government tax a supplemental charge that's added to your bill.
FERRIES & LAKE STEAMERS
Finland's nearly 188,000 lakes form Europe's largest inland waterway. Although railroads and highways now link most Finnish towns and villages, the romantic old steamers (and their modern counterparts) give both Finns and visitors a relaxing way to enjoy the inland archipelago areas of Finland in summer.
The excursion trips of most vessels last from just a couple of hours to a full day. In some cases you can travel from one lakeside town to another. There are even a couple of car ferries that cross some of the biggest lakes, significantly reducing the time required to drive around the lake. Unlike highway ferries, which are few in number today but can be used at no charge, the car ferries charge a fare for both cars and passengers. Information on all lake traffic schedules and fares is available from local tourist offices.
URBAN TRANSPORTATION
The metropolitan area (Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa) has a unified fare system. The region is divided into two tariff zones. Each of the towns comprises its own zone. Kauniainen ia a part of the Espoo zone. Journeys made within a single town area are charged as one zone. Regional journeys which cross city boundaries are counted as two zone journeys, irrespective of how many town areas have been driven through.
You can travel with Helsinki region travel card or with single tickets bought from ticket machines, the bus driver or train conductor on all local buses, trams, local trains and underground in the metropolitan area as well as on the Suomenlinna ferry. 1-day tourist tickets can be bought on buses, local trains and from multi-ticket machines. Tourist tickets for 3 and 5 days can be purchased from multi-ticket machines situated at train and underground stations and in advance from YTV and Helsinki City Transport service points, Kamppi Travel Centre, Stockmann Department Store and main R-kiosks.
With a single ticket or the travel card value ticket you can transfer to another public transport vehicle within 80 minutes of validating the ticket i.e. when you have shown your card to the card reader device. Inside Helsinki the transfer time is 60 minutes, excluding connecting bus lines for the underground and northeastern connecting bus lines, on which the transfer time is also 80 minutes. With a valid period ticket you can travel as much as you like. During night time 2am-4.30am a higher night rate is charged. Period tickets are not valid at that time. Local transportation in other cities is very well organized too. |
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