Driving in Finland -my Experiences, Pictures and Favorite Routes

In my 12 years of driving in Finland, this country is the most easy, interesting, and fun(in the wintertime) to drive through.

Northern Finland is much less populated than the south of the country. Between 25% to 30% of Finland's population live in the southern part of the country, concentrated around towns and cities like: Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, and Tampere... which means...

...as you drive through Helsinki which takes an hour or so, you've just driven past one third of Finland's population.

See how long, and at what cost Michelin calculates a drive from Helsinki to Lemmenjoki (south to north)(near the Lemmenjoki National Park) for a gold panning trip. This will help you conceptualize distances while driving in Finland.

• Finnish roads get repaved frequently due to harsh winter weather conditions and usage.
  
  Finland has high standard, high quality paved roads. You'll see lots of road construction in the summer.
  
  
• Driving in Finland is relaxing compared to downtown Manhattan:
  
  Finns are shy, and "generally speaking" like keeping distances. Hence, drivers keep away from following close to your bumper(except young drivers). Most avoid overtaking other vehicles speeding at 150 km/hour.

Approaching a car from the rear end. Driving in Finland...yes, Finns Do drive on the right side of the divided road.

Interesting to see while driving in Finland.

• a variety of wild animals like: deer, moose, fox, rabbits. One caution about spotting Finnish moose while driving, please follow this tip.
  
  
• lots of lakes, thick and sparse forests. Like this drive in the fall along a country road. I discovered a bridge in Vesilahti along Suonolantie

Pictures from the above drive. Google Street view left this out, but I'll show you what it looks like in the next four pictures. These photos are taken from a small bridge as I am crossing between two bodies of land.

Panning to the right of the bridge...Parked on the bridge. The bridge connects to the opposite side, where the red farmhouse is.

Panning to the right, more lakeside scenery...Lakeside scenery around Suonolantie, Vesilahti. On a bridge in early fall when leaves on birch trees are turning yellow.


A final view from the bridge. The forest's edge. The sky is white, the lake is completely calm. Not a soul around...in the distance, an orange flag floating above water. -a fisherman's net. (Look carefully at the center right in the photo you can see the flag)

Want to drive where I have been? Type in... Suonolantie 300, Vesilahti. Then, once you get there, type in Takamaantie, Vesilahti. That should bring you to the bridge I am on.


Driving in Finland is fun...

...to see funny signs while driving in Finnish Lapland like these typical Finnish roadsigns:

-a red triangular caution sign with a reindeer symbol inside. The black area is Lapland. It basically means...watch out for reindeer!



Another common and fun road sign in Finland. -The Moose Zone

Is this a 'Moose-on-the-loose?' This sign means...the edge of the protective moose fence terminates 200 meters from this point forward. When you see this sign, consider keeping the speed of the vehicle 80 km's/hour tops. -especially at dawn and dusk.

Insurances for driving in Finland

The basic minimum vehicle insurance that you must have while driving is called liikenevakuutus. This is similar to bodily and property damage insurance. This type of insurance covers the other person's vehicle, and personal damages. It does not cover damages to your own vehicle.

If you want insurance which covers for damage to your vehicle, you need additional insurance called kasko. This is much like collision repair coverage insurance.

Driving in Finland with a vehicle registered in another EU country

When your vehicle is registered and insured in another EU country, you are able to use the vehicle up to 90 days upong entering Finland

Driving longer than 90 days requires one to register the vehicle in Finland, pay tax and to take out insurance in Finland.

General information about traffic & road signs

Driving in Finland is very similar to southern Europe's driving. A yield sign, is a yellow triangle with a red border. The red outline around a triangle usually indicates that it is a warning sign. Oh, and sorry, no right turning on red, like in the United States.

Remember to yield to person on the right, if there is no stop light/sign for the other vehicle.

What non-locals and tourists have the most difficulties with are the names of the signs in Finland. In some areas, roadsigns include names in Finnish and Swedish languages.

Tip about understanding names on roadsigns in Finland. You see a road sign with the name of a town or area. Most commonly, the very first line from top to bottom, left to right is the Finnish name, use this name for navigating to your destination. Like this...

In this case the top line is the Finnish name, the bottom, Swedish. Turku in Finnish, ÅBO is Swedish.

Wikipedia is for those curious and wanting more information about road signs in Finland, and what they look like.

Parking a car

Parking sometimes requires a small white parking stub, and a thin, blue plastic clock to indicate the time one parks. In the photo, the blue and white arrows pointing at the lower part of the windshield show the location on top of the dash, inside the car.

Make sure the clock and the stub is visible, and the time on the clock is set according to arrival time.

The thin blue clock,(see the blue arrow) is always good to have in the car, since it gets used lots while parking a vehicle in city. If you are not sure a clock or parking stub is needed, look at the windshield of other parked vehicles.

Safety items to consider while driving in Finland.

Use headlights all the time, and even when the vehicle is parked along the side of the road, while the engine is idling.

In towns and cities: If you are approaching a bus which is parked off to the right side and driving below 60 km/hr, and the bus signals as it pulls out in front of you, yield to the bus.

All passengers of the vehicle must have their seat-belts fastened while driving in Finland. Children under age 12 and shorter than 1,5 meters need their own seat or booster chair.

Younger children(toddlers & babies) need a special baby seat which is positioned on top of the vehicle's rear seats, with the child's head facing the opposite direction.

If you drink two beers and drive, most likely the level of alcohol in your body is over the allowed limit. Rule of thumb: If you have to drink, consume less than one beer, then wait two hours before driving. Or better yet... Assign a designated driver.

Following the speed limits within +5km/hr/limit is still ok, but driving over 10km/hr/limit can get you a fine.


Rule-of-Thumb...Speed as little as possible. If you get a fine, the police balance the fine quantity against your income and offense. See the case where a Finnish driver got a fine of $71,000.

Driving in Finland -countryside driving: If you approach a horse trotting along the side of the road, slow down, but no need to drive below 50 km/hr. Finnish horses are less shy than their owners.

Most minor roads directly off the highway are well paved and taken care of. In northern Finland, Lapland and eastern Finland there are non-asphalted and poorly marked roads. If you are using these road, be sure to have a good map, gps navigation system, and plenty of fuel.

Winter driving in Finland: Make sure the vehicle has studded metal spikes whiles driving on snow or ice. This provides a greater degree of safety while driving under harsh winter weather conditions.


For wintertime driving in Finland, be sure to have a blanket with you, in case of a breakdown. Keep a shovel in the trunk, with a bag of sand. That way, if you get stuck in the snow, here is what to do:

---Get out, and turn off the engine. Relax, take a deep breath! Shovel away the snow and ice from underneath the car. Then remove snow & ice away from each wheel. Most importantly is removing snow & ice away from the side of the tire facing the front of the vehicle.

In other words...clear the snow and ice away from the front of the vehicle, by removing sections about 1 meter long x 50 cm wide x 2 centimeter deep strip toward the forward direction of each wheel.

Removing ice is important, since, once you start driving forward again, you want gravity to pull the vehicle down. Removing the ice creates a small valley in front of the vehicle, and helps get the momentum up as you are initially attempting to dislodge the vehicle for the first time. It works!

After the digging ceremony, sprinkle sand on top of the strips you dug out. It's best to have dug out strips along the forward path for all wheels instead of just the power wheels.



Most gas / petrol stations are highly automated. Here is how to tank up in Finland:

First, insert the debit/visa card, type in a pass code, hit a few buttons, grab the nozzle, insert nozzle into the gas tank, and then squeeze the trigger. Easy!
Not all fuel stations accept cash. If you want to pay with cash, to be on the safe side, find the fuel pump that says: Kassa, cashier's desk on it. Tank up first, then pay for you fuel inside. Phew!

Automobile fuel in Finland is unleaded. It is helpful to notice the colorful hoses of the automated fuel pumps. Black is for diesel, average price: 1,80 euros/liter. 95 octane is the green hose. 97 and 99 octane are more expensive between 1,30 - 1,50 euro/liter.


Many fuel-up stations also have cafes and shops, for eating/shopping. Lunch is served during the noon hours, also being the cheapest time during the day to eat.

These gas and shop stations are attractive to Finns as they can also read daily Finnish newspaper for free. Many use the fill up stations to eat out, and as a meeting place. Use the 24 hour gas & shop station like ABC to fill up any time of the day.

Otherwise, smaller gas / petrol stations are open between 7 am and 9 pm.

If you ever have an emergency, like an accident call the police at 112. According to law, you are to 'help out' at the scene of the accident.

In case your vehicle breaks down, and you need to get towed, AL Autoliitto, claims to have a co-operation with AAA U.S.A. Non-members can dial 0200-8080 and pay 1,95 €/min + the phone net charges, enabling you to find the nearest towing/repair services.

Food and eating

Why not pack a lunch. If stopping at the nearest gas / fuel station is what you want to do for lunch, be prepared to spend at least 10 euros per adult per stop. For a family of four, that is 40 euros per stop. Well over 100 euros per day. Expensive!

Instead, consider making a take-along lunch and stop along the side of the road to eat.

Need travel information for tourists about Finland? Travel maps, free travel guides?

To get hard copy information about attractions, accommodations, sights, buy tickets for events both locally/regionally, and in Lapland...

The Information Sign in Finland

...drive 20 km's towards Helsinki from Hämeenlinna on the Helsinki-Tampere highway E12. Stop at a large gas / fill up station called Linnatuuli. This structure is built over the highway. Here you will find free printed information covering all of Finland.

Linnatuuli address: Helsingintie 1426, 12400 Janakkala : location on a map

While driving in Finland and you come across small towns/villages, drive to the center of the town and look for the municipality office building kunnanvirasto.

In any case, wherever you are driving in Finland, keep an eye out for the green information sign.

Driving routes with scenic landscapes of Finland

Here are a few scenic driving routes with driving directions.


Begin this trip at the southwest tip of Finland in Turku. The Archipelago trail Saariston Rengastie is a route covering one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world with incredible sea landscapes, beaches, grandiose nature, museums and yacht ports.

There are over 250 kilometers of road, 12 bridges, nine ferry boat crossings taking you from island to island. This stretch of road is open between June 1st - August 31st. By car this route takes one day to see. See ferry schedules at (www.fma.fi).

Along the way, as you stop in different municipalities, pick up free information about local restaurants, hotel accommodations.

Here is a breakdown of the route: Turku--->Pargas--->Nagu--->Korpo--->Houtskär--->Iniö--->Kustavi
--->Taivassalo--->Askainen--->Merimasku--->Naantali--->Turku

Start off in Turku and head south to Kaarina. The drive takes you on highway 110. Head to Pargas. Take a detour of 6 kilometers to see the Kuusisto Castle ruins attraction.

From Pargas drive another 11 km's to the next ferry landing called Lillmälö. You will pass by the Sattmark Cafe,(beach with volleyball) and the Lenholm conservation area. The ferry crossing from Lillmälö to Prostvik takes 10 minutes. Once in Prostvik, drive 15 km's to get to the center of Nagu.

From the center of Nagu it is 14 km's to the Pärnäs ferry landing. From Pärnäs your goal is to reach Korpo, where you find the Solateria watchtower located in Rumar. -worth visiting. The Galtby Ferry Landing takes you from Korpo to Kittuis. -a 30 minute ferry ride to Houtskär.

Once you are in Houtskär stop by the archipelago museum and see an old wooden church from 1703. It is 14 km's from Houtskär to the ferry landing of Mossala. You will take two different smaller ferries. It will take an hour to get to Dalen and the center of Iniö is another 3 km.

In Iniö there is a saw & wind-mill tourist attraction. Drive 6 km from the town center of Iniö, to another ferry crossing, which connects to the Kannvik inter-island ferry landing. From Kannvik to Kustavi it takes another 25 minutes by ferry.

Once you arrive in Kustavi's Heponiemi landing, it is 17 km's to Taivassalo, and a 22 km drive from Taivassalo to Merimasku. In Kustavi you may want to see the Isokari lighthouse. In Taivassalo keep driving on road 192 toward Askainen, where you absolutely must see the Louhisaari Manor in Masku.



On route from the village of Merimasku to the center of Naantali it is 11 km. and puts you close to the summer residence of the Finnish president called Kultaranta. -also worth a visit.

Here is a driving concept map of the Archipelago Trail Saariston Rengastie starting in Turku. Use this concept map for visualizing the route. The Archipelago Trail starts in Turku, covers 250 kms of beautiful islands, seascapes, 12 bridges and nine ferry boat crossings, and ends in Turku.

For more exact driving directions, I recommend buying a map to take along on the drive in the city of Turku, or use a navigation device.




Driving in Finland -worthwhile routes: Explore the Finnish version of the U.S. Route 66. For one, there is less traffic along this route than on the major highways like E63, or E12 (3).


Driving in Finland -worthwhile routes: Drive in the northern direction towards Ruovesi and Virrat.

As you drive past Ruovesi road 66 also called Mustajärventie, turn to the left toward the Seitseminen National Park.

After visiting the park, get directions for the Riuttaskorven Virkkistysmetsä, or Riuttanen, at the visitor center. Go birdwatching, or on a short hike to view a lake from the Haukijärvi tower

Next, drive north back up to Virrat, then head back south toward Ruovesi.
Along the left side of the road you will see the Toriseva cliff attraction, where you can stop and see the 'deep-long-n-narrow lake' and have coffee and fresh pastries at the Toriseva Cafe.

The trip ends after following route 66 further south until you see signs for the Helvetinjärvi National Park. You will access the park at the east side.

For your own perception, here are driving directions showing you the whole trip starting off in Orivesi, and ending at the Helvetinjärvi National Park showing five points, but only 4 points of attraction.

You could start off your journey in Tampere as well. For seeing how the 4 points connect follow these driving directions from Viamichelin

Short scenic "driving in Finland" insider drives.

30 km southwest of Savonlinna there is a 45 minute drive from Sulkava to Lohilahti.

First you need to drive to Sulkava, Etelä-Savo then head on road 534 going northeast. After a few kilometers turn right on road 438, also called Vekarantie, this heads south. Keep driving through Rauhaniemi ---> Ruokoniemi. Then stop in Lohilahti or turn back before getting to Lohilahti.

The road turns into Lohilahdentie. For a navigational device use the following address: Sulkava, Etelä-Savo as your source, and Lohiladentie 2, as your destination. Once you arrive in Lohilahti there is a cafe to buy food.

Here is this route in Google maps between Sulkava and Lohilahdentie.



70 km route near Helsinki through the countryside of Vihti.

Take this scenic route which starts from the metro Helsinki area and goes through Vihti to Helsingintie along road 120, also known as the Vanha Porintie. This is a 70 kilometer route, which starts in the city and then turns into interesting countryside driving in Finland.

For navigational devices: Let's say if you are starting off in Helsinki, for your destination, type in Hauhulantie 548(street name), Nummi-Pusula(city), southern Finland.

Here is this route in Google Maps starting from the junction of Vihdintie and Hämeenlinnanväylä 120 which ends at the junction of Helsingintie and Hauhulantie.




Here is one of our favorite "driving in Finland" short routes. A drive across lake Päijänne, which stretches for about 3 km over the lake. (A long stretch across water). There is a small lighthouse and a cafe for a pleasant stop along this drive. You can even drink the water from the lake...if you dare!

See this drive across lake Päijänne at the Päijänne National Park.



Take this drive from Porvoo to the area called Rösund. In Rösund there is a road called Båtviikintie.

This trip takes about 50 minutes covering a distance of 45 kilometers to the coastal scenic stretch ending in a residential area.

For this destination, type in Båtviikintie(street) Perjana/Rösund(area) for navigational devices, and off you go.

Here is this route in Google Maps from the town of Porvoo to Båtviikintie

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