Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hostels & Summer Hotels
For solo travellers, hostels generally offer the cheapest bed, and can be good value for twin
rooms. Finnish hostels are invariably clean, comfortable and very well equipped, though
most are in somewhat institutional buildings.
Some Finnish hostels are run by the Finnish Youth Hostel Association (SRM), and many
more are affiliated. It's worth being a member of
Hostelling International
(
www.hihostels.com
)
, as members save 10% per night at affiliated places. You'll save money
with a sleep sheet or your own linen, as hostels tend to charge €4 to €8 for this.
From June to August, many student residences are made over as summer hostels and
hotels. These are often great value, as you usually get your own room, with kitchen (bring
your own utensils, though) and bathroom either to yourself or shared between two people.
HOSPITALITY WEBSITES
Organisations such as
Couchsurfing
(
www.couchsurfing.org
)
or
Hospitality Club
(
www.hospitalityclub.org
) put people in contact for informal free accommodation offers -
a bit like blind-date couch surfing. Even if you're not comfortable crashing in a stranger's
house, these sites are a great way to meet and socialise with locals.
Airbnb
(
www.airbnb.com
) is a community that has a whole range of options, from private rooms
in people's flats to top-value holiday rentals and almost anything else you can think of.
Hotels
Most hotels in Finland cater to business travellers and the majority belong to one of a few
major chains, including the following:
Cumulus
(
www.cumulus.fi
)
Hotels in Finland are designed with the business traveller in mind and tend to charge ro-
bustly. But on weekends and during the July summer holidays prices in three- and four-star
hotels tend to drop by 40% or so.
Superior rooms vary in value. In many places they are identical to the standard and your
extra cash gets you only a bathrobe and a fancier shampoo. In others, an extra €20 can get
