Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Car-rental franchises with offices in many Finnish cities include:
Budget
(
www.avis.com
)
. One of the cheapest is
Sixt
.
Road Conditions & Hazards
Wildlife
Beware of elk and reindeer, which don't respect vehicles and can dash onto the
road unexpectedly. This sounds comical, but elks especially constitute a deadly danger. No-
tify the police if there is an accident involving these animals. Reindeer are very common in
Lapland; slow right down if you see one, as there will be more nearby.
Conditions
Snow and ice on the roads, potentially from September to April, and as late as
June in Lapland, make driving a serious undertaking. Snow chains are illegal: people use
either snow tyres, which have studs, or special all-weather tyres. The website
ht-
tp://liikennetilanne.liikennevirasto.fi
has road webcams around Finland, good for checking
conditions. Select 'kelikamerat' on the map.
Road Rules
Finns drive on the right.
The speed limit is 50km/h in built-up areas, from 80km/h to 100km/h on highways, and
120km/h on motorways.
Use headlights at all times.
Seatbelts are compulsory for all.
Blood alcohol limit: 0.05%.
An important feature of Finland is that there are fewer give-way signs than most countries.
Traffic entering an intersection from the right has right of way. While this doesn't apply to
highways or main roads, in towns cars will often nip out from the right without looking: you
must give way, so be careful at smaller intersections in towns.
Hitching
Hitching in Finland is possible but expect long waits. It's more common in remote areas
where bus services are fewer, but still unusual. Your greatest friend will be your insect re-
pellent. Mosquitoes can't believe their luck that such a large juicy mammal will stand in one
place for such a very long time.
