Finland is a country I’ve already been to before. Helsinki is where I started and ended my three-day visa-free trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was November, which was both magical and a mistake. This was during my semester abroad in Aarhus, Denmark in 2012. I’ve only seen Helsinki and Rovaniemi, so it’s about time for a revisit with more depth.
Things I’d Like to Do Next Time in Finland
- Hitchhike waaaay more; I only hitchhiked a taxi very shortly from the airport in Rovaniemi back in 2012. That’s not really enough to draw any conclusions
- Revisit Helsinki as a digital nomad. I’d also love to take ferries to/from Helsinki to other Baltic Sea countries, such as Estonia
- Speaking of ferries and boats, Finland has a lot of islands that seem exciting, perhaps in summer. I’m mostly looking at the Hermanni Islands nearby Oulu and other islands of the Bothnian Bay. The same goes for the Ekenäs Archipelago in the south. Of course, I should mention the Turku ferry that passes through the Turku Archipelago to the Åland Archipelago and the ferry from Vaasa to Sweden. And then there are the shared islands with Sweden: Inakari/Kataja and Märket
- Visit as many cool lighthouses as possible. For example, the one in Valsörarna (an Eiffel production), Bengtskär lighthouse (tallest in the Nordic countries), and Marjaniemi Lighthouse
- Travel in winter (again) and hitchhike across an ice road—an idea I’m absolutely obsessed with. In particular, I’m looking at the ice road to the island of Hailuoto. Also, perhaps it’s time to pick up skiing again or improve my shoddy ice skating skills. You know, make those sauna visits worth it!
- Learn more about Sámi cultures in the north around Inari. I’d love to experience the midnight sun in the remote Utsjoki region
- Enjoy the night sky and other astronomy things. There’s an observatory and a planetarium in Helsinki
- Dig deep into the Soviet history of Finland in places such as the Porkkala Peninsula and the Hanko Peninsula. Also, the statue of friendship between Leningrad and Turku and the Lenin Museum in Tampere stand out
- Admire architecture such as the Temppeliaukio Church, the Paimio Sanatorium, the brutalist Asemapäällikönhovi Building, and the Puijo Tower
- Enjoy natural spaces, such as the Torhola Cave and the Pihtsusköngäs waterfall
- Perhaps I’m too old for this now, but back in my student years, I really wanted to participate in the annual Kaljakellunta beer floating festival in July/August
- Speaking of floating, I think Finland is a perfect country for kayak trips. The longest river is the Kemijoki, which flows through the familiar city of Rovaniemi. But why do rivers if Finland is most famous for its many lakes? If you have some tips about several interconnected lakes, please comment below. So far, the most promising lake system is Iso-Kalla
- Do some urban exploring. The only abandoned airport I could find is Kannus Airfield (location)
- Enjoy trains, trams, the Turku funicular,
- If feeling up to the challenge, hike up Halti (1365masl), the highest point in Finland. However, it might be better to ascend from Norway. If not for hiking, I’d definitely want to visit that area, which is the remote Enontekiö panhandle
- In general, I’d love to go hiking. Perhaps the Finnish section of the European long-distance path E10 is doable
If you know cool places and things to do in Finland or if you are Finnish, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return!
So you are a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Finland. Then drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Accommodation in Finland: Where We Stayed between Kilpisjärvi and Turku
What to expect of accommodation in Finland as a digital nomad? We stayed in Finland from the 3rd of September till the 9th of October, but from the 24th of September till the 9th of October we were in the Åland Islands part of Finland. Since Åland is quite a special place, accommodation in the Åland Islands is a separate post! Kilpisjärvi, Lapland Duration: three nights After Tromsø in Norway, our plan was to travel to Finland through one of the ‘bunny ears’ called Enontekiö. The most obvious place to stay in that area right across the border and intoContinue reading
Faroe Islands eSIM Options: Don’t Get Screwed, the Faroes ≠ in the EU!
Traveling to the Faroe Islands? Cool, but don’t forget to turn off roaming on your phone. The Faroes are not in the EU or EEA, despite being a country under the rule of Denmark. These are your options for staying online while traveling in the Faroe Islands: eSIM, (expensive) physical SIM card, or the secret third option How did we get here? The Faroe Islands are Danish, but not EU You might be taking a trip to Denmark or Iceland and think, why not do a side quest to the Faroe Islands? They’re an incredible destination with amazing nature, distinctContinue reading
Accommodation in the Faroe Islands: Vágar, Suðuroy, Tórshavn + Smyril Line
What to expect from accommodation in the Faroe Islands as a digital nomad? We booked these places during a nine an eight-day trip to this Atlantic archipelago. We were in the Faroes between the 9th and the 17th of October, 2025. Then we took the ferry from the Faroese capital Tórshavn to Hirtshals in Denmark and had a cabin aboard the Smyril Line. Here’s where we stayed on the islands of Vágar, Suðuroy, and Streymoy, plus tips on how to avoid the booking mistakes we made! Miðvágur, Vágar: Wonderful Apartment Overlooking the Fjord ⭐ Duration: two nights We had originallyContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 82: Brăila to Galați – The Last Bridge Across the Danube
This kayak day happened on the 20th of July, 2024. Jonas and I paddled the Danube from Brăila to Galați. This was a relatively short day between two major Romanian cities. Leaving Brăila for Galați Because we only had about 20 kilometers to kayak, we woke up at Hotel RaAy without an alarm. With some instant coffee, we finished packing up at a leisurely pace. Jonas was looking ready for the summer with his new haircut. The forecast said that the headwind should get less the longer we waited, so we tried to find a balance between leaving late forContinue reading
Kayaking the Agger, Sieg, and Rhine – Zucchini’s Recertification River Trials for the Danube
We kayaked the Agger, Sieg, and a bit of the Rhine rivers on Thursday, the 29th of February, 2024. Besides having fun, this was also an important test for our inflatable kayak Zucchini, which had been in storage for over 4 years since paddling the Morava River. Will she float? If she passes her shakedown cruise on these three rapid rivers, we shall take her to Mohács to kayak the rest of the Danube River this year. Four Years, Four Months, and Twenty-Nine Days of Slumber Inflating Zucchini + Testing for Leaks Before we could take Zucchini back to theContinue reading
Accommodation in Estonia: Booking Homes in Tartu, Tallinn, and Kärdla
What to expect of accommodation in Estonia as a digital nomad? We stayed in Estonia from the 9th of October till the 25th of October, 2023. These are the places we booked to both work online from and have fun day trips. Cruiseferry from Mariehamn to Tallinn Since this bit already appeared in the accommodation in the Åland Islands article, I tucked this one away. But yes, we arrived in Estonia on a booze cruise. Tartu⭐ Duration: four nights From Tallinn Port, we walked to the train station and took the train first class to Tartu. This is a 2.5-hourContinue reading
Accommodation in the Åland Islands: from Eckerö and Kökar to Mariehamn
What to expect of accommodation in the Åland Islands as a digital nomad? These are the places we booked to both have adventures and get some work done. We were in Åland between the 24th of September and the 9th of October. Åland is part of Finland, so read about accommodation in Finland here. Eckerö (Couchsurfing) Duration: two nights We spent our first two nights in Åland couchsurfing with a local in Eckerö. It’s quite unusual for us, but a friend of mine brought me into contact with the guy she couchsurfed with in Åland a few months prior andContinue reading
Hailuoto Day Trip from Oulu: Marjaniemi Lighthouse + Keskiniemi Beacon
We visited Hailuoto on Thursday the 14th of September, 2014. It’s a very beautiful and flat island in the northern Baltic Sea in Finland. Bus 59S from Oulu to Marjaniemi Lighthouse on Hailuoto Planning this trip wasn’t very difficult; the bus is on Google Maps. Jonas figured out it’s possible to pay with a (debit) card on the bus, so all we had to do was pack our bags and be at the bus stop on time. We walked to this bus stop on Saaristonkatu where there was a woman waiting for the bus. There were no signs that thisContinue reading
Why We Started Catsitting + How to Start Housesitting to Travel
It all started with a cat named Monday. At least, that’s what we called her. And after finding a forever home for her, we wanted to have more cats in our lives without the drama and the tears. More happy stories of beloved felines that receive regular veterinary care. Fewer stories of kittens discarded on a hiking trail or born in a colony on a rooftop. Just taking care of cats for a few days or weeks or months and then handing back the responsibility to their pet parents who missed them dearly and are grateful for the help. ThatContinue reading
Hitchhiking Bucket List: #6 Ice Road (Truckers?)
Places that are hard to reach fascinate me. You might know that I’ve already been to the largest city unreachable by road—Iquitos in Perú. That journey from Pucallpa to Iquitos and from Iquitos to El Coca in Ecuador takes several days by boat. But what about areas that freeze? Some locales I’ve been dreaming of for a long time are only accessible by seasonal ice road. And yes, I’m looking at you, Yakutsk. Yakutsk in the Sakha Republic of Russia is the second-biggest city that is not (yet) reachable by permanent road. In the summer, they have car ferries across theContinue reading