Finland is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Finland is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. It’s a country of islands, lakes, and forests. The modern capital city of Finland is Helsinki and is filled with museums and galleries.

Culture

While in Finland, greet the locals by a handshake. The people here are quite reserved and don’t open up easily. Leave shoes outside the house when going over to someone’s house. It is customary to wait till the toast is being raised at the dinner table. Host raises the toast by saying ‘kippis’ or ‘skol’. People dress casually most of the times.

Travel

Finnair is the national airline of Finland. Other airlines that fly to Finland are Air France, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, American Airline, British Airways, KLM, Swiss airline, Lufthansa, and United airlines. The major airport of Finland is Helsinki airport. It is 19km away from the city and it takes about 25 minutes to get to the city from the airport. Finnair provides buses for the passengers. Taxis and hotel coaches are also available. The facilities provided at the airport are duty free shops, car hire, bank, hotel reservation service, conference room, restaurant, and a multimedia center. Other than Helsinki airport, there are about 22 other airports and Blue 1 is the domestic airline which operates within Finland. Times to time cheap offers are being announced by the airlines. Prior checking of such offers will prove to be of great help.

If deciding to go by the sea, ferry services are provided and the major ports are Naantali, Vaasa and Turku. These ferries connect to Rostock, Kapellskär, Grisslehamn, and Travemünde. Some of the cruises offer small cabins along with the provision of meals if staying aboard overnight.

Trains from St Petersburg and Moscow can also be boarded. All the trains are clean and very comfortable. Car-carrier trains also operate in Finland. Traveling by rail proves to be inexpensive and efficient and also great options for enjoying sight seeing. Avail the unlimited train travel offer of Inter-Rail pass or Eurailpass. There are offers for elderly people and children, check them out.

When traveling by road there are chances of running into an elk or reindeer. In such cases, police should be reported immediately. Blowing horn for small reasons should be avoided. Keep your car to the right. Gas stations accept credit cards. Laws about seat belt and drinking while driving should be strictly followed. Extra precautions must been taken if taking caravan along. National driving license or International Driving Permit and car insurance must be there with you at all times. Coach Service is also available and connects to even the remote places. Taxis can be hired at the airport and railway stations and tipping is considered offensive here. Check out agents in Helsinki who run a rent-a-car business for hiring cars.

Tobacco and alcohol can be carried by people over 18 years of age. Agricultural and food items should be avoided. Certain medicines require a doctor’s prescription for verification. Firearms and sharp objects are strictly prohibited.

Finland has the second highest penetration of broadband internet in the world (second only to the US) and it has the very highest penetration of mobile phones in the world. These statistics are indicative of how very outward looking, innovative and connected Finland is.

In fact, driven by its success in high-tech, including its most famous brand Nokia, Finland is the most competitive country in the world, according to the Global Competitiveness Report. It also has a strong biotechnology, paper and shipbuilding industry. Believe it or not, 25% of all cruise ships are made in Finland. Little wonder then that freight transport in Finland is trouble-free and efficient, which is good news for both the freight company and its customers.

Finland is a EU member country and shares a border with Russia, so it has a unique position in freight services at the epicentre of a fast developing marketplace that includes North West Russia, Scandinavia and the Baltic republics. So Finland is an extremely important gateway for shipping companies.

Finland’s gateway position as a freight forwarding route to Russia is significant. Over 40% of the EU’s road freight to Russia are shipped from Finland or travel via Finland. Because of its excellent international freight infrastructure, many foreign companies use Finland as a base for their transportation and marketing to Russia and the Baltic countries, especially Estonia.

The freight transport system is effectively based on its road and rail network, which is supported by a large number of freight services companies. There are more than fifty shipping ports in Finland, of which more than ten are on the inland waterways, which are connected to the Baltic Sea by the Saimaa Canal. Just under half of the ports are open the whole year round, so a shipping company can rely on freight transport in the region being stable and reliable.

The ports of Hamina, Kotka and Mustola, which are near the Russian border, focus on bulk cargo, free zone activities and forestry goods. All ports in Finland make good use of automated techniques, meaning that freight forwarding is efficient and fast. One aspect which really helps freight transport is that Finland’s rail gauge is the same as Russia’s.

The combination of its excellent road and rail network with its efficient range of year-round ports means that Finland is an important hub for shipping companies. The country’s freight services will only continue to increase in importance as the economies in Russia and the Baltic countries expand.