Roadtrip-suggestion

I´ll have guests from USA this summer and I´m going to show them the most beautiful parts in Finland by car. My route plan comes here:

Start from Helsinki (2-3 days) and drive early in the morning to the west from Helsinki. Have a breakfast in a small beautiful city called Tammisaari (in the coast, 1h from Helsinki). Then drive in the coastline through Kemiö and Parainen to Korppoo.

Did you know that Finland has the biggest archipelago in the Europe? I personally think this part and Lake Saimaa are the most beautiful areas in our country.

From Korppoo take a ferry to Aland islands. Ferry from Korppoo to Långnäs (in the main island) on the late afternoon. Stay in a cabin somewhere in the island for two nights. Visit the %26quot;capitol%26quot;, Mariehamn.

Take a morning ferry from Hummelvik to Kustavi in mainland. Drive the coastline to the north through Uusikaupunki to a city called Rauma. There is a biggest old wooden part of the city in the Nordic countries and it´s a UNESCO sight. Stay there couple of hours and drive up to Pori and stay the night there. Spend the next day in Pori at the Yyteri beach and relax and catch sun :) (it´s beautiful and long sandy beach).

In the evening drive up to Vaasa, Kokkola or Oulu (Vaasa-Oulu 320 km) and stay a night in some of the cities or in a tent. It´s allowed to put a tent anywhere, but there must be at least 100 m to a closest house.

You probably know that the sun doesn´t set at all during june-july in Lapland and that´s what´s beautiful! Prepare for the mosqitos!

Drive up to Rovaniemi, to the Arctic circle. Spend the day there and visit Santa Claus :) Then drive north to Ylläs-Levi area. Book a cabin for a day or two. Drive up to northwest to a village called Kilpisjärvi ( in the Finland-Norway border). Then go to Norway and drive the coastline to the east to a city called Alta. This area is amazingly beautiful!

From Alta drive back to Finland to the Lake Inari (biggest lake in Lapland). Visit the Siida museum (museum of the sami culture and Lapland nature centre, www.samimuseum.fi)

From Inari drive down to Kuusamo, close to east boarder, (Inari-Kuusamo 450km).. In Kuusamo take a short or long hiking trail called Karhunkierros. (was it 12 and 72kms?).

Then drive down to Lake Pielinen and visit Koli. Then to city called Kuopio or Joensuu. Then to Savonlinna. Spend a day there and see the sights. Book a cabin from the Lake Saimaa for couple of nights.

End your trip to Helsinki!

This route could be done in 2 weeks. Here´s some useful

websites:

www.virtual.finland.fi

www.visitfinland.com

www.visitaland.com

www.alandresor.fi

www.lomarengas.fi (you can book the cottages etc. from this site)

Here´s some distances:

Helsinki-Vaasa 420 km

Vaasa-Rovaniemi 525 km

Rovaniemi-Inari 320 km

Kuusamo-Kuopio 420 km

Kuopio-Helsinki 383 km

Savonlinna-Helsinki 334 km..

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Being an American living here in Finland for some 15 yrs. wow this sounds like a real swell trip.

I hope your guests are nature lovers and enjoy quietness --

for me maybe 2 days on Åland may be stretching it as well as Lappi -that is just my opinion don%26#39;t take me to serious. I like pohjois Karalia - a place called Kontiolahti is a must see.

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This surely gives a good overall picture of Finland, but involves some very heavy driving. Better make sure that they are used to sitting in a car.

I usually plan not to drive more than 300 kms per day. Start in the morning, watch and stop on whatever that%26#39;s interesting on the way and arrive in the afternoon/early evening to your next hotel. Sometimes 1 or 2 long legs (up to 1.000 kms per day) will be needed to get there where you are going.

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Now, this is a great post! I am planning to visit Finland next summer and explore a little bit by car for one week. What parts of this roadtrip could be skipped to fit in a week?

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I would shortern the days in coastline and skip Aland (beautiful but too much time).

Week is quite tight but with good planning (and leave time for extra), it can be done. I depens a lot, where you spend your time.

Drive quite straight from Koli to Savonlinna, skip Joensuu etc. so you%26#39;ll have more time in Helsinki (and Porvoo) if you have not been in here.

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Helsinki is quite dead in mid summer... Everybody is enjoying Finnish summer in their own or rented Holiday houses at Lake shores.

I dont agree with that you should skip Joensuu or other places where is real finnish summer traditions.

For example rent a Holiday villa and go hiking, swimming and enjoy the nature - if you live in city. Maybe you can be more relaxed when you go back home ;)

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