Has travelling to Finland been on your bucket list? But is the high cost of travel stopping you from visiting this beautiful country? Then our tips and tricks for travelling to Finland on a budget would certainly help you lower your travel expenses.
Nordic countries are expensive to travel, but you can’t run away from their scenic landscapes for long. We travelled across Finland for 10 days during the peak tourist season of July. Our Finland travel budget for this trip turned out to be Euros 65 per person per day.
Tips and tricks on travel to Finland on a budget:
1. Booking train tickets in advance
Train travel in Finland can put a heavy dent on your Finland travel budget unless they are booked in advance.
If you plan to travel north then taking an overnight train is the best option. We travelled from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in an overnight sleeper train for just 50 Euros per person. The same train ticket would cost you over 250 Euros per person when booked closer to the travel dates. Train tickets in Finland can be directly booked on the VR website.
Our review on train travel in Finland : Trains in Finland are one of the cleanest we have seen in Europe. Our private compartment for 2 adults not only had a washbasin, it came with a private bathroom and a shower. It was one of the most comfortable 13-hour train journeys we’ve ever been on and towards the end, we even wished it was a longer ride! Considering the high prices of hotels in Finland, an overnight train for as low as 50 Euros is a great deal.
2. Opting for buses
For shorter journeys between cities, buses in Finland are the cheapest mode of transport. We used Onnibus service multiple times during our time in Finland and found their buses comfortable, affordable and reliable. By booking a few weeks in advance we got bus tickets from Turku to Helsinki for just 1 Euro per person. What more can a budget traveller ask for in an expensive country like Finland?
Pro Travel Tip : For longer journeys, trains are better but for shorter journeys between cities stick to buses for travel in Finland
3. Travel passes in Finland
We extensively used travel passes for local public transport in Helsinki, Rovaniemi and Turku. They are a cost-effective way of travelling within cities in Finland as single journey tickets in most of the cities cost around Euro 3.5 per ticket.
In Helsinki, we would recommend getting a multiple-day travel pass depending on the length of your stay in the city. A single day pass costs 8 Euros, but a 2-day travel pass in Helsinki is only 12 Euros.
Pro Travel Tip : In Helsinki you can use your public transport pass to visit Suomenlinna Island. Just take the public ferry instead of the special tourist ferries for Suomenlinna Island
Say in Turku you plan to visit Naantali or any other far off place, then buying a 24-hour travel pass from the bus driver would save you a lot of money.
Even in Rovaniemi, we bought the 24-hour ticket for the day we visited the Santa Claus Village and used it efficiently to visit a few other sites around Rovaniemi which were not at a walkable distance from the city centre.
4. Choosing lunch deals
In Finland eating out is expensive. If you are someone who relishes local cuisine and still wants to eat cheap then go for lunch deals in Finland. Most of the restaurants in Finland have lunch deals which not only includes a wholesome main dish but also give you unlimited access to their tea/coffee, salad and soup counter. Such meals can cost anywhere between 8-15 Euros per person.
Save money by filling yourself up with free breakfast at your hostel or hotel.
Pro Travel Tip : Please don’t spend on overpriced food at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. Carry some snacks if need be
Also, Finland is proud of its tap water and it’s one of the finest in the world. So save your money and nature by drinking tap water in Finland. Also, most restaurants and bars in Finland keep free drinking water at the counter and would be more than happy to refill your water bottles.
5. Public saunas in Finland
Any visit to Finland would be incomplete without a sauna experience. To keep your Finland travel budget on track, ditch sauna tours and opt for public saunas in Finland. Public saunas in Finland are clean and mostly free to use.
Read our top reasons why you should travel to Finland in summers
Pro Travel Tip : Always carry your towel to a sauna. Most saunas charge a fee for towels
6. Alcohol in Finland
On average, a beer in a bar in Finland would cost around 7 Euros and a cocktail above 10 Euros. Yes, drinking at bars is expensive in Finland. But public drinking is allowed there as long as it’s accompanied by a picnic. So instead of going to bars (which are more or less the same in all countries), make use of Finland’s beautiful lakes, forests, riverbanks and public squares.
7. Accommodation in Finland
If you are looking for some comfort and still want to save on accommodation in Finland, then don’t travel alone. A single bed in most of the hostel dormitories would cost around 30 Euros per night. You are more likely to spend the same or a lesser amount of money by sharing a private room with another person. So travel companion in Finland would help you lower your Finland travel budget. During our 10 day trip we spent around 25 Euros per person per night on accommodation. We always stayed in private rooms, but sometimes did share washrooms.
Pro Travel Tip : If you are game for it then you can stay for free in the countryside by either booking a wilderness cabin or putting up a tent. You can check for details at the local tourist offices in Finland.
