USEFUL DRIVING TIPS IN FINLAND
If you are renting a car in Finland during the winter, make sure to check with the rental car company you have a motor heater included, Finland weather can go from -5 to -45 degree in the winter, specially in Northern Lapland. You may not be able to start your car after a cold night if the motor is not plugged into electricity overnight. Just make sure also your car has an ice scraper, parking card, extra winter tire, GPS Navigation.
In Finland, all motor cars are left hand driving and you drive on the right side of the road.Most travelers may drive in Finland with their foreign driving license. Here you can check out the detailed specs for each country.
Finnish traffic signs don’t have text (except the Stop-sign). Check out Finnish traffic signs before you travel. Traffic lights are always on posts on the side of the street. They never dangle from wires above the driveway.
From Helsinki to Tervola is 755 km northwest of road 4/E75 that heads north of Norway. It takes about 8-9 hour and a half to drive and as a commuter route using motorways. It's cheap if you travel with 3-4 passengers.
If you are coming from any other airport than Helsinki International, your route map will change, we hope all other information will be useful for your trip to Tervola.
Parking fees are charged on nearly all streets and places in Finland. When you park your car make sure to use your parking card if the place allows you to park with the timer, otherwise make sure to buy a parking ticket or you can use the easypark app anywhere in Finland where you need to pay parking fees.
You will be passing Oulu, a great shopping touring area, have a look in the city, drop in to a cafe or restaurant before continuing, and within a short drive of Oulu you will come close to Sweden-Finland border Haparanda, Sweden. If you are going to Sweden make sure to have your Passport, Driver License, if you have a Pet( Dog or Cat ) with you, take necessary documents for the Pet including vaccinations book with you.
Keep in mind that gasoline or petrol called 95 in Finland, is sold by the liter (a little more than a quart) and the price varies depending on the gas station. You can use all credit cards in any gas station, if you plan to pay by cash at a gas station marked with “ Express” not allowed cash payments.Just make sure you stop in a gas station to have cashier service or at ABC Gas Stations widely accept cash payments with cash machines for gasoline.Gas stations has free and decent toilets. Most places have a good variety of food and even a grocery store.
If you are looking for cheap gasoline stop after Oulu in Ii at Kärkkäinen or in Finland Sweden border city of Tornio. Finding gasoline stations in Northern Lapland can be tricky , they are 50-100km far away from each other, so make sure to fill your gas tank enough.
Here are some basics that you need to know about driving in Finland
Don't drink and drive!
Always use the headlights when driving.
No turns on red traffic light.
Always use your blinker ( Signal lights on the direction car turns)
In the cities, the default speed is 40-50 km/h.
On the roads, the default speed is 80 km/h.
Buses have the right of way at speed limit under 60 km/h or anytime.
Pedestrians have the right of way crossing the street in spots where there are no traffic lights.
If a car is stopped or slows down close to a crosswalk, you must stop or slow down too.
Pay attention to cars coming from your right. If no sign is showing otherwise, they have the right of way.
Fines for speeding are proportional to your income.
Driving Tips for The Summer
Do not speed, speeding fines can be costly up to 170 euro per ticket.
Be Careful with animals on the road, in the summer an elk or deers can cross the road.
If somebody blinks headlights at you, here are a couple of reasons for what it can be. You have no headlights on, there’s an accident on the road ahead, there’s the police on the road ahead, or there’s an elk on the road.
Driving Tips for The Winter
Make Sure to have good winter tires, most safest is stud tires. They are better on ICE, roads can be very slippery.
Driving in winter is safe in Finland. We use stud winter tires, and the speed limits are lower than in the summertime. Drive slow and be careful on frozen roads.
If somebody blinks headlights at you, here are a couple of reasons for what it can be. You have no headlights on, there’s an accident on the road ahead, there’s the police on the road ahead, or there’s an elk on the road.
In Lapland, reindeer walk on the roads. They are not jumpy like other deer but drive carefully.
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