Finland in ten days by car
Finland in ten days by car is a suggested route showing some of the most important sights in Finland. See the article on Finland for more information.
Understand
Compared to other European countries in general, Finland is quite sparsely populated, especially in the north. There are bus and rail links between major cities, but if you want to see the countryside the best way is definitely driving. The best time to do this journey is in the summer. During the winter many attractions are closed and driving is more uncomfortable due to snow and ice.
Prepare
- See also: Driving in Finland
As always when taking a longer car trip, make sure your car is in a decent condition; an engine breakdown is never a pleasant surprise and definitely not when you're far away from home. Be mentally prepared to sit in the car for some 2500 km in 10 days and do bring a good map.
Get in
The starting point for this itinerary is Helsinki, where most international travelers arrive. There are car ferries from Stockholm and Tallinn and roro-ships from Travemünde. Getting from Central Europe to Finland by car takes some 3–4 days one way driving calmly but without any major stops. From Southern Europe, one week is a quite good rule of thumb. If arriving from Russia, drive along E18 to Helsinki. If arriving by plane or otherwise without your own car, you can rent a car at the airport or elsewhere; many of the major car rental companies are present in Finland.
Drive
One useful word to know is keskusta which means downtown or city centre and can be found on most road junctions near the city centre. In some major cities the Swedish centrum or even the British English centre are occasionally to be seen – these are obviously easier to understand for international visitors.
Day 1 - Up the ridge
Helsinki–Porvoo–Lappeenranta–Imatra–Punkaharju–Kerimäki–Savonlinna 392 km
Start from 1 Helsinki. in the morning. Drive along road 7 (E18) towards 2 Porvoo., see Porvoo's Old Town and continue east along road 6 towards Kouvola and Lappeenranta. From 3 Kouvola. the road will follow the Salpausselkä ridge dividing Finland's coastal and inland regions. In 4 Imatra. there are the Imatra rapids, the very first "tourist attraction" in Finland, visited by the Russian Czar, among others (there is a hydroelectric plant, but at some occasions the rapids get the full flow). Continue towards Joensuu until Parikkala, 5 turn left. and drive along road 14 towards Savonlinna. You will cross the 6 Punkaharju. ridges that are also known as a "national landscape" of Finland. Before you arrive in Savonlinna you can take a short side trip to 7 Kerimäki. and see the world's largest wooden church. The main sight of 8 Savonlinna. is the medieval castle Olavinlinna hosting an opera festival each summer.
Day 2 - Land of a thousand lakes
Savonlinna–Heinävesi–Joensuu–Koli National Park–(Lieksa)–Nurmes 293 km
In the morning you will drive on smaller roads, don't get lost! From the 9 eastern edge of Savonlinna, take road 471 north up to Enonkoski and continue towards Heinävesi. A 10 sound is crossed by cable ferry. Continue along 471 until the road ends, and 11 turn right towards Joensuu along 476. After 12 km 12 turn left towards Sarvikumpu along 477. When you come to road 23, 13 turn left towards Varkaus. After 15 km 14 turn right towards Uusi Valamo. 15 New Valamo is a beautiful orthodox monastery, built in the 1940s after the original Valamo monastery on the Valaam islands in Lake Ladoga had been lost to the Soviet Union together with parts of Karelia. After the visit to New Valamo, drive back to road 23 and drive to 16 Joensuu for lunch. If you are interested in Karelian culture, visit the Carelicum museum. Another point of interest is the bunker museum. Continue towards Kajaani along road 6 and turn right to 17 Koli. Drive to Koli and walk up to the top of Mt. Koli for great views. There used to be a ferry over Lake Pielinen – a nice voyage, check whether it is back – to 18 Lieksa. Drive to 19 Nurmes either from Lieksa or directly from Koli via Juuka.
Day 3 - Crossing the true wolf border
Nurmes–Kajaani–Ranua–Rovaniemi 448 km
The trip continues further north along road 6 to 20 Kajaani., where you can walk around the ruins of Kajaani fortress. Take road 5 E63 northbound towards Kuusamo, and 21 turn left. along national road 22 towards Oulu and Rovaniemi. At Paltamo, 22 turn right. along 78 towards Rovaniemi. You will now drive 300 km through virtually nothing but forest. Do look out for reindeer – while they are not as heavy as elks, you still don't want to crash into them. 23 Ranua., the last village before Rovaniemi, has the northernmost zoo in the world, where you can see Finnish and arctic wildlife like lynx, wolverines and ice bears. Arrive in 24 Rovaniemi. in the evening.
Day 4 - Here comes Santa Claus
Spend the day in Rovaniemi and don't forget the Santa Claus village at the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is a good starting point for Finnish Lapland if you want to extend your trip.
Day 5 - Return to the coast
Rovaniemi–Tornio–Hailuoto–Oulu 360 km
Take road 4 (E75) southbound towards Kemi. 33 km before Kemi, 25 take road 927. towards Vojakkala and Arpela. This road will end at 26 Tornio river.. Drive 5 km north towards Kilpisjärvi and see the 27 Kukkolankoski rapids.. Not comparable to Niagara Falls, and not steep at all, but still quite wide and long. A great place for picnic if it isn't raining. You can eat some salmon soup in a little cafeteria. Drive down to 28 Tornio. and make a quick visit to Haparanda, Sweden if you want. Arrive in 29 Oulu. in the early afternoon. You can walk around the city and look at the buildings from the late 19th century. Alternatively you can take a trip to Hailuoto, the largest island of the Gulf of Bothnia. Drive past the city centre along 4 (E75) to 30 exit no. 6. and follow the signs to Hailuoto. The 31 cable ferry. departs each half hour and is free (in late winter there is an ice road instead).
Day 6 - Ostrobothnia
Oulu–Jakobstad–Kvarken Archipelago–Vaasa 376 km
Continue down along the coast towards Kokkola along road 8 (E8). If it is summer and you feel like swimming, stop at 32 Kalajoki. and drive to the sand beach (Hiekkasärkät). Sand beaches a little more than 200 km south of the Arctic Circle! Drive past Kokkola and stop at the bilingual (Swedish/Finnish) city 33 Jakobstad/Pietarsaari. and see the Old Town and the sail ship Jacobstads Wapen (in summer she may be out sailing). Continue south to Vasa, but before arriving in the city, 34 turn off. towards Pori and Tampere, turn towards Replot/Raippaluoto in the roundabout and drive across Finland's largest bridge to the 35 island.. The island is part of the Kvarken Archipelago, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Spend the evening in 36 Vaasa..
Day 7 - Plains and mustamakkara
Drive straight down along road 3 (E12) to Finland's second most populous town, 37 Tampere.. In Ostrobothnia the landscape is flat with large fields, and when arriving in the Pirkanmaa region the landscape turns back to the usual forest. Tampere boasts interesting museums, Tammerkoski rapids in the centre of the town, Northern Europe's highest observation tower and one of the most popular amusement parks in Finland, Särkänniemi. Don't forget the infamous local delicacy mustamakkara (blood sausage).
Day 8 - Pieces of history
Tampere–Rauma–Naantali–Turku 261 km
Continue west along road 12 to Rauma, whose Wooden Old Town is an UNESCO world heritage site. On the way to Rauma you will drive by 38 Lake Köyliö. where, according to the legend, Bishop Henry who brought Christendom to Finland, was murdered in the year 1156. Then there is another UNESCO site, the bronze age burial site in 39 Sammallahdenmäki.. From 40 Rauma., continue south along 8 E8. In Raisio, just before Turku, 41 turn off. to 42 Naantali. (follow the signs) to see the president's summer residence and if there are kids traveling with you, go to the Muumimaailma theme park. Spend the night in 43 Turku..
Day 9 - Capital to capital
Turku, Finland's oldest city, capital until 1812, and today Finland's third largest metropolitan area hosts two of Finland's main sights; Turku Castle and Cathedral. Three fourths of the city burned down in the Great Fire of 1827, so many of the buildings in today's Turku date from the 19th or 20th century. Close the circle by heading back to 44 Helsinki in the evening. Turku is also a good base if you wish to extend your trip and explore the remarkable Archipelago Sea off Turku, e.g. by the Archipelago Trail.
Day 10 - The daughter of the Baltic
Of course the capital shouldn't be forgotten. Take a seaside stroll, choose among the other Helsinki itineraries or just pick some interesting places from the Helsinki article.
Stay safe
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Finland is a quite safe country even by European standards and even more so in rural areas, the basic precautions are still good to remember. When driving outside built-up areas look up for wild animals crossing the road. Crashing into a 500 kg heavy moose with highway speed can have fatal consequences!
Go next
From Helsinki one can get out the same ways as one arrived. If returning through Sweden you could take the ferry from Turku instead, saving some money and driving.