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{{infobox Country|country = of Finland|language = Finnish, Swedish|capital = [[Helsinki]]|pop = 5,301,701|currency = Euro ( € )|hitch = ?}}'''Finland''' is a part of the Northern [[Europe]], one of the Nordic Countries. Its neighbouring countries are [[Sweden]], [[Norway]] and [[Russia]], but possibly the most probable transit country on your way hitchhiking there is [[Estonia]]. Most people use this way, called the [[Via Baltica]].<!--

== About crossing borders Crossing Borders ==Nothing special about the Finnish borders. Apart from the Russian border, they exist only on the map, not in reality. Since the dawn of time has there been very liberal co-operation between the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian borders. Finland is in signed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_treaty [Schengen treatyAgreement]], but [[Ahvenanmaa]] where the ferries to [[Stockholm]] stop supposedly isn't, so the border-control can use that as an excuse to go through your property.

 The most important crossings to Russia ([[St. Petersburg ]] region) are ''Vaalimaa–Torfianovka'' one the road [[E18]]/7 Helsinki-St-Petersburg and ''Nuijamaa–Brusnichnoe'' near [[Lappeenranta]].

The first one is always animated, open 7/7 days a week and almost 24h/24hours a day. There's lots of through traffic as well as lots of locals from both sides of the border, with Russians coming to buy goods, finnish Finnish people going to the other side to buy alcohol, cigarette cigarettes and fuel and all sort of traffickers. On finnish Finnish side they are crowding on the first gas station, just before the customs zone. You can alternate asking drivers on the parking and those queueing to the terminal. A ride to [[Torfianovka ]] is enough – there's lots of transport going to [[Vyborg]] and [[St. Petersburg]] from there, that doesn't necessarily cross the border to the finnish Finnish side. No use trying to get into Russia with trucks – freight terminal is separate, and sometimes you wait hours, sometimes days. Russia–Finland seems to be faster. To get back from [[Russia ]] to Finland the best way is to ask on the parking of one of the supermarkets around. The other one is on the road '''13''' going south from Lappeenranta and bypassing the village of Niirala on the north. There is less traffic here, but the route is more scenic, going along the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saimaa_canal Saimaa canal] (Russian: Сайменский канал; Finnish: Saimaan kanava) Next crossing point north from there is ''Niirala-Värtsilä'', on the road 70 south of [[Joensuu]]. The trafic is low, from there a road goes to Sortavala, from where it is possible to reach St-Petersburg by the south shore of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ladoga lake Ladoga], with a portion of unpaved road, or [[Petrozavodsk]] via north shore.

The language most people in Finland speak is Finnish, which isn't a Scandinavian language. The country is officially bilingual, as there is a large Swedish-speaking minority. Anyhow, most of the people speak at least some English, so most of the international hitchhikers won't have big language problems in Finland.

== Places to see ==Cities of [[Helsinki]], [[Tampere]], [[Turku]], [[Jyväskylä]], [[Joensuu]], [[Oulu]]. [[Lapland]], [[Lappi]] in is the area spanning northern Finland, [[Sweden]], [[Norway]] and also [[Russia]], depending on how you look at it. == External links Links ==