• Karen HechingerEurope by Eurail 2024Traveler
    1Finland - Happiest Country in the World
    1We stumbled upon several pleasant courtyards in Helsinki2The ferry from Estonia to Helsinki was unexpectedly huge. Like a cruise ship.I strolled through the decks - there must have been over a thousand people on boardSigns to help you make your way about onboard. "Exit to town?"1Finnish art on display in Helsinki with corresponding message on the next photo...A sentiment to which to aspire...1More art with another message...Thoughts for all countries to contemplate...Everything is cute here, even the trains1Train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Watch out - the Clampets have moved in!Its ok though, the train was half full at first, but gradually emptied out as we headed northRovaniemi is all about the reindeer1Many apts in Rovaniemi, all of which have enclosed balconies due to the cold weatherTrying to get from Helsinki (A) to Lofoten Islands Norway (D) was quite the challengeCheering on the USA while planning our next travel steps1How to stay warm in the cold Finnish winters

    40. Helsinki & Rovaniemi, Finland

    July 31, 2024 in Finland ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Finland has yet again been ranked as the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. This is apparently due to "strong feelings of communal support & mutual trust".

    We didn't really see much of Helsinki, as the time allocated to travel planning got extended exponentially by lack of train availability to our planned destinations. We considered and researched many options before, as a last resort, booking a flight from Rovaniemi Finland to Narvik Norway, from which we'll catch a 4 hour bus to Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands, which are pretty remote and which we're really excited about seeing.

    Rovaniemi is located on the Arctic Circle, and the tourism here is minimal compared to everywhere else we've been. The town is quiet and unpretentious, and for me, despite the lack of typical tourist attractions (or perhaps because of that) it was a welcome reprieve from the big cities we've been frequenting.    Read more