Thread: My Ultimate Vacation

Ok, I am madly saving to come to Finland & Sweden in the Summer of 2009. I plan to take at least 6 weeks off and do the following:

Fly from Vancouver to Helsinki.

Drive across Finland to Oravais - making stops in Vaasa and Björköby - to visit relatives, place flowers of the graves of my relatives.

Then I want to drive North up through Lappland and over to Åskilje, Sweden - visit more relatives (both living & dead) then head down to Stockholm for more relatives.

Just a few questions:

How easy is it to drive across Finland - I get lost very easily.

How much Finnish and Swedish will I have to know?

Is it crazy to try to drive from Oravais to Åskilje?

Can this all be done within a 6 week period (I do tend to drive rather quickly)

thanks for helping me plan my trip of a lifetime!

Hi,
Well driving through Finland I found easy, when we left Spain last April we drove all the way except the Ferry of course. Once on Finnish soil it became easy, we drove our Winnebago Chieftain, which was a big old thing, but never the less she brought us to our Destination in one piece. The Roads up through Finland are easy as you have 1 main road, forget the Motorways as they are rare here some around the large cities but mainly just 2 lane roads, with speed limits of max 100 and 80km, so fast driving for get it.
It was a beautiful drive though even though the weather aws not so good, but you do see a lot with the endless no traffic roads, the sighs are well posted and maps are easy to read, even though now adays everybody has a TomTom, we didnt, just the old road map, which I find better.
As I didnt speak a word of finnish I had to depend pn my English, funny enough most people understand it and are willing to help if your in need.But now and then the coffee stop and let the dogs out for a pee, found the Finnish people interesting, espically with a Americam RV with spanish reg.
This they found strange, while we were getting some petrol some said, gosh! your are far from Home, God, if they only knew. After reaching Rovaniemi after about 11 hours and we were getting nearer and that felt good after spending 4 days on the road was enough for me.With my 9mth old grandaughter, following in a SUV my daughter & OH with 11 dogs & 5 cats.
For us the money was not a problem as we had euros in Spain and through the other countries of europe we had passed, But this might give you some hassel in the start, stupid coins.
Well Sweden i dont know much about as I have only visited it once , but sure its as beautiful as finland and also English will get you far.
My Ultimate vacation will some day too. travel through this country and Sweden to see whats on the other side.
If you do get to Lapland, drop in you know where to find me.
sorry i could go on and on.

thats great to have such trip , I made such thing once but by on foot from Baghdad to Istanbul and it takes me 1 month it was great through Turkish mountins .
and now I hope that I make it through whole Finland province I am preparing my stuffs and planning my route and it will take about 2 weeks , I wish it will full of adventurous day . wish me luck guyz cause I need it .

Shanya - thanks for the information, and keep it coming - I figure I have over a year to plan it and want to make sure that I have everything ready before I leave. I hope to one day win the lottery and then I would spend all my time traveling to find missing Family History (I have relatives in Canada, US, Sweden, Finland, England, probably Ireland and Australia).

T-Bag - when you say by foot - you mean you walked the entire trip?? That must have been very interesting, especially through the mountains. What made you do that?

yes it was entirly by feet , and first time befor the war it was with my friend we were trying to do something to stop the war and made a peace route from Baghdad to the state but we just reach to Istanbul and the they told us that U cant keep going cause the war is about to begin so it stopped but now its about something that I feel its kind of message to tell about what war did in my country for the childrens specilly with 2 million living as a refugee outside Iraq and thats bad specially with rich country like Iraq .
so I hope I can do it , and also for some private reason .

Hye Omar , Dude got you , so you wanna make this adventure without me and Marian , try to wait for us cause we wanna be there also and dont forgget my green tea like last time , and I will bring my whole house my lil giant Bagpack ok .Marian will follow as soon as she could cause she told me to wait for her so , we can all be together again as old days man .


I am comming Finland
wait for me

hyeeeee Justin thats great just let me know obviously when you and Marian will be here so I can prepare my Bagpack and other stuffs .
I hope you can come after 2 month cause now in North its so crazy cold and alot of Snow .
and I think we need a car for you Bag like before .

Dear susanr,
I guess the more you prepare for your own trip, the more you'll experience from your own trip. I'd traveled from Helsinki, Tampere, Rovaniemi and Levi. It is an unforgetable trip in my life,... I took about six months to prepare my trip and the reward is more than what I expect,... which is experiencing all the differences and lightenning up infinite possibilities.
Don't forget share with us your story after traveling in Finland.

hey Will thats great so you have experienced traveling here can you just advise me about what things I need what I dont cause I wanna make a travel roun Finland with my Friends so hope you share you travel life and some places that we should visit .