Finland Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving In Finland
Finland drives on the right and you can drive on the licence of any country providing the licence is written in latin alphabet. Any other licences will need to be accompanied by an International Driving Permit. Speed limits range from 120kmh on motorways (100kmh in winter) to 80kmh on other roads and 50kmh in urban areas.
Finland has a generally well maintained road system with 450,000km of roads, with 75,000km classes as highways, of which 65% are paved. The main routes in the country are the following National Roads-
1-Helsinki to Turku
3 -Helsinki to Vaasa
4 -Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5 -Lusi to Sodankyla
6 – Koskenkylä to Kajaani
7 -Helsinki to Vehkalahti
8 – Turku to Raisio
9- Turku to Immola-Jyväskylä
12 -Tampere to Nokia
29 – Haparanda to Keminmaa (This is the most Northerly motorway in the world)
Finland only has about 760 km of multi lane motorways within the highway network. These sections are- on National Road 1, Helsinki-Turku; Road 3, Helsinki to Tampere; Road 45, Helsinki-Tuusula; Road 4, Helsinki-Heinola; Road 7, Helsinki-Hamina. There are also some motorway bypasses around Vaasa, Joensuu, and Kuopio. There are no toll roads in Finland.
Main roads are generally in good condition though minor gravel roads will deteriorate in winter months. Standards of driving are usually satisfactory with most road users abiding by traffic rules. Congestion in cities is usually much less than that seen further south in Europe. Away from cities, the roads are genarlly very quiet- some of the most traffic free roads I’ve driven on in fact! Driving abroad in Finland in winter months can be dangerous, especially if you aren’t used to icy conditions. Snow tyres are required December to February and engine heaters are strongly recommended. Your rental company will ensure your car is properly equipped to deal with likely conditions. All motor vehicles must use headlights at dusk, or in the fog or rain. Dipped headlights must be used at all times outside built-up areas (indicated by a sign). Motorists in Finland should remain alert for elk and reindeer which frequently wander onto roads and are most active at dusk.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Finland Car Rental –
Sixt, Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, National,Avis, Budget, have outlets here. Also usually features on Car rental broker sites and Web discount sites .
We currently have no local car rental partners in Finland. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com
Finland Self Driving Rules-
Cross border rentals are generally allowed though if travelling to the Baltic States you may need to request this in advance. International one way rentals are possible to Scandinavian countries for a (generally high) additional fee.
