Freedom to roam is something extremely unique to Nordic countries, including Finland. Also known as ‘Everyman’s Rights’, freedom to roam allows everyone to enjoy the forests, lakes, fields and parks anywhere in Finland and, most importantly, completely free of charge.

You might have heard about freedom to roam before, but were you aware that Finns—or even Nordics—are not the only ones who are privileged to benefit from it? We want to reveal the best 5 ways how also you can enjoy the Finnish freedom to roam, no matter where are you from.

When charging your batteries in Finnish nature, it’s good to remember that great freedom comes with great responsibilities. At first it might feel too amazing to be true, when thinking of all the wonderful things freedom to roam allows you to do on the beaches, lakes and forests. But you’ll get used to it very quickly.

And when you get used to it, it’s very easy to forget that not everything is allowed—not even in Finland!

Let’s have a closer look how to enjoy the freedom to roam in Finland. And how not to.

Here are ten easy steps of renting a cottage for your holiday in Finland. All you have to do is go through the steps and we will guarantee you’ll have an amazing trip. However, if you have anything to ask you can contact us and we’ll help you out!

1. Scout the location

Decide what you want to see and do while in Finland. If you want a full on Lapland experience with snow, winter sports and aurora borealis, you might want to head over to one of our ski resorts in Lapland. If you are traveling in summer, you might want to stay somewhere south, near the big cities and their many activities.

2. Find the cottage

Find the best cabin from your location with Gofinland cottage search. Just type in the area and dates and you’ll be presented with the selection of available cabins. If you have special requirements, you can use the advanced search options on the list page.

3. Book it

When you have found the best cabin for your needs, you need to book it! Our clients support two kinds of booking options:

1. Booking request by email: You’ll contact the landlord with the booking form on the cottage page. Landlord will then email you the confirmation and further information.
2. Online-booking: Most of our clients have their own online booking systems, where we link from the cottage’s page on Gofinland. Just click the “Book now” button on the page and you’ll be redirected to the online booking system. Please read the instructions carefully and follow all the steps.

4. Make sure your booking has been confirmed

Read the booking confirmation emails closely and save them for later use. Confirmation emails contain all the necessary information about payments, how to get to the cabin and where to get the keys from. If you have some questions for the landlord, you can contact them to the email where the confirmation was sent.

5. Wait for it

Wait patiently for your holiday. We know it’s hard, but it’s worth the wait. Prepare in advance and pack at least one warm hat, for summer holidays too.

6. Come here

Get yourself to Finland! Here’s few tips on how to get here.

7. Keys – where are the keys?

Pick the keys up from the location mentioned by the landlord. If you are staying in a ski resort there is usually some kind of reception for this. But if you’ve booked a wilderness cabin in the middle of nowhere, you might need to go and see the landlord somewhere along the way. Just read the instructions well and ask for help if you have any questions!

8. Ahh, can you hear the silence?

Go to the cottage, heat the sauna up and crack open a beer – it’s time to relax!

9. Cleaning

After all the good time clean the cabin. If you’ve been smart and bought the cleaning service in advance, you don’t need to worry about this. So ask for the cleaning service – you won’t regret it!

10. Return the keys, please!

Return the key as the landlord has instructed and head back home.

Now, let’s start looking for that cabin!

Finland is pretty easy place to come to. You can come to Finland by air, sea or land. There are a couple major international routes by train and they are easily accessed. However if you are planning a bus trip, you might want to contact your local tour operator or travel agency for the easiest option.

We have land borders with Russia, Sweden and Norway. Russian border is very long and it can be crossed in multiple places. Swedish border is connected only to the northern Finland. That’s why many travelers from Sweden use ferries or boats from Stockholm to southern Finland.

The most common and easiest way into Finland is through the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. It’s the main hub in Finland and there are many airlines that fly to Helsinki.

Getting around

From Helsinki-Vantaa you can either take a connecting flight to one of the smaller airports or change the mode of transportation right away. Domestic flights in Finland are usually very short. You can even reach the northernmost airport Ivalo in one and a half hours. Flying is the most convenient and fastest way to get around. If you manage to score a good deal with the airline, it’s probably also the cheapest alternative.