Finland in summer

[Cawanaka]

We're hoping to go to somewhere Scandinavian this summer and rent a house on a lake. We've got three young children and just want to be able to roam about outside, swim, maybe potter about in a boat, fish, eat etc.

Anyone done This/from there and have recommendations of areas to stay?

Finland is absolutely gorgeous in Summer! Helsinki and Turku (about 2hrs from Helsinki) have a beautiful areas in their archipelago. There's a a very scenic route around Turku's archipelago and the city itself is very historical. More info here www.saaristonrengastie.fi/en/content/route

Tourist info and accommodation here:
www.visitturku.fi/en

I've stayed last consecutive summer's by lake Pyhäjärvi, in here:www.koivuniementila.net/en/majoitus/koivuniemen-tila-2/

The location by the lake is beautiful, perfect spot for kids to swim and very safe. You would need a car though as there's nothing within walking distance. To be honest, if you are looking to hire a cabin by a lake in Finland, you'd need a car and it's very likely there's nothing near by within the walking distance.

Another beautiful place is lake Saimaa and there should be a lot of choice for summer cottages for hire too.

Sorry it should read:
I've stayed last three consecutive summers by lake Pyhäjärvi, in here:
www.koivuniementila.net/en/majoitus/koivuniemen-tila-2/

Stayed for 2 weeks in summer and stayed here for some of it

www.arolabear.com/

We stayed there in a chalet - a little like a ski chalet with its own sauna, the lady home cooks all the meals and makes fresh juice, they give you a canoe and you can also swim in the lake and fish and between May and mid August you can see brown bears in the wild. We saw 8 including 2 babies.

Also went to Ruka they have a summer toboggan slide which is 1km long or so and great fun and loads of reindeer on the roads and no cars. Beautiful restaurant right next door. Flew with Finnair and up to Oulu and stayed at hotel with waterpark on the beach. Also went white water rafting and stayed at a hotel with an Angry Birds park on. Would recommend. In Sweden if you google Wild Sweden there's lots of animals you can see there. May depend how old kids are, mine were 8 and 9 or so, think animals are suitable from 5 or so but check.

Yes definitely need a car and to pre plan activities, there's plenty to do but its often quite a way apart.

Take loads of insect repellant. Mosquitoes are a big problem in summer.

The mosquito problem varies from area to area and year to year. For instance where I've stayed, it's never been an issue. There are some but no more than in suburban Kent. Having said that, take repellent just in case.

We didn't have issues with mosquitoes either, I think there were some on the lake but don't remember many elsewhere. Certainly no more than when we go to other parts of Europe.

Thanks so
Much everyone. Andnwill the weather be decent? I'm not looking for Mediterranean but basically like England?

Similar temps to English summer when we have been both times, once Sweden, once Finland but beautiful pink skies as you get almost 24 hours daylight. Only issue is persuading kids its bedtime when its light 😂

I've been a number of times in the summer and have always been lucky with the weather and it's been warmer then the UK. You do sometimes get spectacular thunder storms but don't tend to last long - think we had one mid afternoon for about 4 days!

You will need a car if you want to be by a lake and car hire is expensive there.

It's a beautiful country and has the best strawberries in the summer!

Average max temp in August in Finland is 20C which is what we had. Fairly consistent and sunny - out of 4 weeks total I only remember lots of rain one day in Sweden.

Try to go between midsummer and mid-August. You'll need to decide whether you want to visit the archipelago or a tranquil lake... I saw a program about Finnish nature recently and became quite envious! Åland seems nice too.

When we went (end July to mid August as bear watching stops mid August) all the flights were to Helsinki and then connecting flight on. I would imagine you could stop over in Helsinki if you wanted though we wanted all the time in Lapland. Flew with Finnair. When in Stockholm we took short flight to Copenhagen and back.

What's the different between archipelago and tranquil lake?

What sort of stuff did you all do when there? I'm imagining some fishing, having a boat, sauna (non essential but fun!), nice woodland walks, swimming etc and just a nice simple house with a wood burner.

Finnish summers are like here in the UK. Unpredictable!! In general it's warm though and midnight sun makes them very special.

Beware of booking when it's the midsummer though. It's a long public holiday weekend and nearly everything is shut. Cabin hires also charge a huge premium during the week and the weekend. In 2018 midsummer falls for the weekend of 22-24 June.

You could also google Himos resort in about 3 hrs to north from Helsinki. It's a ski resort but has a lot of cabin options, restaurants and actives during the summer too. And it's located around a beautiful lakeside.

Archipelago is formed of little islands, dotted closely together, usually in the sea, around the coast line.

Here, your trouble of finding somewhere nice to stay is hereby as good as solved, it has all on your list: www.eckerolinjen.se/en/ Scroll down to "Cabin, guesthouse or hotel?". I don't think you need to beware of midsummer, it's a great festivity, but you couldn't expect to do something else that day (than to take part in the festivities).

We stayed in Karesuando one February for a northern lights trip, and were told that, as there was so much standing water around in summer, the mosquitoes were vicious.

This is someone's view of the Kökar archipelago, you'll see what is an archipelago: and here's another one

Also (this is actually important) ask your GP about standard vaccination against tick-borne TBE. www.nhs.uk/conditions/tick-borne-encephalitis/prevention/
It's like insurance, you have fire insurance even though you don't expect your house to burn down, but in the extreme unlucky event it is a nice-to-have...

We went to the North last summer, just a few km south of the Arctic Circle. We had amazing weather, c. 25 degrees everyday but the locals were almost British in the way they were constantly talking about the weather. I gather their usual summer weather is similar to what you might expect in the English Lake District. Mosquitoes were quite a problem we got through a lot of spray.

We absolutely loved it, although we went on an organised tour where someone else organised activities for us everyday.

This is where we stayed It was beyond fabulous. The staff couldn't do enough for us, the food was amazing and everything ran like clockwork. Plus the setting is stunning.

That basecamp looks nice!

Sorry I know what archipelago means :) I mean what is the difference in terms of experience. Like are the surrounding areas different or anything?

Yes, if you go out in the wilderness, the woods are the surroundings, i you go to the archipelago there will be more people around (in my experience). How old are your children? If they're younger then twelve I'd think the archipelago, if they're like teenagers perhaps the rafting and the wilderness will be more memorable. (?)