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Since I live in Moscow and don’t drive my car further than the nearest store, I bought Moscow-Helsinki-Moscow air tickets for a trip to Finland for a couple of days.
I searched and bought air tickets using .

And to get to what I had booked on Booking, I rented a car.
Everything written above was just a saying, but the fairy tale lies ahead...

Car rental in Finland

I found and booked a car on the website.
The most suitable offer for me was Thrifty's offer.

Upon arrival in Helsinki, I walked up to the Hertz/Thrifty office (located in the passage between terminals 1 and 2).
To receive the reserved car, I gave my driver’s license (regular plastic, I don’t have any others) and an Alfa Bank debit card.

After that I refused the additional insurance offered
(the rental price already includes standard insurance with),
and agreed to freeze the deposit of 150 euros for the fuel in the tank.
I knew the size of the deposit in advance ().

Walking from the terminal to parking lot P3, I went up to the second floor, got into the car and drove to the lake.
2 hours later I was there.

The next day I arrived at the parking lot 2 hours before my flight to Moscow (it started raining and there was no point in sitting on the lake shore).
I parked the car in the Hertz parking lot.
I went to the Thrifty/Hertz office in the passage between terminals 1 and 2 and handed over the car keys.

That's all.
What should be more difficult?

For anyone visiting Finland, the best option is to rent a car directly at the airport. This is convenient, because the terminals contain offices of leading companies such as Thrifty, Alamo, Sixt, Avis, National, Budget, Fox, Europcar, Dollar. Here you can rent a good car, and in Finnish airport terminals you can find any brand of car at affordable prices.

You can also use the services of companies located outside the airport. In this case, you will have to get to the office yourself by bus. Free shuttle. This option offers a good opportunity to save money, but will require additional time and effort from the traveler.

Average car rental cost

The price range between different rental companies is small; you can rent a car in Finland for an average of $51. The most convenient way is to book the car you need in advance using the services of an online rental company. By reserving a car several months before your trip, you can save a significant amount. This is especially true for traveling during the high season, from July to September. Finding the right car right away is difficult at this time; by worrying about reservations in advance, you can get rid of a number of problems. Average car rental prices can be seen below:

Speed limits for cars in Finland

If it is winter outside, the limits are reduced to 20 km/h. This is relevant for the period of time, approximately from October to March, when weather conditions worsen.

Fines for traffic violations

A traffic control officer, if a traffic violation has occurred, issues a fine, which can be paid online, through an ATM, or a payment terminal. All issues are given about 14 days to be resolved. If the violation is minor, a fixed fine is issued. When the offense is serious, a daily rate system is used. It is worth saying that the amount of punishment depends on the severity of the violation, the level of income of the motorist, whether he has dependents, and personal property. The fines can be seen below:

Driving while intoxicated - from 15 to 60 daily tariffs, withdrawal of driving license, up to and including imprisonment.
Transporting children under 30 years of age without a specially equipped seat – from 6 to 10 day fines.
A driver's conversation via cell phone without a special headset will result in a fine of $50.
Violation of the speed limit will result in a fine ranging from $70 to 28 daily rates.
Failure to wear seat belts on the driver or passengers is punishable by a fine of $35.
For incorrect parking you will have to pay a fine of 10-40 $.

Insurance for the period of car rental

During the conclusion of the rental agreement, the driver is offered insurance. The rental price according to the standards includes the following types of limitation of liability and insurance:

THIRD PARTY LIABILITY INSURANCE (TPL) - an insurance policy compensates for damage caused to third parties, limiting the motorist's liability for damage to third parties.
THEFT PROTECTION (TP) - limits the client’s liability in case of vehicle theft;
COLLISION DAMAGE WAIVER (CDW) - The driver's financial liability is limited if the vehicle is damaged.

When concluding a rental agreement, a certain amount, or deductible, is blocked on the driver’s bank card, which becomes a deposit in case of unforeseen circumstances. Limitation of liability implies that the tenant is responsible for the said franchise. The insurance company covers the amount of damage that goes beyond the deductible.

Its size depends on the type of insurance. Before signing a lease agreement, you should carefully read its clauses. It is worth finding out what is meant by insurance coverage. For example, loss or breakage of wheels, side, rear, and front windows of a car are not included in the insurance. If they are lost or broken, the owner of the rented car will compensate for the damage.

Full additional insurance

For the entire period of booking a car, the client can purchase a full package of insurance services. You can do this in several ways:

If a vehicle is booked on our website, insurance is provided by the company.
In case of damage to the car, the deposit amount is returned by our company.
When renting, you should carefully read the contract; also at this stage you should choose the type of insurance and decide which type is acceptable. This may be a refund of the deposit, full or partial insurance.

It is most convenient to issue an insurance policy directly at the rental company’s office, but in this case its cost will be approximately 50% more expensive.

The cost of diesel and gasoline at gas stations in the country

At gas stations around the country you can find the following types of fuel for free sale at affordable prices:

Unleaded gasoline A 98 – $1,608/l.
Unleaded gasoline grade A 95, costing $1,541/l.
Methane gas priced at $0.899.
Diesel fuel at $1,327/l.

If necessary, a motorist can carry up to 10 liters of gasoline with him in a canister.

Parking features, rules, prices

Parking in major cities across the country is quite difficult. The cost of an hour of parking here reaches $3 for the central areas of the city. In the periphery, parking will be cheaper; in small towns there are also free parking lots. They are located, as a rule, near cultural monuments, near large entertainment centers and supermarkets. Features of parking in the country are as follows:

In some areas, parking is prohibited without a parking watch; the driver will be notified of this by road signs. The maximum time allowed for parking will also be indicated here.
Before leaving the car, the time of arrival is noted on the watch, after which the device is placed under the windshield.
Paid parking lots are not paid for using parking hours. Here payment is made in cash or by credit card.
You can purchase parking watches at R-kiosks, in supermarkets that sell spare parts, at gas stations, and service stations.

Failure to comply with parking rules is punishable by a fine of $10 to $40.

When passing border control at the entrance to the country of temporary stay, you must present the following documents:
- Valid passport
The validity of the passport must not be less than three months after the planned departure from the territory of the EU Member States, or, after the last planned departure from the territory of the EU Member States, if several trips are planned.
The passport must not have been issued earlier than within the last 10 years

- If possible, an invitation or other document confirming the purpose of the trip (for example, an entrance ticket to an event, a student card, an invitation to a conference, etc.)
- If possible, documents about accommodation (contact details of the individual with whom you plan to stay/reservation at a hotel/resort/cottage, etc.)
- If possible, other documents relating to the duration and purpose of stay (trip)
- Medical insurance policy When going through border control when leaving the country of temporary stay, you must present the following documents: A valid passport (the validity of the passport must not be less than three months after the planned departure from the territory of the EU Member States, or, if after the last planned departure from territory of EU member states if several trips are planned)
- Valid visa or residence permit
- Possible check-invoices for tax-free import of goods. At night from 10 pm to 9 am, tax-free checks are checked when passing through border control (if Customs services are not available).

The driver of the vehicle must present the following documents when passing border control:
- vehicle registration certificate
- vehicle insurance policy (Green Card) - driver's license.

It should be remembered that although a visa issued by a State covered by the Schengen Agreement gives the right to travel throughout the Schengen area, the visa must primarily be used for the purpose for which it was requested and issued. A visa may be refused if it turns out that there are no longer grounds for it.

Helpful information

The parking disc (pysäköintikiekko) is a blue rectangle with a round dial, which is used to set the time of arrival at the parking lot. A parking disc can be purchased, for example, at a gas station.

Parking with a parking disc is carried out in a parking lot where, under the sign permitting parking, there is an additional sign with an image of a parking disc and an indication of the permissible duration of parking in minutes or hours. When leaving your car in such a parking lot, you should set the current time on the dial of the parking disc, rounding it up to the next exact half hour. For example, at 12:15 set 12:30. The parking disc should be left in a visible place under the windshield of the car. You cannot change the set time during parking.

Paid parking In paid parking lots with free entry and exit, payment is made at the parking machine after entering the parking lot. The machine issues a receipt with a stated parking period, which should be left in a visible place under the windshield of the car. If you enter a paid parking lot through a terminal, then when you drive up to the barrier, you should get a parking card from the machine, after which the barrier will open. Before leaving such a parking lot, you must pay for parking at a payment machine, into which you must insert your parking card and, after making the payment, receive it back. When leaving the parking lot, the paid card is inserted into the barrier post, after which the barrier opens. It takes 15 minutes to leave the parking lot using a paid card.

Paid parking is indicated by an additional sign with a parking timer. Features of traffic rules The speed of the vehicle is recorded, including using automatic cameras. A notice of violation (fine) will be given to the car owner at the border checkpoint upon leaving the country.

Talking on the phone while driving is only allowed using a hands free headset. The fine for violation is 50 euros. Children under 135 cm tall are only allowed to travel in a child car seat.

Low beam headlights should always be on, even during daylight hours. Front and rear fog lights may only be used during fog, heavy rain or snowfall.

The condition of the wheels must meet safety requirements: the minimum tread depth for summer tires is 1.6 mm, for winter tires – 3 mm. Mandatory period for using winter tires for cars weighing no more than 3.5 tons: from December 1 to February 28.
Studded tires are allowed to be used from November 1 to March 31, as well as at other times depending on weather conditions.

Driving while intoxicated (approx. 0.5 ppm of alcohol in the blood) is a serious crime that entails the loss of a driver's license, fines or imprisonment for up to six months. Foreign citizens may also face administrative deportation, visa cancellation and entry ban. The owner of a car who entrusts the driving to a person who is intoxicated may also face fines and imprisonment.

The use and storage of narcotic substances, as well as the use of medications that may affect the driver’s ability to drive a vehicle, are strictly prohibited.

Gas stations on the highways are not common, so you must always ensure that the tank is full.

Features of Finnish roads and traffic rules

Our drivers have the most enthusiastic impressions of Finnish roads. Riding on them is a pleasure.

Finnish traffic rules are largely the same as Russian ones. True, there are some differences that you need to know about if you do not want to overshadow the beginning of your acquaintance with this country by communicating with law enforcement agencies. Please note that by our standards the fines in Suomi are simply fabulous.

Speed limit: within city limits - 50 km/h, on highways - 80 km/h, outside the city - 100 km/h (if indicated by a corresponding sign), on a few highways - 110 km/h in winter and 120 km/h h in summer in dry weather.

Every pedestrian crossing the road is firmly confident that any car will let him through. There is no need to prove him otherwise. Even if there are crossings on your way every 50 m. It’s easy to run into a fine.

An unusual road sign that you definitely won’t see here is a warning sign that depicts an elk or a deer.

If on high-speed roads the sudden jumping of animals onto the road (this happens especially often at dusk) is prevented by protective nets, then on local roads there are none.

Moreover, during an accident, not only the culprits suffer, but also the drivers themselves. Thus, in 2007, out of 4,700 registered cases of car collisions with moose and deer, 190 ended badly for people.

The permissible blood alcohol limit according to Finnish law is 0.5 ppm.

While the car is moving, children must be in a child seat or a special seat that is appropriate for their age and weight, which can be ordered when renting a car.

Summing up our article, I would like to remind you once again, our dear readers, if you have the opportunity to travel around the country not by buses and trains, but by car, use it. Just don't forget about the traffic rules. This way you will protect not only your life, but also the lives of those around you!