Beware of Expensive and Unfriendly Finland

I think visitors are fine, it's the tourists that might be the problem. If you didn't check the costs before you went, it's not their fault. I recently went to the UK where prices are equally outragous, but I did my homework before I left and was prepared for the shock. I haven't researched it yet, but I don't recall a posting on this site that recommends travelers checks, so again a little homework might have resulted in a better trip. I think your post is pretty unfair to Finland.

Yes, the prices in the far North have a reputation for being very high. I'm surprised it was noticably higher in Finland than in Denmark or Sweden?

Why were you not using your ATM card? As has been discussed on this site ad nauseum, ATM's are everywhere and give you the better rate. US$ Traveler's checks need to be exchanged at a bank (not at a restaurant) which creates problems if you are visiting when the bank is closed.

I do not intend to sound critical but travelers checks have went the way of the tape cassette player and black & white tv. No one really wants them including the banks.

For me travelling to other countries is all about gaining a wide variety of new experiences.

I think sometimes we have to be really honest and say – that wasn’t for me, never again.

Also you can do as much background research before you go, the reality can be very different.

Just to leave the Finns out of this for a moment. I don’t know of any guidebook that ever said ‘The people of …….. are a bunch of ignorant, xenophobic, sexist, Neanderthal morons, who consider foriegners as lambs to the slaughter’, but I’ve been to at least a couple of countries where that was the impression I took away.

Sure Travellers Cheques aren’t popular much these days, but that’s not a reason to rip people off with an outrageous exchange rate. I think there’s a lot of benefit in an objective explanation of why a certain country doesn’t work for you.

Lynda, you're certainly entitled to your opinion. But I hope your comments don't completely scare off travelers who might have wanted to visit Finland.

I will say I feel it is unrealistic to expect all Europeans to act in the same exact manner and always welcome tourists with open arms. C'mon...you live in the United States as do I. I lived in several major cities in the U.S. that are considered "must sees" by many overseas visitors and I haven't always seen those foreign visitors fawned over by Americans that work in the hospitality industry - including hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, and at the major tourist draws themselves.

As for food prices, the current exchange rate today is going to make many purchases seem very inflated. But I know many tourists also make the unfortunate mistake of never venturing outside of the tourist hot spots...so they eat at places that charge crazy prices because those establishments know 90% of tourists are unwilling to walk 5 blocks over and 3 blocks down to get a better meal at a better price.

Travelers checks? I think the many reasons to not use them are outlined in just about any guide book on the market today within the first 10 pages of Chapter 1.

Perhaps a little more research and putting expectations into perspective on your part will ensure your next trip to Europe is more enjoyable.

We spent 3 nights in Helsinki...loved it and based on our experience we will be back to see more of the country...the people we met were warm and friendly...the prices were high, but not noticeably higher than Stockholm...the city is not as old as some of the other popular European cities. Remember it was built shortly after Peter the Great (the Russian Czar) as I recall...he wanted the Finnish capital to be closer to St Petersberg. We really enjoyed the restaurants in Helsinki...lots of good restaurants with some unusual main dishes (including Reindeer)...Helsinki feels like a University town in America, the population is highly educated...lots of book stores...and like it's southern European friends, it is a good representation of the "cafe" society...out door cafes everywhere, with the Finns taking advantage of long days in the summer.

I wonder why you took travelers checks when most travelers have quit doing that several years ago just because of the problems you encountered plus the added cost of buying an cashing them.

The wise travelers use ATMs because they are so easy to find and the cost is far less than using travelers checks.

I have used ATMs exclusively for about 10 years without a single problem, traveling from Russia in the East to Thailand in the West. If you read Rick's Graffiti Wall you will find lots of comments about ATMs.

Lynda,
I find the Finns and the Swedes quieter and more reserved than most other Europeans. They don't seem to engage them in the kind of casual social interactions that Americans are accustomed to (e.g. waitresses plopping down beside you and calling you honey). I didn't feel that they were unfreindly, just different from us. I would imagine they find us loud and forward. As Al points out, that's not the kind of information you can expect to find in travel guides, so research wouldn't have prepared you for it. Having said all that, let me add that I had a wonderful time in Helsinki and met many nice Finns. I quite enjoyed the respite from overbearing waitresses.

It's well known to those of us living in the UK that all the Scandinavian countries are horrendously expensive. A new route from Aberdeen airport to Stavangar opened last year, guess which direction everyone was heading in? All the Norwegians came to Scotland, but few Scots went to Norway.

Regarding TC's well, no-one knows what to do with them in the UK! ATM's are all over they are used more. So it's the same for other countries too.

Someone settled their bill here with a TC for £100 a couple of years back. The bank wouldn't touch it and we had all sorts of problems getting the money. In the end we cashed it at a bank in south London when we were on holiday. The staff there knew what a TC was and could deal with it. All the banks we tried in Scotland just said a big fat "No".

So, please don't bring TC's to Europe. It will save you a lot of heartache.

Lynda, it's unfortunate that you didn't enjoy your visit to Finland, however some research here (or other travel sites) probably would have prepared you better for the trip. As the others have mentioned, Traveller's Cheques are somewhat of a "dinosaur" these days, and there are a decreasing number of establishments that will accept these. Often the only place they can be cashed is at the American Express office in various cities. ATM use is by FAR the best option (as Rick says "I've cashed my last Traveller's Cheque!).

The expensive nature of the Scandinavian countries is fairly well known, so this shouldn't have been a surprise. Many places in Europe are very expensive for those of us from "this side of the pond". I recently had a small lunch in Capri, and the cost was about €22 for ONE person. It's just part of travel.

Janine, you might ask your Cruise Line if they have ATM's on board that dispense US dollars? That would avoid the need to take T.C.'s at all!

Cheers!

I'm surprised they didn't make you wash the dishes when you tried to pay with travelers checks.

I never would have even thought to travel to Europe at all had I not done my research on this site first to see what as good or bad as far as international travel in a post 9/11 world. This IS the best resource out there to give all sorts of hints and do's and don't's. We had a week long holiday in London (we stayed in Surrey to save money and used the trains to get where we wanted and still saved money over all.) We also went to Paris via the Chunnel/Eurostar. Everyone was spot on concerning how much cheeper things were a few blocks over from the Notre Dame cathedral! I can home loaded with Parisian souvineers for a reletivly cheep rate considering the abyssmal exchange rate! I really think your experiences would have been greatly enhanced had you looked to this site first before your trip. This was our first trip, and I can assure you it won't be our last!

The only reason we are getting some TC's is for a private tour in St. Pete. They will accept USD. WE ar on a cruise ship and can cash them onboard. We plan to get L and E from the bank here in US prior to our trip and use ATM when needed.
janines

I am in Finland right now for 2 months with my daughter visiting relatives. We are on a limited budget. When we go to Helsinki, we usually eat at the bakery or deli at Stockmann's for just a few euros. Everything we eat is great and doesn't cost much. We always bring our own water that we fill at the tap. We rather spend our money going to the museums and Seurasaari outdoor museum and Korkeasaari Zoo on an island and so on. I do not see how Helsinki is any more expensive than Stockholm. We just spent there a day on a cruise with Silja Line and 100 euros worth on krowns that I had went really fast. That's how it is when you travel. The only thing that really bothered me was that they wanted 20 krowns (about 3 dollars) for using the bathrooms at Ahlens. We walked back to the Gamla Stan and went to the Livrustkammaren at the king's palace for 60 krowns instead. That way we got something for our money and a free bathroom there. In Helsinki the bathrooms are free at Stockman's. Obviously Helsinki is not the town for you but I have a feeling that you may be the problem not Helsinki. As I see from other replies, travelers checks are out dated and you can't expect to use them anywhere in Europe these days. One needs to do their research before traveling and then you will know what to do and have a good time doing it.