Winter in Finland: How to Travel Smart When It’s -20°C

The winter silence in Finland is something else, where you can hear your own breath freeze in the air, and the snow absorbs every sound. And the horizon white-out and disappears. It’s beautiful. It’s otherworldly. And yes – it’s cold. To travel through Finland in temperatures that occasionally go below -20°C takes a special kind of planning. You’ll need layers, a good deal of patience, and a reliable way to move through a rough, frozen, and uniquely fascinating landscape of frost. That’s why so many travellers choose addCar Rental. With your Helsinki Vantaa car rental, you can explore the country freely – from the design-filled streets of the capital to the wild stillness of Lapland’s forests and frozen lakes.

Dress like a Finn

Finns don’t fight the cold. They work with it. And their secret is layering with merino wool next to your skin, adding something insulating like fleece or down, and topping it off with a waterproof shell. This system traps warmth and lets moisture escape – perfect whether you’re walking around Helsinki’s market square or watching the northern lights near Rovaniemi. And please don’t underestimate the small details: wool socks, gloves that still let you handle your camera, and a good hat can be the difference between comfort and frostbite.

Hit the road – safely.

Once you’ve dressed like a Finn, it’s time to move. Finland is ideal for road trips. Long, open stretches, endless frozen pine, and pastel skies. But in winter, those roads can turn slippery and unpredictable. And that’s where addCar Rental becomes your best travel companion.

Every car in the Finnish fleet is ready for the season with winter tyres, heating systems, windscreen defrosting, and good clearance for snow. When you pick up your car at Helsinki Vantaa Airport, you can start exploring within the hour. There’s no waiting for buses or figuring out train schedules in sub-zero temperatures. Just you, the open road, and a quiet country with one of the world’s best winters. Period.

Finnish roads are well-maintained, and drivers are courteous. So you can enjoy the road trip with ease at heart because, as we all know, Slow and steady wins the day. The best tips are to keep a safe distance, stay below the speed limit, and just enjoy the ride. There’s beauty right to left, front to back, from the shimmer of ice on a frozen river to the golden light of the low northern sun. Finland is 360 fantastic.

Follow the weather, not the clock.

One of the joys of having your own car in Finland is flexibility. Weather can shift dramatically – sunshine one hour, a white-out the next. With a rental car, you can adjust your plans as nature demands. Maybe you can skip a snowstorm by heading south for a day. Maybe you chase clearer skies north to spot the aurora borealis.

Having that freedom makes all the difference. addCar Rental gives you not just a vehicle, but independence – to explore at your own rhythm, on your own terms.

Make time for the simple things.

Finnish winter isn’t about rushing from sight to sight. It’s about slowing down. Pull over when you see a frozen waterfall. Stop for coffee in a roadside cabin with steaming windows. Take a detour to a small village just because you like the name.

There’s a purity to travel here with no crowds, no noise. Just snow crunching under your boots and the deep blue of the afternoon sky fading into darkness. It’s stillness that resets you and soothes your soul.

End every day like a local

”Sauna” is the one Finnish word you should know! Because after hours in the cold, it’s not just a luxury – it’s a necessity. You’ll find saunas everywhere in Finland, at hotels, cabins, or even roadside inns that have one. Take a sit, breathe, sweat, and feel your body cleanse and restore from the inside out. Then, if you dare, step outside into the snow and let the steam freeze on your skin. Well, it sounds wild, but that’s the Finnish way to remind yourself you’re alive. Enjoy!

Conclusion

So, winter in Finland isn’t for the faint-hearted, but that’s exactly what makes it unique and really worth it. The cold is truly special, colours feel brighter, and sounds feel closer. All this contributes to moments feeling deeper. With addCar Rental, you can experience that world on your own terms – warm, comfortable, and free to explore wherever the road takes you.

From enjoying your first morning coffee in Helsinki to your last glimpse of the northern lights dancing over Lapland, every kilometre becomes part of the story. A story of silence, snow, and the strange, beautiful calm that only exists when it’s -20°C. And you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

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