Post: #1

Finland has a hundred or so "ski resorts" but only a few true international ski resorts. These resorts are supposely third kind of mythical places to a Finnish man to get laid along with Milliklubi and Baltic cruise ships.

GENERAL

The Finnish ski season starts at the end of October in Northern Finland and a month or so later in the South. It usually does not last past the May Day (when the picnic season starts in the Southern Finland). However you can still ski in some parts of Lapland until the end of June. The high season is between December and the beginning of March.

As I wrote in the introduction, most of the Finnish ski resorts are merely a small hill near a city or a town. They do not offer anything but basic equipment renting services and perhaps a cafe. I would not spend my time in them unless you are staying near them for some period of time. However, that said, some of the larger ones in Central Finland are hugely popular and may be worth visiting for a day or two.

FELL RESORTS

Some half a dozen of Finnish ski resorts are based on the top of a 300 - 400 meter high fell. They include huge log cabin villages, restaurants, a club, a skiing school, shops etc. These are were you want to go for a week's vacation.

The most popular ones are situated right next to international airports with direct flights from European capitals during the early and mid winter season. Fly there, take a bus ride and check into the resort's hotel or as I prefer, rent a log cabin. The most expensive and lavish cabins are situated on the foot and the slopes of these fells, but some cheaper ones can be found within ten or so kilometers around the ski resort. Cabins go for anything between 200 to 500 € for a week depending how large they are. However, remember to book them few months before the season starts!

The best ski resorts are Ruka at Kuusamo and Levi and Ylläs at Kittilä. Apart from downhill and tens of kilometers of cross-country skiing, they also offer dog-sleds, reindeer racing, concerts etc. I would estimate that in mid-February they are populated by a mixture 50 % Finns and 30 % of Russians and the rest being British, Germans etc. Kittilä itself is a small municipality of some 6 000 persons and Kuusamo holds around 16 000 people. However, both are huge when it comes to land area. This means long distances and a car is must if you want to move around other than between the airport and the ski resort.

HOTELS & CLUBS

Most, if not all, of the ski hotels located at the top of a fell have a gym, a sauna, bathing facilities and such.

The clubs in these larger places are to me comparable to ones in Baltic cruises except for much better view! You'll have your basic 10 meter long bar, a small dance floor and hugely expensive booze. Typical move could be the same as in the ships: few drinks at the bar and then walking few hundred meters to your place, i.e. a cabin or a room at the hotel. Do look logistics from the multiple cruise threads. Booze can be usually also purchased from the fell village.

Most Finns can ski quite well, so I would not expect that one should go to a skiing school to meet the locals. It could be a quite an opportunity to meet some Russians from e.g. St. Petersburg, I think.

Finally I recommend checking out the film "Lapland Odyssey" for general feeling what kind of crazy stuff is going on in these latitudes during the winter.

Post: #2

Solid post.

For Scandinavia, 200-500 euro per week for a cabin seems like a steal. Is it safe to say one could get a solid 3 BR cabin in one of the best resorts you mentioned for 400-500 euro per week?

Post: #3

(01-29-2013 12:54 PM)Technics Wrote:  Is it safe to say one could get a solid 3 BR cabin in one of the best resorts you mentioned for 400-500 euro per week?

Cabin with three bedrooms, generally enough space for 5-8 persons in one of these three places and booked in time for high season could fetch for 500-600 €. I've never booked a cabin at the top of the fell, but always from a private owner at the bottom of the fell. They're a lot cheaper and the only place at the top of the is usually a hotel.

Such cabin for a weekend could be booked for around 150-200 €. Naturally all cabins have different interiors, but I have not seen one without a stove of some kind, tables, sofa, beds etc. Better ones have also an electric sauna, large television and ski tracks running next to the cabin.

Post: #4

(01-29-2013 01:14 PM)Luomu Wrote:  

(01-29-2013 12:54 PM)Technics Wrote:  Is it safe to say one could get a solid 3 BR cabin in one of the best resorts you mentioned for 400-500 euro per week?

Cabin with three bedrooms, generally enough space for 5-8 persons in one of these three places and booked in time for high season could fetch for 500-600 €. I've never booked a cabin at the top of the fell, but always from a private owner at the bottom of the fell. They're a lot cheaper and the only place at the top of the is usually a hotel.

Such cabin for a weekend could be booked for around 150-200 €. Naturally all cabins have different interiors, but I have not seen one without a stove of some kind, tables, sofa, beds etc. Better ones have also an electric sauna, large television and ski tracks running next to the cabin.

Very nice. I appreciate the detail.

Also, could you expand a little bit on the après scene?

Does everyone come in full gear directly from the slopes in late afternoon? Or is it just basically typical night scene in a large city with girls and guys dressed to the nines. Is there an attitude of getting wild in a winter-wonderland, or not really?

Post: #5

Thanks a lot Luomu, your posts on Finland are always informative. I've experienced the Baltic Cruise ship (Viking Line to Stockholm) and I can vouch for the mythical experience I had.

Lapland itself is a cold, VERY BIG (don't underestimate that) land. If you're a really good skier, there aren't many challenges to be had up there, you're better off going to the Alps or Aspen or something to that effect. But Lapland is glorious for photography and nature sighting, along with the occasional northern lights.

When I return to Finland from Gothenburg (then Stockholm), then I'll plan to take a trip up to Lapland from Helsinki (9 hours of nothing trip, kill me).

Just a heads up, Sami girls are pretty hot.

Post: #6

(01-29-2013 01:27 PM)Technics Wrote:  Does everyone come in full gear directly from the slopes in late afternoon? Or is it just basically typical night scene in a large city with girls and guys dressed to the nines.

Consider that the length of the day in Northern Finland between December and February varies from 2 to 9 hours. I think most people do not care to ski in artificial lighting but wake up early to catch the few hours of daylight at the slope and then get ready for the night game which starts few hours after afternoon in December.

The only place I have seen people coming with full gear are the cafes and shops near the slopes. Clothing choices for the ski clubs and bars are no different than in they would wear in any other bar in Finland.

(01-29-2013 01:27 PM)Technics Wrote:  Is there an attitude of getting wild in a winter-wonderland, or not really?

Glad that you asked that. Just few days ago one of the Finnish tabloids ran a story of people owning businesses in these larger ski resorts. It seems they are getting annoyed of finding used condoms from bars' women toilets along with other signs of sexual activity. Baltic cruises and ski resorts are well-known places to held a bachelor/bachelorette party.

Post: #7

(01-29-2013 01:48 PM)Luomu Wrote:  

(01-29-2013 01:27 PM)Technics Wrote:  Does everyone come in full gear directly from the slopes in late afternoon? Or is it just basically typical night scene in a large city with girls and guys dressed to the nines.

Consider that the length of the day in Northern Finland between December and February varies from 2 to 9 hours. I think most people do not care to ski in artificial lighting but wake up early to catch the few hours of daylight at the slope and then get ready for the night game which starts few hours after afternoon in December.

The only place I have seen people coming with full gear are the cafes and shops near the slopes. Clothing choices for the ski clubs and bars are no different than in they would wear in any other bar in Finland.

(01-29-2013 01:27 PM)Technics Wrote:  Is there an attitude of getting wild in a winter-wonderland, or not really?

Glad that you asked that. Just few days ago one of the Finnish tabloids ran a story of people owning businesses in these larger ski resorts. It seems they are getting annoyed of finding used condoms from bars' women toilets along with other signs of sexual activity. Baltic cruises and ski resorts are well-known places to held a bachelor/bachelorette party.

Very nice. Great information. This is exactly the type of info that I'm looking for. +1 from me.

Post: #8

How can you finnish if you havent started yet?

Post: #9

WEBCAMS

Levi
Ruka
Ylläs