60
votes
Accepted
Is it okay to mix in local language when I know it poorly?
It doesn't matter where you go in the world, the locals are pleased when an obvious foreigner makes an effort to be polite in the few words they know. (Even France, these days.)
But as soon as it is ...
- 1,411
39
votes
Accepted
Future consequences related to a charge of criminal offence: Drinking and riding bicycle in Germany
Fact 1: You haven’t been convicted. Fact 2: You have been fined. Fact 3: You have committed an offence (that’s what you told us). Fact 4: There is no record in Germany that you were even accused of an ...
- 4,064
39
votes
Future consequences related to a charge of criminal offence: Drinking and riding bicycle in Germany
Depends on the fine print.
German law has something called a Strafbefehl, a non-negotiable, court-approved offer of a plea bargain. One can take it or request a full court case. The Strafbefehl is ...
- 37.4k
36
votes
Accepted
Sleeping on the Sweden-Finland ferry; how rowdy does it get?
I took the Viking Line Gabriella ferry the other way from Stockholm to Helsinki last year. I went on a Tuesday night. Yes, people are having fun, but it didn't disturb my sleep at all and my ordinary ...
- 1,080
30
votes
How does using the sauna in the Finnair business class lounge in Helsinki work?
Update December 2018 The Sauna is currently closed, as part of the wider Finnair non-Schengen lounge refurbishment. Lounge staff tell me it'll re-open lovely and refreshed in the spring
There really ...
- 62.9k
29
votes
Accepted
Which currencies does Wizz Air use in-flight?
According to Wizz Air's Onboard Services:
We accept cash payments in different currencies.
Euros
British Pounds (notes only)
Hungarian Forint on Hungarian flights
Zloty on Polish flights
All prices ...
- 38k
28
votes
Accepted
How to reach Treriksröset?
Treriksröset is not reachable by road. You can get there on foot or ski (perhaps kayak too but there may be some rapids to navigate upstream). Mountain-bike may work (I'm not sure). From your ...
- 58.3k
22
votes
Accepted
Can I follow where the ferry between Vaasa and Uumaja (Vasa and Umeå) is?
You can follow many vessels worldwide through vessel finder websites, such as vesselfinder.com or marinetraffic.com. The websites are free for basic use, not unlike airline tracking websites. This ...
- 58.3k
21
votes
Accepted
How common is complimentary drinking water upon request in restaurants in Europe?
It varies a lot, there really isn't any common customs in Europe in that respect so creating a list might be the best way to answer the question. Complimentary water is definitely not limited to ...
19
votes
How common is complimentary drinking water upon request in restaurants in Europe?
In the UK, the Licensing Act requires that:
“The responsible person shall ensure that free tap water is provided on request to customers where it is reasonably available.”
The obligation only applies ...
- 36.5k
18
votes
Is it okay to mix in local language when I know it poorly?
Personally I prefer speaking English if my conversational partner isn't reasonably fluent in my other language. "hello", "thank you" & "beer" are always fine as they ...
- 108k
18
votes
How common is complimentary drinking water upon request in restaurants in Europe?
Very uncommon in Germany.
In Germany, restaurant meals tend to be cheaper than in other European countries, while drinks tend to be more expensive. Which means restaurants rely on guests' drinks for ...
- 1,726
17
votes
Is it necessary to rent a car in Lapland?
Within Rovaniemi itself, the bus network seems to be quite good considering its (small — except by Finnish standards) size. The route to the Arctic Circle where Santa Claus Village is (Napapiiri) is ...
- 16k
17
votes
Sleeping on the Sweden-Finland ferry; how rowdy does it get?
There can be some noise and activity in the public areas of the ferry, like in the bar and restaurant, the sleeping areas are generally quiet and chilled out.
Of course, there may be occasional ...
- 171
16
votes
Accepted
How prevalent is Swedish in the Swedish speaking parts of Finland
Swedish is an official language along with Finnish at the national level, and in most coastal areas at the local level.
Turku is an officially bilingual municipality, with a majority of native Finnish ...
- 79.5k
16
votes
Sleeping on the Sweden-Finland ferry; how rowdy does it get?
The short answer is not very rowdy, but as a rule of thumb, the more you pay for your cabin, the higher your floor, the older the crowd and the quieter your cabin. At the extreme ends of the spectrum,...
- 99.6k
15
votes
Accepted
Bringing an Apple Airpod from Finland to Poland via flight
No, since Finland and Poland are both in the EU single market / customs union and there are no customs duties between members.
You can use the blue channel on arriving in Poland, signifying to customs ...
- 1,822
15
votes
How common is complimentary drinking water upon request in restaurants in Europe?
Is this a common practice elsewhere in Europe?
Yes in France, by law:
The law actually requires them to give access to free drinking water (which is tap water) on request.
- 58.8k
14
votes
Is it okay to mix in local language when I know it poorly?
Usually in countries where knowledge of English is good, and my knowledge of the local language is limited, I generally learn (and use) "hello", "thank you", "goodbye", &...
- 311
13
votes
Accepted
Is there a real location that resembles Moominvalley?
According to Wikipedia:
It was inspired by Ängsmarn, a family retreat in Sweden, which is also situated on a grassy field facing the sea and surrounded by rocky outcrops.
The Finnish page seems to ...
- 137k
12
votes
Accepted
What travel document should a dual national register when booking the Helsinki-St Petersburg train?
I suggest to use the passport which would be used on arrival, so for a way to Saint Petersburg it will be South-African, and for a way to Helsinki it will be Swedish one.
This should work fine, as ...
- 22.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to go aurora hunting in Rovaniemi by yourself?
As a Finn, I'm mildly amused by this thread. A couple of misconceptions:
Aurora are extremely high up: the usual band is 100-600 km, at least 10x higher than a commercial airplane and extending far ...
- 99.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Why are there so many pots with daffodils in Finland in April?
Daffodils are in Northern Europe thought to be flowers related to Easter. As Easter is this week, that's probably the reason for the large amount of these flowers. The flower is often called '...
- 2,446
10
votes
Can a Finland Schengen visa get rejected if the invitation letter holder is unemployed?
There's no rule saying that people who host international guests in their home need to be employed; it is hard to see how that would factor into the decision process for a visa.
Note well that "being ...
10
votes
Was I deported from Finland, and how should I answer the related question on a DS160 form?
Your best bet is to send a Subject Access Request to the Finnish border authority, asking for a copy of your record. You are entitled to this information under the General Data Protection Regulation (...
- 3,129
10
votes
Sleeping on the Sweden-Finland ferry; how rowdy does it get?
The day of the week has a big impact on the number of passengers. In the weekend there might be more party people cruising. You can ask the ship's staff about the amount of passengers on board.
Cruise ...
- 221
9
votes
Accepted
Process to Apply Schengen Visit Visa for Finland from Pakistan - 2021
Finland does not have an embassy in Pakistan, so the visit visa is processed via Netherlands.
Book an appointment directly with Netherlands embassy in Pak through vfs.
After step 2, you will get an ...
- 181
8
votes
Are there any passenger trains from Sweden to Finland?
There is ongoing work to allow new passenger train services between Finland and Sweden in the future. A resumption of such services is planned and might start in 2025 or later.
The railway between ...
- 58.3k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible