Hotels are expensive. Special offers in summer mean that you’ll be able to sleep well on a budget in high season, but may have difficulty finding anything affordable out of season – the reverse of the norm. In many towns you’ll also find tourist hotels (matkustajakoti) offering fewer frills for €45–60 per person, and summer hotels (kesähotelli; June–Aug only), which offer decent accommodation in student blocks for €25–45 per person.
Official campsites (leirintäalue) are plentiful. The cost to camp is roughly €15 per pitch, plus €4–5 per person, depending on the site’s star rating. Most open from May or June until August or September, although some stay open longer and a few year-round. Many three-star sites also have cottages, often with TV, sauna and kitchen. To camp in Finland, you’ll need a Camping Key Scandinavia, available at every site (and online: camping.fi) for €16 and valid for a year. Camping rough is illegal without the landowner’s permission – though in practice, provided you’re out of sight of local communities, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Rough Guides tip: To increase your chances of a great vacation, read everything you need to know about the weather in Finland.