Finland Guide
Getting around
Trains
The swiftest land link between Finland's major cities is invariably the reliable train service, operated by the state railway company, Valtan Rautatie (VR). Large, comfortable pikajuna ("express" trains, though often quite slow), super-smooth IC (inter-city trains) and an increasing number of state-of-the-art tilting pendolino trains serve the principal north– south routes several times a day, reaching as far north as Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle, although occasional services penetrate as far north as Kemijärvi. Elsewhere, especially on east– west hauls through sparsely populated regions, rail services tend to be skeletal and trains are often tiny two-carriage affairs. The Arctic North has a very limited network of services. More details on Finnish Railways can be found at 
www.vr.fi .
InterRail, BIJ and Eurail Scandinavia passes are valid on all trains; if you don't have one of these and are planning a lot of travelling, get a Finnrail Pass before arriving in Finland (you can't buy it in Finland itself) from a travel agent or Finnish Tourist Office. This costs €129 for three days' unlimited travel within a month, €171 for five days or €232 for ten days. Another option is the summer-only Lomapassi, available for purchase within Finland at all train stations and many travel agencies from June to August. This allows for three days of unlimited travel within one month and costs €139.
Otherwise, train fares are surprisingly reasonable. As a guide, a one-way, second-class ticket from Helsinki to Turku (a trip of around 200km) costs around €27; Helsinki to Kuopio (465km) €53; and Helsinki to Rovaniemi (900km) €77.
Tickets are purchased for specific dates and times, though there is no fee if you want to change the date or routing. Some journeys also allow you to break your journey en route – check when you purchase. You should buy tickets from station ticket offices (lippumyymälä), although you can also pay the inspector on the train.