Finland
Bike Trip inspired by years of experience
Explore the Baltic Sea coast and inland countryside of southern Finland by bike. This lesser-travelled route includes a city tour of Helsinki, harbour towns, local artisans at work, restored mills, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, national parks, and peaceful cycling roads through idyllic countryside. Great local food and drinks.
CAD$3,450
13
days
Aug 2-14,2020
TRIP OVERVIEW
Trip START Date | Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, August 2, 2020
Trip END Date | Helsinki, Finland, Friday, August 14, 2020
504 km | 318 mi
Trip Cost: CAD$3,450 | 13 days / 12 nights
PRICE INCLUDES
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12 nights accommodation (no camping)
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All group meals (drinks on your own)
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8 days biking
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Sightseeing (rest days) in Helsinki, Verla, and Lahti
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Use of bicycles and packs (E-Bike option available)
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Travel coordination to/from Finland
Price does not include airfare
Testimonial
"My wife and I are avid cycle tourists and we have had the pleasure of joining Rick on two separate international bike tours; one in Argentina and one in Norway. Both experiences were exceptional. Rick provided all of the professional guiding experience, support and technical knowledge that we needed to have safe yet adventurous trips. We expected this professionalism and we were not disappointed. But what set Rick’s tours apart from other tours we’ve been on were Rick’s local contacts and the amazing experiences we had with them. Through Rick, we’ve been greeted by the mayor of Tromso, Norway, stayed overnight in a soccer stadium run by a true Viking, played guitar with a larger-than-life baritone Argentinian, camped under the stars in an Andes mountain trout farm, and stayed in countless friends’ homes throughout Norway and Argentina. And the new friendships that developed from these experiences have endured, giving us the opportunity to return for visits in the future. Rick opens doors through his unique enthusiasm for biking and his calm and supportive approach to people and friends. If you have the opportunity to travel somewhere with Rick, I highly recommend you take it."
Tom Evans: Calgary, Alberta 2018
8 Days biking, 504 km | 318 mi, Start: Helsinki - Porvoo - Lovisa - Verla - Mäntyharju - Virtaa - Lahti - Hyvinkaa - Helsinki: End
TRIP DESCRIPTION
Visit Finland on this new adventure for OnaVelo. Rick and Tanya and their family spent a month cycling in Finland on one of their world tours and are now introducing it as a featured trip for OnaVelo. Working with a local host and guide in Finland, this trip will certainly be an adventure and a unique opportunity to explore southern Finland by bike.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
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Site seeing and city tour of Helsinki
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Great local food and drinks (Brewery tours)
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Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Verla
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Unique hotels and cabins with saunas
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Just going to Finland is a highlight!
This is a new route. The trip will be adventurous and fun. If it is like a previous exploratory trip that Rick and friends took to the Dominican Republic, it's bound to have lasting memories. This route offers opportunities to travel before or after the trip into Russia, Sweden, Estonia or other destinations. Rick and our local Finish host can help with extra travel plans in the area.
TAKING CARE OF THE DETAILS
Rick and Tanya and our local guide Antti will take care of all the details including the bicycles and gear, guides and safety, local activities, route planning, food and snacks, accommodations as well as helping you with getting to and from Finland.
MORE ABOUT THE BIKING
Travelling by bicycle can be challenging. This trip is for you if you are relatively fit and are comfortable with riding undulating terrain with some bigger hills. You like to ride your bike on vacation, but not every day. You can ride an average of 40mi/65km and up to 55mi/90km on a long day.
We have a variety of bikes for this bike packing tour. The basic idea is to have a go-anywhere bike where simplicity, durability, and efficiency is preferred. We use basic hardtail or fully rigid hybrid touring bikes and mountain bikes. For the most part, we are biking on lesser-travelled paved roads. Our trips are a blend of bike packing and classic bike touring. You will have a sense of freedom by carrying your own gear on a multi-day self-supported adventure, with the objective to see the sights along the route at a leisurely pace.
E-Bike option: New to this trip we are offering an E-bike option for an additional cost. RockMachine Blackout ES 40. Please contact Rick for details and availability.
PACE OF THE RIDE
I let everybody set their own pace. I give directions every morning for check-in points along the way and let people go at their own speed. Most of the time the groups end up riding together for the most part. Faster riders can enjoy riding fast, slower riders can enjoy riding slower. I usually end up in the rear and take in the sights and enjoy the ride. I guess my average speed might be around 10 to 13 mph / 15-20 km/hour.
CARRYING YOUR GEAR
We use ARKEL XM-45 bikepacking panniers. The XM-45’s are essentially top-loading bags (as opposed to front-loading on typical touring panniers). Keep in mind that there is no support vehicle and you will have to carry your personal gear on your bike. You can download a suggested packing list to make sure you have everything you need, but not too much. If you have things you want for your travels after the bike trip, you can leave a bag in Helsinki with our local guide for the end of the trip. Packing list >>
MORE THAN JUST A TRIP TO FINLAND
Rick and his family had an amazing experience biking in Finland in 2018. Take a look at some of the pictures and stories on Sampson McFerrin's blog about their trip in Finland. >> blog . Helsinki is also a great jumping-off point to visit other destinations including St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; or other Baltic Sea cities.
St Petersburg ‘Visa Free’ Tours
From Helsinki you can Join a wonderful St Petersburg Visa Free Tours by overnight ferry. Rick and his team can help you organize a popular 5 day Visa Free tours with an option to return to Helsinki or Tallinn before or after the bike trip. This is the perfect way to appreciate the magnificent city of St Petersburg without a Russian visa.
DAY-to-DAY SCHEDULE (Click on selected days to expand for more detail)
Day 1
| Sunday, Aug 2 | Getting to Finland
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Travel to Helsinki, Finland
The adventure begins in Helsinki.
We will have two nights in Helsinki. This will give you time to recover from the flight and to get acclimated to Finland. Our first day on the bikes is Tuesday, August 4. Depending on your schedule, you may want to arrive Helsinki a day or two earlier or stay longer after the trip.
Notes
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OnaVelo can help coordinate your travel plans
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The group meeting point in Helsinki will be detailed in your trip registration package
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Pre-trip information sessions will be scheduled prior to your departure
Day 2
| Monday, Aug 3 | Getting Ready | Helsinki City Tour
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Day 3
| Tuesday, Aug 4 | Helsinki to Porvoo
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| Wednesday, Aug 5 | Porvoo to Loviisa
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Day 4
Day 5
| Thursday, Aug 6 | Loviisa to Verla
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Day 6
| Friday, Aug 7 | Rest day in Verla
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| Saturday, Aug 8 | Verla to Mäntyharju
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Day 7
Day 8
| Sunday, Aug 9 | Mäntyharju to Virtaa
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| Monday, Aug 10| Virtaa to Lahti
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Day 9
| Tuesday, Aug 11 | Rest day
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Day 10
| Wednesday, Aug 12 | Lahti to Hyvinkaa
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Day 11
Day 12
| Thursday, Aug 13 | Hyvinkaa to Helsinki
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Day 13
| Friday, Aug 14 | Helsinki
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