The Land of a Thousand Lakes
Imagine a medieval landscape from a scene in Shrek. Imagine yourself in castles, fortresses and manors. Think of winding roads and quaint, quiet villages with a backdrop of ridges, forests and crystal blue lakes. Sounds like a fairytale, right? Wrong. This is ScanAm’s Self-Drive Tour of Finland: Country Life in the Land of a Thousand Lakes.
Offered from June through August, the tour takes you across Finland’s largest region – Lakeland. With over 1,000 lakes, it’s is the perfect setting for a scenic road trip in the country. Just imagine the summer breeze blowing through the cranked open windows as you drive a landscape where past meets present. Sounds like something out of Thelma and Louise, right? Wrong, again. You’re in the land of the midnight sun and the best part about this tour is that you’re calling the shots. ScanAm does suggest points of interest, but the itinerary is your own. Your accommodations are also booked in advance, so no stress while you enjoy the breathtaking sights of the Finnish countryside.
Your road trip starts after spending a day in Helsinki (Finland’s capital and architectural gem) then heads to Turku, Urjala, Tampere, Jyväskylä, Mikkeli, Punkaharju, and Lappeenranta in the course of 10 days/9 nights. Opt out of the teeming main roads for the King’s Road, which, back in the day, linked the kingdom of Sweden with the Russian Empire. The road winds through charming villages and small towns in the countryside. Among the points of interest are the Castle and Cathedral of Turku, which combined make the largest medieval building in Finland. Speaking of castles, Lappeenranta has the biggest sandcastle in Finland, built anew every summer. On the way to Urjala, you can stop by the Nuutajärvi Glass village for beautiful Finnish glass. Here you can see glassblowers at work in the Museum of Glass and even attempt glassblowing yourself.
The package cost for one person is $3,585, including accomodations, breakfast and a manual Toyota Auris. You can upgrade to a VW Jetta for an additional $390 or an Audi A3 for $538.
Exploring with a friend? The second package costs $2,035 for a twin room and breakfast, and the car costs remain the same. Additional beds are $730 each.
800-545-2204