ATMs can be found in towns, but not necessarily in all villages. ATMs are usually located at street corners, malls, and banks. A major credit card, such as Mastercard or Visa is accepted practically everywhere.
The opening hours of banks vary, but the safest bet is that a bank is open from Monday to Friday between 10am and 3pm.
Swedish Krona in Sweden, Norwegian Krona in Norway, and Euro in Finland. When you are moving in Lapland and cross the border between Norway and Sweden, the currency can be confusing, because it is Krona in both countries, but it is not the same Krona. Both Norway and Sweden have their own currency that has its own value. Major credit cards are accepted practically everywhere. Don't bring cheques, no one wants to deal with them.
Finland and Sweden are members of the European Union, and have signed the Schengen Agreement for free movement within the EU. Although Norway is not a EU member, it has signed the Schengen Agreement as well. Scandinavian countries have a long tradition for free movement within the region. Alcohol and tobacco are the usual suspects for problems when crossing the EU and non-EU country border.
If you are bringing alcohol or tobacco into Norway, you must observe the quota if you want to avoid paying extra duty. Norway’s import regulations are complicated. For instance, you are allowed to import one liter of liqueur, four bottles of wine and six cans of beer. If you want to import more beer and tobacco, you can do so by reducing the amount of wine and liqueur. You can find details here: www.toll.no.
Tourists are allowed to import duty-free alcohol and tobacco into a EU country from a non-EU country as follows: maximum 200 cigarettes, one liter of liqueur, four liters of (still) wine, and 16 liters of beer. Detailed instructions ec.europa.eu.
Driving license issued in an EU country is valid in all EU countries and in Norway as well. Finland requires drivers to have an International Driving License if their license has been issued outside EU. Driving license issued outside EU is valid for three months in Norway, and one year in Sweden.
It is a good idea to obey the speed limits on the roads. If you are caught speeding, the fines are hefty. Police may control traffic from unmarked cars and have automatic cameras on road sides.
The maximum amount of alcohol a driver can have in the blood is 0.5 per mille (0.05%) in Finland, 0.2 per mille in Norway, and 0.2 per mille in Sweden. Police conducts tests on the road. The alcohol limit is strictly enforced.
Seat belts must be worn – also in the back seat. As odd as it may seem at first, headlights must always be switched on, even in bright daylight. In winter, only cars with winter tires are allowed on roads. Friction winter tires can be used instead of spiked tires. Snow chains are not allowed.
In Norway, a number of toll roads and ferry rides add extra cost to road travel, but the costs are reasonable. For toll roads, tourists should get a pass in advance from a petrol station (difficult in practice, because it can be impossible to know about an upcoming toll road), or by registering at www.autopass.no/en/visitors-payment. Short ferry rides are usually paid to a cashier who is directing vehicles to the ferry. The cashier accepts cash and credit cards.
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Wireless Internet connections are usually accessible at hotels, service stations, shopping malls, in some restaurants, cafés, and in fast food restaurants, like Hesburger. Most camp sites provide free Wi-Fi.
Nordic countries were at the forefront of the mobile revolution (Ericsson comes from Sweden and Nokia from Finland). The network infrastructure in each country is modern, and covers the inhabited regions and main roads. The further north you go, the more spots you will discover with no service. Nonetheless, all settlements with year-round inhabitants have some kind of mobile network coverage even in the remotest areas in the far north.
If you have a GSM, 3G or 4G phone and have enabled international roaming, it should connect to a network in Scandinavia and in Lapland. Pre-paid SIM cards for mobile phones and for mobile Internet access are available, for instance, at kiosks and small shops. The coverage map for a mobile phone network (Telia): www.telia.se/privat/support/tackningskartor.
In Finland, Posti is the local post office. A small shop, like R-kioski or Siwa may also manage post office duties. In Norway, the post office is Posten, and it is identified by red color. In Sweden, the post office is called Posten, and managed by an organization called PostNorden.
It can be hundreds of kilometers or miles to the nearest pharmacy in the far north, so being prepared really counts in Lapland.
Finns call their pharmacies ‘Apteekki’. You can find the pharmacies in Finland on a map here www.apteekki.fi/apteekkihaku/apteekit-kartalla.html.
In Norway, the pharmacy is called ‘Apotek’. Type the name of town in the search box, and this service will list the pharmacies near you in Norway www.apotek.no/Default.aspx?ID=6925.
The Swedish word for pharmacy is 'Apotek'. A useful resource for finding a nearby pharmacy anywhere in the country is www.apoteksregister.se. Sök is Swedish for Search.
Tipping is not an absolute must in Scandinavia, but waiters and taxi drivers will be delighted if you tip them.
EU nationals can travel freely in Finland. Travelers who carry a non-EU country passport may need a visa in order to enter Finland. Here you can find all the countries and visa requirements for them: www.formin.fi.
Even though Norway is not a EU member, it has signed the Schengen Agreement that allows free movement for EU nationals. If you are outside the EU, you may need a visa to visit Norway. Check the requirements for your country here: www.udi.no.
As a EU and Schengen treaty member country, the same policies apply in Sweden as in other EU member countries. Here you can find full details for visa and other travel document requirements for Sweden: www.government.se.
220 volts AC. A two pin -plug is the same type as in Continental Europe, for instance, in Germany and in France.