Where to stay in Finland

What to book early, and what not to

• Lapland between early December and mid-January sells out a year in advance, at prices two or three times the rest of the year. If you want Rovaniemi at Christmas, book it the previous Christmas.
• The northern lights season is long - late August to April - and February and March are cheaper, darker and statistically better than December.
• July is the lake season, when Finns take their own holiday and cottages go. Book by spring.
• Helsinki outside those windows is easy, and often cheaper at weekends than midweek, because the city runs on business travel.

The cottage, which is what Finland is actually for

• A mokki is a lakeside cabin, sometimes with a sauna, sometimes without running water, always with a rowing boat.
• Book through Nettimokki, Lomarengas or the owner directly. Weekly lets from Saturday to Saturday are the norm in summer.
• Check what "sauna" includes and how far the nearest shop is. Some cabins are 40 km from a supermarket.

Hotels, hostels and the rest

• Chain hotels are functional and reliable - Scandic, Sokos, Omena - and Omena has no reception at all, only a door code sent by email.
• Breakfast is normally included and is a real meal, which changes the daily budget more than you would expect.
• Hostels are clean and expensive by hostel standards.
• A private room in a hostel often beats a hotel on price for two people.

Camping and the everyman right

• Jokamiehenoikeus, the everyman right, lets you camp for a night on uncultivated land, pick berries and mushrooms, and walk almost anywhere, without asking permission.
• It does not extend to yards, fields in cultivation, or lighting a fire. Open fires need the landowner's consent and are banned outright during a wildfire warning.
• Open wilderness huts in the national parks are free, unlocked and first-come. The etiquette is to leave firewood for the next person.