Crashing breakers, wind and cliffs, red cottages, vivid green forests, blue lakes, the smell of damp moss, of seaweed and salt water, of snow and campfires. This is a pristine paradise of nature with its profusion of lakes, peaceful forests, its very own sauna culture, world-class traditions in architecture and glasswork, summer months with the midnight sun, and the northern lights. Believe it or not, Norway's coastline, including fjords, comes to a total length of 28,000 km. The sea cuts deep into the mountains as if the fjords want to cut right through the land, yet the sea and the land are inseparable sisters. The water carries the Gulf Stream up here, ushering warmth to the interior of the country. The mountains hold the wind back. You can be sunbathing beside a fjord whilst looking at snow sparkling on the mountain peaks. It's quite a similar scene in Finland, the land of vodka and Nokia, Mika Häkkinen and a thousand lakes, saunas and knäckebrot. Finland, also known by the name Suomi, is one of the most interesting yet at the same time least explored holiday destinations in Europe. On the one hand there is mother nature, almost overpowering in her simplicity, and the impression that Finland is all but empty of people – then on the other hand there are the Finns with their great joie de vivre, lively parties and unique culture .

Finland's time difference to CET (Central European Time) is plus one hour.

Finland and Norway not only share a border, but they also border onto Sweden and Russia. Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. It has some 80,000 islands lying off its coast, and 188,000 inland lakes with a further 98,000 islands, making it the largest lakeland area in Europe. 10 per cent of the surface area is covered by water, 69 per cent by woodland, and just 8 per cent is used for agricultural purposes.

Norway accounts for the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula. Its long coastline is characterised by the many deeply indented fjords, and the country's mountainous interior features the largest glaciers in Europe. Even though more than 500 square kilometres of Norway lie north of the Arctic Circle, its west coast remains ice-free all year round by virtue of the warm Gulf Stream currents.

The climate in Finland is influenced first and foremost by a variety of air currents. These have the effect of raising temperatures by up to 10°C relative to other countries at the same latitude. Nonetheless, Finnish people describe their climate as a typical continental climate. This means that the summer is short but with very high temperatures, while winter temperatures are well below freezing. The Baltic is responsible for plenty of wind, but in combination with the many bays along Finland's coastline it also acts a kind of thermal storage system. Then there is also Finland's proximity to the Gulf Stream with its natural warming effect. Finland's climate is also influenced by the high mountains of Norway, which create a foehn weather system. When the wind blows from the east, the cold conditions of the Asiatic continental climate can sometimes penetrate all the way across to Finland.

Despite Norway's extreme northerly position, the influence of the Gulf Stream, which flows up from the Caribbean, means that Norway enjoys a relatively mild climate. While the interior of the country has a continental climate with cold winters and relatively hot, dry summers, the weather in the coastal region is determined by maritime conditions, giving relatively mild winters and cooler, damper summers.

You should pack the same clothing for your holiday as you would normally wear in northern Europe – a warm jumper and waterproof jacket. It may get quite cool in the mountains and as the evening wears on, so it is advisable to take thermal underclothes with you. It is important that you bring a sunhat, suncream and good UV-protective sunglasses with you for sunny days. You should also consider ways of protecting yourself adequately against insects.

Finnish food combines down-to-earth, plain cooking, manor-house cuisine and some of the modern European trends in cookery with historical borrowings from Russia and Sweden. Certain dishes have characterised traditional Finnish cuisine for many years. These include, for instance, coffee with sweet Finnish coffee-bread (pulla) rolls, pea soup with pancakes, fried sausage with typical sweet and sour Finnish mustard, new potatoes with pickled herring, river crabs in dill, strawberries on milky ice cream or mulberries with fresh-baked Finnish oven-baked cheese.

Norwegian cooking does not have much of a reputation, although you may well argue that it deserves better. Breakfast is, as a rule, very substantial, including a goodly amount of sausage and cheese. The midday meal is usually modest, perhaps a cold buffet or sandwiches, then in the evening it’s time for the ‘middag’, which is a more elaborate hot meal. Norwegian specialities include smoked salmon, smoked or marinated trout, dried, salted cod, boiled cod, unleavened bread, brown goat’s cheese, smoked meat, lobscouse, reindeer and elk chops.

The official currency in Norway is the Norwegian krone (NKR).

1 krone = 100 øre.

1 EUR ≈ 8 NKR. Foreign currencies can be brought in and taken out in any quantity.  Since January 2002 the euro has been the official currency of Finland.

You should find the telephone systems in both these countries straightforward to use. Large areas of the country are covered by GSM networks, which operate roaming agreements with German providers. The international prefix for Germany is 0049, for Finland 00358 and for Norway 0047.

The standards of medical care in Finland and Norway are excellent. In sparsely-populated regions of Lapland, however, you need to reckon on having a drive of a good few kilometres to reach the nearest hospital. If you need particular medication on a daily basis, please be sure to bring it with you in sufficient quantity.

It is also advisable to check that you have been inoculated recently against diphtheria, tetanus and polio. Travellers should obtain information and medical advice on how to protect themselves against infection, what vaccinations are required and other prophylactic measures well in advance of their departure date. We would refer you in particular to the general information available from health authorities, doctors experienced in travel medicine, doctors of tropical medicine, travel medicine information services or the Federal Centre for Health Education [Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung].

Mains voltage is generally 220 volts, with a frequency of 50 Hz, and sockets comply with European standards.

Norway is not a member of the EU, and has strict customs regulations. As far as alcoholic beverages are concerned, you are allowed to bring in 1 litre with a high alcoholic content, 1 litre of wine and 4 litres of beer. The tobacco goods allowance is for 200 cigarettes or 250 g of other tobacco products and 200 cigarette papers. Only persons over the age of 18 are permitted to bring in alcohol and tobacco products. The minimum age for bringing in drink with an alcohol content of above 22% by volume is 20. The following goods may only be brought in if special permission has been granted: drugs, medicaments (apart from small quantities for personal use), poisons, weapons and munitions, fireworks, potatoes, fresh milk and cream, mammals, birds and exotic animals, plants and parts of plants.

Finland: Anyone above the age of 20 from Germany or any other EU member state can bring items into Finland in unlimited quantities. However, this only applies to items that are for personal use. Those who have reached the age of 18 but not yet 20 are only permitted to have and carry alcoholic beverages up to 22% by volume.

In Finland and Norway, as indeed in most other countries of the world, there are written and unwritten laws. Thus, for instance, smoking is not permitted in public buildings. Restaurants, guest houses and dance halls are also smoke-free zones. The little word takk (thanks) is the basis of all politeness, and often acts as a door opener.

There is at present no country-specific safety advice for these countries. However, to avoid any problems you should not leave any of your possessions lying around, you should carry your valuables next to your body and always be aware of what is happening around you.