Road Trip from Finland through Eastern Europe

If your car trip starts from Western, Central of Northern Finland, you should stop by in historic Mikkeli. The most fascinating aspects of it are the sights related to Finland's military and marshal Mannerheim, like the Infantry Museum, Headquarters Museum and Mannerheim’s Saloon Car. If you're a fan of art, don't forget the Art Centre Salmela in nearby Mäntyharju; there you'll find gorgeously renovated buildings, like the town hall built in the 1850s. Other top destinations are the Mikkeli Cathedral, rock paintings in Asuvansalmi, Visulahti Travel Centre and of course gorgeous Lake Saimaa that you can access from a cruise starting from Mikkeli harbour for example.

It's easy to get to Mikkeli by car because it's at the intersection of Highways 5, 13 and 15 and Main Roads 62 and 72. If you're going from Vaasa, Jyväskylä or Kuopio towards the Baltics, Mikkeli is conveniently on the way. You'll only need a day or two to explore the city, but there are things to do even if you stay longer.

If you'd like to see a nice chunk of Finnish Lakeland, you should stop by in Lappeenranta before you reach Helsinki. Main Road 62 from Mikkeli to Lappeenranta offers amazing views, so the 1.5-hour trip goes quickly while admiring them. The top sight in Lappeenranta is definitely the historic Lappeenranta Fortress on the north side of town. It is an attraction in its own right, but there are many more things to see around the fortress, such as the South Karelia Museum, Lappeenranta Art Museum, Culture and Event Centre Kehruuhuone, Cavalry Museum and in the summer the biggest sand castle in Finland. Right next to it are also Lappeenranta harbour, a restaurant that used to be the Lappeenranta Casino, and the historic Wolkoff House Museum.

You can explore Lappeenranta for just one day, but you won't have time to see all its sights in that time. If you can, stay in the city for at least one night. That way you'll also get the chance to experience the beer gardens and restaurants of the city – Lappeenranta in the summer is charming!

Regardless of where in Finland you start from, you'll have to stop by in Helsinki before heading to the Baltics. Especially if you've driven for a bit longer, it's a good idea to stop in Helsinki for a moment to explore its unique opportunities. If you're travelling with kids, you could go to Linnanmäki Amusement Park, Korkeasaari Zoo or one of the little islands in the city. Perhaps more suited for adults are the Finnish National Gallery Ateneum, Design Museum, Arboretum in Viikki and of course the many bars, restaurants and gig venues in the city. There's something to do in Helsinki for everyone. If you're still at the beginning of your journey, you might as well eat and sleep well in one of the top hotels in Helsinki and continue exploring the city at the end of the trip.

If you stay in Helsinki for a bit longer, it's a good idea to park the car outside the city centre. It's easier to navigate the city by foot, city bike or public transport. You can get to Tallinn with car ferries leaving from Jätkäsaari and Katajanokka.

Pretty much every road trip to the Baltics starts from Tallinn, where you should definitely spend at least a day or two. If you don't know the city yet, you're bound to fall in love with it. There's for example the historic Old Town, gorgeous churches, a botanical garden, a zoo, a TV tower offering amazing views, the wonderful Kumu Art Museum and much, much more. There are restaurants for all tastes, from fusion and vegan kitchens to steak restaurants and fast food places. The best bars, restaurants and hotels are located in the Old Town. The prices there are comparable to prices in Finland, but elsewhere in Tallinn the prices are quite a lot cheaper. When the weather is hot, you should head out to Stroomi Beach in the western part of Tallinn.

The car ferries coming from Helsinki arrive at Tallinn Passenger Port, which is located north-east of the centre. From there you'll see signs guiding you to Highway 4, which takes you towards Latvia and to Highway 9 westwards. If you stay in Tallinn first, you should park the car on a guarded parking lot outside the city centre. It's expensive to park in the centre; for example in Old Town it could cost almost 10 euros an hour.

Matsalu National Park in Western Estonia is a huge area where you can find gorgeous wetlands, rare birds, old fisherman culture and historical manors. It's especially loved by bird-watchers, since 282 different bird species have been spotted in the area. If you'd like to get as close to nature as possible, you can stay over in a cabin in the park. If you're looking for more services instead, you might want to stay over in the nearby Haapsalu town centre. Some of the top places in the park are the bird towers offering amazing views, the beautiful Kumari Island, the Kasari River Pedestrian Bridge and the centre point of the area, Penijõe Manor.

You can get to Matsalu National Park from Tallinn in about 1.5 hours via Highways 4, 9 and 10. The closest town is Haapsalu mentioned above; there you can find hotels, restaurants, spas, a beach, a mediaeval castle and museums. You should plan to stay in the national park and Haapsalu for at least 2 or 3 days.

In Southern Estonia you should definitely take a look at the stunningly beautiful Soomaa National Park. It's an area covered in bog, grass and forest areas, and rivers. The most memorable thing about it is the flood that happens every spring. During the flood a significant part of the park is underwater, so you can only navigate the park by boat or canoe. You should visit the park at other times too: they have for example guided canoe trips, short and long hiking trails and most of all exceptionally beautiful views where you can spot for example unique plant species, rare birds and wolves.

Soomaa National Park is about an hour's drive east of Pärnu. You can stay over in the park itself, but usually the easiest option is to spend the night in Pärnu and visit the park from there. Great starting points for the park trails are the historic village of Riisa and the Soomaa Visitor Centre in the middle of the park. On your way to the park you should also pop by in the Tori Põrgu Cave.

112 miles from Pärnu, Estonia, lies Riga, the gem of the Baltics. There you'll find the stunning Old Town, amazing Art Nouveau architecture, several museums and an endless array of restaurants, bars and nightlife. The city is split by the grand River Väinäjoki and its islands. Most of the sights, like the aforementioned Old Town, are located on the east side of the river. There, in particular, it's better to get around by foot. There are plenty of amazing sights around the blocks along the east bank, for example the famous House of the Blackheads, the Riga Cathedral built in the 13th century and the majestic Freedom Monument. As is Tallinn, Riga Old Town is an expensive area, so if you're looking for cheap food or beer, go to other parts of town.

It might be difficult to find a cheap and safe parking space in the centre of Riga, so that's something to keep in mind while booking accommodations. Many hotels have a guarded parking lot. If they don't have one at your hotel, you can book one online in advance. Don't forget a street map of Riga or a GPS, because some of the streets and roads in the city aren't marked in the same way as in Finland.

On the coast of Lithuania, Klaipėda is a versatile destination that includes the northern part of the Curonian Spit. If you're on your way to Poland, you'll have to make a bit of a detour, but it's not a big one. On the other hand, if you don't have a lot of time, Klaipėda is also a great choice for a final destination for a road trip because of the Curonian Spit. The town of Klaipėda itself offers views of the ruins of historic Klaipėda Castle, plus a small Old Town, museums, parks and restaurants. When the weather is nice, you can also have dinner or a beer at the Meridianas sailing ship, which is moored to the bank of River Dané that splits the centre of town.

The highlight of Klaipėda is the Curonian Spit, which is very easy to get to with a ferry that leaves from the edge of town. The Curonian Spit is a long and extremely narrow peninsula that reaches from the Kaliningrad area about 60 miles away all the way to Klaipėda. The part that belongs to Klaipėda has for example a long beach, the Lithuanian Sea Museum, an outdoor museum exhibiting fishing culture, and plenty of restaurants. It's easiest to rent a bike to navigate the area.

The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius is a beautiful and versatile destination with a Central European feel. The highlights of this city with good amounts of old and modern are the Geminidas Fortress, Vilnius Cathedral and Clock Tower, KGB Museum, the artsy Užupis area and Old Town, with its narrow alleyways and historic vibe. Vilnius also has an exceptional number of parks, small lakes and rivers. Because of them, the city is charmingly green in the summer. When the weather is hot, head to the beaches in the parks and the banks of River Neris.

Compared to, for example, Tallinn, Vilnius is still a reasonably cheap city. Typically the cheapest prices are found outside the centre and Old Town. If you arrive in Vilnius by car, it's usually a good idea to find accommodation outside the city centre. You should also find out whether there's a guarded (and preferably free) parking lot near the hotel. Within the city it's best to navigate by foot, city bike or public transport instead of your car.

In north-eastern Poland, the coastal city of Gdańsk offers the perfect setting for a summer holiday. From Vilnius, Lithuania, you can drive there in six hours and a bit without stopping, assuming the weather and other circumstances are good. Due to its versatility it would be hard to be disappointed with Gdańsk – you have the Old Town full of sights and long beaches with their services. Among the individual sights, we should mention at least the huge St. Mary's Church (Bazylika Mariacka), the Neptune's Fountain, the renaissance palace of Artus Court and Ulica Długa Street in the middle of the Old Town. The beach starting from the edge of town runs via nearby Sopot all the way to Gdynia, which is 12 miles away. You'll get the most services nearby in Sopot, where they have the longest wooden dock in Europe, spas, and the beautiful Sopot Lighthouse.

Gdańsk is pretty easy to get to by car. In the city itself it's best to go by foot, bike or public transport. You can get to Sopot, for example, on a very affordable local train. If you don't want to drive from Gdańsk back to Finland, you might want to consider the car ferries running from here and the coast of Germany to Stockholm and Finland.