Money

This program includes accommodations, transportation, group meals as noted on our website (including soft drinks and local beer or wine at group lunches and dinners), entrance fees, and gratuities for all group activities to guides, waiters, and porters. Gratuities for arrivals and departures transfer drivers arranged through Travel/Study are also included. You should need money only for personal expenses, meals on your own, beverages not provided at group meals and for individual purchases.

A few things to note about money while on this trip:

• You will need to pay for everything in local currency using cash or credit cards.

• Use fresh, new-style bills, as overly worn or outdated bills are often not accepted for exchange.

• ATMs are readily available in locations throughout this program. Exchange rates are usually excellent but service charges may be assessed. You may have to split off from the group on excursions in order to seek out an ATM.

• Major credit cards (VISA, MasterCard and American Express) are accepted in virtually all hotels, most restaurants and large shops.

The currency in Finland is the euro. You can find up-to-date information and current exchange rates online, for example at Oanda. 

Guidelines for gratuities that are not included in the program cost

Whenever you tip during your trip to Finland it is important to use the local currency (euros). Otherwise, you'll leave your service providers with cash they can't use without paying high fees on currency exchange.

• Hotels: Tips for housekeeping staff and hotel porters during the main program are included in the program cost. If you have arranged extra hotel nights before or after the trip, tips for housekeeping staff for those nights are not included and 2-3 euros per day is customary, and 2-3 euros per bag for porters.

• Taxis: drivers don’t generally expect tips unless they go out of their way for you, but it is appreciated if you round up the fare. If you’re using local taxis rather than a ride-hailing service such as Uber, you need to agree on the fare before your journey.

• Restaurant meals that are not part of our program: For meals on your own, if a service charge hasn’t been added, a tip of 10-15% is appreciated.