Podcasts · Travel Trends with Dan Christian

Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Visit Finland

6 Jan 2026 · 47 min

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Ready to trade crowds for clarity and noise for nature? In episode four of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor (and co-host) Gabe Saglie head to Finland with Visit Finland’s Tarja Koivisto to map out a year-round escape shaped by wellness, design, and wild beauty. Think 188,000 lakes, 3 million saunas, and four regions that make trip-planning effortless: Helsinki for architecture and food, Lakeland for serene, water-lined landscapes, the Coast and Archipelago for island-hopping freedom, and Lapland for snow-soft winters and glowing summer nights.

We start with the practicals: nonstop flights from major U.S. cities, smooth trains, easy roads, and English spoken widely. Then we lean into the good life. Tarja breaks down sauna culture - how it works, what to expect, and why Finns swear by the heat-and-plunge ritual. We explore Everyman’s Right, Finland’s open-access tradition that lets you walk, paddle, and forage respectfully across nature. And of course, the flavors: forest-to-table meals, legendary “coffee breaks,” Karelian pies, and soul-warming salmon soup.

All eyes turn north in 2026 as Oulu becomes a European Capital of Culture, hosting a full year of music, film, visual arts and Indigenous Sámi heritage, an inspiring pairing with a Helsinki city break or a Lapland adventure. For slow-travel days, we spotlight the Archipelago Trail from Turku: ferry-linked islands, small inns, Baltic breezes, easy by car, unforgettable by e-bike. Families, solo travelers, women’s groups, and soft adventurers all find their rhythm here, supported by safe cities, marked trails, and a cultural pace that treats silence as a luxury.

If you’ve done Europe’s greatest hits and are craving something fresh, Finland offers a clean, creative, and deeply restorative next step.

New episodes drop every Tuesday, each featuring local experts who bring these Best Bets to life. Become a member at travelzoo.com to access exclusive offers.

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Links in the notes 2

• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2172036/fan_mail/new
• https://travelzoo.pub/4oMaUYF