This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast
Winging It On Location – Days 9-11 - Finnish Lakelan…Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast
This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast
Winging It On Location – Days 9-11 - Finnish Lakelands: A Deserted Resort By The Lake, Epic Morning Drone Views + Helsinki Airport Chaos
In Days 9–11 of the Finland road trip, we continue north along Route 62 through the Finnish Lakelands, leaving our remote lakeside cabin behind and heading towards Puumala, where we cross the spectacular Puumalansalmi Bridge.
From there, the road trip continues through some of the most beautiful scenery of the journey, with endless lakes, islands and bridges before arriving at Lietvesi and eventually Anttola. We then swap our rustic cabin for a lakeside resort, complete with swimming pool, saunas, paddleboards, canoes and plenty of opportunities to embrace Finnish mökki life.
Day 10 is all about slowing down: breakfast, paddleboarding, drone flying, swimming, reading, a run through the local trails and, naturally, plenty of sauna time. We also sample some Finnish pastries and enjoy an excellent final dinner at the resort.
Finally, we head to Mikkeli before returning the hire car and taking the train to Helsinki Airport. Along the way, I reflect on the entire Finland trip, including Helsinki, Route 62, the Finnish Lakelands, cabin stays, driving in Finland, costs, and why Finland might just be one of the easiest countries in the world to travel around.
And, of course, there's a final introduction to the Finnish way of life: mökki life, saunas, nature, no internet and simply switching off.
Saimaanranta Resort by Anttolanhovi - https://www.booking.com/hotel/fi/lake-saimaa-resort-mikkeli.en-gb.html?label=affnetcj-11916287_pub-5108952_site-101051909_pname-Go+Travel+Un+Limited_clkid-3495d2d3e2334d21a223e3101-370217_cjevent-5b07c05f9dc911f1823700330a82b838&utm_source=affnetcj&utm_medium=bannerindex&utm_term=index-11916287&utm_campaign=xx&aid=818288&ucfs=1&arphpl=1&checkin=2026-08-22&checkout=2026-08-23&adplat=www-homescreen-recently_viewed_carousel-stays-n_a-n_a
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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Winging It
01:38 Day 9 – Back on Route 62
02:30 Puumala & the Puumalansalmi Bridge
03:30 The bridge, the wind & the ice-free waterway
04:20 Coffee & Finnish snacks in Puumala
05:00 The Lietvesi Scenic Spot
06:00 More Lakeland scenery & arriving in Anttola
06:45 Checking into the lakeside resort
07:30 Finnish pastries & exploring the resort
08:45 Dinner, mushroom soup & Monopoly Deal
09:40 Day 10 – Breakfast & a day on the lake
10:40 Paddleboards, drones & Finnish mökki life
11:45 Swimming, reading & soaking up the Lakelands
12:30 A 5K run, getting lost & sauna time
13:30 Final morning & thoughts on the resort
14:30 Mikkeli & the final coffee stop
15:10 Returning the car & train to Helsinki Airport
16:00 The chaotic end to the trip
16:30 Final thoughts on Helsinki & Route 62
17:15 Why the Finnish Lakelands are worth visiting
This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast
Winging It On Location – Days 7-8 - Finnish Lakeland…Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast
This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast
Winging It On Location – Days 7-8 - Finnish Lakelands - Mökki Life, More Saunas and Our Own Little Cabin Along Route 62
Days 7 and 8 take us properly into the Finnish Lakelands as we leave Helsinki behind and hit the road along Route 62.
After an early train from Helsinki to Lappeenranta, we pick up our hire car, stock up on food and begin our four-night road trip through some of Finland's most idyllic lake country. The aim of this part of the trip is simple: get away from the cities, slow down and experience a traditional Finnish summer.
The first two nights are spent in a tiny cabin in the woods at Kouvalas Dream Chalet, right beside a lake and complete with its own jetty, boat and, most importantly, a huge wood-fired sauna.
Getting there is part of the adventure, including a short journey on a free motor launch after the paved road eventually comes to an end!
Once we're settled in, it's time to embrace mökki life: cooking dinner, sitting beside the lake, rowing the boat, swimming, reading, flying the drone and spending plenty of time in the sauna. It's about as far removed from Helsinki city life as you can get.
Day eight is particularly special. With clear skies, calm water and barely another person around, we get out onto the lake and experience exactly the kind of Finnish summer we'd imagined before the trip. There's even time to finally get the drone into the air after owning it for two years — resulting in some spectacular footage of the cabin and lake.
We also get into what mökki actually means and why these small countryside cabins are such an important part of Finnish summer culture. After two nights, it feels like we've experienced our own little slice of that lifestyle.
It's peaceful, it's remote, it's rustic — and it's exactly what this part of the Finland trip was supposed to be.
Things of Interest
• 🚆 Getting around Finland: Taking the train from Helsinki to Lappeenranta and using the VR app to book tickets
• ☕ Helsinki breakfast: St George's Cafe and Bakery for coffee and croissants
• 🚗 Route 62: A road trip through Finland's Lakelands, with lakes, forests and tiny villages
• 🇫🇮 Lappeenranta: The starting point for the road trip and a good place to stock up on supplies
• 🇷🇺 Near the Russian border: Imatra is only around 10–15km from the Russian border
• ⛴️ A free motor launch: Crossing the river with the car as the road suddenly ends
• 🏡 Kouvalas Dream Chalet: A tiny cabin in the woods with its own lake access and jetty
• 🔥 The Finnish sauna experience: A traditional wood-fired sauna reaching around 60–70°C
• 🚿 Bucket showers: No conventional shower — hot and cold water are mixed manually for a very rustic experience
• 🚽 The pit toilet: Another reminder that this really is a cabin in the middle of nature!
• 🚣 Rowing on the lake: Exploring the lake using the cabin's own boat
• 🚁 The drone finally flies: After owning the mini drone for two years, James finally gets it into the air
• 🛶 Lake life: Swimming, reading, relaxing on the jetty and enjoying the complete lack of people
• 🧖 Sauna → lake → sauna: The recurring routine that becomes the theme of the stay
• 🇫🇮 Mökki life: The Finnish tradition of escaping to a small countryside cabin or summer house during the summer
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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to the Finnish Lakelands
01:40 From Helsinki to Lappeenranta and onto Route 62
04:20 The road trip begins through Finland's Lakelands
07:00 A motor launch, an unpaved road and our cabin in the woods
09:00 Inside our rustic Finnish cabin and its sauna
11:30 Settling into Mökki life
13:30 Waking up beside the lake
15:00 Rowing, swimming and the perfect Finnish summer
17:30 Finally flying the drone over the lake
19:30 What is Mökki life?
21:00 Leaving the cabin and continuing along Route 62
Winging It On Location – Days 4-6 - Helsinki: Our First Sauna, Trendy Coffees and Dancing On The Street
In this on-location episode of Winging It, I continue the Estonia-to-Finland road trip and spend three packed days exploring Helsinki — a city that quickly became one of my favourite capital citi…Winging It On Location – Days 4-6 - Helsinki: Our First Sauna, Trendy Coffees and Dancing On The Street
In this on-location episode of Winging It, I continue the Estonia-to-Finland road trip and spend three packed days exploring Helsinki — a city that quickly became one of my favourite capital cities in Europe.
From the ferry across the Gulf of Finland to trendy speciality coffee shops, a free walking tour, and our first proper Finnish sauna experience, this episode captures the atmosphere of Helsinki in real time. I share practical travel tips, food recommendations, transport advice, and the honest reactions that make these live-location episodes feel like you’re travelling alongside us.
We start with the Viking Line ferry from Tallinn, settle into central Helsinki, and dive straight into the city’s café culture. After a crash course in Finnish history on a free walking tour, the trip becomes increasingly local: a Saturday morning ParkRun, doing laundry in a quirky neighbourhood café, and then the highlight of the weekend — a two-hour waterfront sauna session at Löyly.
The evening turns into an unexpected night out filled with live music, dancing in a closed-off bar street, and one very unusual encounter involving a stranger with a glass of wine.
On the final day, we slow things down with outstanding coffee and brunch before taking the ferry to Suomenlinna, Helsinki’s UNESCO-listed sea fortress, for coastal views, cannons, history, and gelato by the water.
If you’re planning a Helsinki weekend trip, looking for sauna recommendations, or want a mix of food, coffee, nightlife, and history, this episode is packed with ideas and real-world travel insights.
Places & Activities Mentioned
• Viking Line ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki
• Hotel Finn (central Helsinki)
• La Torrefazione specialty coffee café
• Green Cap Tours free walking tour
• Helsinki Central Library Oodi
• Restaurant Khao Tip (Thai food)
• Tokoinranta ParkRun
• Café Tin Tin Tango (laundry + café stop)
• Löyly waterfront sauna
• Pute’s Bar & Pizza
• Mummotunneli nightlife area
• St George’s Café
• Lazy Fox brunch
• Ferry to Suomenlinna
• Esplanadi Park
• Helsinki Cathedral
• Senate Square
Support Winging It Travel Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode:
• ⭐ Leave a 5-star rating or review on your podcast app
• ☕ Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/wingingit
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• ✈️ Check out more great travel podcasts at https://voyascape.com
• 📺 Now also on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wingingittravelpodcast
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Intro and Tallinn toilet update
01:38 Ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki
02:35 Hotel Finn and arrival in the city
03:10 First Helsinki coffee stop: La Torrefazione
04:05 Free walking tour and Finnish history
04:40 Oodi Library and evening Thai food
05:45 Saturday morning ParkRun in Helsinki
06:35 Coffee, croissants, and ParkRun refuel
07:15 Laundry stop at Café Tin Tin Tango
08:05 First Finnish sauna experience at Löyly
09:25 Pizza, reindeer toppings, and tiramisu
09:50 Night out at Mummotunneli
11:15 Sunday coffee at St George’s Café
11:45 Brunch at Lazy Fox
12:20 Ferry to Suomenlinna
13:05 Exploring the fortress and island views
13:50 Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral
14:10 Why Helsinki became one of my favourite European capitals
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🏝OUR SANDALS LINK: https://www.sandals.co…Enjoy the rare episode as we are LIVE from our hotel room in Finland! We are doing a unique European trip to the Artic Circle and Beyond!
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