Before you hit the road, you should be familiar with the rules of customs control. These rules change periodically, Soviet and Russian driver's license, except temporary, in Finland, there are, but still, planning a trip, check up, whether there were any changes.

Check out the car. In Finland the technical condition of vehicles are very strict. Must have a working headlight (in Finnish always drive with dipped beam), wheels, steering, brakes. Specify how it should be "shod" your car. Summer in Finland is forbidden to use winter tyres, and maximum tread depth at this time is 1.6 mm. in Winter tread depth cannot be less than 3 mm, the tires must be special stamp of (M+S). The duration of compulsory use of winter tyres depends on the weather. From December 1-March 1 permitted use of studded tires. If the winter is long and snowy, period of use can be increased.

Get a radar detector. In Finland these devices are prohibited and can not avoid trouble, even if the device just sits in the glove box. Front glass should not be tinted more than the standards set by the manufacturer. In any case, the light transmission of the windshield must not be lower than 75%. Remove in advance additional light-shielding film, otherwise you will not be allowed across the border.

Take care of the "green card" European civil liability insurance. To buy such a policy can be one of the points of sales near the international automobile border-crossing points in the Central district of the Leningrad region and in Karelia Republic. It can be done in Saint Petersburg by contacting any travel Agency that organizes holidays in Finland.

Prepare the documents. You must have a passport, driving license, registration certificate for car, insurance, green card, booking your room at the hotel. In some cases, still required a notarized power of attorney on the car. The customs Declaration must be filled out in advance. Entry must be two of them. It is better to prepare a Declaration on leaving.

As for the route, several of them. If you are coming from the center of Russia or the South, the most convenient to get first to St Petersburg, then travel on the track "Scandinavia" and for her to get to Vyborg. In the Vyborg district three of the checkpoint: "cranberry", "Torfyanovka" and "Svetogorsk". They loaded about the same. In winter, the most dangerous is the road to the Checkpoint. If coming from the North, the road through the Republic of Karelia will be shorter. There are several checkpoints: "Vyartsilya", lyuttya. From the Murmansk region to Finland, you can enter through the "Lawn", "a Lotta" or "Salla".

Regardless of what checkpoint you go, drove down the lane for cars. It is better to choose a "green corridor" (of course, if you don't have the baggage items that must be declared). There are queues on Friday evening and Saturday morning, and before the holidays.

At a checkpoint on the Russian side, the driver himself comes to the customs officer and makes 2 copies of the Declaration. One instance you have to give. Save it to show when leaving Finland.

The next stage is passport control, which are the passengers and the driver. The driver makes the registration certificate for the car and passport, any other passport. After controlling far the documents are not clear. The customs officer must inspect the trunk. Not finding anything illicit, he will miss your car.

Drove up to the Finnish point, exit the vehicle and go back through passport control. First, it should be the driver. Usually the passport is enough, but may require the policy, and the credit card reservation for a hotel room, and also to ask some standard questions.

Once in Finland, strictly follow the rules. Parking permit marked with the sign – in other places it is impossible to Park. Finnish police strictly applies to speeding violations that winter and summer are different.