Been following this man's videos for about 5 years now.... Always been very nice and to the point... No extra fluff I want to say i really appreciate it Mark !! 👍🏿👍🏿☺️
For me, Sweden had that old Europe charm and Finland had a younger friendlier vibe. In fact, in all my travels throughout the EU Finland is the only place that a local reached out and started a conversation and truly seemed to enjoy meeting!
You're a one in a million Finn! 😂 Usually it sounds like this: 🇸🇪: Sweden is a very nice country and so is Finland. 🇫🇮: Sweden is Hell on Earth! Seriously, love from Sweden to our eternal brothers and sisters in Finland!
@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk well actually I'm just trying to steer the tourists there :P But in all seriousness I don't have a problem with anyone that hasn't got a problem with me.
@@JaffaJannu Do you wish to steer tourists away from Finland? I can easily see why people dislike overtourism, but most tourists are ordinary people who wish to get to know a different part of the world and don't treat it like Disneyland.
7:07 I experienced this myself. I lost my debitcard in the lobby of our hotel when we were waiting for the shuttle bus to the airport. Didn’t even realised it untill I was already at the airport and our guide from the hotel called me to inform me about this. I completely thought I needed to block the card and get another one at first, but they actually mailed it back, along with a postcard 😊
Honestly I'd say that people all over the world are mostly kind and want to help. News like doomposting and telling how everything is scary but in general the people are very nice all over the world
I'm half Finnish American and spent my early years in Michigan taking saunas at a Finn camp. When the older women came in we just couldn't take the heat. We would run out and jump in the spring fed lake. Best memories ever!
4:17 I was in Stockholm yesterday and had lunch at this restaurant, Kaffegillet. Some dishes can be a bit expensive, but the service was amazing and the food was delicious.
I really like this concept. Vids comparing 2 culturally or geographically close countries would be a great idea and I haven't seen so many travel vloggers do it. I could think of many country pairs to do this for... Malaysia vs Indonesia, Thailand vs Vietnam, France vs Italy, Japan vs South Korea, Bolivia vs Peru
@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk I've seen many videos of North korea, and you're not allowed to video a lot of the stuff they have. So the comparison between the two countries would be a difficult challenge.
@gregengel1616 I believe so too. Still, I think many of Wolter's fans would appreciate a video titled The Don'ts of North Korea or Things You'll Love About North Korea. 🙂
Great lists! My family are Finnish immigrants from 100 years ago and I’ve been tempted (but too scared) to visit. This helped nudge me in the right direction:)
Just don't go anywhere else than Helsinki. It's only place worth visiting. Real and pure Finland. Everything else is outdoor museum to tourists: "Santa Claus, reindeers etc...". Welcome to Helsinki (Stadi). ;)
I hate how expensive Finland is, I live here and it is truly expensive. But welcome, It´s a safe country, people are generally nice and helpful and speak english very well. Public transport works really well so it´s very easy to get around.
Thanks again Mark. These videos are just so nice and easy to watch. In addition to this one, my strong recommendation to all who want to visit Finland or Sweden and why not Norway as well is that November is not very good month for that. At least in the southern parts of the countries the weather will most likely be depressing.
As a Finn who has traveled around both countries, I would suggest tourists to also visit other parts of the countries than just the capitals to get better picture of the countries. The countries are really really similar.. Life is a lot different up North than in larger cities in the South, there is probably more difference in that way than between the countries. Both countries share a lot of same traditional foods but as large countries, there are a lot of regional dishes to be found! What comes to music, Finland definitely wins in metal (as we are basically only known for it and maybe Sandstorm!) but for Sweden one must also mention Max Martin who has created many of the biggest pop hits in the last 20 years.
Few capitals in the world truly represent the whole country. If you've been to Rome, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Washington DC (or a big American city like NYC, Chicago or LA) or Paris, you really haven't experienced much of the country. Same thing with Stockholm and Helsinki. All of the places mentioned are magnificent, it's just that there's so much more to experience beyond the city limits.
@ Oh yes, he indeed counts! In my opinion Yngwi e in the 80's (and the Trilogy album) is not just Sweden's best metal but one of the top 10 bands of all time. Also, Sweden has many lesser known but stellar Christian bands like Leviticus, Jerusalem, Narnia and Veni Domine, who are absolutely amazing.
If you want to hear Finnish man or woman to open up to you, go to sauna with him/her. It's a magical place where the warmth will melt the most stoic of the hearts and where you will have the most deepest conversations.
Both countries have their pros and cons. Make it a roundtrip! There is a ferry line between Stockholm and Helsinki. You can even stop by on Åland. There's a vacay for you!
Marc!!! Great video. Last year I spent two weeks in Sweden and Denmark. BEST TWO WEEKS OF MY LIFE!!!! I’m hoping to go to Finland someday. Four comments: Swedes are beautiful people, but the Danes are the MOST beautiful people in the world. I couldn’t help but stare at every single person in both countries. (Sorry … but I’m part Danish.) Danish cinnamon rolls are the best in the world. MAX Burger is not so good. I was actually surprised at how many Swedes started conversations with me. I was expecting them to be much more reserved, but they were very hospitable and friendly. Two more comments: Real Swedish Meatballs - BEST FOOD EVER!!!! I’ll stand by that statement. The best meal of my life was Swedish Meatballs and Potatoes with Ligonberries in Ystad. Sweden is HUGE. I spent several magical days driving in the Swedish countryside. It was wonderful. The Swedish coastline is gorgeous!! You can go for hours in nature. I’ll never forget those two weeks.
8:48 I think it is a way of being helpful because we don’t want anyone to struggle. We appreciate when you speak Swedish. At the same time I think, since we speak English almost as good as we speak Swedish and are exposed to it daily, it is sometimes very easy to switch between the two without even thinking about it.
Don't rush to visit Helsinki, the best parts (much as with Sweden) are in the countryside or smaller towns, that's where the most "authentic" Finland is. Being from Norrland myself, I've visited northern Finland across the border a few times (for me this is no stranger than visiting Norway, to that extent that I don't even think it qualifies as "going abroad") and I've always had a great time in northern Finnish places such as Torneå, Rovaniemi and Uleåborg!
@ And this is largely what I meant, I'm not the kind of person to go to Rovaniemi for the "Santa" tourism, leave that to gullible southerners! But as for Oulu, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that city, I like it quite a bit.
Love your love to our corner of the world! Sweden and Finland are forever connected even if we compete in sports etc. If you ever come to Stockholm again, don't hesitate to reach out!
It’s an impossible question to answer. I was in both countries in 2023 and very much enjoyed them both. Stockholm, as you said, is a fantastic city to visit, but Helsinki has much to offer as well. Both countries are rich in natural beauty. The local foods are good, but I have to admit that one of our favorite meals there was at a Georgian restaurant in Turku.
Okay, we'll go to both next year. Also, as a canadian, can we get a comparisom with Greenland next? By far our nicest neighbour atm, and you could get detailed to compare Nunavut, Groenland, Denmark, and say Quebec or the eastern half of Canada.
I experienced both countries as very calm and relaxing. Even in the big cities. I guess it helps that Helsinki doesn't really have a financial district/skyscrapers so the frantic energies are kept out.
The ice hockey is really the only subject where Swedes and Finns are enemies. Apart from that, we are close friends, being part of the same country for some 600 years. Oh, maybe there IS another animosity: There is a yearly athletics meeting between Sweden and Finland, the only one in the world between just two countries. It was first held in 1925 and has been an annual contest since 1945
Where haven't you lived? Lived in Brazil 2020-2023, knew you had been there. Wife got a post in Vilnius, search vids for Lithuania... and you've lived here as well. And Finland. Stockholm was fun, my wife, from Oregon, referred to Helsinki as the Portland of the region. Preferred it slightly. And had my cheapest meal in Norway/Sweden/Finland/Denmark in Helsinki, though to be fair it was just buying a couple uncooked hot dogs at a coffee place near a marina, and cooking them campfire style with a house skewer myself. Helsinki gets the edge for saunas. (Hesburger - not a huge fan of the burger, but living in Vilnius, we've got Hesburger and their tortilija/chicken tortilla wrap is a the best bargain for good, cheap-ish tasty fast food I've seen.)
Me, being Finn, cannot argue a single point you made in this video. I do agree in everything. Kudos for that. But you missed something, I think Finns do better in Lapland tourism. Both Sweden and Finland has Lapland and Swedes have even higher mountains, but we have multiple Lappish tourist and ski resorts in Finland as Swedes haven't invested to them that much.
Lapland is too remote, the travel distance scares people away. Also the winter conditions are kinda brutal up there for skiing purposes during peak winter. It's more hardcore to ski in Lapland though and cheaper than the resorts further south, I've done that before.
The lack of "touristy" development is precisely what attracts people to Swedish Lapland. It's much more remote and much less developed than northern Norway (especially) or Finnish Lapland (look at Sarek, for example) and that's precisely what the sort of people who are inclined to visit Sarek for its "untouched" nature want. Sweden's "lack of development", as you put it, in these areas is actually a strength. It might attract fewer people, but the people it DOES attract are attracted precisely because it is what it is. The "lack of development" of parts of Laponia is a deliberate strategy
@@JakeThaCake which airport in the north is even close to a skiing resort? And you can't bring your equipment easily on an airplane. People either wanna drive from Stockholm to Romme or Vemdalen probably or take the train to Åre maybe. Anything further away feels too far away for most of them
The finnish language should give Finland a point. It is more exotic than the swedish and the point of travelling is to experience things that you don’t have at home. And one good point could come from that, that Finland is more off the beaten path. Sweden is for those, who have travelled less and Finland is for those who don’t want to explore. From Helsinki you can even make a daytrip to Tallinn and Stockholm is less than Helsinki and Tallinn together. - If You think about swedish music, You should listen it in swedish language - do not give a poin for Sweden for English sung songs; the swedish are better.
Finish people have a beautiful tradition called "Talkoot". It means that the neighbourhood comes together to help someone maybe paint the house. During it the host serves food and in the end everyone goes to the sauna together. After that everyone is friends. Doing activities with Finnish people is how you get them to talk with you. You are friends after the activity is done. It is also how one gains friendships.
@ Fixed it. I respect people who are not fans of large social gatherings, but I find it beautiful as a phenomenon. I have a love for cultural phenomenon that I view as solidaristic and socially inclusive. One doesn't have to be especially socially competent to take part in talkoot.
There are also many places and situations in Finland where men and women sauna together. And it doesn't feel oppressive in any way, because you don't go to joint sauna shifts to harass the opposite sex.
Sweden gets my vote. Maybe that is because I am a Finn and it is hard to appriciate what you see all the time. Lake district in Finland is very nice but not just for driving around. Then it is just forrest. There are so many nice small towns and places one can visit in Sweden, especially in Småland, Östergötland and on the west coast as well as Gotland and Öland. Eating out is also cheaper in Sweden. However, what definitely is better in Finland are sausages and beer, and also bread in my opinion.
For many Swedes, Finland is a harbour so you can take the ferry and buy taxfree liquor. But it's much more than that. Beautiful landscape, special atmosphere and special people with a raw sence of humour. I like Finland🇫🇮as a Swede, outside the hockeyrink🏒 And...the cinnamonrolls. In Sweden they're a safety. If there's nothing else of in interest on the fikamenu☕️, you go for the roll. Great video again, Mark👍👍
The food thing is entirely a Stockholm/Helsinki type deal. I can assure you most "ordinary" Swedes and Finns outside these places don't regularly go to eat Italian or French or whatever food. In fact, where I'm from most people don't go out to eat that often (that seems to me quite an American thing), 90 % of meals (at least) are in the home
? A lot of dishes are from other countries, although you don't think about it, pizzeria (Italian), hamburgers (American), of course there are Swedish variations of that, kebabs (Turkish), or Tacos (Mexican), bauget (French). I don't think it's a Stockholm phenomenon at all, but looks like that in most cities/towns, obviously the bigger the city, the bigger the selection.Then no, you probably eat out more in Southern Europe, but I would probably still say that we Swedes eat out more and more. Especially lunch.
@ And almost no one eats pizza, burgers or kebab that regularly (kebab I probably eat a few times a year, if that). Most people I know certainly don't eat either one of these even once a week. And every workplace I've ever worked people have brought lunchboxes from home 9,4 times out of 10, going out together for lunch is an occasional luxury, if that. Clearly you live in a pretty "big" city by Swedish standards
@@TheLastCrusader22 I probably eat out 3-4 times a week. And I don't live in Stockholm. I live alone and would probably eat out less if I was with someone. However, I have friends who in principle never cook, they don't live in Stockholm either.
But Finland have better classical masters like Gallen-Kallela, Aalto, Sibelius, Tove Jansson and Runeberg! ... and they have Laaksonen. Sweden have nothing like him!
@@pekkahalonen6684still Finns. You know. My family members speaks Swedish but they are 100% Finns. They can speak Finnish, they live here, their family history is in Finland, their grandfathers has fought in the winter war, they support Finland in icehochey and their DNA is Finnish. They just speak Swedish because of the history when we were part of Sweden and they just never end that speaking like many other Finn's did. But they and also those people you mentioned is and were 100% Finns. Not swedes.
Like they say in Finland, the best thing about Helsinki is that it is so conveniently close to Stockholm...Both are actually great, it is always nice to take the overnight ferry or one hour flight to Sweden. Finland and Sweden were one country for 600 years, so of course there are a lot of similarities in society and way of life, the biggest difference of course being the language.
Even as a Finn, i don´t like to visit Helsinki if i don´t have to. I actually lived two years in Stockholm as i were toddler and it feels like second home to me. It is a great city.
Though, Finland has both Mumin and Santa, and that's gotta count for something! And when it comes to music Finland is also known for disco-tutorials :D
I found both Helsinki and Stockholm (and Copenhagen and Oslo) very reasonably priced compared to Phoenix, Arizona, especially when at nice sit down restaurants (for the places considered fancy in Phoenix, you can spend $100-200 per person, yet the meals I had through those other cities were amazing quality for $30-50 per person). Smaller vendors for snacks, desserts, or cafés were also typically priced lower than big metro areas in the US.
Will be in Finland next month. Starting in Tromso, then Finnish & Swedish Lapland. Just getting all my layers sorted right now haha! I visited Stockholm for a couple of days in 2019 and thought it was a fun. Skansen, Vasa Museum, Gamla Stan was where we were. Theres a little bakery inside Skansen where they bake some really yummy bread. The area around Stockholm station late at night did feel a touch shady though.. as is the case with most cities so no issues at all!
Because it is. If "a little shady" is the worst thing you took with you from Sweden's worse areas, then clearly you can't have visited the sketchiest areas! (European leader in gun crime after all, so proud of that!)
Visited Helsinki and Stockholm and enjoyed both very much. The people, the cinnamon rolls, and coffee were great in both places. As a visitor, Stockholm has more to offer, especially if you are interested in history. Helsinki is a nice looking city, but is not very old, only around 250 years. (which is not that different than many cities in the US) Stockholm goes way back and has the Palace and the old squares, the Vasa museum (which is a must-see), and the Nordic museum for history buffs. And then there is the ABBA Museum -"Walk In, Dance Out".
The ABBA Museum was hilarious. I stayed at the Pop House hotel above it - their gold disc for ABBA Gold was nailed to the wall of my room - and didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The band narrate your journey thru the museum over headphones - including a recreation of the Polar Studio where they recorded all of their hits - and I found their anecdotes amusing but also very revealing of their personalities and how they found themselves swept up in hyper-fame. They're a very astute group of people, insightful and extremely knowledgeable regarding pop music, and they had a very wry understanding of pop culture and their place in it. Also, just being in Stockholm I finally "got" ABBA - it's '70s Stockholm party music from Sweden's premier party town. But being Swedish, there's a darker undertone to everything, especially as they aged and their relationships fell apart.
Do you have a video where you explain why you moved to Finland? (Not being sarcastic. I moved to Finland more years ago than I can count - for one of the more common reasons.)
If you really want to travel cheap in Finland, Onnibus can be really, REALLY cheap if you reserve the tickets well ahead of time. Not the most comfortable, but it'll get you from point A to point B.
Hey Mark! I have 2 questions: 1) How wheelchair accessible would you say these countries are? In general, when I hear a country is very outdoorsy and athletic I automatically assume they are not very inclined to have mobility needs accommodated. I hope I'm wrong. Also, please consider addressing this topic in future videos as a regular thing. Disabled people like to travel too! 2) Have you made a video about moving to Finland? I'm a subscriber but if you did YT didn't push it out to me. I'd love to know how it came about, is it only short term, how is your family enjoying it? Thanks for all your hard work on this channel!
Some of the most accessible in the world. I have experience with municipal legislative work in Sweden and I can assure you, the needs and (most frequently) demands from the disabled community are placed VERY high on the agenda. To the point that it was almost made fun of amongst the legislators (saying things like "is this place accomodating towards people who want to do wheelchair curling in the bathroom? Because if not it's probably not good enough!"). All that aside, there is both significant disabled activism and significant respect for their concerns in both Sweden and Finland
I'm not a wheelchair user, so I don't notice all the little bumps that'll make wheelchair use annoying, but from what I can see cities in Sweden are wheelchair accessible. There are ramps and lower curbs and larger bathroom stalls everywhere. Accessible busses in many cities. Some historical buildings don't have ramps, since there are limits on what you're allowed to change at a historical building. If you want to go to the countryside and experience nature (which I recommend to everyone visiting the Nordic countries) you'll have to do some research first. There are hiking routs that've been made accessible, but might or might not have been upkept. There are beaches with wheelchair ramps into the water, but most beaches don't have them. I assume there are different wheelchairs that are good on different surfaces. You'll probably have the best experience of the countryside if yours can handle lawns and gravel roads. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Most people here are friendly and helpful, we're just afraid of small talk.
Love your Vlogs ,special the Scandinavian ones,and you can say negative things about us in a very kind way, no one can get angry if you say something bad about us,thats funny,Take care you and your family
Do you have a video about Paraguay? I'm trying to find one on your channel, but nothing is coming up. I'm stopping in Paraguay on my way from Iguazu Falls to Lima later this year, any tips would be great.
How would you compare the quietness of Finland to Japan? I watched an another travel video and the host said it's so quiet in Tokyo even if there is so many people. Having being to Tokyo, now that I think of it, yeah it's probably true. But being Finnish I might not have found it weird. Of course opposite sides of population density in the two countries.
Been to both. It’s quiet in Japan because most Japanese do not speak conversational English. They don’t impose because it will be a slog talking and because being quiet is polite. Finland, most do speak conversational English really well, quiet is to respect your personal space. Similar but it does feel different.
@@lilbatz Japan and the Nordics are more similar than a lot of people, including in these countries, realise. Both are very polite societies, both are very consensus-seeking, both are keen on personal space and both are rather averse to conflicts (in the public sphere). Many sounds in Japanese are also pronounced more similarly to the Nordic languages, or at least the Scandinavian languages, than to English (the a and e sounds, for example)
Koti Pizza in Finland have the Berlusconi Pizza. They changed the name on it, but its a good pizza with rein deer meat on it. Named after Berlusconi who did not like finnish food.
As I speak Finnish and worked there twenty years ago I actually understand the signs and things in Finland better than those in Sweden. I have made more mistakes in supermarkets buying food because I misunderstand the labels in Swedish but understand the Finnish. Also I have a friend who is a professor of linguistics and he said he now has speaks Swedish with the flatter Finnish accent and he gets treated worse when he speaks Swedish in Sweden because they do look down on folks with a Finnish Swedish accent in Finland.
I don't know of anyone who looks down on a Finland accent of Swedish. Most people find it endearing. The Mumin stories by Tove Jansson are originally in Swedish, and the actors in the animation have a Finland Swedish accent, and it's very charming. Everyone I know thinks that. You should probably talk to other people than academics who might run into fellow snooty "academics" that don't represent Swedish people
I was in Karlstad and Örebro, Sweden this year, and I found it surprisingly affordable, cheaper than home in the US! The people were actually very friendly, especially when I talked hockey. I don’t think the “expensive and unfriendly” stereotype holds up, at least outside of Stockholm I also adored Finns when I went to Helsinki. They are a bit shy and socially awkward, but genuinely friendly and have a unique hilarious and dry sense of humor. I preferred Finland just for their beautiful sounding language
Go to Sweden🇸🇪 Stockholm and take an overnight ferry to Finland 🇫🇮 to have about 5 hours in Helsinki or Turku if you prefer, and take Ferry back the same day (or any day you prefer). Then you get both of the countries and a ferry ride. Have fun! God bless you all. 😊🙏💝✝️
With people like Tina Nordstrom cranking out cookbooks over there, Sweden has no excuse for 'meh' Swedish food anymore...at any time of the day. People say I'm 'food-centric' [like it's a bad thing]. Well, I'm not a 'meh' person when it comes to food. So, I feel free to say that Tina Nordstrom made me proud of my food heritage. [Thank you, Tina!] Beatrice Ojakangas [even though she was born in America] made me proud of the Swedish 'baking' side of things. [Thank you, Beatrice!]
Dude, you should really go to a Stockholm derby. It is insane. That is another big difference between Sweden and Finland, the passion and love for sports. Sweden is on another level, especially when it comes to football. The Swedish football supporter-culture is really old and considered to be one of the best in the world. The Stockholm derbies are among the best you can visit. I recomend AIK - djurgården or AIK - hammarby.
In Finland you can eat a 5 course dinner with family and friends with no real conversation, until coffee is served at the end of the meal with some sweets. No, nobody is angry. It’s just how they roll 🤣 Also nothing beats the natural beauty of Northern Finland. It’s breathtaking and not over runned with tourists.
As a Swede I actually find your analysis to be pretty spot on! Well done. I would say that Swedish cities have more bad areas, with regards to crime, but strangely enough the murder rate is still fairly high in Finland, higher than in Sweden if i'm not mistaken. It's usually not gang-related murders but more alcohol-related, maybe?
Currently (2025) you get quite a "bang for the buck" as a tourist in Sweden, as you get 11 swedish kronor for one dollar. Compare this to around ten years ago when you only got six swedish kronor for a dollar. So Sweden is about half the price now for americans.
Re English S vs F: I must contradict. Eg when you order "shoetbullar" instead of kjetbullar the Swedes (in a restaurant) are really friendly and happy that you know how to pronounce the meat balls.
Yes, Sweden got Abba and Avicii... but Finland have their own Tango and they have Jean Sibelius. So Finland wins in both Dance and Classical music. The jury is out on death metal, though.
Sweden wins death, Finland wins doom, black is a tie. Classical Finland wins hands down (although Sweden has some great composers even though they're not as internationally renowned), for trance music Finland wins, and for pretty much everything else Sweden's in the lead, at least in terms of total figures. Not sure about per capita. I guess punk is a tie as well, there's A LOT of punk from Finland
Stockholm also has very cheap prices. That's the thing with bigger cities - you get it all. Like just because a beer in central Stockholm is 100 kronor doesn't mean they're not 29 out in the suburbs. Same with everything. If you want to live cheap in Sweden, Stockholm is the place. Except for the rent.
But you don't visit Stockholm's suburbs if you want to live. And by suburbs I don't mean Lidingö and Tyresö, I mean Rinkeby, Tensta, Husby and Hallunda
I would say this is quite accurate. Stockholm definetly has more sights and swedish look better than us, but our cinnamon rolls are better as is our ice hockey team 😊
@ Yes, Stockholm crushes Oslo thanks to architecture and historical sites, but Norway has the nature and the mountains to compensate. I never visit Stockholm anymore due to the diversity.
I would say that Sweden is much more multicultural, I think it's a good thing and it feels like you get a lot more influences from all over the world, everything from food, language, culture, customs. I would also say that Sweden has a more varied landscape, it's not so strange because it's a bigger country.
Marc, you cruel person. Man do I miss the Finnish berries so much. Especially the thimble berries (metsävadelma) 😋 We have them Michigan, but it’s hit or miss.
We've been all over Scandinavia, Finland has the nicest people, Sweden was fine (very Wisconsin-y, Norway has the most beautiful scenery and Denmark has the nicest City. Iceland is another planet...
Both beautiful countries. Interesting differences. Agreed, Sweden seems more traditionally European. Cool design though. Thanks Mark happy travels 🇺🇸🇸🇪🇫🇮
Been in both places for a long while so I'd say and even speak languages so I'd say... TL;DR: Short stay = Sweden Long stay = Finland Don't prepare = Sweden Prepare = Both Party holiday = Neither Cultural holiday = Sweden Family holiday = Sweden Nature holiday = Finland Retreat holiday = Finland Interrail holiday = Sweden
2:37 Max is pretty bad these days. They used to be good 5-10 years ago, but these days they're just awful. If you're an American going to Sweden you should definitely try McDonald's since they're very different in each country. The food quality is just better at McDonald's as well.
Straight to point and knowledgeable UA-camr with a good taste of humor. Online ambassador of Finland 🙂.
Been following this man's videos for about 5 years now.... Always been very nice and to the point... No extra fluff
I want to say i really appreciate it Mark !! 👍🏿👍🏿☺️
For me, Sweden had that old Europe charm and Finland had a younger friendlier vibe. In fact, in all my travels throughout the EU Finland is the only place that a local reached out and started a conversation and truly seemed to enjoy meeting!
That is a goddamn lie! -Finn
Oh you met that one extrovert Finn😮
@@meursaultscourtroom8886 It must have been summer!
To answer the question in the title: as a Finn I must concede this award to our lovely and always so welcoming neighbors to the west 😁
You're a one in a million Finn! 😂 Usually it sounds like this:
🇸🇪: Sweden is a very nice country and so is Finland.
🇫🇮: Sweden is Hell on Earth!
Seriously, love from Sweden to our eternal brothers and sisters in Finland!
@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk well actually I'm just trying to steer the tourists there :P
But in all seriousness I don't have a problem with anyone that hasn't got a problem with me.
@@JaffaJannu Do you wish to steer tourists away from Finland? I can easily see why people dislike overtourism, but most tourists are ordinary people who wish to get to know a different part of the world and don't treat it like Disneyland.
@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk that was a joke 🙃
@@JaffaJannu 😂🇫🇮1 🇸🇪0
Thank you for the fantastic video! Warm greetings from Prague!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
7:07 I experienced this myself. I lost my debitcard in the lobby of our hotel when we were waiting for the shuttle bus to the airport. Didn’t even realised it untill I was already at the airport and our guide from the hotel called me to inform me about this. I completely thought I needed to block the card and get another one at first, but they actually mailed it back, along with a postcard 😊
Honestly I'd say that people all over the world are mostly kind and want to help. News like doomposting and telling how everything is scary but in general the people are very nice all over the world
Hey Mark, awesome video
I'm also a Culver's guy! 😁✌ helpful video as always. was wondering about this myself.
I'm half Finnish American and spent my early years in Michigan taking saunas at a Finn camp. When the older women came in we just couldn't take the heat. We would run out and jump in the spring fed lake. Best memories ever!
4:17 I was in Stockholm yesterday and had lunch at this restaurant, Kaffegillet. Some dishes can be a bit expensive, but the service was amazing and the food was delicious.
I like how you are wearing a Finland shirt in Sweden! 😎
I really like this concept. Vids comparing 2 culturally or geographically close countries would be a great idea and I haven't seen so many travel vloggers do it. I could think of many country pairs to do this for... Malaysia vs Indonesia, Thailand vs Vietnam, France vs Italy, Japan vs South Korea, Bolivia vs Peru
Wolter comparing North Korea vs South Korea in a video would be interesting.
@ LOL
@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk I've seen many videos of North korea, and you're not allowed to video a lot of the stuff they have. So the comparison between the two countries would be a difficult challenge.
@gregengel1616 I believe so too. Still, I think many of Wolter's fans would appreciate a video titled The Don'ts of North Korea or Things You'll Love About North Korea. 🙂
Great lists! My family are Finnish immigrants from 100 years ago and I’ve been tempted (but too scared) to visit. This helped nudge me in the right direction:)
Nothing to be scared here. Hop on a plane and come visit. Greetings from Finland and welcome home 🙂
Just don't go anywhere else than Helsinki. It's only place worth visiting. Real and pure Finland. Everything else is outdoor museum to tourists: "Santa Claus, reindeers etc...". Welcome to Helsinki (Stadi). ;)
@@Erkele Funny that, the direct opposite is true. Leave Helsinki (Hesa) as soon as you can and enjoy your visit the way it's supposed to be enjoyed.
@@mikitz Really? Weird but interesting opinion. Or was it just a joke? Must be... So funny ;)
I hate how expensive Finland is, I live here and it is truly expensive. But welcome, It´s a safe country, people are generally nice and helpful and speak english very well. Public transport works really well so it´s very easy to get around.
Miss both countries so much…
Thanks again Mark. These videos are just so nice and easy to watch. In addition to this one, my strong recommendation to all who want to visit Finland or Sweden and why not Norway as well is that November is not very good month for that. At least in the southern parts of the countries the weather will most likely be depressing.
As a Finn who has traveled around both countries, I would suggest tourists to also visit other parts of the countries than just the capitals to get better picture of the countries. The countries are really really similar.. Life is a lot different up North than in larger cities in the South, there is probably more difference in that way than between the countries. Both countries share a lot of same traditional foods but as large countries, there are a lot of regional dishes to be found!
What comes to music, Finland definitely wins in metal (as we are basically only known for it and maybe Sandstorm!) but for Sweden one must also mention Max Martin who has created many of the biggest pop hits in the last 20 years.
Few capitals in the world truly represent the whole country. If you've been to Rome, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Washington DC (or a big American city like NYC, Chicago or LA) or Paris, you really haven't experienced much of the country. Same thing with Stockholm and Helsinki. All of the places mentioned are magnificent, it's just that there's so much more to experience beyond the city limits.
Finnish metal is awesome!
Finland only has Nightwish, Childern of Bodom and Amorphis, while Sweden has In Flames, Ghost, Opeth, Sabbaton, Marduk and Therion.
@@gulanhem9495 Doesn't Yngwie Malmsteen count?
@
Oh yes, he indeed counts! In my opinion Yngwi e in the 80's (and the Trilogy album) is not just Sweden's best metal but one of the top 10 bands of all time.
Also, Sweden has many lesser known but stellar Christian bands like Leviticus, Jerusalem, Narnia and Veni Domine, who are absolutely amazing.
If you want to hear Finnish man or woman to open up to you, go to sauna with him/her. It's a magical place where the warmth will melt the most stoic of the hearts and where you will have the most deepest conversations.
and give beer. of course
Hey Mark, you should do more videos like this
Dang I’m ugly! 😂😂😂 Great analysis! Cheers 🍻
I went to Helsinki in September and boy did I love it. What an amazing city.
Oh boy! I'm Finnish and oh my days Swedish people look something. My head was melting when I was road tripping in Sweden last summer.
Thinking of going to Rockfest, in Turku, this June, so, good timing for this video.
We spent a week in Helsinki. It was the quietest city I’ve ever been too.
Both countries have their pros and cons. Make it a roundtrip! There is a ferry line between Stockholm and Helsinki. You can even stop by on Åland.
There's a vacay for you!
Love it! Would love to see a similar video perhaps differentiating between Norway and Sweden
Marc!!! Great video. Last year I spent two weeks in Sweden and Denmark. BEST TWO WEEKS OF MY LIFE!!!! I’m hoping to go to Finland someday.
Four comments:
Swedes are beautiful people, but the Danes are the MOST beautiful people in the world. I couldn’t help but stare at every single person in both countries. (Sorry … but I’m part Danish.)
Danish cinnamon rolls are the best in the world.
MAX Burger is not so good.
I was actually surprised at how many Swedes started conversations with me. I was expecting them to be much more reserved, but they were very hospitable and friendly.
Two more comments:
Real Swedish Meatballs - BEST FOOD EVER!!!! I’ll stand by that statement. The best meal of my life was Swedish Meatballs and Potatoes with Ligonberries in Ystad.
Sweden is HUGE. I spent several magical days driving in the Swedish countryside. It was wonderful. The Swedish coastline is gorgeous!! You can go for hours in nature.
I’ll never forget those two weeks.
His last point that Helsinki has fewer tourist attractions is very true.
8:48 I think it is a way of being helpful because we don’t want anyone to struggle. We appreciate when you speak Swedish. At the same time I think, since we speak English almost as good as we speak Swedish and are exposed to it daily, it is sometimes very easy to switch between the two without even thinking about it.
As a Swede, the finns are great, probably my favourite people. Weirdly I've never been to Finland but always wanted to visit Helsinki.
There's no use traveling to Helsinki. Det är bara somalier och bönder där som är avundsjuka på svenskarna.
Don't rush to visit Helsinki, the best parts (much as with Sweden) are in the countryside or smaller towns, that's where the most "authentic" Finland is. Being from Norrland myself, I've visited northern Finland across the border a few times (for me this is no stranger than visiting Norway, to that extent that I don't even think it qualifies as "going abroad") and I've always had a great time in northern Finnish places such as Torneå, Rovaniemi and Uleåborg!
@@TheLastCrusader22 Rovaniemi and Oulu as super ugly cities. There's nothing authentic about them (the nature outside of them is a different story)
yeah swedes are not our favorit people in dk either 🤣
@ And this is largely what I meant, I'm not the kind of person to go to Rovaniemi for the "Santa" tourism, leave that to gullible southerners! But as for Oulu, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that city, I like it quite a bit.
As a Swede I had just totally missed out on their cinnamon rolls, now I have to try them. It looked like Gifflar which is superior.
Love your love to our corner of the world! Sweden and Finland are forever connected even if we compete in sports etc. If you ever come to Stockholm again, don't hesitate to reach out!
It’s an impossible question to answer. I was in both countries in 2023 and very much enjoyed them both. Stockholm, as you said, is a fantastic city to visit, but Helsinki has much to offer as well. Both countries are rich in natural beauty. The local foods are good, but I have to admit that one of our favorite meals there was at a Georgian restaurant in Turku.
Okay, we'll go to both next year.
Also, as a canadian, can we get a comparisom with Greenland next? By far our nicest neighbour atm, and you could get detailed to compare Nunavut, Groenland, Denmark, and say Quebec or the eastern half of Canada.
I experienced both countries as very calm and relaxing. Even in the big cities. I guess it helps that Helsinki doesn't really have a financial district/skyscrapers so the frantic energies are kept out.
The ice hockey is really the only subject where Swedes and Finns are enemies. Apart from that, we are close friends, being part of the same country for some 600 years. Oh, maybe there IS another animosity: There is a yearly athletics meeting between Sweden and Finland, the only one in the world between just two countries. It was first held in 1925 and has been an annual contest since 1945
Among the men, Sweden has won 2 Olympic gold medals while Finland only 1.
I visit both countries for work on a regular basis and I agree with you to a 100 %.
You’re looking quite svelte, Mark. I’m Andrew. We’ve conversed on instagram a while ago about meds and stuff.
It's not even a contest for me. Sweden wins by a mile. Finland just doesn't have that much historic architecture by European standards.
2:11 yea i would be fine doing that with strangers. With my family is one of my worst nightmares.
Where haven't you lived? Lived in Brazil 2020-2023, knew you had been there. Wife got a post in Vilnius, search vids for Lithuania... and you've lived here as well. And Finland.
Stockholm was fun, my wife, from Oregon, referred to Helsinki as the Portland of the region. Preferred it slightly. And had my cheapest meal in Norway/Sweden/Finland/Denmark in Helsinki, though to be fair it was just buying a couple uncooked hot dogs at a coffee place near a marina, and cooking them campfire style with a house skewer myself.
Helsinki gets the edge for saunas.
(Hesburger - not a huge fan of the burger, but living in Vilnius, we've got Hesburger and their tortilija/chicken tortilla wrap is a the best bargain for good, cheap-ish tasty fast food I've seen.)
As a Finn and a Turku resident, this was very accurate valuation. One thing that is very important for both, was although missing.....sports. ; )
Me, being Finn, cannot argue a single point you made in this video. I do agree in everything. Kudos for that. But you missed something, I think Finns do better in Lapland tourism. Both Sweden and Finland has Lapland and Swedes have even higher mountains, but we have multiple Lappish tourist and ski resorts in Finland as Swedes haven't invested to them that much.
Lapland is too remote, the travel distance scares people away. Also the winter conditions are kinda brutal up there for skiing purposes during peak winter. It's more hardcore to ski in Lapland though and cheaper than the resorts further south, I've done that before.
The lack of "touristy" development is precisely what attracts people to Swedish Lapland. It's much more remote and much less developed than northern Norway (especially) or Finnish Lapland (look at Sarek, for example) and that's precisely what the sort of people who are inclined to visit Sarek for its "untouched" nature want. Sweden's "lack of development", as you put it, in these areas is actually a strength. It might attract fewer people, but the people it DOES attract are attracted precisely because it is what it is. The "lack of development" of parts of Laponia is a deliberate strategy
1 hour flight too remote? Lol
@@JakeThaCake which airport in the north is even close to a skiing resort? And you can't bring your equipment easily on an airplane. People either wanna drive from Stockholm to Romme or Vemdalen probably or take the train to Åre maybe. Anything further away feels too far away for most of them
The finnish language should give Finland a point. It is more exotic than the swedish and the point of travelling is to experience things that you don’t have at home. And one good point could come from that, that Finland is more off the beaten path. Sweden is for those, who have travelled less and Finland is for those who don’t want to explore. From Helsinki you can even make a daytrip to Tallinn and Stockholm is less than Helsinki and Tallinn together. - If You think about swedish music, You should listen it in swedish language - do not give a poin for Sweden for English sung songs; the swedish are better.
Finish people have a beautiful tradition called "Talkoot".
It means that the neighbourhood comes together to help someone maybe paint the house.
During it the host serves food and in the end everyone goes to the sauna together.
After that everyone is friends.
Doing activities with Finnish people is how you get them to talk with you.
You are friends after the activity is done.
It is also how one gains friendships.
It's "talkoot". I never go there. I prefer to be alone.
@
Fixed it.
I respect people who are not fans of large social gatherings, but I find it beautiful as a phenomenon.
I have a love for cultural phenomenon that I view as solidaristic and socially inclusive.
One doesn't have to be especially socially competent to take part in talkoot.
There are also many places and situations in Finland where men and women sauna together. And it doesn't feel oppressive in any way, because you don't go to joint sauna shifts to harass the opposite sex.
Sweden gets my vote. Maybe that is because I am a Finn and it is hard to appriciate what you see all the time. Lake district in Finland is very nice but not just for driving around. Then it is just forrest. There are so many nice small towns and places one can visit in Sweden, especially in Småland, Östergötland and on the west coast as well as Gotland and Öland.
Eating out is also cheaper in Sweden. However, what definitely is better in Finland are sausages and beer, and also bread in my opinion.
For many Swedes, Finland is a harbour so you can take the ferry and buy taxfree liquor. But it's much more than that. Beautiful landscape, special atmosphere and special people with a raw sence of humour. I like Finland🇫🇮as a Swede, outside the hockeyrink🏒
And...the cinnamonrolls. In Sweden they're a safety. If there's nothing else of in interest on the fikamenu☕️, you go for the roll.
Great video again, Mark👍👍
As a Finnish citizen I prefer going to Stockholm 😀
The food thing is entirely a Stockholm/Helsinki type deal. I can assure you most "ordinary" Swedes and Finns outside these places don't regularly go to eat Italian or French or whatever food. In fact, where I'm from most people don't go out to eat that often (that seems to me quite an American thing), 90 % of meals (at least) are in the home
? A lot of dishes are from other countries, although you don't think about it, pizzeria (Italian), hamburgers (American), of course there are Swedish variations of that, kebabs (Turkish), or Tacos (Mexican), bauget (French). I don't think it's a Stockholm phenomenon at all, but looks like that in most cities/towns, obviously the bigger the city, the bigger the selection.Then no, you probably eat out more in Southern Europe, but I would probably still say that we Swedes eat out more and more. Especially lunch.
@ And almost no one eats pizza, burgers or kebab that regularly (kebab I probably eat a few times a year, if that). Most people I know certainly don't eat either one of these even once a week. And every workplace I've ever worked people have brought lunchboxes from home 9,4 times out of 10, going out together for lunch is an occasional luxury, if that. Clearly you live in a pretty "big" city by Swedish standards
@@TheLastCrusader22 I probably eat out 3-4 times a week. And I don't live in Stockholm. I live alone and would probably eat out less if I was with someone. However, I have friends who in principle never cook, they don't live in Stockholm either.
Sweden is like classical art and Finland is like abstract art.
Catalonia is much more like abstract art. Above all, Finland represents naïve art.
But Finland have better classical masters like Gallen-Kallela, Aalto, Sibelius, Tove Jansson and Runeberg!
... and they have Laaksonen. Sweden have nothing like him!
@@pekkahalonen6684 So, they weren't "real" finns?
@@pekkahalonen6684still Finns. You know. My family members speaks Swedish but they are 100% Finns. They can speak Finnish, they live here, their family history is in Finland, their grandfathers has fought in the winter war, they support Finland in icehochey and their DNA is Finnish. They just speak Swedish because of the history when we were part of Sweden and they just never end that speaking like many other Finn's did. But they and also those people you mentioned is and were 100% Finns. Not swedes.
The best modern art museum I have ever visited was in Helsinki! Maybe the respect for silence, results in abstract art?!
Like they say in Finland, the best thing about Helsinki is that it is so conveniently close to Stockholm...Both are actually great, it is always nice to take the overnight ferry or one hour flight to Sweden. Finland and Sweden were one country for 600 years, so of course there are a lot of similarities in society and way of life, the biggest difference of course being the language.
Even as a Finn, i don´t like to visit Helsinki if i don´t have to. I actually lived two years in Stockholm as i were toddler and it feels like second home to me. It is a great city.
Though, Finland has both Mumin and Santa, and that's gotta count for something!
And when it comes to music Finland is also known for disco-tutorials :D
Santa is from the North Pole, but nice try Finland
@@Zakarias89 That's just something the Americans invented.
Mumin author is both Swedish and Finnish, no?
@KungKokkos swedish speaking finlander
@Zakarias89 Yeah, that's pretty much the closest u can get to a mix without actually migrating though in my book :)
I found both Helsinki and Stockholm (and Copenhagen and Oslo) very reasonably priced compared to Phoenix, Arizona, especially when at nice sit down restaurants (for the places considered fancy in Phoenix, you can spend $100-200 per person, yet the meals I had through those other cities were amazing quality for $30-50 per person).
Smaller vendors for snacks, desserts, or cafés were also typically priced lower than big metro areas in the US.
Thank you ❤
Will be in Finland next month. Starting in Tromso, then Finnish & Swedish Lapland. Just getting all my layers sorted right now haha!
I visited Stockholm for a couple of days in 2019 and thought it was a fun. Skansen, Vasa Museum, Gamla Stan was where we were. Theres a little bakery inside Skansen where they bake some really yummy bread. The area around Stockholm station late at night did feel a touch shady though.. as is the case with most cities so no issues at all!
Because it is. If "a little shady" is the worst thing you took with you from Sweden's worse areas, then clearly you can't have visited the sketchiest areas! (European leader in gun crime after all, so proud of that!)
@@TheLastCrusader22don’t think that was Swedens worst area though
Visited Helsinki and Stockholm and enjoyed both very much. The people, the cinnamon rolls, and coffee were great in both places. As a visitor, Stockholm has more to offer, especially if you are interested in history. Helsinki is a nice looking city, but is not very old, only around 250 years. (which is not that different than many cities in the US) Stockholm goes way back and has the Palace and the old squares, the Vasa museum (which is a must-see), and the Nordic museum for history buffs. And then there is the ABBA Museum -"Walk In, Dance Out".
... and we consider Stockholm just a new young city... not like Sigtuna and Uppsala...
The ABBA Museum was hilarious. I stayed at the Pop House hotel above it - their gold disc for ABBA Gold was nailed to the wall of my room - and didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The band narrate your journey thru the museum over headphones - including a recreation of the Polar Studio where they recorded all of their hits - and I found their anecdotes amusing but also very revealing of their personalities and how they found themselves swept up in hyper-fame. They're a very astute group of people, insightful and extremely knowledgeable regarding pop music, and they had a very wry understanding of pop culture and their place in it.
Also, just being in Stockholm I finally "got" ABBA - it's '70s Stockholm party music from Sweden's premier party town. But being Swedish, there's a darker undertone to everything, especially as they aged and their relationships fell apart.
Do you have a video where you explain why you moved to Finland?
(Not being sarcastic. I moved to Finland more years ago than I can count - for one of the more common reasons.)
If you really want to travel cheap in Finland, Onnibus can be really, REALLY cheap if you reserve the tickets well ahead of time. Not the most comfortable, but it'll get you from point A to point B.
Hey Mark! I have 2 questions:
1) How wheelchair accessible would you say these countries are? In general, when I hear a country is very outdoorsy and athletic I automatically assume they are not very inclined to have mobility needs accommodated. I hope I'm wrong. Also, please consider addressing this topic in future videos as a regular thing. Disabled people like to travel too!
2) Have you made a video about moving to Finland? I'm a subscriber but if you did YT didn't push it out to me. I'd love to know how it came about, is it only short term, how is your family enjoying it?
Thanks for all your hard work on this channel!
As a Swede I can answer no1. Every public spot is always accessible to wheelchairs.
I`m from Finland but raised in Sweden and both countries has laws that every place must have wheelchair accesible ramps and elevators. :D
Some of the most accessible in the world. I have experience with municipal legislative work in Sweden and I can assure you, the needs and (most frequently) demands from the disabled community are placed VERY high on the agenda. To the point that it was almost made fun of amongst the legislators (saying things like "is this place accomodating towards people who want to do wheelchair curling in the bathroom? Because if not it's probably not good enough!"). All that aside, there is both significant disabled activism and significant respect for their concerns in both Sweden and Finland
There is even wheelchair ramps to lakes in someplaces so you can dip in.
I'm not a wheelchair user, so I don't notice all the little bumps that'll make wheelchair use annoying, but from what I can see cities in Sweden are wheelchair accessible. There are ramps and lower curbs and larger bathroom stalls everywhere. Accessible busses in many cities. Some historical buildings don't have ramps, since there are limits on what you're allowed to change at a historical building.
If you want to go to the countryside and experience nature (which I recommend to everyone visiting the Nordic countries) you'll have to do some research first. There are hiking routs that've been made accessible, but might or might not have been upkept. There are beaches with wheelchair ramps into the water, but most beaches don't have them.
I assume there are different wheelchairs that are good on different surfaces. You'll probably have the best experience of the countryside if yours can handle lawns and gravel roads. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Most people here are friendly and helpful, we're just afraid of small talk.
Love your Vlogs ,special the Scandinavian ones,and you can say negative things about us in a very kind way, no one can get angry if you say something bad about us,thats funny,Take care you and your family
As an Irishman living inTurku I love your posts, next time you're in town let me know, theres more to the city than you're showing..
Do you have a video about Paraguay? I'm trying to find one on your channel, but nothing is coming up. I'm stopping in Paraguay on my way from Iguazu Falls to Lima later this year, any tips would be great.
How would you compare the quietness of Finland to Japan? I watched an another travel video and the host said it's so quiet in Tokyo even if there is so many people. Having being to Tokyo, now that I think of it, yeah it's probably true. But being Finnish I might not have found it weird. Of course opposite sides of population density in the two countries.
Been to both. It’s quiet in Japan because most Japanese do not speak conversational English. They don’t impose because it will be a slog talking and because being quiet is polite.
Finland, most do speak conversational English really well, quiet is to respect your personal space.
Similar but it does feel different.
@@lilbatz Japan and the Nordics are more similar than a lot of people, including in these countries, realise. Both are very polite societies, both are very consensus-seeking, both are keen on personal space and both are rather averse to conflicts (in the public sphere). Many sounds in Japanese are also pronounced more similarly to the Nordic languages, or at least the Scandinavian languages, than to English (the a and e sounds, for example)
Thank you
6:27 Me as a Finn living in Sweden felt that :P
Koti Pizza in Finland have the Berlusconi Pizza. They changed the name on it, but its a good pizza with rein deer meat on it. Named after Berlusconi who did not like finnish food.
As I speak Finnish and worked there
twenty years ago
I actually understand the signs and things in
Finland better than those in Sweden.
I have made more mistakes in supermarkets
buying food because I misunderstand the labels
in Swedish but understand the Finnish.
Also I have a friend who is a professor of linguistics
and he said he now has speaks Swedish with the flatter Finnish accent
and he gets treated worse when he speaks Swedish
in Sweden because they do look down on folks with
a Finnish Swedish accent in Finland.
We Europeans are really good at looking down on one another. That's something I realised when I migrated from the Netherlands to Malta.
I don't know of anyone who looks down on a Finland accent of Swedish. Most people find it endearing. The Mumin stories by Tove Jansson are originally in Swedish, and the actors in the animation have a Finland Swedish accent, and it's very charming. Everyone I know thinks that. You should probably talk to other people than academics who might run into fellow snooty "academics" that don't represent Swedish people
I was in Karlstad and Örebro, Sweden this year, and I found it surprisingly affordable, cheaper than home in the US! The people were actually very friendly, especially when I talked hockey. I don’t think the “expensive and unfriendly” stereotype holds up, at least outside of Stockholm
I also adored Finns when I went to Helsinki. They are a bit shy and socially awkward, but genuinely friendly and have a unique hilarious and dry sense of humor. I preferred Finland just for their beautiful sounding language
In Sweden you have Summer in the Southern parts whereas in Finland if you're lucky the Summer is on a Tuesday in July.
Yeah but truthfully they both have the same summer weather
Not true.
@@DanielosVK Yes, you are correct. I was lying. There is no Summer in Finland.
Go to Sweden🇸🇪 Stockholm and take an overnight ferry to Finland 🇫🇮 to have about 5 hours in Helsinki or Turku if you prefer, and take Ferry back the same day (or any day you prefer). Then you get both of the countries and a ferry ride. Have fun! God bless you all. 😊🙏💝✝️
Im Swedish and you 100% spot on in entire video❤❤
With people like Tina Nordstrom cranking out cookbooks over there, Sweden has no excuse for 'meh' Swedish food anymore...at any time of the day. People say I'm 'food-centric' [like it's a bad thing]. Well, I'm not a 'meh' person when it comes to food. So, I feel free to say that Tina Nordstrom made me proud of my food heritage. [Thank you, Tina!] Beatrice Ojakangas [even though she was born in America] made me proud of the Swedish 'baking' side of things. [Thank you, Beatrice!]
Dude, you should really go to a Stockholm derby. It is insane. That is another big difference between Sweden and Finland, the passion and love for sports. Sweden is on another level, especially when it comes to football. The Swedish football supporter-culture is really old and considered to be one of the best in the world. The Stockholm derbies are among the best you can visit. I recomend AIK - djurgården or AIK - hammarby.
In Finland you can eat a 5 course dinner with family and friends with no real conversation, until coffee is served at the end of the meal with some sweets.
No, nobody is angry. It’s just how they roll 🤣
Also nothing beats the natural beauty of Northern Finland. It’s breathtaking and not over runned with tourists.
As a Swede I actually find your analysis to be pretty spot on! Well done. I would say that Swedish cities have more bad areas, with regards to crime, but strangely enough the murder rate is still fairly high in Finland, higher than in Sweden if i'm not mistaken. It's usually not gang-related murders but more alcohol-related, maybe?
What’s alcholo?
@@hmu05366 Haha. I meant alcohol.
Currently (2025) you get quite a "bang for the buck" as a tourist in Sweden, as you get 11 swedish kronor for one dollar. Compare this to around ten years ago when you only got six swedish kronor for a dollar. So Sweden is about half the price now for americans.
Re English S vs F: I must contradict. Eg when you order "shoetbullar" instead of kjetbullar the Swedes (in a restaurant) are really friendly and happy that you know how to pronounce the meat balls.
Ah, but I like speed, black and death metal 😉😉
Finland alla dagar på årett ❤❤❤
Yes, Sweden got Abba and Avicii... but Finland have their own Tango and they have Jean Sibelius. So Finland wins in both Dance and Classical music. The jury is out on death metal, though.
Sweden wins death, Finland wins doom, black is a tie. Classical Finland wins hands down (although Sweden has some great composers even though they're not as internationally renowned), for trance music Finland wins, and for pretty much everything else Sweden's in the lead, at least in terms of total figures. Not sure about per capita. I guess punk is a tie as well, there's A LOT of punk from Finland
@@TheLastCrusader22 Finland wins in Dance. More waltz winners than Sweden. Finland got their own Tango and they have more Morris dancers that Sweden.
Stockholm also has very cheap prices. That's the thing with bigger cities - you get it all. Like just because a beer in central Stockholm is 100 kronor doesn't mean they're not 29 out in the suburbs. Same with everything. If you want to live cheap in Sweden, Stockholm is the place. Except for the rent.
But you don't visit Stockholm's suburbs if you want to live. And by suburbs I don't mean Lidingö and Tyresö, I mean Rinkeby, Tensta, Husby and Hallunda
So on the guys in Sweden ..are the guys better in Sweden or in Norway or in Denmark?
I would say this is quite accurate. Stockholm definetly has more sights and swedish look better than us, but our cinnamon rolls are better as is our ice hockey team 😊
Would you consider comparing Sweden, Finland, and Norway?
Please do a Norway vs. Sweden comparison next!
That is coming later this year :)
Norway crushes Sweden.
@ Selvsagt ;)
@@gulanhem9495 Not really. Oslo most boring city in Europe. Stockholm and Gothenburg, much more to do and prettier.
@
Yes, Stockholm crushes Oslo thanks to architecture and historical sites, but Norway has the nature and the mountains to compensate.
I never visit Stockholm anymore due to the diversity.
Finland is one of my absolute favorite places to visit 🇸🇪🇫🇮
The thing is we don’t go out to eat Swedish food. We cook and eat that at home.
I would say that Sweden is much more multicultural, I think it's a good thing and it feels like you get a lot more influences from all over the world, everything from food, language, culture, customs.
I would also say that Sweden has a more varied landscape, it's not so strange because it's a bigger country.
Yes! Sweden ruuules...! Love Finland but not in hockey! Great vid!
Finland will beat Sweden in 4-nations cup in February.
Noo way my friend no way! Sweden going for the gold!
Remeber me!
While Sweden has won 2 Olympic gold medals while Finland only 1, Finland are the defending champions from the 2022 Winter Olympics.
@
Yes, Sweden are favorites. I was half joking. But Finland has its best team of all time, their golden generation.
Marc, you cruel person.
Man do I miss the Finnish berries so much. Especially the thimble berries (metsävadelma) 😋
We have them Michigan, but it’s hit or miss.
We've been all over Scandinavia, Finland has the nicest people, Sweden was fine (very Wisconsin-y, Norway has the most beautiful scenery and Denmark has the nicest City. Iceland is another planet...
You are right about most, especially how handsome we Swedish men are, but the trains are usually more expensive than flying. Figure that out!!!
Nice Dodge Viper at 1:18
I will add if you love American cars then go to Sweden.
as a professional finn i can say that all the hersburgers that i've gone to put too much mayonnaise in every burger
It is kind of their thing. You either like it or you don’t. I find other burger chains’ burgers too dry.
Both beautiful countries. Interesting differences. Agreed, Sweden seems more traditionally European. Cool design though. Thanks Mark happy travels 🇺🇸🇸🇪🇫🇮
Sweden blows
I want to join hands and dance around a may pole during midsummer
Yes, sauna in Finland, bastu in Sweden = the same thing.
No. Bastu is 50-60 Celsius but SAUNA 100-120 Celsius. Swedish weakniness.
How about a video on Finnish citizens who speak Swedish?
Traditional Finnish folk music is amazing!
Been in both places for a long while so I'd say and even speak languages so I'd say...
TL;DR:
Short stay = Sweden
Long stay = Finland
Don't prepare = Sweden
Prepare = Both
Party holiday = Neither
Cultural holiday = Sweden
Family holiday = Sweden
Nature holiday = Finland
Retreat holiday = Finland
Interrail holiday = Sweden
2:37 Max is pretty bad these days. They used to be good 5-10 years ago, but these days they're just awful. If you're an American going to Sweden you should definitely try McDonald's since they're very different in each country. The food quality is just better at McDonald's as well.
The Finns are consistently voted the happiest people on earth.
Which is odd, because no one has ever seen them smile.
@@josephpanzarella1417 I did, just they were liging abroad.