Hello! Is there anybody from Finland, living in U.K. countryside?

Question

I am very interested in living in the countryside of U.K. What are the climate, nature, people, services, public transportation, free-time e.t.c. like? And what are the differences between Finland and U.K when living outside the big cities?

Answer 1

I'm from Finland, and I now live in the Hampshire countryside. I love it! It's very green, never gets cold, and it doesn't rain anywhere near as much as people think. I also like the open landscape - in Finland you can't see anything as there are trees in the way!

The people are much friendlier than in Finland, and will greet you with a smile and Good Morning when you see them in the street - in Turku, I didn't even get that from my neighbours. Public transportation is okay, but not if you're totally dependent on it. There are a lot of trains, but compared to Finnish ones they're often late and not always particularly clean.

Healthcare seems to depend on where you live. I'm in a small town, so I can get a same-day doctor's appointment whenever I want, and everything is free. I've also been very impressed with the maternity care here. It's far, far better than its reputation, and often better than in Finland (although no Kela box, sadly!).

I think the biggest difference is the amount of people. I read somewhere recently that there are 15 people per square mile in Finland, whereas there are 330 in the UK. Finding private, empty parts of the countryside can be tricky if you're in a relatively built-up area, but it can be done - we often take our dogs for a walk in the forest without seeing anyone else.

Traffic is a big draw-back. It takes time to get used to the concept that a journey can take anywhere between one and four hours depending on the time of day.

All in all, though, it really suits me and I will never go back to Finland!

Answer 2

My sister-in-law is from Finland and she married my brother in law who is English. They lived just outside Birmingham for a while but she hated the UK. She just kept saying how everything was better in Finland - the health care, the schools, the work etc. She went home to have both her children because she said the Finnish government gives such a big bonus and help to them. After spending all their free time in Finland they decided to move back. They now live in Espoo in Finland.