Green card
= a proof of a valid Finnish third party liability insurance.
To be required from the insurance company, in which the vehicle is insured. Without charge. N.B. After 1.5.2004 green card is not anymore compulsory, but it is still strongly recommended.
Validity of all-risk insurance
It is important to check, if the all-risk insurance of the vehicle is valid in the Baltic countries. The Finnish insurance companies have restricted the validity, and it is difficult to get valid theft insurance for these countries. The cover must be checked from the insurance company of your own.
Travel insurances
Autoliitto advises everyone to have valid personal travel insurance. This concerns both personal insurance as well as baggage insurance.
European sickness card
Available without charge from KELA. For public healthcare in EU countries.
Driving licence
The Finnish driving licence is sufficient by virtue of the EU Driving Licence Directive.
Authorisation
If the trip is taken by car belonging to someone else, and the name of the driver is not entered in the register certificate of the vehicle, neither as owner, nor holder, then an international authorisation must be taken. Autoliitto uses multilingual, stamped authorisation forms.
Nationality sign FIN
The official number plates bearing the EU stars and FIN are sufficient. If there is no such plate in the car, then FIN sticker is needed. Stickers are sold in AL Shop.
First aid kit and Fire extinguisher
Obligatory in the Baltic countries, also for tourists and for passenger cars. First aid kits and fire extinguishers are sold in AL Shop.
Safety
Autoliitto recommends driving only during the daytime. The vehicle must be parked in a guarded parking place. When booking the accommodation, also a safe parking place for the vehicle should be reserved.
Plus membership (membership with roadside assistance cover) guarantees road service. A written application is needed. More information here.
Road network
In rather good condition. The signposting is improving all the time. In Poland there is much more traffic than in the Baltic countries, and the obedience to traffic rules is more liberal. It takes long time to pass through Poland, as there is a lot of heavy traffic and agricultural vehicles, and the roads are narrow.
Currencies
Lithuania has a currency of it’s own, Estonia and Latvia have euro. It is possible to draw out cash by Visa or MasterCard from bank automats.
Mobile phone
GSM network functions well along the Via Baltica.
Winter tyres
It is obligatory to use winter tyres (M+S) in Estonia and Latvia in winter time. Studded tyres are permitted in these two countries. Studded tyres are also allowed in Lithuania.
But, N.B., studded tyres are strictly forbidden in Poland – as they are in Germany, too.
Accommodation
N.B. there are not many camping sites, e.g. in Lithuania maybe some 15 sites, and none of them is situated along the Via Baltica road.