How long does the summer time last in Finland?

Which European country should I do an exchange in this summer?

• I plan on doing an exchange program this summer, and its crunch time; i NEED three top countries for my exchange possibility. I know France (and i would say England or Australia, but it must be a non english speaking country) Any reccomendations? I prefer european countries. And if anyone could explain to me the differences between Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. Obviously they are very different, but from a which-should-i-shoose-and-why standpoint. Thanks so much

• Answer:

  For a recommendation, you need to give more details about what you're interested in. The actual city you'll be in also makes a difference. The countries you list all have a high percentage of English speakers (85+% in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands; 60+% in Switzerland and Finland), and many people speak it as well as native speakers. The further north you are, the longer days you get in summer. Denmark: a cozy country with friendly people, interesting culture and a good nightlife. Easy access to the rest of Europe (compared to the other Nordic countries). Probably the most liberal of Scandinavian countries. Nice beaches. The most expensive country in Europe. All of the Scandinavian languages are similar and easy for English speakers to learn, but Danish is the hardest one to understand when spoken. http://wikitravel.org/en/Denmark Norway: spectacular scenery (mountains, fjords, forest) that's beautiful in summer, lots of outdoors activities like hiking and sailing. Most people are really interested in being active outside. People tend to be a little shy but very friendly. 2nd most expensive country in Europe, food is particularly expensive. http://wikitravel.org/en/Norway Finland: nice architecture, lots of lakes, slightly different feel from the rest of the Nordic countries due to proximity to Russia. Difficult language to learn. http://wikitravel.org/en/Finland Sweden: probably the more cosmopolitan/trendy of the Nordic countries, people tend to be more reserved than in Norway and Denmark. Nice forests and lakes, cities have a decent nightlife (better than Norway). http://wikitravel.org/en/Sweden Netherlands: Socially liberal, very crowded, great culture and excellent for biking. People tend to be very friendly, the language is easy to learn. Easy access to most of Europe, and it only takes a few hours to get to many major cities like Paris. Probably the least expensive of the countries you list. http://wikitravel.org/en/Netherlands Switzerland: Beautiful scenery, mixture of cultures and languages (German, French, Italian). Great nightlife, but expensive. I don't know many Swiss people, but the ones I've met were very friendly. If I didn't already live here, I'd choose Norway because I love the outdoors, but those that don't sometimes find it a little boring. Netherlands would be my 2nd choice of the ones you list, but I'd consider somewhere like Czech Republic if it were available.