Getting around · Helsinki · Finland
Getting around Helsinki
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Helsinki's centre is compact and walkable, and HSL runs trams, a metro line, buses, commuter trains and the Suomenlinna ferry on one ticket system. Tickets are priced by zone (A, B, C, D); the city centre and Suomenlinna are in zone A, and the airport is in zone C. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Tram
- Airports
- HEL
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- HSL day tickets
Ways to get around
Tram
Trams are the easiest way around the inner city, linking the Central Station, Kamppi, Töölö, Kallio, Katajanokka and the Design District.
Buy tickets in the HSL app or at ticket machines before you board.
Metro
The metro runs east–west from Espoo through Kamppi, the Central Station and Kallio (Sörnäinen), splitting into two branches in the eastern suburbs.
Ferry
HSL ferries sail year-round from Market Square to Suomenlinna in about 15–20 minutes on a regular zone A ticket; private waterbuses serve the zoo and islands in summer.
Train
Commuter trains from the Central Station serve the airport, Tikkurila (for Heureka) and Espoo for Nuuksio.
Cycling
Yellow city bikes are available from spring to autumn from docking stations across the city, and the Baana cycle path runs below street level through the centre.
Walking
Senate Square, Market Square, Esplanadi, the Design District and Kamppi are all within a 15-minute walk of each other.
Tickets and passes
HSL day tickets
Day tickets valid for 1 to 13 days cover unlimited trams, metro, buses, trains and the Suomenlinna ferry in the chosen zones.
Helsinki Card
Combines public transport with free entry to many museums and sights, including Suomenlinna's museums, for one to three days.
From the airport
Helsinki Airport is in Vantaa, about 17 km north of the centre. Ring Rail Line trains (I and P) reach Helsinki Central Station in about 30 minutes; a ticket covering zones A, B and C is needed. Bus 600 also runs to the Central Station, and taxis take about 25–30 minutes.
Do you need a car?
No. Public transport, walking and bikes cover the city, and Porvoo, Turku, Tampere and Nuuksio are all reachable by bus or train. A car helps only for exploring the lake district or archipelago.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Tallinn | About 2 hours each way by ferry | Ferry from West Harbour or Katajanokka |
| Porvoo | About 1 hour by bus | Bus from Kamppi bus station |
| Nuuksio National Park | About 1 hour by train and bus | Train to Espoo, then bus 245 |
| Turku | About 2 hours by train | Intercity train from Helsinki Central Station |
| Tampere | About 1 hour 40 minutes by train | Intercity train from Helsinki Central Station |
| Hvitträsk | About 40 minutes by car | Car is easiest; public transport takes longer |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Helsinki?
No. Public transport, walking and bikes cover the city, and Porvoo, Turku, Tampere and Nuuksio are all reachable by bus or train. A car helps only for exploring the lake district or archipelago.
+How do you get from the airport to Helsinki?
Helsinki Airport is in Vantaa, about 17 km north of the centre. Ring Rail Line trains (I and P) reach Helsinki Central Station in about 30 minutes; a ticket covering zones A, B and C is needed. Bus 600 also runs to the Central Station, and taxis take about 25–30 minutes.
+What is the best way to get around Helsinki?
Tram: Trams are the easiest way around the inner city, linking the Central Station, Kamppi, Töölö, Kallio, Katajanokka and the Design District.