Getting from Helsinki Airport

The terminal is connected to the city railway, which is the fastest and most convenient form of transport to the city centre. Within 40 minutes, you can get to Helsinki Central Station for €4.4.
The trains are supplemented by several bus lines, which can be used to travel to neighbourhoods other than those served by the train.
If you're heading to central Helsinki, we definitely recommend taking the train, which has the same price as the bus, significantly shorter journey times and less risk of delays.
Travel time from the airport | Driving time to the airport | Frequency | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Train - Line I | 38 minutes | 33 minutes | 10-15 minutes | 4,10 eur |
Train - line P | 33 minutes | 38 minutes | 10-15 minutes | 4,10 eur |
Bus 600 | 47 minutes | 47 minutes | 7-15 minutes | 4,10 eur |
Cheapest hotels in Helsinki here
Tickets - prices and how to buy
Tickets are integrated for all modes of transport and the same types and prices therefore apply for HSL trains and buses.
The airport is in zone C and Helsinki city centre is in zone A. You therefore need an "ABC" ticket to get to the city centre.
You can buy a ticket from a ticket machine on the train platform or bus stop or from the HSL mobile app.
You can also buy the ticket with your own contactless card inside the train or bus, but the price is higher than tickets from a ticket machine or mobile app and daily limits are not included, so you cannot pay for day tickets this way.
- 90-minute transfer ticket (ABC) - 4,40 eur (when paying with a contactless card 4,70 eur)
- 1 day - 12 eur
- 2 days - 18 eur
- 3 days - 24 eur
- Current price list: hsl.fi/tickets-and-fares
Day tickets are not valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours, but only on the calendar days in question, with an extension until 4:30am the following day.
Children from 7 to 17 years old have a 50% discount. Children under 7 travel free in Helsinki.
If you are only travelling to the outskirts of Helsinki, choose a ticket for the BC zones for 80 minutes for 3,20 eur.
Train - P and I lines
Trains to central Helsinki run on a circular line called the "City Loop Train" and always arrive at Helsinki Central Station in the city centre in both directions.
- Line I - runs anticlockwise via Huopalahti, where you can change trains to Turku
- Line P - runs clockwise via Tikkurila, where you can change trains to Lahti, Tampere and the whole of northern Finland
Line P is slightly faster for getting from the airport to the centre, while Line I is faster for getting from the centre to the airport.
- Travel time - 33 minutes (P line from the airport; I line to the airport) or 38 minutes (I line from the airport; P line to the airport)
- Frequency - 10-15 minutes on each line, together trains run every 5-8 minutes between the airport and the main station
- Price - 4,40 eur for 90 minutes
- Last train from airport - 1:22 (P line); 22:19 (I line)
- First train to the airport - 4:18 (P line); 4:36 (I line)
- Search for connections: hsl.fi/en
- Tip for a hotel right by the main station: NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa *****
Buses + night transport
For alternative transport, there are several bus lines of the HSL transport company, which serve both the surrounding neighbourhoods and the city centre.
The journey to the main station by bus is about 10 minutes longer than by train. Tickets can be purchased from a machine at the bus stop and marked in a validator inside the bus, or purchased via a mobile app or a contactless card inside the bus.
The bus stops are on the right side of the arrivals hall.
- Line 600 goes to the main station and is an alternative to the train for getting to central Helsinki
- Journey time: 47 minutes
- Frequency: 7 minutes (30 minutes at night)
- Operating hours: 24/7
- Line 570 goes via Tikkurila station to the north-eastern part of Helsinki to the Mellunmäki terminus
- Frequency: 15-20 minutes
- Hours of operation: 24/7
- Line 562 goes through the neighbourhoods around the airport on a slow route to the eastern part of Helsinki to the Itäkeskus terminus
- Frequency: 10-20 minutes
- Hours of operation: 4:00-1:35
- Connection search: hsl.fi/en
In addition to the 570 and 600, the night-only lines 415N and 431N supplement the night-only service between 0:00 and 4:15 with an interval of 40-60 minutes. Both lines serve the north-western districts of Helsinki.
Transport map
See a map of all train and bus routes to Helsinki HEL Airport.
Taxi, Uber, Bolt
Taxis are plentiful at the airport at all hours of the day and night. The official taxis always run with the meter on and you can always pay by card.
However, all taxi companies also have a special flat fare when going downtown, which varies by company. The cheapest taxi company runs to Helsinki city centre for 38 eur.
The classic taxi stand is on the left about 2 minutes walk from the arrivals hall.
There are also Bolt or Uber apps in Helsinki.
The average prices for rides to the city centre are similar to those of classic taxis and are as follows:
- Central Station - 38 eur
- Port - 38 eur
- Tikkurila - 18 eur
- Huopalahti - 29 eur
- Espoo - 43 eur
However, travelling via mobile apps can be more cost-effective than a taxi if you're not going directly to the city centre.
The parking area for these cars is in the garage to the right of the arrivals hall (about a 5 minute walk) and is marked with signs App Rides.
Rent a car
If you plan to go on a road-trip around Finland, renting a car directly at the airport will be the ideal choice.
Weekly rental rates in summer start at 250 eur, and in low season from 200 eur.
Long-distance buses
The airport also has a station for long-distance buses to other destinations in Finland.
The bus stops are on the right by the arrivals hall. Timetables and online ticketing can be found on the website: matkahuolto.fi/en
- Tampere - 5-6 times a day, journey time 2.5 hours, price from 20 eur
- Lahti - 2x daily, journey time 75 minutes, price from 6 eur
- Turku - 5-6 times a day, journey time 2.5 hours, price from 33 eur
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
2 comments
What if you've already bought a BC ticket?
Helsinki already has a contactless card payment system, but tickets are more expensive than on the app. For example, a 90-minute ticket costs EUR 4.7.
Ticket prices are no longer up to date. A 90-minute ticket for ABC zones is now EUR 4.4, a one-day ticket EUR 12...
Single and multi-day tickets can be bought for up to 13 days. Tickets are not valid for x*24 hours, but only until 4:30am the next day.
If you take the train from Helsinki station, don't leave it to the last minute to buy a ticket. There are machines at the railway station where you can't buy the ticket you need, and there are machines at the metro station below that may not be working and will cancel anyway. Oh, and the HSL app is a case for itself - don't be fooled by error messages when adding a card or the actual buying process.
If you can't get to the HSL website, it doesn't mean it doesn't work, it means some Ynteligent geolocked it. For example, the airport wifi works normally.
Matkahuolto is not a bus company, but a service company for carriers.
If you are going to Turku and don't want to waste money on an expensive bus ticket, you can go from the airport to the bus terminal and get on the Flixbus, which runs every day at 16:00 and costs from 200 CZK.
Thanks, I'll update everything on Friday with photos. I'll be there for 8 hours during the layover :)
The Matkahuolto app https://play.google.com/store/ap...atkahuolto You can also buy Flixbus tickets there, but at a higher price than directly. :)
Onnibus: https://play.google.com/store/ap...=web_share