How to get from Helsinki-Vantaa airport (HEL) into the city and to your onward connection: public transport, taxi and rental car for 2026.
Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL) is Finland's main international airport, 20 km north of central Helsinki. Hub for Finnair, served by dozens of international airlines, and the main entry point for visitors to Finland, including most travellers heading on to Lapland by domestic flight, night train or bus. Two terminals (T1 + T2) connect into one building. The transit between airport and city is fast, cheap and runs almost 24/7.
€4.50 train I or P (ABC ticket, HSL app), 30 min
€4.50 HSL bus 600 to Rautatientori + short walk
€3.30 P train (BC ticket, HSL app), 9 min
The default. From the airport the P train runs via Tikkurila (about 29 min to Helsinki Central) and the I train via Myyrmäki (about 34 min). Each line runs every 10 minutes in the daytime, so a train leaves roughly every 5 minutes; the first ones leave around 05:00 and the last after midnight. You need an ABC ticket: €4.50 in the HSL app, €4.80 at the ticket machine or by tapping a contactless card on the reader.
~40 min to Rautatientori (Central station)
Runs around the clock, every ~10 min daytime, less often at night, so it's also the option after the trains stop. From Rautatientori it's a short walk to Kamppi for Onnibus and Matkahuolto connections.
FixuTaxi, Taksi Helsinki, Menevä and Lähitaksi serve the taxi station around the clock, and their prices are shown there (Finavia). Taksi Helsinki's lane 2 has a fixed €38.05 fare to central Helsinki (postcodes 00100–00180 and 00220) for 1–4 people. Uber and Bolt also operate in Helsinki. Avoid unbranded touts.
Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt have desks in the arrivals hall, and the cars are collected from parking hall P3 (Finavia). Useful only if leaving Helsinki immediately, parking in the city is painful.
How do I get from Helsinki Airport to the city centre?
HSL train I or P, about 30 minutes to Helsinki Central. Each line runs every 10 minutes in the daytime. You need an ABC ticket: €4.50 in the HSL app, €4.80 at the machine or by tapping a contactless card on the reader.
Yes. Uber and Bolt both operate in Helsinki. For a fixed price, Taksi Helsinki's lane 2 at the taxi station charges €38.05 to the city centre for 1–4 people.
How do I get from HEL to the night train to Lapland?
Take the P train from the airport to Tikkurila (a BC ticket, €3.30 in the HSL app, about 9 minutes). The Santa Claus Express stops there too, so there is no need to go to Helsinki Central.
How early should I arrive at Helsinki-Vantaa?
Follow your airline's check-in times. Finavia publishes a predicted security queue time for Helsinki Airport on its website.
Yes, the whole airport is under one roof, so you can walk between them. No shuttle needed.
The train is as quick as a taxi (about 30 minutes) and far cheaper, even with luggage: escalators and lifts go all the way down to the platform.
For the VR night train to Lapland, take the P train from the airport to Tikkurila (about 9 minutes) and board there instead of going into Helsinki Central.
The whole airport is under one roof, so you can walk between T1 and T2. No shuttle needed.
Taksi Helsinki's lane 2 at the taxi station charges a fixed €38.05 to central Helsinki for 1–4 people.
In winter, bus 600 can be slower than the train in traffic, so choose the train unless the bus route suits your destination better.