Helsinki transport guide: public transport, taxis, airport links, onward routes and what to book. Updated 2026.
Finland's capital has the country's most extensive public transport system: metro, trams, commuter trains, buses and Suomenlinna ferries, all on a single HSL ticket.
Single AB €3.30 in the HSL app (€3.50 contactless) / AB day ticket €10.60 / ABC single to the airport €4.50 in the app (as of 2026)
HSL app (iOS / Android), buy mobile tickets, plan routes
Zones AB cover Helsinki, Espoo and Kauniainen. The airport is in zone C, so buy an ABC ticket. One ticket is valid on every HSL mode within its zones.
Commuter trains (lettered lines; I and P serve the airport)
Train: VR long-distance to Helsinki Central (Helsingin päärautatieasema)
Flight: Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL), ~30 min by Ring Rail Line train (ABC ticket €4.50 in the HSL app)
Ferry: Tallink/Viking from Tallinn & Stockholm to South / West Harbour
Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL) is 17 km north of the city centre. Ring Rail Line train (I or P) about 30 min; an ABC single is €4.50 in the HSL app or on a travel card (€4.80 contactless).
Main shopping, bus terminal, central station. First base for most visitors.
Hipster east of the centre, bars, cafés, design shops. Tram 3 or 9.
Small boutiques, galleries, the Design Museum. Walkable from centre.
Peninsula east of the market square, Uspenski Cathedral, Viking Line terminal.
Old stone-built quarter behind Senate Square, quiet and elegant.
Residential, the Opera, Olympic Stadium, National Museum.
HSL runs the most extensive public transport network in Finland: a metro, a dozen tram and light-rail lines, a dense bus grid, commuter rail and the Suomenlinna ferry, all on a single ticket, plus city bikes from April to October. For visitors arriving at Helsinki-Vantaa airport, the Ring Rail Line train into the city centre takes about 30 minutes for €4.50 (€4.80 by contactless card).
Five zones, A to E, spreading out from central Helsinki. Most visitors only need AB; the airport is in zone C, so you need an ABC ticket. Single tickets are valid 80–110 minutes depending on the zones, including transfers.
Two lines (M1 Kivenlahti–Vuosaari, M2 Tapiola–Mellunmäki) sharing the track through the centre, 30 stations in all. Trains every 2.5–5 minutes in the daytime, every 7.5–10 minutes early and late.
Twelve lines in all: eleven tram lines in the inner city plus light-rail line 15.
Hundreds of routes covering every neighbourhood; useful for trips outside the tram grid.
Lettered lines across the region. The I and P trains run via the Ring Rail Line and connect the airport to the city centre in about 30 minutes, the standard airport route.
Year-round ferry from Market Square to the UNESCO sea fortress, about 15 minutes. Suomenlinna is in zone A, so an AB ticket covers it. Several departures an hour in summer, at least one an hour in winter.
About 4,600 yellow city bikes at 460 stations in Helsinki and Espoo. Season 1 April to 31 October; a season pass costs €35, and day and week passes are also sold.
Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL) is in zone C, about 20 km from the city centre. Take the I or P train from the station directly under the terminal: about 30 minutes to Helsinki Central with an ABC single ticket (€4.50 in the HSL app, €4.80 by contactless card). Buy it in the HSL app or from the ticket machine on the platform, or tap a contactless card on the reader when you board. HSL bus 600 takes about 40 minutes.
Metro: first trains from the city centre around 05:20 (06:20 on Sundays), last departures around 23:30 every day. After that, night buses (an N after the line number) take over.
€3.30 for zones AB in the HSL app or on an HSL card (€3.50 by contactless card), €4.50 for ABC including the airport (€4.80 contactless). Prices from 1 January 2026.
How do I get from Helsinki airport to the city?
I or P train, about 30 minutes, ABC single ticket €4.50 in the HSL app (€4.80 contactless). Trains leave from the station directly under the terminal.
Yes. Suomenlinna is in zone A, so any single, day or season ticket that includes zone A (such as AB) covers the ferry from Market Square. Buy it before boarding: tickets are not sold on the ferries.