Oulu transport guide: public transport, taxis, airport links, onward routes and what to book. Updated 2026.
Northern Finland's biggest city, bicycle-mad, with an extensive winter cycling network and a key rail node before continuing to Lapland.
Single €2.90 in the app or by contactless card (€5.00 cash) / day ticket €11.00 (from 1.6.2026)
Oulu is known for winter cycling: the cycle paths are ploughed and many locals ride all year round.
Train: VR night & day trains from Helsinki (~6 h direct)
Flight: Oulu Airport (OUL), several daily Finnair flights from Helsinki
Bus: Onnibus from Helsinki and Rovaniemi, FlixBus from Helsinki
VR day trains from 5 h 28, night trains about 9 h. Onnibus from 8 h 15, fares from about €19. Finnair flies several times a day. See /route/helsinki-oulu.
Oulu Airport (OUL) 15 km south-west. OSL buses 8 and 9 run between the airport and the centre.
Around Rotuaari pedestrian street and the Market Square.
Old wooden island district with an artists' and craftspeople's community and the Sailor's Home Museum.
Tiima museum and science centre, the new home of Tietomaa (opens 9 October 2026)
Hailuoto island (by road since 29 June 2026; the ferry no longer runs)
Oulu is famous as a winter cycling capital: locals keep riding all winter on a network of well-ploughed paths. But the bus system is also solid, with frequent services to every neighbourhood and connections out to the airport and to Hailuoto island.
No zones: one flat fare across Oulu, Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos and Tyrnävä. OSL tickets are also valid on buses 59 and 59S to Hailuoto.
Lines across Oulu and its neighbouring municipalities; most run through the city centre.
Bus 59 runs daily and 59S on weekdays between Oulu and Hailuoto island. OSL tickets are valid on both.
Buses 8 and 9 link Oulu Airport (OUL) with the city centre, each about every 30 minutes on weekdays and less often at weekends. Line 8 also stops at the bus station. A single ticket is €2.90.
Hours vary by line: check the OSL app or the route planner at reittiopas.osl.fi. A few night lines are marked with an N.
€2.90 in the OSL app or by contactless card (€5.00 in cash), valid 90 minutes including transfers anywhere in the OSL area.
How do I get from Oulu airport to the city?
Bus 8 or 9, each about every 30 minutes on weekdays, €2.90 single.
Yes. Hailuoto is outside the OSL area, but OSL tickets are valid on buses 59 and 59S between Oulu and the island.
OSL card (plastic, formerly Waltti card)
Rent a bike, even in winter: Oulu is built for it.
Bus 59 to Hailuoto makes an easy day trip to an island known for its sandy beaches.
Airport bus 8 also stops at the Linja-autoasema bus station, handy for long-distance coaches.