You have just landed in Helsinki and you don’t know how to get to the city centre. This is one of the problems you may encounter and there are different alternatives, so we will help you choose the one that suits you best by showing you the advantages and disadvantages of each of them based on their speed, comfort and price.
Helsinki Airport is located 20 kilometres from the city centre, so it will take you about 30 minutes to reach your destination, regardless of the means of transport you decide to take.
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How to get to the centre of Helsinki from the airport?
The airport and the centre of Helsinki are well connected and there are up to 4 alternatives to get to the city without problems. These are the train, city bus, taxi and rental car. Not all have the same price or are suitable for all types of trips. For this reason, below we explain everything about each of them.
Arriving by train
The train is possibly the best option to travel from Helsinki airport to the city centre. The Helsinki Airport train line is the fastest and most convenient option, as it goes to the centre of Helsinki in 30 minutes without worrying about traffic on the roads.
There are two types of trains (I and P) and both will take you to the city centre. The only difference between the two is that they go in the opposite direction: from east to west and vice versa. You just have to worry that the information screen shows Helsinki Helsingfors.
How to get to Helsinki Airport train station
The train station is at the end of Terminal 2 of the airport. You will have to follow the signs that indicate “Railway station” until you reach an escalator that will take you to the station.
Where to buy tickets
The service is managed by HSL, the Helsinki public transport company, so you can buy a ticket on its website or mobile application and you will have a period of 90 minutes to use it. If you don’t want to worry about losing your ticket due to a delay in your flight, at the station itself there are machines where you can buy your ticket. It is important to emphasize that there are machines in two colours: blue and green. The green ones are to buy tickets to go to other cities in Finland, so the one that interests us, in this case, is the blue machine.
Getting around by city bus
The urban bus, as in the case of the train, is managed by HSL, so its operation is very similar. In this case, you will have to follow the indicative signs that guide you to the bus station, located outside Terminal 2.
How to buy the ticket
Helsinki airport is located in zone C and the city’s bus station is located in zone A, so you will need a ticket for the ABC zones to get to the centre of Helsinki using this means of transport.
As in the case of the train, you can buy the ticket from the company’s website and app, but in this case, there is also the option of buying a ticket inside the bus itself, although it is necessary to mention that the price of this it will be higher compared to using any of the other methods.
Taxi, the alternative you should avoid
There is a taxi counter located outside Terminal 2 at Helsinki Airport. The trip to the city centre will cost you between 40 and 60 euros, so it is a bad option in economic terms. Besides, it must be taken into account that there is a possibility that there is a lot of traffic on the road, so the journey would be even longer than using the train or bus.
Renting a car in Helsinki
If you plan to travel outside of Helsinki during your trip, you may be considering the possibility of renting a car for the duration of your stay in Finland, so this could be a good option since it is possible to rent a vehicle from the airport itself. There are a total of 6 car rental companies at Helsinki Airport, whose counters are located in the corridor connecting Terminals 1 and 2.
Finally, we want to remind you that it is very easy to visit the Estonian capital, Tallinn, from Helsinki. We show you the easiest ways to make the journey.
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