Helsinki

Helsinki (Finnish) or Helsingfors (Swedish) is the capital of Finland. Founded in 1550, the “Daughter of the Baltic” has been the Finnish capital since 1812, when it was rebuilt by the tsars of Russia along the lines of a miniature St. Petersburg, a role it has played in many a Cold War movie. Today, Helsinki pulls off the trick of being something of an international metropolis while still retaining a small-town feel. The best time to visit is in summer, when Finns peel off their overcoats and flock to outdoor bars and cafes to enjoy the sunshine.

Helsinki’s current population is about 604,380, but the Greater Helsinki region including the suburbs of the neighboring administrative areas of Espoo and Vantaa has a population of over 1.3 million.

More information on Wikitravel

All international and domestic flights land at the compact, modern and airy Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport (IATA: HEL, ICAO: EFHK), which is located in Vantaa, 18 kilometers to the north of the central Helsinki. Note that in recent years the airport has become crowded, so expect delays when going through security, particularly during the Scandinavian summer holiday period. There are two adjacent terminals, connected by a short walkway:

T1: SAS, Blue1 and other Star Alliance airlines (except Turkish Airlines in T2).

T2: Finnair, OneWorld partners, KLM, Norwegian and most other airlines.

• Bus

  Regional buses 615/620 (€5.00, every 15 min), 30-40 min to the Helsinki Central Railway Station in the heart of Helsinki. The price includes onward transfers by tram, bus, metro, local train, etc. Both buses leave from platform 2 at terminal T1 and platform 21 at terminal T2. Tickets can be bought from the driver. To get to Helsinki city center from the airport you need to buy a regional ticket, because the airport is actually not located in Helsinki, but the neighboring city of Vantaa.

  Finnair City Bus (€6.30, every 20 min), about 35 min to Central Railway Station via Scandic Continental Hotel. Credit cards accepted, slightly faster and uses luxury coaches, but no further connections included in the ticket price.

  Regional buses 519/520 to Itäkeskus (€5, every 30 min), for convenient connections to the metro and eastern suburbs of Helsinki.
  Vantaa bus 61 to Tikkurila (€3), connections to the center and eastern parts of Vantaa and access to the closest railway station for intercity and regional train connections. All north and east-bound trains stop here (Tikkurila Station).

  Vantaa bus 51 to Hämeenkylä (€3, every 30 min), connections to western Vantaa: suburbs of Myyrmäki, Martinlaakso and Hämeenkylä.

  Regional U-line bus 540 to Espoo (€5), for connections to the suburbs of Leppävaara, Nihtisilta, and Espoonkeskus in Espoo.

  Regional buses 514/535 to Espoo (€5), for connections to the suburbs of Leppävaara, Westend, Tapiola and Espoonkeskus in Espoo.

• Taxi
  Regular taxis to the center cost €30-40. Shared Airport Taxi (tel. 0600 555 555 for bookings) mini-vans start from €29 for two (mind that infants count as an adult.)
• Train
  A train line to the airport is under construction, until mid-2015.

For general aviation (small planes) the Helsinki-Malmi Airport (IATA: HEM, ICAO: EFHF) is available, with fuel and customs facilities available at the airport.