The short answer: take the train. It leaves from under the terminal, costs €4.50, and reaches Helsinki Central station in half an hour. Everything else on this page is for when the train is not running, when you have too much luggage for it, or when Helsinki is not where you are going.
Every fare and time below was checked on 28 September 2026 against HSL's price list, HSL's own timetable data and the operators' published taxi prices.
The train: I or P, whichever comes first
The airport station is directly beneath the terminal; follow the train signs down from arrivals. Finavia's access page describes it as a direct connection, and it is: lifts and escalators, no outdoor walk.
Two commuter lines serve it, and both go to Helsinki Central. They are one loop run in opposite directions, so it does not matter which one you board:
| Line | Route to the centre | Time to Helsinki Central |
|---|---|---|
| P | Airport – Tikkurila – Pasila – Helsinki | 29 minutes |
| I | Airport – Myyrmäki – Pasila – Helsinki | 34 minutes |
On a weekday each line runs every 10 minutes through the day, so a train leaves roughly every five minutes. At weekends the gaps stretch to 10–15 minutes.
First and last trains (HSL timetable for autumn 2026):
- First P from the airport: 04:52 on weekdays, 05:52 at weekends. First I: 05:04 every day.
- Last I: just after midnight (00:04, or 00:34 on Friday and Saturday nights).
- Last P: 01:22 on most nights, 02:22 on Friday and Saturday nights.
Between the last train and the first, the airport has bus 600, below.
The ticket: you need zone C
HSL divides the region into zones A to E. Central Helsinki is zone A; the airport is in zone C. An ordinary Helsinki AB ticket will not do, and ticket inspectors on the airport trains know exactly what they are looking for.
| Ticket | HSL app | Ticket machine or contactless card |
|---|---|---|
| Single, zones ABC, adult | €4.50 | €4.80 |
| Single, zones ABC, child 7–17 | €2.25 | €2.25 |
| Day ticket, zones ABC, adult | €12.80 | – |
| Each further day, 2–13 days | €6.40 | – |
Prices from HSL's price list valid from 2 June 2026. Buy before you board: the machines are on the platform, and the HSL app sells the same ticket 30 cents cheaper.
Two ways to save:
- Staying three or four days and riding trams? A multi-day ABC ticket covers the airport in both directions and every tram, bus, metro and ferry in between. Three days cost €12.80 + €6.40 + €6.40 = €25.60.
- Buying a Helsinki Card? The REGION version includes zones ABC and the airport train; the CITY version does not. The arithmetic is in the Helsinki Card guide.
Bus 600: slower, cheaper by nothing, open all night
HSL's bus 600 runs from the airport's arrivals level to Rautatientori, the square beside the Central station. It takes the same zone ABC ticket at the same price, and you can pay by contactless card at the reader on board.
It is slower than the train and less predictable: in the autumn 2026 timetable the trip takes between 36 and 66 minutes depending on the hour, and about 50 minutes at a typical daytime departure. It runs every 10 minutes by day.
The bus earns its place at night. It keeps running through the small hours, every 20 to 34 minutes, while the trains stop between about 01:30 and 05:00. If you land at 02:00, this is your ride.
There are also a handful of night buses from the airport to the centre, mostly at weekends (the 415N and 431N to Elielinaukio), but the 600 is simpler and more frequent.
The Finnair City Bus that older guides mention is not among the bus links Finavia lists today. The only airport bus into the centre is the 600.
Taxis: what the fixed prices are
The taxi rank is on the arrivals level, with four lanes and a taxi available around the clock. Four companies hold the airport contract: FixuTaxi, Taksi Helsinki, Menevä and Lähitaksi. Each lane is a different company, and prices are shown at the rank.
Two of them publish a fixed fare into the centre, for 1–4 passengers:
| Company | Fixed price to central Helsinki | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Taksi Helsinki | €38.05 | postcodes 00100–00180 and 00220, rank lane 2 |
| Menevä | €42 | its downtown zone, from the rank (lane 3) |
Prices from Taksi Helsinki's airport page and Menevä's 2026 airport price list. Outside those zones the fare runs on the meter. Say your address before you set off and ask for the fixed price if it applies; the drive takes about 30 minutes without traffic.
For two people the taxi costs about four times the train. For four people with ski bags it is about double, and it goes to the door.
If you have booked a taxi in advance, it will not be at the rank: pre-booked cars wait in the pick-up area on the first floor of the P2 parking hall.
Going somewhere else in Finland
Long-distance trains do not stop at the airport. You change once, and Finavia's advice is right: the easiest changes are at Tikkurila and Pasila, and you can buy one train ticket from the airport to your destination.
To Tampere, Oulu or Rovaniemi: change at Tikkurila. Take the P train, 10 minutes. From Tikkurila, on a normal weekday:
- Tampere: 31 to 34 trains a day between 05:19 and 23:59. The fastest take 1 h 22 min, a typical one 1 h 37 min.
- Rovaniemi: three or four daytime Intercity trains, the fastest 7 h 47 min, and two or three night trains a night (the 20:30 and the 23:59 run daily), which take 10 h 50 min to 11 h 50 min. The night trains carry sleeping cabins.
To Turku: change at Pasila. The P takes 25 minutes and the I 30. From Pasila there are 14 trains to Turku on a weekday, 1 h 57 min to 2 h 02 min. The last one leaves at 21:11 on weekdays and 22:58 on Saturdays, so a late landing means a night in Helsinki or a bus.
These are from the national rail timetable data for October to December 2026. Engineering works close sections of line at short notice, so check the day's timetable before you rely on a tight connection.
If you are heading north for the winter, the Rovaniemi guide covers the arrival end, and the best time to visit explains why the December trains sell out.
Which one to take
- Arriving between 05:00 and midnight with a bag you can carry: the train, €4.50 in the app. Nothing is faster.
- Arriving between 01:30 and 05:00: bus 600, same ticket.
- Three or more of you, heavy luggage, or an address far from a station: a fixed-price taxi at €38.05–42.
- Staying three days: a multi-day ABC ticket from the start, which pays for the airport run both ways.
- Going on to Tampere or Lapland: the P train to Tikkurila and change there.
Once you are in, the things to do in Helsinki guide starts at the station door. The Helsinki daylight page tells you how much of the afternoon will be light when you arrive.