Transportation
Local transportation
The best way to get around in the metropolitan area (i.e. the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen) is to use public transport. The trams, metro, buses and local trains will take you practically anywhere.
The public transportation in Helsinki is divided into zones. Each city has its own internal zone, and together they form the regional zone. The tickets can be bought as internal (valid in one of the cities) or regional (valid in the whole metropolitan area). You can use city internal tickets on regional buses, if you only travel within that city, but as soon as you cross the city border you must have a regional ticket.
If you study in Finland for a degree, stay at least 2 years (Master's degree students) and change your residence to one of the metropolitan cities, you are entitled to a 50% student discount. Exchange students and trainees don't get any discount on public transportation.
Tickets
The ticket system is based on a travel card, matkakortti. Before buying one, you should register as a resident at the registry office, and if you are a student, have a certificate of that (you will get it when you enrol for the university).
A travel card costs approx. 10 € and it can be bought at a service point, yhteispalvelupiste. You can load the card chip with “time” and/or “value”. If you load time, you choose a travel period valid for internal or regional travel, for 14-366 days. For a non-local student, the price for 30-day ticket for regional travel is approx. 100 €. If you load money, i.e. value, you can use it to pay as you go. You can load 5-400 €.
Single tickets are also available, but they are a lot more expensive to use than the travel card. You can purchase a singe ticket from the driver in a bus or tram. In the metro, tickets can be bought from a vending machine or ticket office in or beside the station. In local trains, tickets are sold only in carriages bearing a white-and-blue symbol. Train tickets can also be bought before the journey from vending machines or at ticket offices.You can also order a ticket to your mobile phone. There are single tickets to travel within a municipality and a regional single ticket for when you travel within two or more municipalities.
- For more detailed information, updated prices and bus timetables, see http://www.ytv.fi/eng.
- Journey planner is a very useful tool, which helps you to find your way in the metropolitan area with public transportation. The planner can be found at http://aikataulut.ytv.fi/reittiopas/en/.
Long-distance transportation
Trains
All Finnish long-distance trains are operated by VR (government-owned company). Trains are a comfortable, fast and convenient way of getting around in Finland. Students at Finnish universities (also exchange students) get a 50 % discount on long-distance train tickets. You must produce a student card bearing a valid term sticker; a membership fee receipt is not enough. For fares and timetables, see VR's web page.
Coaches
Coaches are a bit slower but also a bit cheaper way of travelling. All coaches are operated by Matkahuolto. Students get a 50 % discount one way when the distance is at least 80 kilometres. Students at Finnish universities get the discount with the student card. During the recent years, trainees have got the discount by showing their student card and buying Matkahuolto's student card for 6 euros. You will need a passport-sized photo for the card. The card can be bought at any of their service outlets. For more information, see http://www.matkahuolto.fi/en/.