How to Get Around Finland

Trains run by VR are comfortable, punctual and reasonably priced, connecting Helsinki with Turku, Tampere, Oulu and on to Rovaniemi. The overnight sleeper to Lapland carries cars as well and is the pleasant way to go north.

Buses reach everywhere the trains do not, including much of Lapland, run by Matkahuolto and OnniBus.

Flying internally is quick and often cheap between Helsinki and Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kittila and Oulu, which saves a very long drive in winter.

Driving is straightforward, with quiet roads. In winter, winter tyres are legally required and studded ones are normal; watch for elk and, in Lapland, reindeer on the road at dusk — collisions are common and you are obliged to report them.

Ferries serve the archipelago and Aland, many of them free as part of the road network, and international routes run to Stockholm and Tallinn.

Helsinki’s trams, metro and buses share one ticket, and the city is easy to cycle.