It's no secret that Russians in neighboring Finland feel almost at home today. Admiring the beauty of Suomi, relaxing, shopping for our tourists is no longer a problem. Finns have a right to be proud of excellent roads, infrastructure and European service. Traffic rules are not difficult, parking in Helsinki is another matter. You can't leave your car anywhere, and it's a disaster with free parking. Finding a parking space without experience and knowledge of the language is almost impossible.
Parking rules in Helsinki
The country has adopted European traffic rules, according to which parking is allowed only in designated and equipped places ─ in official parking lots, in the area of validity of a permit sign.
Parking regulations in Finland prohibit parking:
- if there is no permitting sign;
- there is a yellow solid line along the side of the road;
- on the road in two rows;
- at intersections, sidewalks, at gates and entrances, traffic lights, stops, in tunnels, on and under overpasses;
- closer than 5 meters from pedestrian crossings;
- less than 30 meters from level crossings;
- on the left side of the carriageway if the road is a two-way road;
- in places where traffic is obstructed;
- on tram tracks;
- outside the parking lot markings;
- in places intended for disabled people (except for drivers with disabilities);
- on main roads outside of built-up areas.
Parking in Helsinki on New Year's Eve is almost impossible. On weekends, signs often appear in courtyards, the meaning of which is difficult for a foreigner to grasp. The Finnish language is difficult and the inscriptions in English are not always duplicated.
Here are some examples:
- Pysakointi kielletty - parking is prohibited;
- Varattu - the place is taken;
- Vain talon asukkaille - for residents only.
Particularly difficult is the identification of private parking lots, which are not recommended to occupy without the permission of the owners. If the sign has the word P-luvan, a special permit is required to park in this area.
Long-term parking in Helsinki in the central part of the city is prohibited by the municipality. Places near offices and institutions for employees are marked with the inscription Henkilökunta, and for guests - Vieraspaikka. The main signs and indexes are identical to the Russian ones, and we will tell about some of the differences in the plates below.
Variety of parking lots
The network of parking lots in Finland is extremely developed. Especially in the capital. Parking lots are widely represented here:
- paid;
- free;
- for invalids;
- for personal and business vehicles ─ Resident and Business Parking;
- intercepting Park & Ride;
- multi-storey and underground type Car Hotel.
Paid parking lots prevail in Helsinki. The signs located nearby are accompanied by pictograms in the form of a parking meter and signs that say lippuautomaatti or maksullinen. There are a lot of shareware parking lots: with limited free parking time, usually from 30 minutes to 4 hours.
Free parking is indicated by a sign saying Ilmainen. It is worth looking for such a place near traditional places of mass gathering of people ─ attractions, monuments, stadiums, cinemas and supermarkets. Underground parking in Helsinki is the most convenient way to leave your car in a safe place for a long time, but it is also the most expensive.
Where can you park your car
In the city center, on weekdays from 9 am to 9 pm, parking is paid on almost all streets. And in the business center even on Saturday. The most expensive parking is here and parking time is limited.
Inexpensive Park & Ride is a more convenient option to leave the car for 12-24 hours. Intercepting parking lots in Helsinki are located near public transport stops and are usually free of charge. On some, the fee varies from 1 to 4 euros for a parking lot lasting 10-12 hours. For location information, see the Helsinki Regional Transport website map www.hsl.fi.
Parking in the suburbs is often free, but time may be limited. Especially in new residential areas where a parking ban can extend to a single street or even an entire block.
Parking zones
Municipal parking in the center of Helsinki and the surrounding areas is paid almost everywhere during the daytime during the week. But the Finnish capital is divided into three zones, in which the cost of parking is different. In addition, it is always worth checking the signposts as there are streets in the city where parking is paid even on Sundays and public holidays.
Parking at the airport and seaport
Parking at Vantaa Airport allows you to park cars in six zones, four of which (P1, P2, P3 and P5) are multi-level indoor parking. There is a short-term parking area in front of the terminal, where you have to pay only 1 euro for 10 minutes. But this is an option for embarkation / disembarkation.
You can leave the car for a maximum of two hours without paying at the exit from the zone of the first terminal on the left at the turn. In this case, you will have to use the parking clock.
In general, the question of whether there is free parking at Helsinki airport is purely rhetorical. There is no such. It is possible to stop for a short while at the gas station located at the fork between the terminals. But it is best to use the reservation of nearby hotels.
If you need to leave your car longer, you will have to use paid parking services. A week in a covered parking lot will cost from 69 to 148 euros, depending on the distance from the station building.
And in open parking lots (P4A and P4B), the cost is fixed - 44 euros. The minimum parking time is a day.
You can book airport parking online. On the Russian-language version of the official website of "Finavia" (www.finavia.fi) - the company serving the airport of the Finnish capital, it is possible to pay and book a seat for a period from 10 minutes to 31 days. In this case, you don't even have to drive up to the payment machine.
As for the seaport, there are berths at the Hansa terminals in Vuosaari, Katajanokka, Makasiini, Olympia, West terminals 1 and 2. A lot of them.
For example, only the parking at the Viking Line terminal in Helsinki has four parking lots. And Hansa has eight of them.
The cost varies from 2 to 4 euros for a stay of up to 4 hours. Long-term parking costs about 10 euros per day or up to 80 euros per week. Some parking lots use an hourly rate, the rate of which decreases as the number of hours increases.
For the location and cost of parking, please visit www.portofhelsinki.fi/en/passengers/parking-terminals. By the way, the resource has an online calculator that allows you to calculate the cost of parking near the port of Helsinki in advance. There is no Russian version of the site, but English is enough to figure out what's what.
Underground parking
The network of underground parking lots in the Finnish capital is well developed. The website www.europark.fi allows you to get acquainted in detail with the location, prices and features, and its Russian-language version greatly facilitates the task. Tariffs are different everywhere:
- Scandic's car park charges EUR 3.20 for 30 minutes of parking during the day and EUR 1.20 in the evening. By the way, hotels in Helsinki with parking for Russians are the most profitable option;
- P-Eliel ─ from 8.00 to 18.00 every day, except Sunday, the minimum fee is 5.60 per hour, then 2.80 euros for every 30 minutes. From 6 pm to 9 pm, parking costs 1.60 euros for every half hour. Night rate (from 21.00 to 8.00) ─ 1 euro / hour, including on Sunday. Parking time is not limited, but long-term parking in Helsinki costs 36 euros per day;
- P-Lauttis operates on the Autopay principle. Cost - 2 euros per hour (1 euros for an incomplete hour up to 30 minutes);
- Q-Park will charge 1 euro for 10 minutes during the day or 25 minutes at night;
- P-Simonkenttä: parking costs from Monday to Saturday: from 00.00 to 08.00 - 1 euro / hour, until 18.00 - 3 euro / hour, until 24.00 - 1 euro for 30 minutes. On Sunday, round knocks cost 1 euro / hour. Parking in Helsinki for a day here costs 36 euros.
- P-Tähtitorninvuori.From Monday to Sunday inclusive: first hour - 5.60, then - 2.80 for every 30 minutes, continuous parking - 36 euros.
Such places in the urban infrastructure are easy to find thanks to the bright e-letters "P". There is an indicator of empty seats above the entrance (TILAA - yes, TÄYNNÄ - no).
Shopping center parking
Shopping centers usually have the most expensive parking spaces, although parking in Helsinki is free almost everywhere on weekends. For example, the parking lots of the CityForum department store and Kamppi shopping centers (here they charge € 29 per day) cost 3.20 per 30 minutes during the day and 1.20 euros in the evening. At P-Kluuvi it costs 32 euros for 24 hours.
Linnanmäki Amusement Park offers services at a rate of 2 euros per hour. Serena Water Park - 5 € per day. The zoo has free parking, but it is small. The Eureka Science Center also has free parking.
Parking lot marking
Parking signs in Helsinki mean the same as ours, but with nuances. Free parking with no time limit is marked with a white P on a blue background with a 24h sign. A square surrounded by a yellow or green line indicates a paid parking lot.
The yellow plate may indicate the time period when parking is free:
- in black ─ on weekdays;
- in brackets ─ on Saturday:
- red on Sunday.
If the Parkkikiekko parking clock icon is visible, its use is mandatory. The free parking area is marked with a blue line - ilmainen pitkäaikainen pysäköinti.
Parking fee
The cost of parking in Helsinki is largely determined by the distance from the city center, the duration and the downtime. Particular attention should be paid to the price factor when looking for a place in the city center. Even if it turns out not to break the law, the payment will have to be repeated approximately every four hours.
It is much better to look for a place in the territory of a nearby shopping center. The price in this case will be 12-20 euros per knock.
It is even more profitable to use the parking lot of the hotel where you plan to stay. It can be booked in advance. It is convenient to follow the tariffs using the Internet resources, which we mentioned above.
Rates may vary on holidays depending on the season (especially in the port area). They will be lower for environmentally friendly transport. Simply put, if you have a low-emission, L-class vehicle, you get a 50% discount on parking services.
How much parking costs in Helsinki is influenced by the proximity of the port, airport, hotels, entertainment centers, large shops and stadiums.
- Free places are marked on Lapinlahdentie and Sanduddsgatan Streets ─ next to the cemetery and crematorium, respectively.
- The nearest free parking to the center is located on the road leading to Tervasaari Island.
- Cheap parking in Helsinki can be found under bridges, in particular on Lautatarhankatu and Brobergskajen streets.
- There are large parking lots on Katajanokanranta Street near the city park and the Katajanokka pier.
- You can freely leave your car for a few days in front of the Tallink Silja Line terminal and in the area of the city beach.
Payment Methods
The parking meters accept 20, 50, 1 and 2 euro coins and 5.10 and 20 euro bills. Before you pay for parking in Helsinki, it is worth stocking up on a change, because the change machine does not issue change.
The tariff and the zone number are indicated on the device, and by the color of the numbers on the panel, you can determine how many hours you can pay for:
- yellow - 1;
- gray - 2;
- green - 4.
Payment in the underground parking is made before leaving with banknotes of any denomination. For hotel guests, paying for parking in Helsinki is cheaper because you can get discount coupons at the reception. Payment is possible with a bank card, through the EasyPark or ParkMan applications in a smartphone, as well as on the eParking.com website.
Punishment for breaking the rules
A fine for violating parking rules can be imposed by a police officer or a municipal parking officer. Here is a short list of causes and consequences:
- non-use of parking hours - € 40;
- the machine with the engine running for more than 2 minutes (at an outside temperature above -15 degrees Celsius);
- violation of any parking rules in the center - 80 euros, on the outskirts - 60.
If the vehicle is in the way, it will be towed across the street or left nearby. If the fine is not paid within 48 hours, the car will be taken to the municipal garage.
Paid parking zones
A map of Helsinki parking lots is available on the municipal website www.hel.fi. Here you can find detailed information about city parking lots of different types, payment methods and even evacuation procedures. There is also a diagram showing the division into parking zones. There are only three of them:
- Vyohyke 1 covers the center. Parking here costs 4 euros per hour. Free parking on Sunday.
- In Vyohyke 2 and 3 the cost of parking hour is 2 and 1 euro respectively, Saturdays are free.
Parking zones in Helsinki are open from 9 am to 9 pm.
Conclusions
It is possible to choose where to leave your car in Helsinki, but several options are worth noting before the trip. Fines must be paid within 14 days from the date the receipt was issued. Otherwise, the penalty will be 50% of the fine.
