Water transport in Finland is well developed, especially for tourist purposes. Navigation runs from mid-June to late August; in winter, you can only travel with an icebreaker. First of all, water transport is used on large lakes: Saima, Päijänne, Pielinen, Inarijärvi. The duration of the trip can be from several hours to several days.
General information about Finnish water transport
Finland has an extensive lake and river network and a significant length of the sea coast, so you can get by water to almost all cities in the country, as well as to neighboring states. In addition, Finland has an extensive system of fairways, canals and locks, which are modernly equipped, which, in combination with the professional activities of transport companies, makes it possible to provide a high level of service for ships of all classes.
There are 102 commercial ports in the country. In almost every locality there are companies that organize excursion tours and cruises on boats and motor ships.
There are two permanent waterbus routes in the Finnish capital Helsinki.
Olympia is the main sea terminal of the capital. It is located in a picturesque corner of Helsinki on the shore of the bay. There are always "parked" ferries, yachts and boats. There are many cozy cafes near the terminal where you can grab a bite to eat for a reasonable fee.
Helsinki is the largest passenger port with regular Baltic and North Sea flights to major port cities in Western Europe. The largest transit hub in the country is Kotka. And the oldest port in Finland is the port of Turku, which annually serves more than 4 million passengers.
International flights
Finland has a regular ferry service with many European countries, including Estonia, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Norway.
International flights are operated from various Finnish ports: Helsinki, Eckerø, Longnes, Mariehamn, Turku, Vaasa, Naantali.
One of the most popular destinations is Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Only 2.5 hours of travel by water separates the Finnish capital from the Estonian capital Tallinn. By water transport you can also get to the German Rostock and the Russian St. Petersburg.
In order to travel across Europe, many tourists often travel from Helsinki to the coastal German town of Travemunde. The road by sea will take 29 hours, but on the way you can fully enjoy the endless expanses of the Baltic.
From Travemünde it is only an hour by car to Hamburg and three hours to Berlin.
The price of a ferry ticket is much lower than that of a train or plane, and the conditions are even more comfortable. You can go to Tallinn, Stockholm, Travemunde and other cities from Helsinki at any time of the year. In addition, the ferry does not just carry passengers from one port to another - there are many entertainments awaiting tourists on board, in addition to the beautiful seascapes.
Tourist sea travel
Traveling by sea on board a cruise ship is a popular type of holiday in Finland. Cruise routes connect Scandinavia, the Baltics and European countries. A suitable option for traveling in the Baltic Sea can be found at any time of the year.
For such trips in Finland, comfortable ships are used, in fact, they are real floating five-star hotels, since the cabins on cruise ships are in no way inferior to the rooms of the best hotels in terms of the level of comfort. On board passengers are offered all kinds of entertainment: restaurants, shopping centers, saunas, show programs. There are also special events for children.
Cruises can be conditionally divided into:
- daytime;
- Overnight;
- seasonal.
The standard cruise program lasts from one to three days, although there are also five-day trips. Travel can be combined with leisure, for example, in Turku, the Åland Islands, Tallinn or Stockholm.
An example of a day cruise is a trip from Helsinki to Tallinn. In the morning, passengers leave the Finnish capital, spend almost half a day in Tallinn, and in the evening they return back to Finland. An overnight trip involves returning to the city of departure the next day. This is the cruise Helsinki - Stockholm - Helsinki.
A seasonal cruise is only available at certain times of the year. The most popular are Christmas and New Year travels. Tourists are happy to spend the holidays on board the ferry. Vessels are festively decorated, garlands are hung everywhere, and restaurants offer a special menu. Christmas and New Year's cruises from St. Petersburg with a call to Helsinki are regular.
Popular with tourists and walking trips. Such a cruise lasts only 1.5 hours, but it gives a lot of pleasant impressions. Pleasure boats have open and closed decks and a bar. Usually a short boat trip is accompanied by an excursion. Note that the lyrics are in Finnish, but the recording can be heard in Russian, English and Swedish.
Music cruises are no less interesting, during which live music sounds on the deck of the pleasure boat. Most often, artists play jazz or perform popular Finnish songs. The journey lasts 2-2.5 hours.
Favorite weekend entertainment - dinner cruise. Guests are offered traditional dishes: salmon in cream, meatballs, fried potatoes with spices.
The main cruise city is Helsinki. It is from here that every day you can go on a trip to a variety of cities and countries. And whichever option you choose: lake, river or sea cruise - the trip will leave only pleasant memories.
Carrier companies
There are several ferry carriers operating in Finland.
| Company | Contacts |
|---|---|
| Viking Line | 018 262 11 Storgatan 3 22100 Mariehamn |
| Tallink | +358 600 157 00 Erottajankatu 19 FIN-00130 Helsinki Aleksis Kiven Katu 26 Yliopistonkatu 27 Hamnterminalen |
| Finnlines | +358 10 34350 Komentosilta 1 00980 Helsinki Satamatie 11 |
| Eckeroline | +358 9 2288 544 Tyynenmerenkatu 14 00220 Helsinki |
This is not the whole list of companies that carry out passenger and cargo transportation from Finnish ports.
Estonian shipping company Tallink should be noted among the above companies. It has offices in several Finnish ports. It is the largest carrier in the Baltic Sea. The most popular routes are: Helsinki - Stockholm, Turku - Stockholm, Helsinki - Tallinn.
You can view the schedule, buy tickets, learn more about the cruises on offer on the official website of the carrier.
River and sea directions
The most important sea routes are as follows:
- Helsinki - Stockholm;
- Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm;
- Helsinki - Tallinn;
- Helsinki - Lubeck;
- Vaasa - Uumaya.
As Finland is called “the land of a thousand rivers” and “the land of a thousand islands,” there are many river and lake routes. In summer, river trams run regularly from Kotka from the pier in Sapokanlahti Bay to the nearby islands.
The Saimaa Canal connects one of the largest water basins in Europe - the Finnish Lake Saimaa with the Russian Vyborg. The lake itself is a real water labyrinth of large and small lakes, rivers and channels. Its main ports are Kuopio, Mikkeli, Varkaus, Savonlinna and Lappeenranta.
There are two permanent waterbus routes in Helsinki that leave from the Presidential Palace.The first route leads to the Suomenlinna Fortress, which is one of the landmarks of the Finnish capital. In the warm season, river vessels leave every 15 minutes, in the cold - every hour. Trams run every half hour in summer and to the Korkeasaari Zoo.
In Lappeenranta, boat trips are organized along the Saimaa Canal to the islands of Lake Saimaa.
In summer, the motor ship Carelia runs between Lappeenranta and Vyborg, allowing you not only to take an exciting boat trip, but also to comfortably get from Russia to Finland.
The Finnish city of Rauma is known for its unique wooden architecture from the 16th to 17th centuries. and a rich cultural life. Having made a boat trip through the archipelago of the same name, which has about 300 picturesque islands, you can admire the incredible beauty of northern nature and enjoy the famous Finnish fishing. Rauma also accepts independent travelers - a special pier is equipped for them and even a place where you can put up a tent.
On the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia lies the modern city of Oulu, in which there are many beautiful parks and ski slopes. In summer, a ferry runs between Oulu and Hailuoto Island. Not far from the city is the village of Liminka with the famous Liminganlahti bay, where birds can be watched in spring and autumn. During one day during the migration period, you can see up to 70 species of birds, including Dubrovnik and others.
The Liminganlahti Bay, declared an ornithological reserve, is under the patronage of the World Wildlife Fund.
You can go on a water trip not only by river tram or ferry. You can make an equally exciting trip on your own. The cost of renting a boat will depend on its size and equipment. The approximate cost is from 50 to 500 euros. During the trip, you can order lunch or dinner, go fishing. Usually, a rented boat has a map of all inland waters so that you can plan your sailing trip yourself.
What's the fare
Ferries that connect the insular part of the capital with the mainland are urban transport, so they are valid with the same tickets as buses or trains. If you are going to stay in the Finnish capital for a few days, it makes sense to purchase a ticket valid for a day or more. Moreover, an internal travel document is suitable only for travel in Helsinki, and a regional one also covers the road to the airport.
Domestic ticket costs:
- for 1 day - 9 euros for an adult / 4.5 euros for children;
- for 2 days - 13.5 / 6.75 euros;
- for 3 days - 18/9 euros.
The cost of regional tickets for Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen is:
- for 1 day - 14/7 euros;
- for 2 days - 21 / 10.5 euros;
- for 3 days - 28/14 euros.
Travel documents are sold at ticket machines, kiosks and service points. You can buy tickets online using a special mobile application.
Excursion and tourist routes are paid separately. For example, a ticket for a river tram that runs between Helsinki and Korkeasaari Zoo costs 12 euros. The cost includes a round trip, as well as a visit to the zoological garden.
A walk from the port of Kotka to the nearest islands will cost from 4.5 to 8 euros for adults and 2-4 euros for children. A two-hour walk from Lappeenranta along the Saimaa Canal or the islands of Lake Saimaa will cost 10/5 euros.
To get acquainted with the prices for international travel and cruises, you should go to the official website of the carrier. You can also book and buy tickets there.
Let's summarize
Water transport is very popular in Finland. You can get to almost every corner of the country by ferries and river trams. Numerous Finnish islands are connected with the mainland only by ferry connections. For travel by ferry, regular tickets intended for travel in public transport are suitable.
It is convenient to travel by water from Finland and to neighboring countries. A passenger ship, as a rule, is a whole mini-hotel. And although the trip will take a little longer, the cost will be cheaper. It should be noted that there are regular ferry connections with many European countries. International flights to Germany, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Estonia depart mainly from the port of Helsinki, but not only.
