Helsinki has a great public transportation system with frequent and reliable buses, trams, and metro.
My Airbnb host recommended the HSL app (the official app for Helsinki’s public transportation system) to plan routes, check schedules, and purchase tickets.
The HSL app worked fine, but I ended up using Google Maps for navigation and route-planning because it was more familiar and user-friendly for me. Google Maps got me to places I needed to go, but the benefit of the HSL app is that you can buy your tickets directly on the app in advance.
Both options will get you to where you need, just choose the option that feels most user-friendly for you.
Paying for Public Transit
In Helsinki, you can buy public transportation tickets through the HSL app, which offers slightly cheaper fares than contactless payment. As of 2026, an adult Zone AB single ticket costs €3.30 through the HSL app, compared with €3.50 when paying by contactless card or mobile payment at the time of boarding.
If you prefer not to use the app (like me), you can pay with a credit or debit card or another contactless payment method when boarding. On buses, trams, metros, trains, and ferries, there are electronic card readers where you can tap your credit card or another contactless payment method to purchase your ticket. (Note: You can board through any door on buses, trams, and trains.)
When purchasing a ticket, you’ll need to select the correct travel zone. If you’re traveling within central Helsinki, a Zone AB ticket will cover you. If you’re traveling to or from Helsinki Airport, you’ll need a Zone ABC ticket. I arrived in Helsinki by ferry, so I purchased a Zone AB ticket and used a tram to get to my Airbnb.
If you’re using the ticket reader onboard, have your payment method ready before you start the purchase process. After selecting the correct zone, you need to quickly tap your card or phone to pay. The reader on Helsinki’s buses and trams returns to the main screen really quickly if you don’t complete the payment, meaning you may have to start the process over. I learned this the hard way. I had my payment card stored on my phone, but by the time I unlocked my phone and opened the card, the reader had already returned to the beginning screen. I struggled with this for a while before realizing the trick: have your payment card ready before you even select your travel zone. Once you select the zone, you can immediately tap and pay without scrambling to get your card or phone ready.
Transfers
A single HSL ticket is valid for 80 to 110 minutes, depending on the zones you purchase. A Zone AB ticket is valid for 80 minutes, while a Zone ABC ticket is valid for 90 minutes. During that time, you can transfer between different HSL services—including buses, trams, commuter trains, and the Metro—without purchasing another ticket.
If you bought your ticket through the HSL app, on buses, you should show your ticket to the driver when boarding; on trams, commuter trains, and the Metro, you’ll only need to show it if a ticket inspector asks. Your ticket remains valid when transferring, so you can simply board your connecting bus, tram, train, or Metro without buying another ticket.
If you bought your ticket with a debit or credit card through the electronic reader, when boarding another bus, use the same card and tap the card reader – but you don’t need to select your zones or make another payment. On trams, trains, and the Metro, you generally don’t need to use the card reader to make a transfer.
If you’re getting close to the end of your ticket’s validity and aren’t sure whether you need to buy another ticket, you can use the card reader to check whether your contactless ticket is still valid and when it expires.
Ticket Inspections
During one of my tram rides, I encountered a ticket inspector. If you purchased your ticket through the HSL app, simply open the app and show the inspector your ticket.
If you bought your ticket through a contactless card or mobile payment, simply present the same payment method to the ticket inspector. The inspector will use a handheld device to verify that you made a valid ticket purchase with that card. I paid for my tickets using the credit card stored on my phone, so when the inspector came by, I explained that I had purchased my ticket using the contactless reader. I then presented the card on my phone, and she held her device next to my phone to verify the payment. Once it checked out, she moved on to the next passenger.
Bus Transportation to Other Cities in Finland
If you’re planning to visit cities outside Helsinki, traveling by bus can be an affordable and convenient option, especially for destinations that may not have a direct train connection. OnniBus operates long-distance bus services in Finland.
I took an OnniBus from Helsinki to Porvoo as a day trip, and the journey took about an hour. It was an easy and convenient way to visit Porvoo without needing to rent a car.
You can buy your ticket through the OnniBus website or mobile app. You’ll receive a ticket with a QR code to scan when boarding.
Finding the OnniBus at Kamppi
Most long-distance buses departing from central Helsinki use the Kamppi bus terminal, which is located within the Kamppi shopping center. You’ll need to walk into the shopping center and then find your bus, but I’ll admit, it was a bit confusing to find my bus to Porvoo.
Kamppi has separate areas for local and long-distance buses. The local bus terminal is on the shopping centre’s E level, which is the level of the ground-level entrance; the long-distance bus terminal is on the K level below it, underground.
If you’re taking a long-distance bus, which I needed to do for my trip to Porvoo, you’ll need to go down another level. Getting to the lower level was the most confusing part for me. Kamppi is a busy place that felt like a maze – I found escalators going up but not down in some areas. I even found an elevator, but that particular one wouldn’t go down another level. I also found a set of escalators going down, but those only took me to the metro station.
I eventually found my way after 10 minutes of running around the station. To get to the lower level where the long-distance buses are, look for the entrance to the Kamppi metro station. The escalators to the long-distance bus terminal are opposite the entrance to the metro station.
Once you reach the long-distance bus terminal, look for the electronic departure boards to find your bus platform.
Give yourself a little extra time to find your bus when departing from Kamppi, especially if it’s your first time there. The combination of a large, busy shopping centre, metro station, local bus terminal, and underground long-distance bus terminal can be confusing.
I mistakenly thought of Porvoo as a nearby city, so I was confused when I couldn’t find any buses to Porvoo at the local bus level. I eventually realized that the Helsinki–Porvoo route departs from Kamppi’s long-distance bus terminal. To avoid my mistake, check to see whether your destination is a local or long-distance bus route ahead of time.
