How to Travel in Finland: Tips for Efficient Journeys

When visiting our lovely country of Finland, I always encourage everyone to explore outside of the capital Helsinki. As someone raised in the countryside, I don’t feel like you would get to know the real Finland (and Finnish people!) just by walking the streets of the capital. You miss the forests, the lakes, the greenery, the emptiness… 

Getting around in Finland even as a tourist and without your own car is quite easy, just as long as you know what your options are and what’s possible and what isn’t! This article was inspired by someone asking me for suggestions on how to get from Oulu to northern Norway which led me to realise that I don’t actually know that much about travelling in Lapland – but we’ll get to that in the end!

My aim is to give you an overview of what your options are when you want to see Finland outside of our capital, and have more than a day or two to spend. Or when you already have a destination in mind, and just need to find the most convenient way to get there.

If you’re in a hurry, and just want to quickly find the links, click here to reach the tl;dr at the end of the article!

So, how do you get around in Finland? Well, let’s start with the most common mode of transport: trains.

Updated in Jan. 2025 about changes with Onnibus services.

This post might contain affiliate links, which means that following the link and making a purchase can lead to me earning a bit of extra pocket money – at no cost to you.

All Aboard! Train Travel in Finland

Trains are by far the most comfortable way to get around in Finland. There’s only one company, called VR, so you don’t have to/cannot go compare for the cheapest prices. I originally started writing this post with a lot more information about the trains, and it ended up turning into a love letter to Finnish trains. So much so that I decided to turn it into a blog post on its own: you can read my more in depth take and tips on train travel in Finland here.

To keep it short here: trains are very convenient (fast, comfortable) when travelling from north to south, or south to north, but will come with a higher price tag than other means of travel.

If trains aren’t your thing, or you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, buses are a great way to get around Finland.

Hitting the Road: Bus Travel in Finland

Finding Your Route

If you’re travelling between major transport hubs ie. the biggest cities and towns, you can skip this paragraph and head straight to information about Onnibus and Flixbus. However, if you need to get somewhere outside of those cities, it’s worth checking out the Matkahuolto journey planner. This website will help you find connections to different destinations, including those not served by the main long-distance bus companies. 

You can also use it to find local bus routes and timetables. Local buses will often take card payments, and you pay for the trip to the driver, but it’s safe to have some cash in hand too.

For truly long-distance travel, you basically have two main options: Onnibus and Flixbus.

Onnibus

The best (IMHO, but also the only one for the longest time) long-distance bus service is Onnibus. The big, red buses take you to most places in the country, including a lot of places that the trains don’t. It is also a lot more affordable, even though it takes a bit more time. The drivers are friendly, seem to be able to speak some English, and so far I haven’t feared for my life as much as I have with other bus companies *cough* Via Baltica Flixbus drivers *cough*.

There are two different types of routes, MEGA and FLEX: MEGA is generally faster, but with FLEX you can ask the driver to drop you off at more obscure locations along the way.  As of Jan. 1st, 2025, all the buses now run under the same OB status, so no more MEGA or FLEX routes!

The only thing with Onnibus, especially if you’re travelling from the smaller town/stops, is that it can be hard to find the correct location, as they don’t always depart from the bus stations. On the website you can find maps, but for someone not local it can be a bit hard, so leave time if you’re not 100 % sure where the stop is!

Most of the stops are still at the bus stations, which are not that huge outside of Helsinki. But if you’re at a bus stop on the road, make sure you arrive early enough and wave at the driver to stop. Some of the stops even in Helsinki will be just regular bus stops off the side of the highway, but most of the time there will be others waiting to get on too.

You can book your seat in advance for a small fee on some routes. The seats at the front, or at the table will be more expensive (in double-decker buses). And this wouldn’t be Finland if there was no option to book the seat next to you to avoid *gasp* having to sit next to someone! I think at the moment the extra seat is for 25% off the price of the ticket.

These buses will have toilets, free wi-fi (not sure how good, haven’t needed it) and power sockets under every seat. So download your fave shows for offline viewing and don’t worry about your battery!

Tickets can be purchased online, in the app or from the driver. Update 2025: drivers will only accept payments by card, no cash! The tickets are usually cheaper online! You should be able to get the tickets from R-Kiosk as well. If you travel often in Finland, it’s worth registering in the app as you get a free trip after 10 journeys!

Flixbus

Flixbus has also recently entered the Finnish market with routes from different places in Europe, so we shall see if that affects the established Onnibus routes. Their network in Finland is surprisingly good and at least at the time of first writing this (Nov 2024), they are able to offer routes significantly cheaper (Oulu-Rovaniemi with Onnibus for tomorrow is 15,80 € and Flixbus 7,98 €).

Another perk with Flixbus is their extensive international network: if you’re travelling from anywhere in Europe via Baltics or Poland, you can book your bus ticket directly to many places in Finland. The ticket includes the ferry ride from Tallinn to Helsinki, and you don’t need to try to find your way around Helsinki.

As a travel blog I can’t tell you to completely ignore Helsinki in favour of the rest of Finland, but maybe I do…?

I just noticed that they will also take you all the way to the Santa Claus village – now how handy is that around Christmas time!

While I generally prefer trains and buses, sometimes flying is the most practical option, especially for longer distances.

Taking to the Skies: Domestic Flights in Finland

Finland is a long country, so getting from one end to another will take a long time by road or rail. Another option, which I don’t vouch too much for due to environmental reasons, is of course flying.

The main airports can be found in the same cities as the biggest train stations, but you also have smaller airports and some that have seasonal flights in the north.

Sharing the Ride: Carpooling and Hitchhiking

Carpooling

Probably the cheapest option for travelling around the country is carpooling (kimppakyyti or kimppakyydit in Finnish). You can search for “kimppakyydit” + the name of the city you’re travelling to/from in the Facebook groups, to join and request a ride. 

There are also apps and websites you find with the same search word, but I have never used them so cannot vouch for any. 

I have personally offered rides in Facebook groups, and usually we split the gas costs (the driver has a say on how much this is, don’t be an asshole and try to negotiate), sometimes somebody will even buy the driver a coffee (hint, hint ☕️), or offer to drive part of the way.

Carpooling is  a good way to get to know the locals, because the people who offer to share are usually people who are tired of driving alone and will want someone to talk to.

Car transfers

If you’re looking for an even more budget-friendly option, consider car transfers (siirtoauto in Finnish). Sometimes companies need to move their cars from one place to another and are looking for people to drive them. Search for “siirtoauto” on Facebook to find groups where these opportunities are offered. You’ll need a valid driving licence, but this is a free way to get around!

The companies need the cars transferred, and you need to get somewhere—it’s a win-win. Usually, the cars are in pretty good condition, but I’ve had one bad experience where I was afraid to stop the car anywhere outside of major service stations because I wasn’t sure I could turn it back on. So, be sure to check the car’s condition before accepting a transfer!

Hitchhiking

Another option is of course hitchhiking, but I haven’t actually ever tried that in Finland, so I can’t say how easy it is. I will always pick up hitchhikers if I’m driving where they want to go, and so far I haven’t had any unpleasant surprises. Hitchhikers by the side of the road seem to be getting less and less frequent though. 

Also, this might not be something you want to do in the winter, as it is pretty cold and it gets dark rather quickly. I personally wouldn’t be too eager to pick up someone that suddenly emerges from the dark at the side of the road, nor is it very pleasant for the hitchhiker either.

If you want to try this method of travel, I would recommend positioning yourself somewhere at the biggest gas stations (like ABC, Neste, Shell) along the main roads to increase your chances of getting picked up.

Remember to be cautious and trust your instincts when accepting a ride!

Saving Money on Travel: Discounts and Deals

Travelling in Finland can be expensive, but there are ways to save money on transportation. Here’s a breakdown of the discounts offered by VR, Onnibus, and Flixbus. Always check for the latest information on their official websites, though! This is just a quick recap to get you started.

Student Discounts

• VR: Offers a 30% discount for full-time students studying in Finland. You’ll need a Finnish student card (or ISIC issued in Finland) with the VR logo to be eligible.
• Onnibus: Provides dynamic student pricing for Finnish university students with a valid student card or certificate that includes the Matkahuolto logo. This effectively means that you won’t be able to get the discount unless you’re enrolled full-time in Finland and your ISIC (or Finnish student card) is issued in Finland.
• Flixbus: Offers a small discount for travellers with a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC).

Discounts for Children and Seniors

• VR:
  • Children under 4 travel for free.
  • Children aged 4-17 get a 40% discount.
  • Seniors aged 65 or older get a small discount.
• Onnibus:
  • Children aged 2-11 travel at a discounted rate.
  • Children under 2 travel free on an adult’s lap.
  • Seniors aged 65 or older get a dynamic senior discount.

Other Discounts

• VR: Offers group discounts for groups of 10 or more passengers and early bird discounts for booking in advance.
• Onnibus: Occasionally offers discount codes for specific routes or periods.

Tl;dr

• Trains: best for north to south and vice versa travel, more expensive but faster and more convenient. Tickets at VR. 
• Buses: main company Onnibus, with a competitor Flixbus starting in Finland recently
• Carpooling: search for “kimppakyyti” and the names of the cities you’re trying to travel between in in Facebook
• Planes: quick(er), but think of the environment!

Confessions of a Train Enthusiast (Who Usually Takes the Bus)

So there you have it, my honest (and perhaps somewhat biased) guide to how I think it’s best to get around Finland. 

Personally, when deciding on how to get somewhere my train (ha!) of thought goes as follows:

1. Check the trains
2. Get absolutely disgusted at the price because I haven’t planned ahead at all and I’m frantically booking my tickets the night before
3. Check Onnibus (and maybe Flixbus in the future too, but can’t miss out on those free tickets!)
4. Decide to go by bus 

When I started writing this article, I didn’t realise it would turn into such an ode to the Finnish trains and VR. So much so that I had to split this into two posts to keep it from getting too long. Maybe one day I will need to do that to the section about buses too, if Flixbus gets more of their buses on the Finnish roads…

What are your favorite ways to travel around Finland? Have you had any memorable (or disastrous) experiences with Finnish trains or buses? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!