Easter timetable

If you want to get from A to B today by public transport you might have to calculate in a little bit more time. During the Easter holidays the timetables are a little different. 

Today as well as on Sunday and Monday all metros, busses, trams and trains operate according to the Sunday timetable. On Saturday nothing changes though. You can find more detailed information on all the changes on HSL's website.

So be sure to check your connection before heading out.

Have a nice Easter weekend!

Connected underground

If you live in Helsinki you get used to having access to the internet basically everywhere. You can find an open wifi pretty much in every cafe, restaurant, shop or shoppingcenter.

But did you know that in Helsinki you also have free wifi access in the metro? All metros are equiped with wifi hotspots that are free to use for anyone. This way you can even easily use your laptop or tablet on your way to work or to the center.

Enjoy the ride and stay connected!

Catch your metro in time

The electronic sign at the metro station tell you that your metro will be there in just one minute. And you are probably wondering if it still makes sense to run for it. Well even if one minute sounds quite tight, you might have quite a good chance.

The reason is that the electronic signs at the entrance of Helsinki's metro stations don't show the same time as the ones downstairs. They still calculate in the time you need to get down the escalators. So don't hurry next time it looks as if you won't make it. If the metro is still announced at the entrance of the station you have a pretty good chance of still catching it.

Where is Kaisaniemi?

Did you lately wonder why the metro stop Kaisaniemi isn't mentioned anywhere anymore? Well, for those of you who missed it, Kaisaniemi metro station was renamed. It is now called University of Helsinki (Helsingin Yliopisto/Helsingfors Universitet).

Now the university, in the year of its 375th anniversary also finally got its own metro station.

Art underground

When waiting for your metro at the Kamppi station you always have something to see. And that it due to the changing art exhibition down there.

The big glass box on the platform already displayed installations from various Finnish and international artist. And there is always something new to discover.

At the moment you can see Dennis Oppenheim's Kissing Rocks on display. You will always also find an explanaition about the artists and their installation in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian. Take a few minutes for a closer look next time you pass by there.

Messed up public transport

Most of you probably already made your way to the office by now and realized how complicated that is today. The metro and tram drivers in Helsinki are on strike today. And that will last for the rest of this Tuesday. Eventhough HSL has been trying to replace some of the connection with busses the whole public transport is quite a mess today.

Since the strike now even spreads to commute trains and replacement busses, HSL recommends people to rather walk or use the the bike today if they can. So if you have somewhere to be today, plan enough time to get there. Reaching your destination in Helsinki could get quite tricky. For more information stay up to date on the HSL website and on YLE News.

Need directions?

The Metro takes you all the way from the very East to the West of Helsinki. Additional to that the direction signs at the sealing of Kamppi Metro Station might give you some idea where elso you could go. But definately not by metro.

 

Have you spotted them before?

Tickets and comments via NFC

Did you know that you can buy your ticket for Helsinki’s public transport easily on the go? For trams, the metro and selected bus lines you can get your ticket with your phone. If you have a smart phone that supports NFC the only thing you have to do is hold your phone against the NFC sticker saying “Kännykkälippu” you find at the stop or station, tap the button to confirm your purchase and you’re good to go.

You will also find a second NFC that gets you to Pysäkkiseinä.fi. Here you can leave comments and questions about your travelling experience.

You can of course also order a ticket with a cell phone without NFC support. Just send a text with “A 1” to the number 16355 (supported by all Finnish carriers) and you will receive your ticket via SMS. The ticket has to be purchased before entering the tram, bus or metro.

For more information see the HSL website or watch the explanation video.

Cave paintings

As mentioned before you can find lots of tunnels in the city of Helsinki. Some lead to metro stations, some to parking lots, some connect shopping centers and some even connect islands to the main land. And some even have cave paintings. 

You can find them at the Vuorikatu entrance to Kaisaniemi metro station. Well admittedly they are not real. But they are a good example of what you can find in Helsinki if you keep your eyes open.

Kamppi’s well kept secret

People visiting Helsinki are often surprised that the city has just one Metro line. Surprisingly despite that the public transport system here is one of the best in the world. But did you know that originally Helsinki was supposed to have two Metro lines which were to cross each other at Kamppi?

Not just the plans for this project were ready. The second Metro level at Kamppi was even built. It was just never put into use. A map published by Helsingin Sanomat shows exactly where the second level is situated and a picture shows how it looks down there.

The second line was supposed to connect North and South. It was then later decided that trains from the main station should take over this purpose. For that reason the project was never finished. Instead it was decided that the existing Metro line should be continued westbound till Espoo which HSL is working on at the moment. The extension will be opened in fall 2014.

What do I push?

You have one of those traveling cards for the capital area. If you load it with some money you will have to hold it against the card reader and press a button whenever you want to travel somewhere. But what button is needed when?

1: For travelling within the zone you are in. That could either be Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi or Kerava-Sipoo.

2: For travelling between several zones. The ticket is valid in Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa.

3: For travelling in the whole region. With this ticket you can travel in all zones (Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Kerava, Sipoo and Kirkkonummi).

0 (just on trams): This ticket is only valid in trams within Helsinki.

L (just on busses): Extend your region and buy tickets that are valid in Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Kerava, Sipoo and Kirkkonummi.

Find more detailed information on the HSL website.

Hyvää matka!

Easy travelling

The public transport in Helsinki works perfectly. It is even ranked as one of the best in the whole world. Both for locals and visitors it provides the better and cheaper alternative to using a car in the city.

To make your travelling as easy as possible you should not buy single tickets from the machine or the driver every time but rather get your own Travel Card. With this electronic card you don’t need to carry around cash with you all the time and travelling becomes even cheaper. Especially if you are registered in the capital area tickets become noticeably cheaper. You can either upload time or value onto your card. Then just hold it against the card reader when you enter the bus and that’s it.

You can get a Travel Card on your name from the HSL service center at the main station underneath Elielinaukio. To find more information on prices for travelling in the capital area and to find out how much you can save using the Travel Card check the official website of HSL.

Hyvää matka!