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Helsinki Vantaa International Airport
Basics
Helsinki-Vantaa is located 12 miles (19 km) north of the center of Helsinki. The airport web site contains useful travel information including maps of the airport, departure and arrival times, and various services available at, or near, the airport.
Taxi
Helsinki has many taxis, so getting a taxi at the airport is no problem. The fare is metered and will be about 150 markka ($27) to the city center. Travel time is 25 to 40 minutes, depending on the traffic.
Airport Taxi
There are shared taxis called the Airport Taxi, or Combis. They will take multiple passengers for about 60 markka ($11) each. Like a regular taxi, they take you to your destination, except you may have to make a stop, or two along the way. These taxis are a good compromise between the regular taxi, and the Finnair Bus. You can find the shared Airport Taxis just outside the arrivals hall.
Bus
Finnair runs a bus service at the airport that is pretty spectacular. Frequent departures and a direct route to the center of town make it just as convenient as a taxi, but at a fraction of the cost. The buses run from 5 A.M. to midnight, every 20 minutes during most of the day, and every 30 minutes very early in the morning and late at night.
The buses depart from right outside the terminal so there is no long walk with your luggage. They stop at the Inter-Continental Hotel and the central rail station where you will find the Finnair City Air Terminal. The buses sometimes make stops along the route to drop off passengers on request. Fare is 30 markka ($5), and travel time is 25 to 40 minutes.
The rail station is right in the center of town, so a taxi ride to your hotel would be brief. Many central hotels are within walking distance: The Seurahuone-Socis Hotel is right across the street from the rail station, and the SAS Royal is about a 10 minute walk away.
Rental Car
If you are staying and working in central Helsinki you will not need a car. Most everything is a pleasant walk away, or you can catch one of the taxis that line up at many street corners. If, however, you rent a car, Avis, Budget, Europcar, and Hertz have airport counters, and many hotels have car rental desks in, or near, the lobby.
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