Intercity Bus & Train Services in Finland

• Finnish Buses & Coaches
• Long Distance Trains
• Cheap Train Tickets: Veturi
• Freight & Courier Service
• Long-distance Journey Planner
• Related Links

Long distance public transport in Finland is modern, safe, comfortable and punctual, with routes all over the country. Buses and trains are air-conditioned, with reclining seats and bathrooms. Most include free power and Wi-Fi.

Tips:
Ticket prices vary widely - even for departures within one hour from the same company - so check the schedules carefully!
Specials are not always published in English. Check Finnish versions of sites for the magic words Tarjous, Tarjoukset, Säästö or Erikoishinta, which all indicate specials.

Finnish-English travel dictionary: Useful words / phrases Show

Finnish Buses & Coaches

Long distance bus and coach services are regular and frequent, even to remote parts of the country. Buses are clean and modern with air conditioning, reclining seats, seat belts and bathrooms. Individual power outlets and Wi-Fi are increasingly common and provided free.

The oldest bus consortiums are Matkahuolto and ExpressBus. Comparatively new to the market are Onnibus, who since 2014 have shaken things up with ticket prices about one-quarter those previously available.

Bus stations have restaurants and shops. Baggage left at one station is dispatched to its destination, even when bus transfers and different bus companies are involved.

Onnibus
Onnibus offers cheap long-distance bus fares Finland-wide, with routes extending as far north as Levi in Lapland. The bigger destinations include Helsinki, Turku, Pori, Tampere, Vaasa, Jyväskylä, Oulu, Kajaani, Kuopio and Kotka, with stops at smaller towns in between.
website: The English version of the Onnibus site is comprehensive and easy-to-use, with information on tickets, timetables, routes, bus stops, bus facilities and more.
Ticket purchases can be made online, with numerous payment options (credit card, online banking etc.)
Onnibus www.onnibus.com - En, Fi
Customer Service Tel: 0600 02010 Limited hours. Call charge € 0.99 / min + local network charge.

Matkahuolto
website: Tickets, timetables, and fare information.
Ticket purchases can be made online or from Matkahuolto terminals, Matkahuolto agents and many travel agencies.
Regular travellers: Matkahuolto offers season or multiple-trip tickets loaded onto a Travel Card. Travel Cards can be topped up at R Kiosks and onboard most buses.
Matkahuolto www.matkahuolto.fi - En, Fi, Sw
Timetable service, Tel: 0200 4000 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Call charge € 1.99 / min + local network charge.
Matkahuolto also provides economical, reliable parcel services.

ExpressBus
website: Tickets, timetables, routes and bus stops.
Ticket purchases can be made online or from bus drivers or various outlets - see site for details.
ExpressBus accepts Matkahuolto Travel Cards.
ExpressBus www.expressbus.fi - En, Ru, Fi, Sw
ExpressBus journey information is available from the Matkahuolto service.
Tel: 0200 4000 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Call charge € 1.99 / min + local network charge.

Ecolines: St. Petersburg by bus
website: Tickets, timetables, route and bus information. The 398km Helsinki - St.Petersburg trip takes about 6½ hours.
Ticket purchases can be made online, in 8 currencies.
Ecolines www.ecolines.net - Multi-language

Long Distance Trains

I like the direct translation of the Finnish word for railway, rautatie - iron road.  Tough stuff!

Finnish commuter and long distance trains are operated by VR. The rail network extends northwards to Kolari, north of Rovaniemi, and the trains are fast, comfortable, and punctual. Intercity trains are well serviced and have free power outlets, WLAN and mobile phone coverage. You can also take the train to St. Petersburg.

• Discounts are available for all advance purchases of long distance tickets. Reduced prices apply to tickets bought a minimum of three days in advance, with increasing discounts for tickets bought up to 60 days in advance. Additionally, family tickets are available on which children up to 16 accompanied by an adult travel free.
• Pendolino is the high-speed train of Finland, with a pressure-tight tilt-body and designed to travel at up to 220 km/h. They have a restaurant car, wireless internet, and a variety of other services
• InterCity, InterCity2, and Express trains are single and double-deck trains with a variety of services, such as a 'Mobile Bistro' trolley. They are not so luxurious as the Pendolinos, but have much lower fares
• Some trains have car-carrier wagons and sleeping cars
• Bicycles can be taken on long-distance trains; they must be booked in advance because of limited spaces, and the charge is €5 (May 2015).
• Pets can be taken on long-distance trains, on carriages displaying a dog symbol. Pets must have a passenger accompanying them. The charge is €5 (May 2015)
• St. Petersburg train info
• All long distance trains are non-smoking

Tickets+ Online
The VR website has loads of information, including full details of train types, facilities and services, so you can choose your destination and the type of train you get there in.
Tickets, timetables, services, tips and offers, services for business travellers and more at
VR www.vr.fi - En, Ru, Sw, Fi

Veturi - Cheap Train Tickets
It's a great idea to sign up, free, for VR's loyalty program Veturi. You'll receive regular email offers from VR for special deals, which can be very good. Discount tickets are typically 50%-85% off normal prices. In October 2014 there was an offer for €10 tickets to anywhere in Finland.
Veturi www.vr.fi > EN > Veturi

VR's special offers are now published in English. Many are only available to Veturi members.
Specials www.vr.fi > EN > Tips and offers > See al offers

Long-distance Journey Planner

The Finnish Transport Agency provides a point-to-point long-distance journey planner for Finland. Enter your starting point, destination, and departure or arrival time for results including flights, rail and bus connections, and walking routes. You can save your regular routes for later searches. The free service also includes local transport connections for 21 cities.
opas.matka.fi - En, Sw, Fi

Freight & Courier Service in Finland

The bus company Matkahuolto also provides a range of parcel services which utilise its frequent buses and broad route coverage to deliver goods all over Finland. Dispatch and delivery can be between various Matkahuolto service points, and they also provide door-to-door services. I personally recommend this service; it's well-priced and reliable.

The site has information on services, packing etc. and a price calculator and Service Point search.
Matkahuolto www.matkahuolto.fi - En, Fi, Sw

Related Links
Links to other sites are direct to the relevant page, where possible

• Public Transport: Helsinki region, Helsinki Airport, and city by city Finland-wide.

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