Helsinki Metro Map 2024 – timetables, tickets & prices

The Helsinki Metro is a very special subway. After all, the Helsinki Underground, which opened in 1982, is not only the only subway in Finland, but also the northernmost metro in the world. After all, Helsinki is located on the 60th parallel, on a level with southern Alaska, and thus far further north than metropolitan areas such as Moscow.

With a current route length of around 21.1 kilometers, the Helsinki metro is also one of the smallest metro systems in the world. Small but mighty, one might say, because with over 64 million passengers a year, the metro is one of the busiest means of transportation in the Finnish capital Helsinki. The Metro Map currently shows a single line connecting the eastern districts with the city center.

The line currently in operation has 17 stations and forks at the “Itäkeskus – Östra centrum” station into two partial lines that run to the north-east and south-east of the city. The metro system, and therefore the Helsinki Metro Map, is currently being extended by a further line, the so-called Westmetro.

Helsinki’s metro lines at a glance

• Line 1 (Ruoholahti Gräsviken ↔ Mellunmäki Mellungsbacka / Vuosaari Nordsjö)

Once founded by the Swedish King Gustav Vasa as a trading town, the city has enjoyed increasing popularity among tourists for several years. In combination with the economic boom and the resulting increase in the number of commuters and students, this has fueled the Metro’s expansion plans. The metro, whose stations can be recognized both in the streetscape and on the Helsinki Metro Map by the white capital letter “M”, is also extremely important for holidaymakers.

After all, sights such as the parliament building, the Finnish National Theatre and the main railway station built from Finnish granite can be reached in no time at all from the vacation accommodation in the east of the city. But attractions further afield, such as the Suomenlinna sea fortress, can also be reached quickly and easily by Helsinki metro. The same applies to the city’s numerous museums, including the “Heureka” science museum, a very special exhibition.

The Scandinavians like it plain and simple. And this also has an impact on the Helsinki Metro ticket system. Accordingly, a tidy range of tickets is available on site, which tourists can also quickly find their way around. In addition to one-way tickets, the company limits itself to day and multi-day tickets.

These are not only valid for journeys on the subway, but for the entire public transport system in the city. This is particularly interesting as there are direct connections to ferries, buses and the S-Bahn from most of the 17 subway stations. As the Helsinki Metro Map currently only covers the Helsinki metropolitan area, passengers do not have to worry about different ticket zones.

When booking at the ticket machines, it is sufficient to select “Helsinki” as the “Travel Area”. Alternatively, both one-way tickets and day tickets can be booked via the “HSL” app, which is available in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Day tickets (optionally 1 to 7 days) and one-way tickets are also available in a discounted version for children.

For those who want to use the metro in Helsinki more often, the operating company offers the Travel Card. This is available for either 14, 30 or 365 days. Tourists, on the other hand, benefit from the Helsinki Card, which is available in the “CITY” and “REGION” variants.

While the “City” option includes free use of public transport in the city area, the “Region” option guarantees freedom of movement throughout the metropolitan region, including Espoo, Kauniaien and Vantaa, as well as transfers to the airport. The card, which is valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours, also includes free admission to 28 attractions and reduced admission to a further 22 attractions. The Helsinki Card is therefore the ideal offer for those looking to save money.

As in many other cities, the metro in Helsinki does not run around the clock. On weekdays and Saturdays, the metro operates between around 5:30 am and 11:30 pm. On Sundays, however, the trains run between around 6:30 am and 11:30 pm. On average, trains on the line run every 5 minutes. During rush hour between around 7:30 and 9:00 and 16:00 and 18:00, however, the frequency between Kamppi and Itäkeskus stations increases to around 2.5 minutes. In the late evening hours, a good 10 minutes pass between the departure of two trains.

To the timetables of the Helsinki Underground lines:

Line 1

As the metro only runs until just before the witching hour, night owls have to resort to alternative means of transport such as Helsinki’s night bus services after 11:30 pm. However, the buses marked with a capital “N” only run during the night from Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday. Alternatively, you can take the S-Bahn. This runs at weekends between 6:00 am and 4:00 am and during the week between 5:00 am and 1:30 am. If you are traveling in Helsinki outside of these times, you have to take a cab.

An extension to the west has been under construction since 2009, which will extend the network by a further 13.9 kilometers and eight stations in the direction of Espoo. The so-called Westmetro is to run via the central station to the Iso Omena shopping center. The existing line is also to be extended in an easterly direction.

In the future, however, the planners are focusing on the construction of a completely new subway line, which will connect the northern district of Viikki and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport directly to the Helsinki Metro Map subway system. Construction is not expected to start before 2020.