The main railway lines in Finland are operated by VR. The company has a monopoly on passenger trains, and its trains are known for being spacious and comfortable.
Commuter trains don’t require reservation and run every X minutes on weekdays. The train names are very easy to recognize: they consist of a letter followed by a number.
How to get to Vaasa from Helsinki
The UNESCO-listed Kvarken Archipelago is one of Finland’s natural heritage sites to visit and Vaasa is one of the important coastal centres of Ostrobothnian culture. The city is also home to a number of different museums.
Long distance bus and coach services are modern, safe and comfortable with reclining seats and individual power outlets. Some of them have free Wi-Fi and on some routes you can buy food. You can find a wide choice of routes on the websites of Finnish bus operators and watch out for the words Tarjous, Tarkistukset or Saasto as these indicate specials.
The main rail line in Finland radiates from Helsinki Central, serving most of the major towns and cities. The railway is operated by VR Group which has a monopoly on passenger transport. You can easily compare fares and timetables on Vivanoda to choose the best option for you. The average train journey from Helsinki to Vaasa takes 3h 53m.
Trains
The main train line in Finland is the InterCity, operated by VR, with trains connecting Helsinki to major cities including Tampere, Turku and Rovaniemi. These trains have a reputation for being spacious, comfortable and clean.
Most commuter train lines run out of Helsinki Central Station with tracks funneling into express and local routes. Commuter trains don’t require a reservation but there may be bigger gaps between them on nights and weekends. For up-to-the-minute route-specific timetables, use our trip search.
Ferry travel is a great option for exploring the scenic islands and archipelagos that dot the Finnish coastline. Various companies operate ferries across the Baltic Sea, such as Tallink and Silja Line and Viking Line.
Despite sharing a 545-kilometre border, Sweden and Finland’s railways are not linked, but there are plans to connect tracks in Laurila to allow cross-border passenger train travel from the south. Until then, daily Finnlines ferry connections between Travemunde in Germany and Helsinki will keep fans of slow travel entertained.
Buses
With an excellent passenger rail network and a well-developed bus system, Helsinki is easy to get around. Local trains are fast, comfortable and efficient, radiating out from the Central railway station and Pasila on grade-separated tracks with peak headways of 10 or 15 minutes. Regional trains run further afield to Riihimaki, Lahti and Karis on tracks shared with long-distance services.
The state-owned operator VR runs most domestic passenger train routes on a 9,216 km (5,727 mi) network with a broad 1,524 mm (5 ft) track gauge. Its service extends to most Finnish towns and cities, with limited connections into Lapland.
Local buses inside cities and towns are tightly regulated by their councils, with some local operators operating in competition with each other. Long-distance buses are operated by a variety of companies, and some, such as Matkahuolto, offer direct coach links across Finland. The buses move at a tortoiselike pace, but they are cheap and convenient.
Cars
The car rental company Sixt has a great fleet of cars to choose from for your journey from Vaasa to Helsinki. Their cars are well maintained and they offer a range of optional extras such as child seats, GPS and unlimited mileage. You can also add on protection packages like personal accident insurance and additional driver coverage to your car rental.
Long-distance passenger trains are operated by VR, including services between Helsinki and other Finnish cities as well as connections to Oulu and Rovaniemi. Since August 1988, InterCity trains have replaced the old blue-carriaged express trains as the mainstay of Finland’s long-distance rail network.
Most trains from Helsinki to Oulu and Rovaniemi stop in Seinajoki. Check the timetables at VR’s web site for more information. It is easy to book tickets online, in 8 languages. Travelers can also save money on train tickets by booking them in advance.
