Helsinki Airport Taxis - Advice on Saving Costs

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Taxis in Finland

Taxi is one of the most reliable ways to travel in Finland. Finnish taxis are safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, good quality comes sometimes with a high price tag. This is true especially if a traveller does not pay attention to pricing. Prices are not regulated so there is no upper limit for the price of a ride. It is necessary to understand how the Finnish taxi system works before boarding a taxi at Helsinki Airport.

Pricing of Airport Taxis

Taxis operating at Helsinki Airport are moderately priced. Some of the companies have a fixed price list but dynamic pricing is getting more popular, thanks to mobile applications. During busy hours, taxi fares can be surprisingly high but in peaceful hours, there are cheaper offers.

It is advisable to familiarize yourself with taxi fares before getting into a taxi to avoid any surprises after the ride. If you are not using a taxi application that provides clear pricing information, the simplest way to determine the fare is to request an estimate from the driver. Additionally, taxis are required to display a price sticker on their windows. Metered taxis have a visible fare meter for customers to track the fare as it accumulates during the journey.

If you take a metered taxi, they charge usually both for the duration and the distance.

Almost all Helsinki Airport taxis accept cash payments and also Visa and Mastercard. Better taxis accept also Diners Club and American Express cards. By booking a ride with a mobile taxi application, it is possible to prepay the journey which is perhaps the easiest way to pay for the ride. Tipping is not necessary in Finland.

Traveller's card - Curve

Reliability

Taxis in Finland are safe. To start a taxi company legally, you need a taxi license and every driver must also pass a taxi driver's exam. The driver's permit must be visible inside the taxi. According to our taxi experiences, drivers have decent driving habits and you can trust them. They are not overcharging or making fraud.

Drivers speak at least basic English but usually, they are not talkative. A customer is the one who initiates small talk. Surprisingly, not all drivers speak Finnish since many of them are immigrants.

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Helsinki Airport Taxis

Helsinki Airport has agreed on fixed prices from the airport to the Helsinki centre with three taxi companies. This means that getting a taxi and making a cost estimate is easier than elsewhere in Helsinki. However, you are free to choose a ride from taxi companies other than these three. If this is the case, you need to ask for the price information from the driver or check the pricing details from the window of the taxi.

The taxi station of Helsinki Airport is next to the terminal on the arrival floor (1st floor). The station is easy to find just by following the taxi signs inside the terminal.

There are four lanes at the station. Three first lanes are reserved for the partner companies of Helsinki Airport and the fourth lane is reserved for any taxi. It is also possible to order a taxi by an app, say Uber. They will pick you up from the taxi station or sometimes, from the front of the terminal.

You can check the latest official taxi information on Helsinki Airport's website.

Taxi Lanes at Helsinki Airport

The taxi station of Helsinki Airport has three lanes meant for the airport's partner companies and one lane for other companies. We introduce them below.

Lane 1: Fixutaxi

The first lane is reserved for the cars of Fixutaxi. Fixutaxi is a reputable taxi company which guarantees you a safe journey wherever you will go. Its prices are the following:

Lane 2: Taksi Helsinki

The second lane is reserved for Taksi Helsinki. Also, this company is reliable and it has perhaps the best reputation in the Helsinki area. The cars are new and in good condition. The prices are the following:

If you do not remember which lane is meant for your taxi company, you can refer to the signs at the station.

Lane 3: Menevä

The third lane is reserved for Menevä. Like with the previous companies, this lane is a safe choice. Its prices are as follows:

Lane 4: All Licensed Taxis

The lane 4 is a surprise lane. Any licensed taxi can arrive at this lane. If you choose a taxi from this lane, ask about the price from the driver before accepting the ride. If you do not like the quality of the car or the price, just skip the taxi and take the next one. We believe that all taxis coming to this lane are safe and reliable. You may end up having a much cheaper ride, or the other possibility, end up paying a high fare for a short ride. We advise negotiating the prices. To the centre, 30 euros is a good price.

For example, we were taking a ride home that would cost about 40 euros by using the airport's partner companies. We chose a taxi from lane 4 and asked about its price. The price started from 45 euros but we were able to negotiate it to 30 euros. When there are more taxis than customers, choosing lane 4 is a good choice. You can easily negotiate a good deal.

According to our experiences, also airport partner taxi companies negotiate prices.

Option 5: Pre-ordered Taxis

If you are a fan of Uber or another ride-hailing application, you are free to order a taxi via your favourite application. We recommend Bolt and Uber because they are affordable.

Pre-booked taxis will pick you up also from the taxi station. There are signs leading to the pick-up point. If the driver wishes to save some expenses, he/she may also pick you up from the front of the terminal building one floor higher. It is important to follow the instructions on the application. Pre-ordered taxis need legal taxi licenses too.

Taxi Apps in Helsinki

There are many taxi applications in Finland and especially in the Helsinki area. They can be used for ordering a cheaper taxi to the airport. Waiting time is only a few minutes.

Uber

The number one on the list is the famous taxi application Uber. If you order Uber to pick you up from the airport, you will be picked up from the taxi station or the front of the terminal. Follow the instructions on the application.

Uber rides are legal in Finland and drivers need a license just like other taxis. You can expect a professional and safe driver with an insured car.

Uber is often a little more affordable than the airport's partner companies.

Bolt

Bolt is the first European mobility super-app. After a break, the company returned to Finland. If you order a Bolt ride, a taxi will pick you up from the taxi station or in front of the terminal. Bolt application will instruct you. Sometimes, the driver may call you or send a message to give more details.

Bolt is one of the cheapest ways to ride a taxi in Helsinki. The application is also simple to use.

Yango

Yango is a taxi ordering application from Yandex company. The company comes from Russia and there has been a discussion about the privacy level of the application. In the beginning, Yango didn't have enough cars in the Helsinki area but nowadays, the company has increased its capacity. As a Russian company, Yango's reputation has lately gone down.

Fixutaxi

Fixutaxi is a Finnish taxi company. Fixutaxi is a partner company of the airport and its cars use lane 1 at the airport taxi station. They have a nice application and competitive prices outside the airport too. There is no point to order Fixutaxi to the airport by the application.

Menevä

Menevä is a company that offers taxi services in Helsinki and also in many other Finnish cities. The company has a nice application that works well and is reliable.

Other Taxi Apps

There are also applications called Taksini from Lähitaksi company and Valopilkku from Taksi Helsinki company. These tend to be more expensive options. We recommend trying Bolt and Uber if you are just visiting Helsinki for a short time.

Private Airport Transfer

The easiest but still affordable way to reach a destination from the airport is to book a private transfer. You can book a private car that meets your quality requirements and is big enough for the whole group and luggage. A driver will wait with a name sign at the arrival hall. The price is agreed upon during the booking so it will be clear what the ride costs.

Our recommended partner, Welcome Pickups, is a high-quality transportation company having local English-speaking drivers in Helsinki. A driver will monitor the flight for delays and take passengers to their destination stress-free. Book a ride online and cancel it free of charge if the plans change.

City to Helsinki Airport

Taking a taxi from the city back to Helsinki Airport is the easiest way to reach the terminal. Taxis take you directly to the front door so you do not need to walk long to reach the check-in area. Rides are also fast because there is seldom traffic congestion on the road to the airport.

You can order a taxi to pick you up from the hotel in many ways. You may ask hotel staff to order one but probably, they will order an expensive taxi, perhaps their partner. Another way is to use taxi applications and you will get a cheaper ride and the price is agreed upon beforehand. The third option is to book a private transfer from Welcome Pickups. It is practical to make taxi arrangements even before the journey has started and then there is no need to install taxi applications and learn to use them.

Alternative Public Transportation Options at Helsinki Airport

If you are heading to the Helsinki centre and you are not in a hurry, it is not necessary to take a taxi at all but use other public transport instead. You save some of your pennies by getting onto a bus or train. A train ride can even be the fastest way of travelling if the centre is your destination.

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Helsinki Airport Train

The airport train to the centre leaves from the Airport's railway station located underground, just about a 1-minute walk from the arrival hall. There are two different train lines: trains P and I leave for the city centre every 10 minutes in the daytime. They take different routes but both of them arrive finally at Helsinki Central Railway Station. So it does not matter which train you take if you head to the city centre.

The ticket price is about 5 euros and there is no airport supplement fee unlike in other many European airports. The journey time is 30 minutes. Trains call at every station and the stop names are also displayed on the information screens. Tickets can be bought from automated machines at the station and R-kiosks inside the terminal.

We recommend buying cheaper tickets by HSL app. You need to install the application on your phone and link a payment card, after which you can easily purchase a single ticket, a day ticket, a week- or a 30-day ticket. There are no ticket sales on commuter trains! You, therefore, need a valid ticket before getting on any public transport to avoid the ticket inspection fee of 80€!

Airport Buses

Taking a bus is the best option if you are not heading to the centre but a taxi would be too expensive. Many public bus routes leave from the airport to the centre. Use route planner to check which bus is the most suitable for you.

A bus ticket has the same price as a train ticket. You can connect free of charge between different types of public transportation while your ticket is still valid.

From Helsinki Airport to the city centre you need a ticket including the zones ABC.

Which Helsinki Airport Taxi Is the Best?

There is no the best taxi that suits all travellers. If you are travelling on a budget, taking a train instead of a taxi is a good choice. At night, using Uber or Bolt is probably the most inexpensive method to reach any destination in the Helsinki area.

Business travellers who wish to reach a hotel or meeting place as fast as possible may take any of the next available rides from any taxi company. This is one of the fastest ways to reach a destination but can also become an expensive one.

Holidaymakers and other individual travellers should do at least a basic price comparison. A few minutes spent on the price comparison on the spot or by mobile phone may easily save you 10 euros.

Bottom Line

Getting from Helsinki Airport to your destination is simple and fast. A taxi or another pre-ordered transfer is the most comfortable way of travelling with heavy luggage though it requires you to pay a little more. Thanks to the existence of different taxi companies at the Helsinki Airport, prices have got cheaper. With several options to choose from, you may get the best price according to your own choice, either a fixed price or a negotiable one.

Have you ridden a taxi in Finland? Tell us about your Finnish taxi experiences by leaving a comment below!

Tags: Helsinki Airport, taxi, travel guide
Destination: Finland

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