Helsinki Airport Taxis - Advice on Saving Costs

This page contains affiliate links. Clicking them is free but we may receive a small commission. Please read our advertising policy to understand how the partners have been chosen.

Taxis in Finland

Taking a taxi has always been 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 good to understand how the taxi system works before boarding a taxi at Helsinki Airport.

Pricing of Airport Taxis

Taxis operating at Helsinki Airport are moderately priced. The majority of 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.

We recommended learning about the fares carefully before boarding a taxi not to get surprised after the ride. If you are not using a taxi application which tells the price clearly, the easiest way is to ask for an estimate from the driver. Metered taxis must have a fare meter visible to customers so they can follow how the price develops during the journey.

If you take an ordinary metered taxi, they charge usually both for the duration and the distance. The price list is fixed and marked on the window of the taxi.

Almost all Helsinki Airport taxis accept cash payments and also Visa and Mastercard. Better taxis accept also Diners Club and American Express. By using mobile taxi applications, it is possible to prepay the journey which is perhaps the easiest way to pay. Tipping is not necessary.

Reliability

Taxis in Finland are safe. To start a taxi company in Finland 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 experience, 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.

Getting a Taxi from Helsinki Airport

Helsinki Airport has agreed on fixed prices from the airport to the Helsinki centre with three different 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 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 app, say Uber. They will pick you up also from the taxi station.

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

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. Its 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: Other 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.

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: Preordered Taxis

If you are a fan of Uber or another similar application, you are free to order a taxi via an app. We recommend Bolt and Uber because they are affordable.

Pre-booked taxis will pick you up from the taxi station. If the driver wishes to save some expenses, he/she may also pick you up from the short-time parking area just in front of the terminal building. It is important to follow the instructions on the app. Preordered taxis must have legal taxi licenses too.

Using Taxi Applications at Helsinki Airport

There are many taxi applications in Finland and especially in the Helsinki area. They can be used to order a cheaper taxi than the airport's recommended options.

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 short-time parking area. 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.

Install Uber application from here.

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 parking area. Bolt application will instruct you.

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

Install Bolt application from here.

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.

Install Yango application from here.

Fixutaxi

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

Install Fixutaxi application from here.

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.

Install Menevä Application from here.

Other Taxi Options

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 short time.

Private Airport Transfer

The easiest but still surprisingly 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 beforehand 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. You can book Welcome Pickup online and cancel the ride free of charge if the plans change.

Back 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 Pickup. This is a practical way to make taxi arrangements before the journey has even started and there is no need to install taxi applications and learn to use them..

Alternative Public Transportation Methods

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.

Whim Review - A Clever Application For Public Transport?

Helsinki Airport Train

The airport train to the centre leaves from the Airport's railway station located underground, just about a 5-minute walk from the arrival halls. There are two different train lines: the 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 to order a taxi 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.

Holiday-makers 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 preordered 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

You might also like

Helsinki to Tallinn Ferry Guide

Stopover in Helsinki: What to Do?

Old Porvoo - Amazing Summer Town

Top 9 Things To See in Vantaa