Car Rental at Helsinki Airport

Airport travel guide

Helsinki might lack the same historical grandeur as other Nordic capitals like Copenhagen or Stockholm, but it has plenty of other aces up its sleeve. Often named both one of the most innovative and the most livable cities on the planet, it has no shortage of interesting museums, entertainment, and landmarks. These are some of the most interesting attractions of Helsinki:

• Ateneum. The most notable of the cultural institutions that make up the Finnish National Gallery, Ateneum is also the largest art museum in Finland. Located in a 19th-century building that boasts a truly stunning facade, the museum hosts classical works of most famous Finnish artists, as well as renowned foreign masters like Munch, Cezanne, and Van Gogh.
• Löyly. An essential part of Finnish culture is its healthy obsession with subjecting oneself to heat and steam, and in recent years visiting one has been a quintessential part of a tourist’s experience. No visit to the Finnish capital is complete without experiencing a traditional Finnish sauna, and while there are almost countless opportunities for that — even most residential buildings have one — the Löyly public sauna is probably the most glamorous one. Combining a conventional sauna look with modern design influences and located right on the Baltic coast, it has been mentioned in foreign media like CNN, Vogue, and Time. Read more about the best ways to immerse yourself in Helsinki’s sauna culture here.
• Kiasma. The main contemporary art museum of Finland, Kiasma is another iconic attraction of the Finnish capital. Located in one of the city’s most interesting buildings that was created and constructed for the needs of the museum, the museum boasts both permanent and rotating exhibitions and is also a frequent site of various cultural events.
• Helsinki Cathedral. The center of Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the national church of Finland, Helsinki Cathedral is also one of the city’s most well-known – and most photographed – buildings. Built in the 1830s, it can be found in the Kruununhanka neighborhood that is just a stone’s throw from both the city center and most of its attractions, and the harbor.
• National parks. There are plenty of parks and urban forests in Helsinki, but if that doesn’t feel wild enough for you, the Uusimaa region, of which Helsinki is a part, is home to three national parks. Ekenäs Archipelago can only be reached by boat (although visiting it is still a very worthwhile experience), but Nuuksio and Sipoonkorpi are both only about a 40-minute drive away (to the northwest and northeast, respectively). Both these parks are characterized by thick forests, walking trails, and local wildlife like European nightjars, flying squirrels, and, in the case of Nuuksio, even reindeer. Visiting the nature of Helsinki and the surrounding areas is an essential addition to every Helsinki itinerary.

Top international routes

• Stockholm
• Copenhagen
• Oulu
• Tallinn
• Riga
• Rovaniemi
• Oslo
• Frankfurt
• Paris
• Amsterdam
   

Main airlines

Finnair, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa, TUI fly Nordic, and BRA Braathens Regional Airlines

Terminals

The two Helsinki Airport terminals are T1 and T2, which are an easy walk one from the other. The airside sections of both terminals are further divided into Schengen and non-Schengen areas.

Location

Helsinki Airport is about 20 km (12.4 mi) from downtown Helsinki. Motorways 135 and 45, and Elimäenkatu, Sturenkatu, and Helsinginkatu are the main roads connecting the airport to the city.

Most popular types of rental car

• Medium cars - from $28 per day
• Small cars - from $22 per day
• Station wagons - from $33 per day
• Large cars - from $43 per day
• SUVs - from $33 per day
• Premium cars - from $74 per day
• Vans - from $71 per day

Car rental desks

Most offices are in the pedestrian corridor that connects the two airport terminals.

Services and facilities

You’ll find a great choice of shops, including some that are duty free, as well as many restaurants, cafés, and fast food outlets. There are also ATMs, many currency exchanges, two on-site hotels, sleep pods, a children’s play room, two pharmacies, a medical clinic, a relaxation lounge that’s open to all passengers, a spa, pay showers, a beauty salon, barber shop, charging area for mobile devices, observation deck, game area, a book swap and reading area, a work and rest station, the Finnish Aviation Museum, frequent art exhibitions, and even a wedding hall for travelers to hold their wedding ceremonies. Luggage storage lockers are on the ground floor of both T1 and T2 and are open 24/7. The airport is easily accessible for travelers with reduced mobility and also offers free assistance when booked at least 48 hours in advance. You can find more information on the airport's official website.

Nearest gas station

Neste Express Vantaa Ilmakehä, at Teknobulevardi 1, can be reached in five minutes and is open 24/7. There are many other gas stations nearby and on the way to Helsinki.

Popular one-way rentals

• Espoo (25 km / 16 miles)
• Tampere (172 km / 107 miles)
• Turku (170 km / 106 miles)
• Tallinn (109 km / 68 miles)
• Lahti (100 km / 62 miles)
• Lappeenranta (221 km / 138 miles)