Europe Trains Guide

Finland (VR)

Country info: Finland (Suomi)

Rail companies: VR (Suomen Valtion Rautatiet)

Finnish Rail Network Map 

Currency: Euro


 

Train travel in Finland: train types, tickets, fares, discounts & other useful info

 

National Train Service:
Train types in Finland: Suburban (lähijunat), Regional (taajamajunat),  Express (pikajunat), InterCity, Pendolino & International trains
vr_pendolino&ic_helsinki

  • Suburban / Commuter (marked by letters (depending on route) 'A', 'R', 'M' etc. on VR website): commuter service in Helsinki Metropolitan area (Helsinki to Riihimäki, Lahti, Siuntio, etc.), no seat reservation required
  • Regional (marked as 'H' on VR website): regional service all over Finland , no seat reservation required 
  • Express (marked as 'P' on VR website): daytime & overnight express trains (national & international lines), seat/bed reservation required only for international routes ('Tolstoi' train from Helsinki to Moscow) & national overnight trains to Lapland (Rovaniemi, Kolari, Kemijärvi)
  • InterCity (marked as 'IC' on VR website): intercity service connecting major Finnish cities & towns, seat reservation not required, but can be made
  • Pendolino (marked as 'S' on VR website): high-speed service with tilting trains connecting major Finnish cities (Helsinki to Oulu, Helsinki to Jyväskylä & Kuopio, Helsinki to Kouvola, Iisalmi & Kajaani, Helsinki to Joensuu), seat reservation compulsory 
  • International trains (marked as 'AE' & 'P' on VR website): daytime (Allegro) & overnight service from Helsinki to Russia (St.Petersburg & Moscow), seat/bed reservation required 

 Discounts, special offers & ways to save money for passengers traveling by train in Finland (VR):

  1. For passengers purchasing their train tickets in advance (from 60 to 1 day before departure depending on connection) Finnish Railways offer special discounted fares - Saver Tickets. Basically early purchase means cheaper ticket (e.g. from Helsinki to Turku as low as 9,90 euro, from Helsinki to Tampere from 9,90 euro, from Helsinki to Jyväskylä from 14,90 euro, from Helsinki to Joensuu from 24,90 euro, from Helsinki to Oulu from 29,90 euro, from Tampere to Oulu from 25,10 euro and so on). Saver Tickets are valid only for specific train & date, it can also be changed for a fee before departure or cancelled if you have paid the cancellation fee when purchasing the ticket.
  2. Time & Day matters: Pendolino, InterCity and Express train ticket prices will vary on the basis of the train service and day of the week. On less popular train services tickets are cheaper than on the most popular ones, so travel during off-peak period and pay less
  3. Passengers traveling with children can take advantage of Family Ticket offer - children (4-16 years old) travel 40% cheaper
  4. 50 % SeaRail discount is granted (currently until June 30, 2015) on train tickets used in connection with Tallink Silja & Viking Line ferry trips
  5. Passengers planning multiple long-distance train journeys in Finland might consider purchase of Eurail or Interrail pass, it can be well worth it especially if you had no chance or time to purchase VR Saver Tickets. For those who plan to visit not only Finland, but neighboring Sweden, Norway and Denmark also offer regional Eurail Scandinavia Pass
helsinki_train_station

 

International Train Service:

a) Regular discounts

Not available

b) Special offers (SparSchiene)

Russia:

  • "Tolstoj" overnight sleeper train from Helsinki to Moscow (via St.Petersburg) priced according to global price fares
  • "Allegro" high-speed daytime trains: Advance Tickets (can be purchased up to 60 days in advance) from Helsinki to St.Petersburg (from 39 euro), from Tampere to St.Petersburg (from 40 euro), from Lahti to St.Petersburg (from 30 euro), from Kuopio to St. Petersburg (from 38 euro), Kouvola to St.Petersburg (from 26 euro), Jyväskylä to St. Petersburg (from 65 euro), from Turku to St.Petersburg (from 59 euro), from Oulu to St.Petersburg (from 75 euro), etc.

c) CityStars

Not available

allegro_train

 

Youth & Senior passengers holding Rail Plus Cards eligible to discount on all VR international tickets

It is as well possible to purchase Rail Plus Card in Finland (allows 25% discount on any international tickets between almost all European countries). Rail Plus Card prices: persons <26 & >60 years old – 20 euro or 45 euro for adults

Besides the above options for international rail journeys, passengers can as well use international SCIC-NRT/TCV tickets while traveling to/from Finalnd (for more details about this 'trick' see 'Western Europe – how cheap it can be?' section). For instance Helsinki to Moscow SCIC-NRT/TCV tariff ticket (with unlimited stops on the route & one month validity period) costs only 65 euro

commuter_train_helsinki



How to Buy Train Tickets in Finland:

National (domestic) & international tickets (including offers) can be purchase online via VR Ticket Shop - www.vr.fi/onlineshop

vr_intercity

 


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