On foot & by bike

For foot passengers and cyclists, the Stockholm - Helsinki ferry is easy to reach: in Stockholm, buses and shuttles run right to the terminals, and in Helsinki the tram stops at the terminal. What matters is going to the right terminal. Viking Line sails from Stadsgården in Stockholm and arrives at Katajanokka in Helsinki; Tallink Silja sails from Värtahamnen to the Olympia terminal.

Check-in on foot

With both ferry companies you need a valid passport or national ID card for check-in, children included. With Viking Line, also have your booking number or e-ticket to hand.

Viking Line: check-in starts about 1.5 hours before departure. As a foot passenger, be at the port at least 30 minutes before departure; check-in and boarding close 20 minutes before. Self-service check-in kiosks for travellers without a vehicle open 2 hours before departure. On some departures, online check-in comes as a link by text message. You need to go to the desk if, for example, your booking has not been paid yet or passenger details are missing.

Tallink Silja: the ferry company recommends arriving one hour before departure. Registration closes 30 minutes before departure, and access to the ship 20 minutes before. Bookings with a cabin check in at the terminal. Your boarding card is also your cabin key.

If you're travelling from Helsinki to Stockholm with Viking Line, everyone over 18 shows a valid travel document at check-in; digital documents are not accepted. All deadlines for both ferry companies are on the Check-in page.

To the terminals in Stockholm

Viking Line, Stadsgården: a Viking Line transfer bus links Cityterminalen with the terminal. Departure times are listed on Viking Line's port connections page. If you buy your ticket from the driver, you can only pay by card. Buses also run between the Londonviadukten stop and Slussen metro station, and taxis wait at the terminal.

Tallink Silja, Värtahamnen: you have several options here.

• The Tallink Silja shuttle runs non-stop between Cityterminalen and Värtahamnen in around 25 minutes. According to Tallink Silja, it leaves Cityterminalen at 14:40 and 15:00. Tickets are available online or at the information desk on board.
• The Båtbussarna run from Cityterminalen at Klarabergsviadukten to the main entrance in about 20 minutes. On board you can only pay by card.
• SL bus 76 stops right at the terminal.
• From Gärdet metro station on the red line it's a walk of around 15 minutes; the way is signposted.

There's more about both terminals on the Stockholm ferry port page.

To the terminals in Helsinki

Viking Line, Katajanokka: tram 5 runs straight to the terminal, and tram 4 stops nearby at Vyökatu. The central station is 2.5 kilometres away on tram 5. For the airport, take tram 5 to the station and continue on bus 600 or the I or P train. You can also buy tram tickets on board the Viking Line ships.

Tallink Silja, Olympia terminal: trams 2 and 3 stop at the terminal. The central station is 2.2 kilometres away. For the airport, take the tram to the station and then the I or P train or bus 600. Check-in here opens at 14:45 and closes at 16:15.

Details on both terminals are on the Helsinki ferry port page.

Luggage

Without a car, you carry your luggage on board yourself. There is left-luggage storage at the Viking Line terminal in Stockholm and at the Katajanokka and Olympia terminals in Helsinki. The Värtan terminal has lockers in two sizes, payable by card only. On the Tallink Silja ships, the luggage room is on deck 7; opening hours vary from ship to ship.

Taking your bike on board

Viking Line: cyclists check in at the vehicle check-in and board via the car deck. In Stockholm, the vehicle check-in is at the Fotografiska museum, 700 metres from the terminal. You can book up to five bikes online. With e-bikes, the battery stays on the bike, and nothing is charged on the car deck, so charge the battery fully before departure.

Tallink Silja: every bike needs its own ticket. The Silja Serenade and the Silja Symphony have bike racks.

If you're travelling by motorcycle, Tallink Silja lashes the motorcycles down in the outer lanes of the lower deck, with straps provided by the ferry company. With Viking Line you can book up to four motorcycles online.

Onward travel

In Helsinki, the central station is 2.2 kilometres from the Olympia terminal and 2.5 kilometres from the Katajanokka terminal; the tram takes you there. In Stockholm, the Tallink Silja shuttle leaves Värtahamnen for Cityterminalen at 10:15, 10:30 and 11:00. The Getting there & onward travel page describes how to continue from the ports. The Cabins page shows which cabin to choose for your night on board.