Getting there & onward travel

Stockholm - Helsinki is an overnight ferry. You board in the late afternoon and wake up in the other capital the next morning. The key point for getting there: Viking Line and Tallink Silja use different terminals in both cities. Check your ticket before you set off.

To the terminal in Stockholm

Viking Line at Stadsgården

Stadsgården lies on the southern shore of Saltsjön, between Slussen and Londonviadukten. Without a car, take the metro to Slussen and then a bus to the Londonviadukten stop. Viking Line also runs a transfer bus from Cityterminalen. Another option is the boat Emelie from Masthamnen.

By car, head for the vehicle check-in at the Fotografiska museum, 700 metres before the terminal. Since 1 April 2024 you can no longer turn left when coming from Slussen, so approach from the east, from the Nacka direction, and turn right at Fotografiska.

Tallink Silja at the Värtan terminal

The Värtan terminal is in Värtahamnen, Hamnpirsvägen 10. SL bus 76 stops right at the terminal; its route includes Ropsten, Nybroplan and Kungsträdgården. From Cityterminalen, the Tallink Silja shuttle takes about 25 minutes and the Båtbussarna about 20 minutes. On the red metro line, ride to Gärdet and walk about 800 metres from there, around 15 minutes on a signposted path.

By car, you can park in front of the terminal for up to two hours. For longer stays, parking is run by Stockholm Parkering. The details for both terminals are on the Stockholm ferry port page.

To the terminal in Helsinki

Both terminals in Helsinki are served by tram.

• Viking Line, Katajanokka terminal: line 5 runs right to the terminal, and line 4 stops at Vyökatu, 400 metres away. The terminal is 2.5 kilometres from the central station.
• Tallink Silja, Olympia terminal: lines 2 and 3 stop at the terminal. It is 2.2 kilometres from the central station and 3.1 kilometres from Kamppi on line 2.

Flying in? Take the I or P train or bus 600 from the airport to the central station, then the tram to your terminal. By car, Viking Line check-in is at Gate C. At the Olympia terminal, the approach is via Gate B at Eteläranta 7. Parking and opening hours are on the Helsinki ferry port page.

The night on board

On the way, both ferry companies call at Mariehamn on Åland during the night. The clock changes during the crossing: Finland is one hour ahead of Sweden, and all departure and arrival times are given in local time. On Viking Line, the car deck is closed during the crossing, so take everything you need for the night up to your cabin. There's more about cabins on the Cabins page.

Arriving in the morning

According to the timetable, until 21 June 2027 Viking Line arrives in both Helsinki and Stockholm at 10:10 local time. Tallink Silja reaches Helsinki at 10:30 and Stockholm at 10:00. The times for your date are in the timetable.

With a car, what happens next depends on the ferry company. On Viking Line, the car deck opens 15 to 30 minutes before arrival. On Tallink Silja, vehicles leave the ship as soon as it has docked.

Onward travel from Helsinki

As a foot passenger, take the tram into town: line 5 from the Katajanokka terminal to the central station, line 2 or 3 from the Olympia terminal. Line 2 also runs from the Olympia terminal to Kamppi. On Viking Line you can buy tram tickets on board. For the airport, take the I or P train or bus 600 from the central station. The airport is 22.6 kilometres from the Katajanokka terminal and 23.6 kilometres from the Olympia terminal.

Onward travel from Stockholm

From Stadsgården, buses run from Londonviadukten to Slussen metro station, and taxis wait at the terminal. The Viking Line transfer bus runs from the terminal to Cityterminalen. From the Värtan terminal, bus 76 takes you into town, the Tallink Silja shuttle runs non-stop to Cityterminalen, and on foot you can reach the metro at Gärdet.

The return journey

On the way back, the same applies in reverse. Allow plenty of time to get to the port: on Viking Line, check-in and boarding close 20 minutes before departure; on Tallink Silja, registration closes 30 minutes before. All deadlines are on the Check-in page.