Helsinki » Vantaa

Introduction

There are several ways to to go from central Helsinki to Vantaa airport.  This is what I did on 2016/11/08, when day time high was -5°C.  Your mileage will vary.  All prices shown in this entry are from 2016.

Tram/Subway/Train

2-day Ticket

The 2-day, 1-zone tram/subway/bus pass (€12) I'd purchased was still valid. I'd planned to use it to catch the tram from Hilton Helsinki Strand to the Central Station from . But no trams were present when I got to the closest tram stop ~200 meters away.  Also, dragging my suitcase through the few centimeters of snow wasn't that much fun. So, I caught the subway. It turned out to be a better choice as the subway station was connected to Central Station underground. No need to go outside at all.

Central Station Ticketing Office

Ticket to Vannta

At the Central Station, went to the grand looking ticketing office and bought a regional, one-hour ticket (€5.50) for the I train. The I train went counter-clockwise and was a few minutes faster than the P train which went clockwise.

Track 2

The next I train was leaving from track #2 but I couldn't find track#2 for a while. Turned out it was at the uncovered part of the station.

The airport train was clean, smooth, and fast.  It took 27 minutes, just as it said it would, to reach Vantaa. This airport train opened in July 2015, i.e. about 1.5 years old when I rode it, thus everything looked new.

Helsinki Airport Station

Epilogue

Public transportation in Helsinki is top class. Ticketing system and fares are easy to understand and reasonable. For me, someone living in Tokyo, the fact that there weren't turnstiles at subway stations was most impressive.

Bibliography

https://www.hsl.fi/en/ringrailline

https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares
https://cfanreviews.blogspot.com/2017/01/hilton-helsinki-strand.html

Data SIM: Helsinki

As free WiFi is readily available all over Helsinki, you may not need to get local SIM card.  I'd wanted one for when I'm out and about for Google Maps etc.

What

The "Rajaton Prepaid" offered by DNA seemed to have the best value.  It has the face value of €7 but it was often on sale for €4.9.  Indeed, when I got in in early November 2016, it was still on sale for €4.9.  For €0.89/day, one gets unlimited local calls and data, i.e. should be good for your stay of ~1 week.  Rates and other details available on the DNA site.  At the point of sales, no ID-check, cash or credit cards accepted.  Instant activation. Hassle-free, fast data speed. 

Where

At the R-Kiosk convenience store located in the arrivals hall 2A (terminal 2,) Vantaa airport.

 

Note to Myself

To activate the SIM card, one needs to enter the "PIN1" code.  This is a 4-digit number.  I'm noting it here because once I'd scratched off the security screen, there were a bunch of numbers for PIN1, PIN2, PUK1, and PUK2.  Looks like PIN1 and PIN2 are 4-digit and PUK1, and PUK2 are 8-digit.  It wasn't obvious to me where the codes started/ended.  So, initially I'd entered 12 digits and failed.

Bibliography

http://toomanyadapters.com/buying-sim-card-finland/ 

http://tabi-recipes.com/archives/6311 (in Japanese)
https://corporate.dna.fi/en/dna-prepaid
https://www.finavia.fi/en/helsinki-airport/services/shops/kiosk-rkioski-2/