Timetable
Ferries to Helsinki
Direct ferries to Helsinki leave from Travemünde, Stockholm and Tallinn.
- Direct ferry from Travemünde: daily with Finnlines, 30 hours to Helsinki
- Overnight ferries from Stockholm, arriving in the Finnish capital in the morning
- Compare all operators: Finnlines, Viking Line, Tallink Silja & more
Popular routes
Our most booked connections to Helsinki.
Prices for a car incl. driver, one way
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Route map of Helsinki
All ferry routes at a glance
Interactive map of all ferry connections to Helsinki.
- Finnlines
- Stena Line
- TT-Line
- Scandlines
- Tallink & Silja Line
- Eckerö Line
- Viking Line
- POLSCA Baltic Ferries
Finnlines 31 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Tallink & Silja Line 2 hours
Check prices Eckerö Line 2 hours 15 minutes
Check prices Viking Line 2 hours 15 minutes
Check prices Tallink & Silja Line 17 hours
Check prices Viking Line 17 hours 10 minutes
Check prices Stena Line 15 hours 30 minutes
Check prices TT-Line 7 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Finnlines 8 hours 45 minutes
Check prices TT-Line 5 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Stena Line 5 hours 45 minutes
Check prices POLSCA Baltic Ferries 18 hours
Check prices Scandlines 2 hours
Check prices Scandlines 44 minutes
Check prices Ferries to Helsinki
Table of Contents
Ferry from Travemünde to Helsinki
The Finnish operator Finnlines runs the long route from Travemünde to Helsinki as a year-round scheduled service. Three identical sister ships, Finnstar, Finnmaid and Finnlady, work the route. The scheduled crossing takes around 30 hours. Prices are only comparable once the travel date, direction, passengers, vehicle and cabin category are fixed.
Ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki
A popular alternative is to travel via Stockholm, where ferries to Helsinki depart several times a day:
Getting there via Sweden
There are at least three recommended options for getting to Stockholm:
Ferry to Denmark + Öresund Bridge
First, take the ferry from Puttgarden or Rostock to Denmark.
Then continue via the Öresund Bridge and Malmö to Stockholm. With an overnight stop in southern Sweden, you'll already be in Stockholm by midday, in time for the overnight ferry to Helsinki that departs in the evening.
Ferry to Sweden
From Kiel, Travemünde or Rostock, you reach Sweden overnight:
The next day, continue on to Stockholm (5-7 hours' drive) and catch the overnight ferry to Helsinki from there.
From Danzig via Nynäshamn, no direct ferry
There is no direct ferry between Danzig and Helsinki. Polferries connects Danzig with Nynäshamn in Sweden; this crossing is only the first leg.
After arrival, drive from the port of Nynäshamn to the departure terminal in Stockholm and cross with Stockholm - Helsinki. These are two separate ferry connections with their own check-in and, as a rule, two separate bookings rather than a single through ticket. Allow plenty of buffer time or an overnight stop, especially if your first arrival is delayed. Departures are listed in the official Polferries timetable.
Via Sweden without a ferry
This route takes you through Lapland and is ideal if you'd like to see the north as well as Helsinki. The 2,870 km route is split into 3 sections, with a total driving time of around 31 hours:
- Hamburg - Stockholm. From Hamburg, drive to Stockholm first, either entirely without a ferry via Denmark, or with a ferry leg for part of the way (see the previous section).
- Stockholm - Tornio. From Stockholm it's around 1,000 km along the E4 via Sundsvall and Umeå up to the town of Tornio on the Swedish-Finnish border in Lapland. Without breaks, the drive takes around 12 hours.
- Tornio - Helsinki. The roughly 750 km drive to Helsinki along the E8 and E75 takes another 9 hours or so, crossing more than half of Finland.
By ferry via the Baltic states
The route via the Baltic states is especially scenic, taking you through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as well as Poland. It's split into 3 sections:
- Berlin - Warsaw. From Germany, follow the E30 across Poland to Warsaw. The E30 route is 574 km long and takes just under 6 hours without breaks.
- Warsaw - Tallinn. From Warsaw, continue on the E67 through Lithuania and Latvia to Tallinn in Estonia. Along the way you'll pass Riga, one of the most beautiful cities on the Baltic Sea. The roughly 1,000 km stretch takes around 12 hours of pure driving time.
- Tallinn - Helsinki. From Tallinn, ferries from several operators sail to Helsinki almost every hour, with a crossing time of just 2 hours.
FAQ Helsinki
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about the ferry connections to Helsinki.
Which ferries sail to Helsinki? +
Three ferry connections go directly to Helsinki: the year-round direct ferry Travemünde - Helsinki with Finnlines, the overnight ferries from Stockholm - Helsinki with Tallink Silja and Viking Line, and the short crossing Tallinn - Helsinki, run by several operators almost every hour.
How long does the crossing to Helsinki take? +
The direct ferry Travemünde - Helsinki takes around 30 hours, with two nights on board. From Stockholm - Helsinki you travel overnight in about 16 hours, while the short Tallinn - Helsinki crossing takes only around two hours.
Which port in Helsinki do I arrive at? +
The Finnlines ferry from Travemünde docks at Vuosaari, east of the city centre, from where you can reach downtown quickly by car or bus. The ferries from Stockholm and Tallinn call at terminals close to the centre in the Port of Helsinki. You'll find the exact departure and terminal for your travel day in the timetable and when you book.
Can I bring a car, motorhome or pet? +
Yes, all connections to Helsinki are car ferries and take cars, motorhomes, caravans and bicycles. If you're travelling with a dog or cat, a pet cabin is required on the direct ferry and the overnight ferries. Register your vehicle and pet when you book.