Taxi , bus and train
Helsinki area enjoys relatively congestion-free roads. Traffic jams are rare, perhaps because so many locals use the efficient city transportation system arranged by Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) and Helsingin Kaupungin Liikennelaitos (HKL). They run buses, metro trains, trams, local trains and even ferries to fortress Suomenlinna. Timetables and route maps are available free of charge from public service points and from HKL service points.
An online routeplanner is also available, along with the individual timetables.
The Helsinki metropolitan area has a unified fare system. The region is divided into two tariff zones. Each of the towns comprises its own zone. Journeys made within a single town area are charged as one zone. Regional journeys which cross city boundaries are counted as two zone journeys. With a single ticket or the travel card value ticket you can transfer to another public transport vehicle within 80 minutes of validating the ticket i.e. when you have shown your card to the card reader device. Inside Helsinki the transfer time is 60 minutes. The valid transfer time is printed on single tickets and tourist tickets.
Single and group tickets can be bought from ticket machines, the bus and tram drivers or train conductors. Group tickets and 1-day tourist tickets can be bought on buses, local trains and from multi-ticket machines. Tourist tickets for 3 and 5 days can be purchased only from multi-ticket machines situated at train and underground stations.
Single tickets cost 2€ for one zone (=inside one town) and 3.40€ for a regional one ('Seutulippu'). The Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) is actually located in Otaniemi, a region of Espoo, so the needed ticket is the regional kind. During night time 2am-4.30am a higher night rate is charged.
For two (adult) people (and several children), who are traveling together at least two trips within 24 hours, a group ticket ('kimppalippu': regional €, and 9€ for Helsinki or Espoo) is ideal. The entire group travelling with the same group ticket must enter the vehicle at the same stop. The group ticket can be bought also from drivers.
Also, another option is the tourist ticket, which is available for 1, 3 and 5 days. More info in English can be found here. Note that there are seperate tourist tickets for Helsinki and for the whole Helsinki metropolitan region.
Failure to show a valid ticket to the (otherwise rare) ticket inspectors is punished with a fine of 50€.
Renting cars is not advised - although the traffic may be manageable, parking is difficult. Cycling, however, is a great way to get around the city. Helsinki has an extensive system of well-marked and good-quality bicycle paths. Free Citybikes can be used throughout the centre for a refundable deposit. For further destinations, bicycles can be rented from several locations.
Taxis can be hard to come by during morning and evening rush hours, but are otherwise an expensive but reliable resource. Visa and other credit cards (but wont accept Visa Electron) are accepted in Taxis. In Otaniemi there is a taxi stand near Dipoli. Their phone number is 1066 2150.
