To help you have smooth trip to Tampere, we would like to give you some information regarding your arrival and moving around the city. If you are coming to attend from abroad, you hopefully find this information valuable.
How to get to Tampere
Tampere is easily accessible by train and bus.
For most of the abdoard attendees, travelling via Helsinki is the most convinient way. From there it is easy to continue to Tampere.
By train
Tampere railway station is located at the heart of the city. It is within walking distance from all of our accommodation deals and the venue, Tampere Hall, is only ten minute walk away.
From Helsinki Central railway station, there are two departures per hour to Tampere. InterCity and Pendolino services are the fastest and most comfortable way of travelling, with travel time less than two hours. There is also a bit slower and cheaper commuter train service.
It is advisable to buy tickets beforehand, as the morning and afternoon services from Helsinki to Tampere are sometimes quite full. Tickets are also cheaper when purchased in advance.
In case you don’t purchase your train tickets in adcance, please note that there is no tickets sales onboard trains.
Timetables and tickets can be found from VR website.
By bus
Coming from aboard, you can travel with Flixbus to Helsinki and take connecting bus or train to Tampere.
If you prefer bus over train for domestic travel, there are some services from Helsinki bus station (Kamppi) to Tampere bus station. Travel time with bus is bit over two hours. There are few daily services from other Finnish cities as well. Tampere bus station is located near the city centre.
Timetables and tickets can be found from Matkahuolto.
By sea
It is possible to arrive to Helsinki via ferry, from Estonia (Tallink & Silja Line, Eckerö Line, Viking Line) Sweden (Tallink & Silja Line, Viking Line) and Germany, (Finnlines). Timetables, prices and other information can be found from the abovementioned operator’s websites.
If you arrive by sea, take the tram or taxi to Helsinki Central railway station for your connecting train to Tampere.
In case you plan to travel from central Europe, taking a train to Stockholm and continuing with overnight ferry to Helsinki is an experience you might want to consider!
By air
Although Tampere has an airport, almost all international flights arrive at Helsinki Airport which is also the best choice. When arriving at Helsinki Airport, the easiest way for connection to Tampere is by train.
After exiting the baggage reclaim area, there is a local train service that departs approximately every 10 minutes. With these trains you can get to Helsinki central or to your Tampere connection.
If you plan to continue directly to Tampere, purchase the tickets from machines marked with “VR” or from the VR website. All connections from the Helsinki Airport to Tampere include a train change, usually in Tikkurila station.
If you plan to visit Helsinki or travel via Helsinki Central railway station, purchase the local train tickets from machines marked with “HSL” or from the HSL mobile application.
Both types of ticket machines are located close to the train station and on the platform. Please note that they don’t sell tickets on board the trains.
Travel within the city
In Tampere
Tampere is a nice lively city, where almost everything is reachable by walking in the city centre. The venue, Tampere Hall, is right in the city centre and within a walking distance for many.
In case you plan to explore Tampere a little more, there are a tram and bus services available. Tampere has also city bikes widely available.
Schedules and routes for trams and buses are on the Nysse website. Most convinient way to purchase ticket is with contactless payment, which is located in the left side of the ticket device inside the vehicle. You can also use the mobile application, in which you also find journey planner.
To use city bikes, you will need an Tampere city bike mobile application and a day pass that is purchased in the app.
In case you plan to use taxi, it is advisable to use the official Taksi Tampere mobile application for the best service and predictable price. If you take taxi on the fly, negociate the price before starting your journey.
In Helsinki
If you travel via Helsinki or plan to visit the city on the same trip, here are some tips for you! Everything in the city centre is within walking distance, but for some trips you will need to use a city bike, tram, train, metro, bus or taxi.
City bikes in Helsinki are widely available. To use the bikes, you will need to create an account and purchase a day pass from the HSL city bike website.
Schedules and routes for trams, trains and buses are on the HSL website. Most convinient way to purchase ticket is with HSL mobile application, in which you also find the journey planner.
In case you plan to use taxi, it is advisable to use the official Taksi Helsinki mobile application for best service and prices. If you take taxi on the fly, negociate the price before starting your journey. Helsinki Airport has three official taxi partners for trips from there; Mankkaan Taksi, Menevä and Taksi Helsinki. The price from airport to city centre should be around 35€.
Welcome to Finland and Tampere!
In case you have any questions about travels and getting around in Tampere, Helsinki or other cities, join the #events-wcfi channel on WordPress Finland Slack and our community is more than happy to help you!