Helsinki Central Railway Station

Helsinki Central Railway Station

Helsinki Central Railway Station
4
About
Helsinki railway station, designed by a globally recognized architect Eliel Saarinen, is a monumental landmark in the capital of Finland. With its granite walls, clock tower and statues next to the main entrance, the building has been selected as one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world. The railway station has served as a transportation hub and a meeting spot since 1919. Alongside local public transportation, train departures to lapland and Russia leave from the station daily. Cultural events are held there around the year. 240 000 people visit the building every day making it one of the busiest in Finland.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Vironniemi
How to get there
  • Rautatientori • 1 min walk
  • Helsingin yliopisto • 5 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Werner W
    Zurich, Switzerland938 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive train station
    We found this place during our first trip to Helsinki. If you like train systems and train stations this is a nice place. The Russian style building is nice from outside and inside. The train system by the way is also very efficient.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 September 2023
  • pfefmeister
    San Francisco, California4,374 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Another Architectural Gem
    Loved the grandeur of this historic train station, though we didn’t have the opportunity to use its services. We found it more convenient to take a taxi from the airport for $35 rather than hopping on a train. Still, central location makes it possible to get off and walk to all the interesting sites Helsinki has to offer.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 15 October 2023
  • MeganMunro
    Toronto, Canada1,350 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A phenomenal architectural gem.
    A grand building that is both functional and beautiful. It is a gorgeous train station that is so clean, orderly and has the most beautiful Burger King you'll see anywhere...trust me. We were astonished by how quiet and calm it was - even though it is a working central hub.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 December 2023
  • CodyDC
    Washington DC, District of Columbia6,946 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A nice architecture building and must visit for first time visitor to Helsinki
    Visited the railway station as part of a city walking tour and then came back later to experience the building in more detail. The lantern bearers sculptures on the side of the building were impressive. The inside was just ok, but I guess it functions for a train station.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 15 June 2024
  • Thomas V
    Oakland, California17,499 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Of the 19th Century
    We found the design of the exterior of this big train station to be impressive. Of the 19th Century. Inside it is functional with trains to various towns in Finland and suburban lines. Cafes to buy drinks and food.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 July 2024
  • Richard M
    Hampstead Norreys, United Kingdom937 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning art deco masterpiece
    The station is somewhere that you will probably end up at some point during a visit to Helsinki. The building is an art deco masterpiece. The huge central arch with its glass front is spectacular. This is flanked on either side by large scultures of people holding light globes. Just amazing.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles2,973 reviews
Excellent
976
Very good
1,335
Average
565
Poor
78
Terrible
19

StevenC From Aus
Sydney, Australia64 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Train station was awesome. Taxi rank outside was the issue.
We caught the train from the airport to save money. It was great, easy, efficient etc.
we got off and dragged our bags to the taxi rank.

We caught a taxi (a Black coloured EV BMW, driver said he was from Iraq) two blocks, he hid the meter face behind his mobile phone, he asked asked if it was cash or card. I said card, I asked how much? And he didn’t respond, he just pushed the machine on my card and I asked for a receipt. Then I realised he had charged me 40Euros.
When I asked why, he said it was because I had 3 bags. (Total trip from the airport was 35 euros in a cab)
Don’t trust the taxis at the train station.
Written 9 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

B T
London, UK1,173 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Most of Finland's railway stations are either very small or very ugly (or both). This was not like that- it is more like a Western/European style station but with quite different architecture unlike anywhere else. It also has some shops inside and luggage lockers.
Written 29 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Big_Jeff_Leo
St Helens, UK22,640 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
The station building was designed by Eliel Saarinen and inaugurated in 1919, and is often mentioned as one of the worlds most striking railway stations. The station is mostly clad in Finnish granite, and its distinguishing features are its tall clock tower and the two pairs of statues holding the spherical lamps, lit at night-time, on either side of the main entrance. These statues are considered local treasures and are often adorned with such things as the national football shirt and even covid masks. The former ticket hall has been converted into an Italian restaurant but is till worth a look.
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chris_Orleans
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia284 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Family
Such an iconic building / monument in Helsinki. Must go to see the station. Impressive, massive, austere architecture making you wonder why Finland was so influenced with Nazi and/or Communist architecture
Written 13 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jen B
Silver Spring, MD89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Irrespective of the impressive decor and architecture, this station is easy to navigate, centrally located, and the hub of all things Helsinki. Easy to get here via the train from the airport - follow the signs in the terminal, buy an ABC ticket on the platform, board, wait 30 minutes. Tram / Bus / Metro access point
Written 28 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

freutmich
Kansas City766 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2023 • Solo
I took the train from the airport (which is exceptional, by the way) so this was my first exposure to central Helsinki. Not only is central station a marvelous piece of architecture, but it wasn't filled with chaotic crowds like so many other European train stations I've visited. It's completely manageable and easy to find your way around.

One thing I wish I had known, though, is how to access the airport train back on my day of departure. I'd been told trains to the airport start running around 3:30 am, so I arrived at 4:30 to leave on time for my flight. But the station itself doesn't open until 5 am. The doors were locked. So I stood outside and waited until the doors were unlocked. As I rushed to catch the next train that left in 6 minutes, I realized I could have just walked around the west side of the station and gone right up to any of the tracks, which were outside and accessible around back. I felt like an idiot, but now I know. If you have to make an early morning departure to the airport, walk around back. Don't wait for the security guard to let you in.
Written 10 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nickfromParis
Paris, France215 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022 • Solo
Awsome building, very impressive the entrance, the facade , the restaurant , all built in the same style, kind of German rationalism very different from the previous building ..
the male caryatids at the entrance look very powerful as well the external tower.
I particularly liked the restaurant and the brass escalator in the entrancehall
Written 18 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alexa C
Sunnyvale, California199 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Give yourself enough time to walk from one platform to another. The platforms are very long and take a long to get from the main entrance to the airport trains.

If you're here to check out the station, it's pretty enough with a classic train station look. There are a few food options inside along with bus and tram information.
Written 30 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Markus
Helsinki, Finland16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Solo
An architectural masterpiece both outside and inside. The building is the hub of Helsinki, and for a very good reason. You can take trams, busses, trains, metros and taxis here. Every day hundreds of thousands of people go through this building. The building is massive in size, and the building also has its own massive clock tower. The building is clean and really functional.
Written 21 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David M
Oslo, Norway234 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
I will admit this is a nice station, apart from the left luggage lockers. There are far too few which meant because they were all occupied, I had to heave my bags around Helsinki for the 5 hours I had in the city, before meeting a colleague and travelling to another town by train. On the way back I went straight to the airport and checked my bags in early then I could go back into town and spend another 6 hours playing tourist. What a real pain Helsinki station is in my experience.

Otherwise I think Helsinki is a pretty cool city that has a lot to offer.
Written 24 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Helsinki Central Railway Station - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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