Getting around Turku
Turku is compact and easy to navigate, and most visitors find they can cover the centre on foot while using buses, trains, taxis and the airport coach for everything else. The city sits on the River Aura, with the market square (Kauppatori) at its heart and the main transport hubs clustered along the northern and eastern edges of the centre.
On foot
Walking is the simplest way to explore central Turku. The market square, the riverfront and the main shopping streets are all within easy reach of one another, and several of the city's key arrival points are walkable from the centre: the bus station sits at the northern edge of the centre, within walking distance of both the central railway station and Kauppatori, and the Kupittaa railway station is also at walking distance from the centre.
One practical wrinkle to know about: the platforms at the central railway station are reached by a pedestrian bridge over the rails between Logomo and the city centre, a short walk from the old station site and from Kauppatori. The route involves going forward one block, turning left, then right along Kauppiaskatu; the passage through the park may be nicer but is hard to find and has steep stairs.
Rail
Turku is well connected to the rest of Finland by rail, with frequent services from Helsinki and Tampere and onward connections to other cities. Trains are operated by VR, the state-owned railway company. There are no local or regional trains within the Turku area, so the railway is a tool for arriving in or leaving the city rather than for getting around it.
Turku has three railway stations: the central railway station in the north, Kupittaa in the east, and the Turku harbour stop in the west. The central and Kupittaa stations have ticket vending machines, waiting rooms, toilets and disability services on advance request, but VR has no service desk in Turku, so plan to buy tickets in advance or from a machine. Trains arriving from the direction of Helsinki stop at Kupittaa before the central station, while trains from Tampere do not pass Kupittaa. Some trains continue to the harbour, which is handy if you are connecting to a ferry towards Stockholm or Mariehamn.
Services such as a lounge, toilets, café and restaurant are located at Logomo near the central station. The central station is primarily served by bus line 20, which stops near the centre-end of the Logomo bridge on its way to the bus station and Kauppatori. Kupittaa is well connected by local bus lines 3 and 3A, with a stop a short walk away across the street.
Trams and metro
Turku has no tram or metro network. Getting around the city relies on buses, walking, cycling and taxis rather than rail-based urban transit.
Buses and local public transport
Local buses are the main form of public transport within Turku. The bus station handles long-distance and some regional services, and it has good local bus connections, though it is not the hub for them; local and regional lines stop at a few different places on or around the station, so it pays to note where your particular bus stops.
For getting to and from the airport, bus line 1 is the key service. It departs from the airport every 20 minutes and runs via the centre to the Port of Turku, passing several hotels along the route. Tickets are available on board: by contactless card, or by cash at a higher price. Children under 7 travel free when accompanied by an adult, and trips after 23:00 cost a little more. Free transfers for two hours are included. The line operates from early morning until after midnight, and the day's last bus will wait if necessary to let passengers catch it. Note that the last buses run only to Kauppatori, not on to the harbour.
Other useful local lines include line 20, which serves the central railway station, and lines 3 and 3A, which connect Kupittaa station and continue through the centre.
Taxis and ride-hailing
Taxis are available in Turku as a flexible option for trips that are awkward on foot or by bus, particularly late at night or with luggage. The source material does not detail specific taxi companies, apps or fare structures, so it is worth checking locally on arrival for current operators and booking methods.
Cycling
Turku has cycleways, and bike-sharing stations operate by the railway stations during the summer season, roughly April to October or as weather allows. This makes cycling a realistic option for exploring the city in the warmer months.
Getting from Turku Airport into the city
Turku Airport (TKU) is a compact airport with two terminals for check-in, located north of the city centre. It handles daily flights from Mariehamn, Stockholm and Copenhagen, plus a few locations further afield such as Gdańsk or Riga; these latter routes tend to change as budget airlines come and go. Domestic Finnair flights from Helsinki have been discontinued and replaced by coaches operated by Finnair.
The easiest way into town is bus line 1, which departs the airport every 20 minutes and goes via the centre to the Port of Turku, with several hotels along the route. Tickets are available on board by contactless card or by cash, children under 7 travel free with an adult, and trips after 23:00 cost slightly more. Free transfers for two hours are included. The line runs from early morning until after midnight, and the last bus of the day waits if necessary so passengers can catch it. The final departures serve only Kauppatori, not the harbour.
Arriving via Helsinki Airport
Many visitors fly into Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) instead, which is internationally well connected. Turku is easily reached from there by train, with a transfer in Helsinki centre, or by coach. By car, the drive along the Finnish national road 1 (E18) takes around an hour and forty minutes.
There is an almost hourly coach connection from Helsinki Airport to the Turku bus station. Coaches are operated by various companies, but tickets are sold on the Matkahuolto platform regardless of the operator. Finnair no longer flies domestically to Turku but does sell plane tickets to Turku where you then transfer to Finnair buses at Helsinki Airport. Coach services operate around the clock, though there may be a gap of a couple of hours between services in the small hours of the night. The trip takes between roughly two and a quarter and three hours, depending on whether the service calls in towns along the way.
Onnibus is typically a bit cheaper, but its buses leave from the central bus station of Helsinki rather than directly from the airport. Onnibus buses are red double-deckers with free Wi-Fi but little legroom, and they have special restrictions on children, pets and luggage. Booking online in advance gets a cheaper price, with bargains available if you book early enough.
Arriving by ferry
Turku is a port city, and ferries are the main option for arrivals from the west, including Åland and Sweden; the ferries take cars. The Port of Turku is an important commercial and passenger seaport, with passengers travelling to Stockholm and Mariehamn. Some coach lines arriving at the bus station continue to the Port of Turku if needed, and some trains continue onward to the harbour, which is convenient if you are connecting to a passenger ferry.
Practical tips
- Buy airport bus tickets on board by contactless card for the best price; cash costs more.
- Free transfers are included for two hours on the airport bus, so keep your ticket if you are continuing your journey.
- Children under 7 travel free on the airport bus when accompanied by an adult.
- If you arrive late, remember the last airport buses run only to Kauppatori, not to the harbour.
- VR has no service desk in Turku, so buy train tickets in advance or from a vending machine.
- Trains from Helsinki stop at Kupittaa before the central station; trains from Tampere do not pass Kupittaa.
- From Helsinki Airport, coaches to Turku run around the clock, but there can be a gap of a couple of hours overnight.
- Book Onnibus tickets online in advance for cheaper fares, and check their rules on children, pets and luggage.
- Bike-sharing stations operate by the railway stations in the summer season, roughly April to October.