Helsinki

Helsinki is Finland’s main international passenger ferry port, with direct services to Tallinn, Stockholm and Travemünde. Different ferry companies use separate terminals around the city, so the correct departure terminal depends on both the destination and the operator.

Port overview: Most Tallinn ferries use West Terminal 2, although Viking Line sails from Katajanokka. Stockholm ferries use Olympia Terminal or Katajanokka, while Finnlines services to Travemünde depart from Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari. A separate vehicle-oriented Eckerö Line service connects Vuosaari with Muuga in Estonia.

Last checked: 7 September 2026.

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Helsinki is one of the main ferry gateways in the Baltic Sea. Its passenger network is dominated by three international corridors: the high-frequency crossing to Tallinn, overnight ferries to Stockholm and the long-distance Finnlines service to Travemünde in Germany.

The port is spread across several harbour areas rather than being concentrated in one terminal complex. Travellers should therefore check the operator and terminal carefully before arriving at the port.

Destination	Operator	Helsinki terminal	Service type
Tallinn, Estonia	Tallink Silja Line	West Terminal 2	Frequent passenger and vehicle ferry
Tallinn, Estonia	Eckerö Line	West Terminal 2	Passenger and vehicle ferry
Tallinn, Estonia	Viking Line	Katajanokka Terminal	Passenger and vehicle ferry
Stockholm, Sweden via Åland	Tallink Silja Line	Olympia Terminal	Overnight passenger and vehicle ferry
Stockholm, Sweden via Åland	Viking Line	Katajanokka Terminal	Overnight passenger and vehicle ferry
Travemünde, Germany	Finnlines	Hansa Terminal, Vuosaari	Long-distance passenger, vehicle and freight ferry
Muuga, Estonia	Eckerö Line	Vuosaari Muuga check-in	Vehicle-based passenger and freight service

Departure times, operating patterns and vessel assignments can change. Check the current operator timetable and the departure terminal before travelling.

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Helsinki-Tallinn is the busiest and highest-frequency international passenger ferry corridor from Helsinki.

Tallink Silja Line and Eckerö Line use West Terminal 2 at West Harbour, while Viking Line operates its Tallinn services from Katajanokka Terminal.

Tallink currently uses Megastar, MyStar and Victoria I on Tallinn services from West Terminal 2. Eckerö Line operates Finlandia, while Viking Line uses Viking XPRS.

The crossing typically takes around two to two and a half hours, depending on the sailing. Multiple departures operate throughout the day, making Helsinki-Tallinn an important link for foot passengers, cars and commercial traffic.

See the Tallinn ferry port guide for the Estonian end of the route.

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West Terminal 2 is located at Helsinki’s West Harbour and is the main terminal for high-frequency Tallinn traffic.

Current services from West Terminal 2 are operated by:

• Tallink Silja Line – services to Tallinn with Megastar, MyStar and Victoria I
• Eckerö Line – services to Tallinn with Finlandia

The Port of Helsinki describes West Harbour as Finland’s busiest passenger harbour.

Terminal address: Tyynenmerenkatu 14, 00180 Helsinki.

Foot passengers and vehicle passengers use different boarding processes, and check-in times vary by operator. Passengers should follow the instructions provided with their booking.

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Katajanokka Terminal is used by Viking Line.

Current ferry services include:

• Helsinki-Tallinn with Viking XPRS
• Helsinki-Mariehamn-Stockholm with vessels including Gabriella and Viking Cinderella

The terminal is close to central Helsinki but is separate from both West Harbour and Olympia Terminal.

Terminal address: Katajanokanlaituri 8, 00160 Helsinki.

Travellers using Viking Line should therefore not follow directions for the West Harbour simply because they are travelling to Tallinn.

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Olympia Terminal in Helsinki’s South Harbour is used by Tallink Silja Line for its Stockholm service.

Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony currently operate between Helsinki and Stockholm, with Åland included in the route pattern.

Terminal address: Olympiaranta 1, 00140 Helsinki.

Olympia Terminal should not be confused with West Terminal 2, which handles Tallink’s high-frequency Tallinn services.

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Vuosaari is Helsinki’s main freight harbour but also handles selected passenger services.

Finnlines operates the long-distance Helsinki-Travemünde passenger, vehicle and freight route from Hansa Terminal.

Hansa Terminal address: Provianttikatu 5, 00980 Helsinki.

The terminal is much farther from central Helsinki than the West Harbour, Olympia and Katajanokka terminals. Public transport connections therefore differ from those used for the city-centre ferry terminals.

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Eckerö Line also operates Finbo Cargo between Vuosaari and Muuga, near Tallinn.

This service has a different passenger-access model from the ordinary Helsinki-Tallinn ferries. Passengers must travel in a pre-booked motorised vehicle. Foot passengers and bicycles are not accepted.

The route can be useful for motorists who want to travel between Finland and Estonia without using the passenger terminals in central Helsinki and Tallinn.

Check-in for Muuga departures takes place in the Ruusuniemi area of Vuosaari Harbour.

Muuga check-in address: Ruusuniementie 7, 00980 Helsinki.

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Helsinki has overnight passenger and vehicle ferry connections with Stockholm operated by Tallink Silja Line and Viking Line.

Tallink Silja Line departs from Olympia Terminal, while Viking Line uses Katajanokka Terminal. The services include an Åland call as part of the wider Finland-Sweden ferry network.

These routes have a different operating pattern from Helsinki-Tallinn. They are overnight Baltic crossings rather than frequent short-distance shuttle services.

For the wider network, see Sweden ferries and Finland ferries.

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Finnlines connects Helsinki directly with Travemünde in northern Germany.

The service departs from Hansa Terminal at Vuosaari and is a long-distance ro-pax route carrying passengers, private vehicles and commercial freight.

Current vessels on the corridor include Finnstar, Finnmaid and Finnlady.

The route provides a direct maritime link between Finland and continental Europe and has a substantially different role from Helsinki’s short ferry services to Estonia.

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Terminal	Main operator	Main destination
West Terminal 2	Tallink Silja Line and Eckerö Line	Tallinn
Katajanokka Terminal	Viking Line	Tallinn and Stockholm
Olympia Terminal	Tallink Silja Line	Stockholm
Hansa Terminal, Vuosaari	Finnlines	Travemünde
Vuosaari Muuga check-in	Eckerö Line	Muuga

The terminal is therefore part of the route information in Helsinki, not simply an arrival detail. Two passengers travelling from Helsinki on the same day can leave from different parts of the city depending on their operator and destination.

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Four main passenger ferry operators currently use the Port of Helsinki:

• Tallink Silja Line
• Eckerö Line
• Viking Line
• Finnlines

Tallink Silja Line has services to both Tallinn and Stockholm. Eckerö Line operates to Tallinn and Muuga, Viking Line serves Tallinn and Stockholm, and Finnlines connects Helsinki with Travemünde.

Browse FerryLines ferry operator profiles.

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Most of Helsinki’s principal international ferry routes accept both foot passengers and private vehicles.

The main Tallinn services from West Terminal 2 and Katajanokka carry foot passengers and cars, as do the overnight Stockholm ferries.

Finnlines’ Travemünde service carries passengers, vehicles and substantial commercial freight.

The Vuosaari-Muuga service operated by Finbo Cargo is an important exception. Passenger travel is only possible with a pre-booked motorised vehicle, and foot passengers and bicycles are not accepted.

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Helsinki’s passenger terminals are located in different parts of the city, so passengers should navigate to the specific terminal rather than simply to the Port of Helsinki.

West Terminal 2, Katajanokka Terminal and Olympia Terminal are relatively close to central Helsinki and are served by the city’s public transport network.

Vuosaari Harbour is in eastern Helsinki. Hansa Terminal can be reached by bus from the Vuosaari metro area, but travellers should allow more time than for the central passenger terminals.

Road and public transport arrangements can change during construction or infrastructure work. Current access information should therefore be checked with the Port of Helsinki before departure.

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Helsinki’s passenger harbour layout is expected to change in the longer term.

The Port of Helsinki is developing its harbour areas with the intention of concentrating Tallinn traffic at West Harbour and Stockholm ferry traffic at Katajanokka. Regular ferry operations at South Harbour are planned to end during the 2030s.

These changes are part of a longer-term port development programme and do not alter the current terminal arrangements described on this page.

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Helsinki has several different roles within the Baltic ferry network.

The Helsinki-Tallinn corridor provides a high-frequency connection across the Gulf of Finland. Overnight ferries to Stockholm connect Finland with Sweden and Åland, while the Travemünde service provides a direct long-distance connection with Germany.

Vuosaari adds a vehicle and freight-oriented link with Muuga in Estonia.

This combination makes Helsinki both a short-distance regional ferry hub and a gateway for longer Baltic and continental European routes.

For the wider network, see the Baltic Sea ferry network.

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• Finland ferries
• Estonia ferries
• Sweden ferries
• Baltic Sea ferries
• Tallinn ferry port
• Browse ferry routes
• Browse ferry ports
• Browse ferry operators
• Latest ferry news

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Current destinations, terminal use and ferry operators were checked against Port of Helsinki passenger terminal and departure information for September 2026.

West Terminal 2 currently serves Tallink Silja Line and Eckerö Line ferries to Tallinn. Viking Line uses Katajanokka Terminal for Tallinn and Stockholm services, while Tallink Silja Line uses Olympia Terminal for Stockholm. Finnlines passenger services to Travemünde operate from Hansa Terminal at Vuosaari.

The Vuosaari-Muuga service was checked against current Eckerö Line and Port of Helsinki information. Finbo Cargo accepts passengers travelling in pre-booked motorised vehicles but does not accept foot passengers or bicycles.

Routes, terminals, schedules and vessel assignments can change. FerryLines checks current port and operator information and distinguishes ordinary passenger services from vehicle-restricted and freight-only operations.