Airport location, terminals and transportation
Helsinki Airport is an international airport located in the city of Vantaa, Finland. The airport is situated about 17 kilometres north of the central business district of Helsinki. The airport was opened in 1952. It was initially built for the Summer Olympics in Finland. HEL serves as the main airport of the country, as 9/10 of Finland's international air traffic passes through Helsinki Airport. This air hub handles about 20 million people a year.
The airport structure consists of three runways capable of serving the heaviest aircraft in use today, two passenger terminals, which are interconnected, and a few cargo terminals. The airside parts of the terminal buildings are divided into Schengen and non-Schengen areas.
The airport is linked to Helsinki Central Station by rail. The train station is placed between Terminals 1 and 2. Besides, the airport is connected to the city by transfer, public day buses (Finnair City Bus and bus number 415) and night buses number 562N and 615. Intercity buses depart from the bus station at the airport. Taxi ranks are found near each passenger terminal. Car sharing services are also available.
Rental offices, how to find them, where to return car
Vehicle rental services are provided in the terminal. The offices of such companies as Budget, Sixt, Avis, Europcar and Hertz are found in the corridor between Passenger Terminals 1 and 2. The offices operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight, depending on the company. Services are provided in various languages. The working hours are reduced on weekends.
You may pick up and return a car 24 hours a day. For this purpose, you should agree on the arrival or departure time with the selected company. Rental vehicles are collected from and returned to multi-level garage P3B, which is meant for rental vehicles. The garage is positioned beside Terminal 1. Follow the car rental signs to access the garage.
The companies offer vehicle s of various classes, including sedans, sports cars, jeeps, and vans. What is more, the companies provide such supplementary equipment as navigators, child restraint anchorages, seats, and ski rack at an additional cost. A preliminary reservation can be made by means of online reservation forms or mobile applications.
Long-term and short-term parking, hotels nearby
HEL has several short-term and long-term parking options, which include parking garages P1 (there are short-term parking zones), P2, P3 (A, B; there are short-term parking zones), and P5; parking lots P3, P4 (A, B) and P6. A free airport shuttle runs to and from the long-term parking lot. Valet parking services are available in P1 parking. Short-term parking spaces to pick up passengers are provided in the green zone of P1 parking.
There is the number of hotels at Helsinki Airport. These are the Scandic, the Hilton (next to Terminal 2) and the GLO (the lower level of Terminal 2). In addition, at the airport, there are special sleeping pods for passengers to relax in GoSleep Relaxation area of Terminal 1.