Popular Airport | Helsinki - Helsinki Vantaa Airport |
|---|---|
Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 5 hour 30 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 4517 Km |
Transportation to Airport from Sharjah City Center
Al Maktoum Intl. Airport
Al Maktoum International Airport is located 40 km from the city center, in Jebel Ali. The majority of the airport is still under construction however it is currently operating passenger services out of one terminal.
Bus
To get to Al Maktoum Airport from the city center, for flights departing no later than midnight, you can take the red line of the Dubai Metro all the way to the Ibn Battuta Metro Station. From there you can take bus F55 to the airport. The F55 buses depart every hour, on the hour and the total trip to the airport takes about 40 minutes. If you’re flight is after midnight, the F55A buses depart from the Satwa Bus Station from 12:30 am – 6 am and go directly to Al Maktoum Airport. This bus line runs along the coast, passing by many hotels and beaches. You can get on this bus from stops in front of Hilton Beach Club, Jumeirah Beach Park, Royal Mirage Hotel, Oasis Beach Hotel, and Hilton Jumeirah Hotel.
The bus ride from the Satwa Bus Station to the airport takes about 1.5 hours. At the moment parking at the airport is free! If you’re going to drive your personal car you don’t have to worry about parking fees. You can also access the airport by taxi or rental car.
Airport Information
The construction of Al Maktoum International Airport is still ongoing, however it has been serving passengers out of one terminal for the past couple of years. There are a number of international flights to Dubai that land at Al Maktoum International Airport. However when compared to Dubai International Airport it hosts fewer flights. This number is expected to increase exponentially in the future.
Located 40 km from the city, Al Maktoum International Airport is situated in the middle of the dessert. Right now there aren’t many transportation alternatives to get to and from the city center. Moreover, there isn’t much located around the airport. However, in the future the area surrounding Al Maktoum International Airport will be completely different, with hotels, golf courses, and various facilities nearby. Since it is relatively new, Al Maktoum International Airport doesn’t have a rich variety of eating and drinking or shopping venues in the airport. If you want to grab a quick bite to eat there are chain cafes and restaurants located in the departing passenger terminal, including Hot & Roll, Papa Johns Pizza, Tandori, Thai Express, Starbucks and Vanellis Italian Foods. For shopping the only venue available is “Bin Sina Pharmacy”. The airport is currently providing passenger services out of one terminal. The “Marhaba Lounge” is located on the first floor of this terminal. This lounge is open 24 hours a day to all passengers for a certain fee, regardless of ticket class. In addition to an open buffet and refreshments there is free internet and laptop services. There are cabins where you can take a shower located between gates 1 and 6.
Sharjah Intl. Airport
Sharjah International Airport, located close to the popular points in the United Arab Emirates such as Sharjah and Dubai, is located almost equidistant from both centers. To get to the airport, which is about 15 kilometers outside of Dubai, you can choose from a number of comfortable vehicles, especially taxi and rental cars in Dubai and Sharjah. Passengers traveling from the city center to the airport usually prefer the easily accessible taxis. If you rented a car when you came to the city, you can also use your rental car to get to the airport. If you choose this method, you can easily deliver your rental car at the offices that serve the passengers at the airport. There are also buses from Sharjah and Dubai as a more affordable alternative to airport transfers. If you prefer a much more comfortable and quick journey except these means, you can take advantage of private shuttles or luxury limousines.
Car Rental
In the city center you can rent out your car without hassle by finding offices of rental companies like Hertz, AVIS or Budget and Dollar. Thanks to the wide and regular roads of Dubai, driving in the city is extremely comfortable. If it is not a busy hour, it usually takes no more than 20 minutes to get to the airport with the car you rent. When the traffic is heavy, this can take up to 30-40 minutes. Make sure that you have your documents, such as the internationally valid driver's license, which you may need to rent a car with you. If you are traveling to the city for the first time, be sure to have a navigation device on hand to find your way more easily and minimize the risk of getting lost.
Bus
You can also travel to Sharjah International Airport from Dubai or Sharjah by bus. Travelling to Sharjah Airport by bus can take a bit longer compared to taxi. For this reason, if you are not comfortable with time, you should use taxis instead of the buses to save time. There are more bus services for the passengers coming to the airport from Sharjah direction. If you are not traveling late at night and you are not in a hurry to catch your plane, you can consider the bus option.
Taxi
The passengers travelling to Sharjah International Airport from both Dubai and Sharjah usually prefer taxis. The close proximity of the airport to both centers allows the taxi fare to be kept low and makes it an economical option. If you arrive at the airport from the city center by taxi, you will have to pay the fare, an average of 30-40 US Dollars, in local currency at the end of your journey. This fare may change depending on the status of the traffic and the point you are traveling to. You can get information about the average taxi fare from your hotel or taxi drivers before the trip.
Private Airport Shuttle
Many private airport shuttle service providers are located near Dubai and Sharjah. With these services, which have different passenger capacities, you can reach the airport without any difficulty with your crowded group. Fares for private airport shuttles may vary depending on distance, number of passengers or time of day travelling. For this reason, if you want to get information about the fares of the services, you can contact the companies directly by doing a short research on the internet. If your hotel has a shuttle service to the airport, it is also possible to use the airport shuttle service by getting information from the hotel staff a few days or hours before your travel.
Luxury Transfer Vehicles
Dubai and its environs have been recognized in recent years as one of the world's most important business, trade and finance centers. With this effect, the interest and demand for luxurious vehicles for airport transfer in the city is increasing day by day. The luxury limousine service is one of the services offered to customers by many hotels in the city. With these vehicles, you can complete your journey in a much more privileged and enjoyable way compared to buses and taxis. Booking your luxury car a few hours before your flight will usually suffice.
Airport Information
at Sharjah International Airport, which connects the world with the fast-developing centers Dubai and Sharjah, you can find everything you might need from small shops you can shop, restaurants serving both Arabic and European and international cuisine, and car rental office. Located at the airport, the VIP passenger lounge offers a privileged setting where you can read daily newspapers while you wait for your plane, or enjoy fresh juices and sandwiches. ATMs and bank branches where you can easily transfer money and make many other banking transactions are some of the services offered to the passengers at the airport. During your stay at Sharjah International Airport, which is known as one of the family friendly airports, you can benefit from services such as children's play areas or a babysitting room.
For dining at the airport, also known for its extensive shopping and dining areas, you can choose from different venues such as McDonald's, Costa Coffee, London Dairy Cafe, Dunkin Donuts, Grab and Go, Subway, CHOCOLIX, Mumbai Spices, Krispy Kreme and World News Cafe. You can also visit duty-free shops in Dubai Sharjah International Airport, where you can find a wide range of perfumes, chocolates and gift items. In addition to all these services, a room specially designed for those who wish to pray in a quiet environment at the airport and services such as a lost-goods bureau are also offered to passengers traveling here.
Transportation to Helsinki City Center from Airport
Helsinki - Helsinki Vantaa Airport
Helsinki, which is located in the Uusimaa region in the southern part of Finland, is the capital and most populous city of Finland. Situated on the shores of the Gulf of Finland within the Baltic Sea, Helsinki is among the leading European cities in terms of culture, finance, and science.
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which is located in the neighboring city Vantaa that is the border of the north and east of the city, welcomes the passengers traveling to Helsinki, Finnish and Swedish are spoken. The indented peninsula, which is in the southern part of the city, is also known as the city center. The central stations of all means of public transportation are located in the city center. Senata Square on the west coast of the city center constitutes the historical part of the city. There is a tourist information office near the Market Square which is in the south of Senata Square. You can ask every kind of question about transportation as well as you can buy tickets for various tours and museums at this office.
Metro, tramway, train, and bus are the most preferred means of public transportation. In addition, minibuses and ferryboats are also available for transportation between the coastal regions. The large overpass called Baana connects the Western Harbour area with Kamppi and Töölö Bay areas. This overpass facilitates transportation for pedestrians and bike riders. Public transportation in Helsinki is organized by the company named HSL (Helsinki Regional Transport), just like in the cities of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. You can buy tickets from ticket booths, from the drivers or by mobile phone to take advantage of public transportation. If you buy the ticket from the driver, the ticket costs a little more. You need to buy a different ticket to take a tramway; the price of the tramway tickets is more affordable than the tickets of other transportation option. These tickets are valid for one hour. If you are going to travel to the cities Espoo, Vantaa or Kauniainen, you need to buy an interregional ticket. These tickets are valid for eighty minutes.
If you are going to use public transport very often during the day, daily tickets will be more practical for you. The children under the age of seven can travel free of charge, while those who are under the age of sixteen can travel by paying half price of the tickets. Transportation options are very limited after midnight in Helsinki. Bus services are available until 2 am, while other public transportation vehicles generally depart for the last time before midnight. On weekends and official holidays, the buses departing from Elielinaukio and Rautatientori area near the railway station are available after 2 am; however, ticket prices cost twice as high as the standard price. Although ticket controls are very rare on public transport in Helsinki, ticket controllers get on the vehicles at certain intervals and ask for tickets. If you haven't got a ticket during ticket control, you have to pay a high amount of penalty.
There are various transportation options to reach the city from the airport. You can benefit from public transportation options such as train, private shuttle services or bus to reach the city center, where you can transfer and travel to different parts of the city, or you can get to anywhere you want in a shorter time by taking the advantage of taxi or car rental options.
Kutsuplus (Minibus Shuttles)
The minibuses shuttles called Kutsuplus are private-public transportation minibuses, which have recently been in service. These on-demand shuttles are the minibuses that depart by bringing together the passengers going to the same destination. The minibus shuttles that run on online reservation pick up its passengers at certain stops and drop them off at the places where they exactly would like to arrive. The cost of this journey depends on your destination and you have the opportunity to pay the price during booking by credit card. Kutsuplus option is much more affordable compared to taking a taxi.
Taxi
Although taking a taxi is more costly compared to public transportation options, it is a quite practical transportation option. You can get a taxi from the taxi stands at the airport, as well as you can book a taxi in advance by making an online reservation. VIP taxi service is also available if you prefer a more luxurious travel. Taxi minibuses called yellow lines can take up to 8 passengers. The minibus taxis don’t follow a specific route. All the passengers taken from the airport are dropped off in turn. The price of this service may vary depending on the number of passengers. If you want to take the advantage of this service, you can contact the yellow stands at the incoming passenger side of the airport.
Train
A new railway line connecting the airport to the central railway station has been in service as of 2015. Journey by train takes about half an hour and the trains usually depart every 10 minutes. You need to buy a ticket by means of the ticket booths on the platform at the airport. The train is not very close to the airport for now. For this reason, you will have to get on the shuttle services running between the airport and the railway station to board the train until the construction of the last (airport) station is completed. You can arrive at the station in a few minutes thanks to the shuttle services.
Helsinki Central Railway Station is the central station of all trains and it is very close to the city center. The train lines Y, S, U, L, E, A, M, I, K, N, T, H, and R are the lines for urban transportation and these lines move in three different directions to the north of the central station. If you are going to travel to the neighboring cities like Espoo, Vantaa or Kaunianinen, it would be useful to remember that you need to buy an interregional ticket.
Bus
The intercity bus 615 departs every 30 minutes and takes you from the airport to the Helsinki Central Railway Station in about 30-40 minutes. You need to buy an interregional ticket to take the advantage of this bus line because the airport is within the borders of Vantaa. Once you arrive at the central railway station, you can benefit from transfer option by bus, tramway or metro lines that go to many parts of the city. Your ticket will still be valid for transfer since journey time doesn’t exceed one hour.
In addition, the Finnair City Bus is another alternative to reach the city center from the airport. This bus line departs every 15 minutes and goes to the central railway station from the airport in about half an hour. The bus ticket for this bus costs a bit more compared to the bus number 615 and doesn’t include transfer option. However, this bus line provides you with a more comfortable journey as well as it offers free Wi-Fi service during your journey.
If you are planning to go to the resorts in Espoo, the U-line bus, which provides inter-regional transportation service, depart from the airport to Leppävaara, Nihtisilta and Espoonkeskus regions. Transportation is mainly provided by tramway lines in the city center, while buses are much more preferred for transportation in other urban areas.
The buses departing from the bus terminal on Eliel Square near the central railway station move to the north side of the city and the buses departing from the terminal on Railway Square go to the east, while the buses going to the west depart from the underground bus terminal at the Kamppi Center, which is connected to the Kamppi subway station.
Tramway
Taking a tramway is a convenient option for touristic transportation. The tramway lines mostly provide transportation in the southern peninsula, which is the central part of the city, yet the extension of tramway network still continues. There are nine tram lines that provide transportation service throughout the southern peninsula in Helsinki. Taking a tram from the airport is not possible for now; however, if you get to the central railway station from the airport, you can go on your journey throughout the peninsula by tramway transfer.
Metro
Subway network of Helsinki provides transportation service on a much shorter route compared to other major European cities. Metro provides eastbound transportation from the city center in the south. The journey from Ruoholahti station to Mellunmäki or Vusaari stations takes a little more than twenty minutes. The westward extension of the metro network towards Espoo is currently under construction.
Rent a car
You can rent a car from the car rental offices in the terminal building once your plane lands at the airport. However, traveling in Helsinki by car is not a very practical option. Parking fees are quite high and it is very difficult to find a convenient parking space in the city; parking lots are charged at hourly intervals. However, if you are going to travel on weekends, you can prefer to rent a car since parking is free of charge at the weekend. You can also rent a limousine as a more luxurious option.
