8 Apps You Should Download Before Visiting Finland

Alvar Aalto is one of Finland’s most prominent architects and designers, and many of his landmark buildings are easily accessible in cities such as Helsinki and Jyväskylä. The Aalto Route App is a free app that shows Aalto’s buildings in Jyväskylä, and provides background information to further understand the impact of Aalto’s designs.

If you are going to explore Helsinki, the HSL Mobiililippu App (HSL Mobileticket App) is the app for you. You will literally have a ticket machine in your pocket! The app is easy to use and comes in Finnish, Swedish and English. The tickets can be paid for by MasterCard or Visa cards or added to the phone bill, and you can choose from a single fare to a day ticket.

Another convenient app in the pocket if visiting Helsinki is the HSL Reittiopas, also known as a Routeplanner. Simple to use, the app provides you with the best line to choose to get to your desired destination.

Another great app for Helsinki explorers is the City Bikes app. The app helps you find HSL’s (Helsinki Area Transportation) City Bikes around central Helsinki. The app not only shows you all the bike stations near you, but it also gives real-time updates of available bikes. The app will likewise give notifications when the free ride time is about to end, or whenever you are charged for your ride.

For train travels in Finland, VR Mobile provides timetables and also allows you to purchase most long-distance tickets and single tickets for commuter traffic areas. VR is the only train company in Finland and its tracks run from Helsinki all the way to Lapland. With the VR app you can also check traffic conditions, which is very convenient especially during snowy winter times.

The Ylläs Aurora App is an app for anyone in search of the Northern Lights in Finland. The app tells you where the Northern Lights have been spotted, albeit for a 2,99€ charge. The Ylläs Aurora App gives all users a notification when another user reports seeing the Northern Lights in the Ylläs area.

Moomin fans, The Moomin World App is a must when visiting the cuddly creatures’ home island in Naantali, Western Finland. The Moomin World app is your personal tour guide when strolling around the Moomin’s homeland. The app also gives background information on the characters and locations as well as practical information such as opening times and times for theatre performances in Moomin World.

If you are after a really in-depth Finnish experience, you can start learning the language even before arriving! There are many applications available to learn Finnish, such as with Worddive and Mondly. Bear in mind that Finnish is one of the world’s most difficult languages, so a simple ‘kiitos‘ (thank you) is also just fine when visiting Finland!