Five ferry corridors and one land crossing connect Sweden and Finland in 2026. The right one depends on where in Finland you are going, whether you sleep on board, and whether a car or dog comes along. Here is how they compare, and what the Åland stop means for shopping.
When you need this
You are combining Stockholm and Helsinki in one trip and want to sail rather than fly. Or you are driving to Finland and choosing between central Stockholm and Kapellskär. Or you are visiting Åland, bringing a dog, or heading for Lapland. Or an older guide has sent you to a Kapellskär–Mariehamn ferry that no longer runs.
The routes at a glance
| Route | Operator | Crossing time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm–Helsinki | Viking Line; Tallink Silja Line | About 17 hours | Overnight, daily, via Mariehamn |
| Stockholm–Turku | Viking Line; Tallink Silja Line | About 10–11 hours | Viking: a day and a night ship each way. Tallink: one ship, not every night |
| Kapellskär–Långnäs–Naantali | Finnlines | 3.5 hours to Åland, 8–9 hours to Naantali | Twice daily; foot passengers carried |
| Grisslehamn–Eckerö | Eckerö Linjen | About 2 hours | Western Åland; several sailings a day |
| Umeå–Vaasa | Wasaline (a Stena Line company) | About 4 hours | Daily; does not call at Åland |
| Haparanda–Tornio | VR trains to Oulu, Norrtåg onward | By land | Trains since 10 August 2026 |
Not running: Kapellskär–Mariehamn. Viking Line ended this route in January 2023 when it sold Rosella. A new company, Ålandslinjen, aims to restart it during 2026, but it had no timetable when this guide was checked on 3 October 2026. From Kapellskär today, the only Åland ferry is Finnlines to Långnäs.
Stockholm to Helsinki
Both big operators sail every evening from central Stockholm and reach Helsinki the next morning, about 17 hours later, after a call at Mariehamn on Åland. Viking Line uses Gabriella and Viking Cinderella from Stadsgården to Katajanokka. Tallink Silja Line uses Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony from Värtahamnen to Helsinki’s Olympia Terminal, which trams 2 and 3 serve.
The choice is mostly about terminal and ship rather than time. Timetables change by season: Viking Line’s Helsinki ships, for example, keep different departure times in August–September than from October to June. Treat this as a night in a cabin, and read the arrival time as Finnish time.
Stockholm to Turku and Naantali
Turku is the shorter crossing, about 10–11 hours, and the one you can do by day. Viking Line runs Viking Grace and Viking Glory, one morning and one evening departure from each end. Afternoon sailings call at Mariehamn; night sailings call at Långnäs on Åland instead. Viking Line sells tickets without a cabin only on the morning departures.
Tallink Silja Line has one ship, Baltic Princess, leaving Stockholm early in the morning and Turku in the evening, with a short Åland stop. It does not sail every night, so check the day. In Turku, its terminal has bus and train connections about 200 m away.
The morning Turku sailing is the scenic one: it crosses the Stockholm and Åland archipelagos in daylight. For more on what you sail through, see the Stockholm archipelago.
Finnlines sails from Kapellskär, in Roslagen north-east of Stockholm, to Naantali near Turku in 8–9 hours, twice a day, on Finnsirius and Finncanopus. It has taken foot passengers since its larger ships arrived, though older guides still call it vehicle-only.
Ferries to Åland
Åland lies between the two countries, and you can visit it on its own:
| From | To | Operator | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | Mariehamn | Viking Line, Tallink Silja (Helsinki and Turku ships) | Overnight or afternoon call |
| Kapellskär | Långnäs | Finnlines | About 3.5 hours |
| Grisslehamn | Eckerö | Eckerö Linjen | About 2 hours |
Viking Line sells deck tickets to and from Mariehamn on every Stockholm and Helsinki sailing. Eckerö Linjen is the shortest crossing. Book its connecting coach from Stockholm Cityterminalen or Uppsala with the boat ticket, and a bus meets every sailing on Åland for Mariehamn. Eckerö Linjen has an 18-year age limit on board and on its buses.
The north: Umeå–Vaasa and Haparanda–Tornio
Wasaline, a Stena Line company, crosses the Kvarken from Umeå’s port at Holmsund to Vaasa on Aurora Botnia in about four hours. In autumn 2026 it runs one or two sailings a day, depending on the weekday.
At the head of the Gulf of Bothnia, Haparanda and Tornio are twin towns. Since 10 August 2026, Finnish VR trains run Oulu–Kemi–Tornio–Haparanda twice a day in each direction. At Haparanda you change to Norrtåg trains towards Luleå. It is a long way round from southern Sweden, so most travelers still take a ferry.
Getting to the Stockholm terminals
Viking Line and Tallink Silja sail from different terminals, and going to the wrong one costs you the sailing.
| Terminal | Operator | By public transport |
|---|---|---|
| Stadsgården (Södermalm) | Viking Line | Slussen metro station is the nearest; the terminal is on the quay between Slussen and Londonviadukten |
| Värtahamnen | Tallink Silja Line | Gärdet metro station is within walking distance; SL bus 76 from central Stockholm |
| Kapellskär | Finnlines | SL buses 631 and 631X stop at the harbour |
| Grisslehamn | Eckerö Linjen | Connecting coach booked with the ticket |
Slussen is being rebuilt. Its temporary bus terminal sits on the same quay as Viking Line, between Stadsgårdsterminalen and Fotografiska, until the new terminal in Katarinaberget opens in autumn 2026. Getting around Stockholm covers the metro and SL tickets. Värtahamnen’s roof is being renovated, so expect scaffolding and changed walkways. At Kapellskär, Finnlines closes check-in one hour before departure.
Cabins, cars, bikes and dogs
Cabins. Plan on a cabin for any night sailing. Viking Line sells cabin-free tickets on the Turku route only for the morning departures. Finnlines requires a cabin on evening and night departures, except on the legs to and from Långnäs. Fares, cabins and extras are priced dynamically per sailing, so check the operator’s own site.
Cars and bikes. Book the vehicle with the ticket; Tallink sells Stockholm–Helsinki with or without a car. A bicycle is booked like a vehicle: Tallink asks for its dimensions, and Finnlines has counted a bicycle as a vehicle on Kapellskär–Naantali.
Dogs. On the big ships the dog does not stay in the car:
| Operator | Where the pet travels |
|---|---|
| Tallink Silja Line | Pet-friendly cabin (up to three pets) or carrier; car deck only on Helsinki–Tallinn |
| Viking Line | In the cabin overnight; never on the car deck on these routes; tell Viking Line when you book |
| Finnlines | Pet cabin required except on day sailings; never left in the vehicle |
| Eckerö Linjen | May stay in the car at the owner’s risk; dog room on board |
Pet places are limited, so book with the ticket. Then register the dog with Tullverket (Swedish Customs) before every entry into Sweden: see bringing your dog to Sweden.
Tax-free on board and arriving in Sweden
Every ship from Stockholm and Kapellskär calls at Åland, which is inside the EU but outside its VAT and excise area. That is why the ships sell tax-free, and it means your purchases fall under Sweden’s non-EU allowances:
| Item | Allowance into Sweden |
|---|---|
| Spirits | 1 liter (or 2 liters of fortified wine) |
| Wine | 4 liters |
| Beer | 16 liters |
| Cigarettes | 200 |
| Other goods | Up to SEK 5,000 by commercial ferry |
You must be 20 to bring alcohol in and 18 for tobacco. Anything over the limit goes through the red channel, where you pay duty on the excess. Residents of Sweden must also have been away for 20 hours; visitors who live abroad are not bound by that. Umeå–Vaasa and Haparanda–Tornio do not touch Åland, so EU own-use rules apply there instead. The full detail is in Sweden’s customs allowances, and the outbound side in taking alcohol home from Sweden.
The rest of arrival is short:
- ID: Viking Line, Tallink and Finnlines check a passport or national ID card at check-in and refuse boarding without one; Viking Line does not accept digital ID. Sweden’s temporary internal border control runs 12 May – 11 November 2026 and may be prolonged.
- No EES: these are internal Schengen crossings, so no biometric registration. See EES border checks.
- Cash: EUR 10,000 or more must be declared even from another EU country, since 1 April 2026.
- Minors: Tallink requires under-18s to be accompanied overnight, and Finnlines requires a guardian for under-16s.
The clock jumps an hour. Finland and Åland are one hour ahead of Sweden, and every timetable gives local times. Wasaline’s four-hour crossing shows five on the clock; going west, you gain the hour back.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stockholm–Helsinki | Viking Line, Tallink Silja; about 17 hours overnight via Mariehamn |
| Stockholm–Turku | Viking Line, Tallink Silja; about 10–11 hours |
| Kapellskär–Långnäs–Naantali | Finnlines; 3.5 / 8–9 hours, twice daily |
| Grisslehamn–Eckerö | Eckerö Linjen; about 2 hours |
| Umeå–Vaasa | Wasaline; about 4 hours |
| Oulu–Haparanda trains | VR, twice daily each way since 10 August 2026 |
| Kapellskär–Mariehamn | Not running since January 2023 |
| Eckerö Linjen check-in | Closes 30 minutes before departure, 45 in June–August |
| Dog registration | Tullverket, on every entry, no fee listed |
| Internal border control | 12 May – 11 November 2026, may be prolonged |
FAQ
How long is the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki?
About 17 hours, overnight. Viking Line and Tallink Silja Line both leave Stockholm in the late afternoon and reach Helsinki the next morning, calling at Mariehamn on Åland on the way. Arrival times are Finnish time, one hour ahead of Sweden. Viking Line sails from Stadsgården, Tallink Silja from Värtahamnen, so check which terminal your ticket names.
Is there a day ferry from Stockholm to Finland?
Yes, to Turku. Viking Line runs a morning sailing each way on Stockholm–Turku, about 10–11 hours, and sells tickets without a cabin only on those morning departures. Tallink’s Baltic Princess leaves Stockholm early in the morning. Finnlines sails from Kapellskär by day to Naantali in 8–9 hours, or to Långnäs on Åland in 3.5.
Why are the Baltic ferries tax-free if Finland is in the EU?
Because they call at Åland, which is inside the EU but outside its VAT and excise area. That lets the ships sell tax-free, and it means what you buy counts against Sweden’s non-EU allowances: 1 liter of spirits, 4 liters of wine, 16 liters of beer and 200 cigarettes. Ferries that skip Åland, such as Umeå–Vaasa, fall under EU rules instead.
Do I need a passport on the ferry to Finland?
Carry a passport or, for EU citizens, a national ID card. Viking Line, Tallink and Finnlines all check a travel document at check-in and can refuse boarding without one; digital ID is not accepted on Viking Line. Sweden’s temporary internal border control runs to 11 November 2026, so police may also check you on arrival.
Can I take my dog on the ferry between Sweden and Finland?
Yes, in a pet cabin on the overnight ships. Tallink, Viking Line and Finnlines do not let pets stay in the car on these routes, so book a pet cabin with the ticket; Finnlines needs none on day sailings. Eckerö Linjen lets dogs stay in the car. Register the dog with Swedish Customs before every entry into Sweden.
Is there still a ferry from Kapellskär to Mariehamn?
No. Viking Line ended Kapellskär–Mariehamn in January 2023 when it sold Rosella. A new company, Ålandslinjen, aims to restart the route during 2026 but had no timetable in early October. From Kapellskär today, Finnlines sails to Långnäs on Åland in about 3.5 hours; Eckerö Linjen sails from Grisslehamn to Eckerö in two.
Can I travel overland between Sweden and Finland?
Yes, at Haparanda and Tornio, twin towns at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia. Since 10 August 2026 Finnish VR trains run Oulu–Kemi–Tornio–Haparanda twice a day each way, and Norrtåg trains continue from Haparanda towards Luleå. It is a long way round from southern Sweden, so most travelers still take a ferry.
What time zone is Finland in compared with Sweden?
Finland and Åland are one hour ahead of Sweden all year. Ferry timetables give local times, so a Stockholm–Turku day sailing seems to take an hour longer on paper, and Wasaline’s four-hour Umeå–Vaasa crossing shows five on the clock. Set your phone to update automatically and check the arrival time in Finnish time.
Related guides
- Getting to Sweden: every route compared — flights, trains and every ferry corridor
- Sweden’s customs allowances — the non-EU limits and the Åland exception in full
- Ferries from Poland and the Baltics — including Tallinn–Stockholm, which also calls at Åland
- Bringing your dog to Sweden — the paperwork before you book the pet cabin
- Getting around Stockholm — the metro and buses to and from the terminals
Facts verified 2026-10-03. Sources: Viking Line, Tallink Silja Line, Finnlines, Eckerö Linjen, Wasaline, VR Group, Tullverket (Swedish Customs), City of Stockholm, Polismyndigheten, Regeringen — full register in this topic’s source file. Fares and departure times change constantly and are never published here; always check the operator. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.