Travel to Mariehamn
Archipelacon 2 will not be organising a group trip to Mariehamn, but here are some options on how to get there! Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands, is located in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden, but getting there is surprisingly easy.
When planning your travel, it’s good to keep in mind that the convention will begin in the morning of Thursday June 26th and have four full days of programme, including Sunday June 29th.
The best way to get to Mariehamn is by ferry. All ferries between mainland Finland and Stockholm stop in the Åland islands, but their timetables are very varied and some do not stop in Mariehamn but on the other side of the island in Långnäs, so it’s good to take a look at the different options.
If you are flying, we highly recommend flying to Stockholm and taking the ferry from there. Flying to Finland is also an option, but getting from Helsinki airport to Turku Harbour (which is the recommended route) will take more time. If you are coming from the Baltic countries, one option is fly or take a train to Tallinn, and get a ferry from there to Mariehamn, bearing in mind the ferries only stop in Mariehamn for a short time in the middle of the night. Depending which route you choose, the trip will take between five and ten hours.
Below are links to specific ferry companies home pages, but there is also an Europe-wide aggregate service like Direct Ferries, where you can compare and book ferry trips to Mariehamn.
All ferries operating the routes to Mariehamn are big ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ferries with multiple shops and restaurants. Getting a cabin is not necessary but is cheap and adds to your comfort as you can leave your luggage there and take a nap if you feel like it. And as they are all ro-ro ferries, you can also take a car with you. If you are planning to stay on Åland a little longer or are exploring accommodation options outside Mariehamn, taking a car along is a good option – anywhere on the island can be reached by a car in little over 30 minutes.
Please note that all information here is subject to change depending on ferry companies, airlines, train companies, and bus companies. Always double check the information from relevant websites, especially the opening and closing times of the check-in.
A good source for more information about Åland and travel is Visit Åland, the official tourist office.
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when arranging your travel:
- Most of the ferries from Finland, Sweden and Estonia stop close to the city centre, and there are taxis you can take from the ferry terminal to your accommodation. It’s also good to notice that some ferries might not stop in Mariehamn but in Långnäs or Eckerö instead. Check the ferry company’s website for information on how to get to Mariehamn from the port, if needed.
- All the ferries stop for a very short time in Mariehamn: usually around 15 minutes. Make sure you are ready to leave when the ferry docks. Most people will be waiting on the correct deck at the door 10–15 minutes before the ferry docks. If you are taking your car with you, make sure you are at your car well before the ferry docks!
- If you are flying from elsewhere in Europe or the world, it is most convenient to fly to Stockholm and take a ferry over from Stockholm to Mariehamn.
- Although it is possible, we do not recommend flying to Mariehamn. The airport is small, and there is no public transport available from the airport to the city centre, so getting to your accommodation or the convention site might not be easy.
From mainland Finland
If you are coming from Finland, or find it the easiest to fly to Helsinki, there are a couple of options on how to get to Mariehamn. All ferries from Finland to Stockholm stop in Åland, but the timetables are varied. It is possible to take your car or bike with you on the ferry.
Ferry from Turku Harbour
The best way to get from mainland Finland to Mariehamn is by taking a ferry from Turku Harbour. Currently there is only one ferry line, Viking Line, running ships twice a day from Turku to Stockholm, via Mariehamn. The morning ferry leaves around 8 a.m., and arrives at Mariehamn at around 1 p.m. Please notice that you will have to be at the harbour an hour before the departure if you are taking your car along.
Tallink Silja also operates ferries from Turku to Stockholm via Mariehamn, but with only one ferry, which means fewer departures.
Getting to Turku Harbour: In June 2025 it will be easiest to get to Turku Harbour will be by taking a train from the airport to Helsinki (both trains from the airport go to Helsinki, so it makes no difference which one you take), and taking a bus from central Helsinki to Turku Harbour. It is good to notice that not all busses go to Turku Harbour, so taking a bus to Turku and then taking a local bus or a taxi to the harbour might be required. Unfortunately the direct train connection between Helsinki and Turku is not operational in late June, but there will be a replacement bus service, if you find that easier for you. At this time (January 2025), the train or bus tickets are not being sold yet for late June, so this information will be updated once we know more.
You can check the up-to-date train schedules and buy tickets from the website of VR, the national rail company in Finland. The bus schedules and tickets can be bought from the Matkahuolto website.
Ferry from Naantali Harbour
If you don’t fancy getting up at dawn to catch a ferry, Finnlines’ new ferries are the best option, especially if you are taking your car. The morning departure from Naantali is around 10.30 a.m. and the ferry arrives at Långnäs harbour around 3 p.m. It is possible to buy a trip without bringing your car, but in order to get to the harbour, you will need to take a bus from Turku to Naantali harbour, and arrange transportation from Långnäs to Mariehamn, which makes it less convenient.
Ferry from Helsinki Harbour
Viking Line and Tallink Silja have daily departures to Stockholm from Helsinki, and they stop at Åland. The timetables tend to be less than optimal, as the ferries stop at Åland usually around 3 or 4 a.m. The trip from the Mariehamn ferry harbour to hotels in the centre is little over one kilometer (little less than one mile) depending on the hotel, so if you pre-arrange your arrival with the hotel, this is also an option.
You can get to the Viking Line Terminal from Helsinki airport by taking a train to central Helsinki and taking the tram 4 or 5 to Katajanokka. For Tallink Silja Olympia Terminal, take the train to central Helsinki, and then take tram number 2 or 3. The website of HSL has the most up-to-date route options for getting to either harbour.
From Sweden
Ferry from Stockholm Harbours
Viking Line and Tallink Silja have ferry departures from Stockholm to the Åland islands. The morning departures leave around 8 a.m.
Viking Line ferries to Helsinki and Turku all stop at Åland Island, and they depart from Tegelvikshamn quite near the city centre. You can get from Stockholm Arlanda Airport to the harbour by taking the train to Stockholm Central, which is located right next to City Terminal, and by taking the Viking Line shuttle bus from City Terminal to the harbour.
Tallink Silja operates from Värtahamnen in northern Stockholm. There is a shuttle bus from the City Terminal, and public transportation via bus or metro. There is also a Scandic hotel right next to the harbour. Stockholm-Helsinki, Stockholm-Turku and Stockholm-Tallinn ferries all make a stop at Åland islands.
Ferry from Grisslehamn Harbour
Eckerö Lines operates a ferry from Grisslehamn (about 100 km north of Stockholm, or north-east from Uppsala) to Eckerö on the Åland islands. There is a bus from Eckerö to Mariehamn. If you are from around Uppsala or travelling there, this is a good option.
Ferry from Kapellskär Harbour
If you are bringing a car and live somewhere south of Stockholm, Kapellskär-Långnäs route operated by Finnlines is a good option. The ships to Naantali all stop at Långnäs, and there are both morning and evening departures.
From Estonia
Tallink Silja has a regular ferry route from Tallinn to Stockholm which stops at Mariehamn. As for ferries between Helsinki and Stockholm, the timetables are not the most convenient ones as the ferries arrive in Mariehamn at 4.50 a.m. and the stop in Mariehamn is very short, approximately 15 minutes.. However, if you are fine with an early morning arrival, and can arrange with your accommodation, this can be the best option for those arriving from for through Eastern Europe.
Flying to Åland
Mariehamn has a small but international airport with few flights by Finnair from Helsinki and Turku, operated with small aircrafts. You can also search flights through aggregate sites such as Skyskanner. However, we do not recommend flying to Åland as getting from the airport to the city is not the easiest if you do not have pre arranged transport. The airport is not busy enough to necessarily have taxis waiting, and there is no public transport.
By Car or bike from Finland
If you are feeling adventurous and want to make a bit of a holiday out of the trip, you can take a car, motorcycle or bicycle, and drive/cycle the southern route from Turku, or the northern route from Kustavi, and use local smaller ferries to cross between islands. The local ferries are part of the public transport of Åland and are operated by Ålandstrafiken.