Travelling to Åland

Åland is an archipelago in the northern Baltic Sea between Sweden and the Finnish mainland.

The group of islands is an autonomous region of Finland and consists of over 6700 islands and skerries, which extend up to about 40 km to the Swedish coast and up to 15 km to the Finnish coast.

The main island is Fasta Åland, with the archipelago’s capital Mariehamn, venue of the 9th Hybrid Power Plants & Systems Workshop takes place.

Åland is part of the Schengen Area.

Citizens of Scandinavian countries and countries that have joined the Schengen Agreement do not need a passport but must have an identity card. Nationals of countries outside the EU/EWS should check any visa requirements before travelling to Finland or Åland.

…by plane

The regional airport of Åland is MHQ – Mariehamn Airport, located in the north of the city. Connections from Helsinki and Stockholm to Mariehamn are operated by Finnair or the regional airline populAir.

  • Important: Bookings with populAir are usually required to be made separately. Please ensure that you carefully consider the connecting times when booking, as baggage will not be checked through and must be reclaimed and rechecked at the transfer point. Allow sufficient time for baggage handling to avoid delays or missed connections.

Flight times

…by ferry

As Åland is located in the heart of Scandinavia, halfway between Stockholm and Helsinki, the ferry journey past the archipelago islands is an impressive experience in itself.

Important note for the information and ferry timetables:

  • All departure and arrival times are given in local time
    • Åland UTC +3 (EEST)
    • Estonia UTC +3 (EEST)
    • Finland UTC +3 (EEST)
    • Sweden UTC +2 (CEST)
  • All information without guarantee and as of November 2024.
  • For further information and connections please visit the websites of the shipping companies.
  • From Finland
    • You can travel daily by ferry from Turku (Viking Line):
      Turku – Mariehamn 08.45 – 14.10
      Mariehamn – Turku 14.25 – 19.50

      For further, not daily connections please visit the website of the shipping company.

    • There are also regular connections by Tallink Silja to Långnäs (approx. 30km from Mariehamn) arriving at 00.40.
    • There are also regular connections with the two shipping companies from Helsinki if you prefer to travel from there (overnight journey time: approx. 10-11 hours)
  • From Sweden
    • From Stockholm to Mariehamn take one of the daily connections by Viking Line
      Stockholm – Mariehamn 07.45 – 14.10 | 16.30 – 23.20
      Mariehamn – Stockholm 04.30 – 10.00 | 14.25 – 18.55

      For further, not daily connections please visit the website of the shipping company.

    • There are also regular connections by Tallink Silja to Långnäs (approx. 30km from Mariehamn)
    • Travel Tip

      If you fly to Stockholm-Arlanda (ARN), you can use public transportation to reach the city and the ferry terminal, from where you can take a ferry to Åland. The journey from the airport to the ferry terminal takes approximately 45–60 minutes depending on your choice of transport:

      • Arlanda Express (High-Speed Train)
        • Duration: Approximately 20 minutes to Stockholm Central Station.
        • Frequency: Every 10–15 minutes.
        • Cost: Around 300 SEK per trip (discounts may apply).
      • Pendeltåg (Commuter Train)
        • Duration: About 40 minutes to Stockholm Central Station.
        • Cost: Cheaper than Arlanda Express, around 160 SEK including the airport fee.
        • Frequency: Runs regularly, approximately every 30 minutes.
      • Flygbussarna (Airport Bus)
        • Duration: Approximately 45 minutes to Cityterminalen near the central station.
        • Cost: Around 150 SEK per trip.
        • Frequency: Every 10–15 minutes.
      • Taxi
        • Duration: About 40 minutes depending on traffic.
        • Cost: Around 500–600 SEK, confirm the price beforehand.

      From the City Center to the Ferry Terminal (e.g., Viking Line from Stadsgården or Tallink Silja from Värtahamnen):

      • Bus or Metro: About 10–20 minutes depending on the connection.
      • Taxi: Around 10–15 minutes, costing approximately 150–200 SEK.
    • The shortest ferry connection from Sweden is from Grisslehamn with Eckerö Linjen (daily):
      Grisslehamn – Eckerö 10.00 – 13.00 | 15.00 – 18.00 | 20.00 – 23.00
      Eckerö – Grisslehamn 08.00 – 09.00 | 13.30 – 14.30 | 18.30 – 19.30
      • Eckerö is located approx. 30km from Mariehamn and there are bus connections between the two towns: Buss Eckerö – Mariehamn
      • The bus runs regularly to and from all departures and arrivals.
  • From Estonia
    • If you are travelling from Estonia you would opt for Tallink Silja from Tallinn with four connections per week:
      Tallinn – Mariehamn 18.00 – 04.50
      Mariehamn – Tallinn 01.00 – 10.45

Travel duration