Matkakortti

[OlgaMik]

Hello!

I wanted to ask you how much does matkakortti cost? It works in Helsinki area during the month since the day of buying, isn`t it?
By the way, is it true that I can buy it in Kkioski?

Thank you )

[sammy]

If you mean the electronic travel card, IIRC you need to buy the card itself from the HKL service points (?) but yes you can then load the card -either with "travel period" or "value" or both- at R-kiosks etc.

There are other types of tickets as well, like e.g. five-day "tourist" tickets, but if you are living in the Helsinki area the electronic one is the most convenient.

See: http://www.hkl.fi -> in English -> Tickets

[OlgaMik]

Thank you for your answer ))
I need this one - http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matkakortti
And what about price for a month?

[sammy]

The price per month varies a bit, depending on whether you travel between zones (say, Helsinki-Vantaa). For myself, a one-month periodical ticker (Helsinki internal) is approx. 40€ per month - if you buy a regional ticket, it would be a bit more. Depends. Have a look at this site as well

http://ytv.fi/ENG/transport/guide/trave ... tusivu.htm

But first, as said, you'd need to purchase the personal travelcard itself. That's 9€ according to the YTV page. You can only buy the cards from the HKL service points. There's one in Asematunneli (under street level, near the Central Railway Station Metro entrance) for example. You'd probably need some ID with you when you buy the card.

Are you living permanently in the Helsinki area, or just visiting? AFAIK these electronic travelcards are only available for "residents".

Once you've got the card, there are many places where you can "load" it... and note that you'll need to do this before your first trip, since IIRC the cards come "blank".

[OlgaMik]

I`m not a resident
I`m going to study in Helsinki so I`m staying here for a month or so.
I know about tourist cards for 3-5 day, but I need something else. The transport`s expensive in Helsinki and I`ll use it all the time.
Could you advise me some place where I can get more details when I arrive to Helsinki?

[Rosamunda]

Sammy gave you the link to the travel card website.

If you are not a resident then you are a tourist and you will have to buy the tourist ticket (which is actually quite good value for money). Helsinki is not a big city and in summer it is quite nice to walk from one place to another. There are also bicycles available for rent.

[OlgaMik]

Oh, yeeeer.
By I`m going to live in Latocartano student village. It`s rather far from city center
Anyway, thank you for all your answers.

[Rosamunda]

Yes about 10 kms. That's not too difficult on a bike. Otherwise it is 18 euro for 5 days unlimited travel with a tourist ticket. IMO, there are not many places in Europe where you can get unlimited travel at 3,60 euro/day!!! You are lucky to be staying at Latokartano, at least that is in the Helsinki zone. Students staying in Otaniemi (for example) are actually closer to the city centre than you will be but they have to pay more because they need a regional ticket from Espoo.

[inkku]

It is a bit confusing, but there are two different types of travel cards: personal (henkilokohtainen) and multiuser (haltijakohtainen, awful bureaucratic language ). The personal ones can be bought only by those ones who are resident in helsinki, the latter ones can be bought by any one. According to this site you can get them in R-Kiosk (it is explained only on Finnish pages though!).
http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/HKL/Artikk ... kakortilla

Prices you can find here:
http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/HKL_en/Art ... +transport

If you are going to stay officially in Helsinki for one month, then are you not a resident?

[sammy]

It is a bit confusing, but there are two different types of travel cards: personal (henkilokohtainen) and multiuser (haltijakohtainen, awful bureaucratic language ). The personal ones can be bought only by those ones who are resident in helsinki, the latter ones can be bought by any one. According to this site you can get them in R-Kiosk (it is explained only on Finnish pages though!).
http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/HKL/Artikk ... kakortilla

Prices you can find here:
http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/HKL_en/Art ... +transport

If you are going to stay officially in Helsinki for one month, then are you not a resident?

I say, it is more than just a bit confusing!:? I hadn't visited those HKL and YTV travel pages much at all before... and the more I read the less certain I am about the travel card requirements The YTV pages also say:

The personal Travel Card can also be purchased by temporary residents in the capital region. Temporary residency is proved with a residency certificate received fron the local register Office.

http://www.ytv.fi/ENG/transport/guide/t ... porary.htm

Oh well. Perhaps it's best to personally visit the service point and ask.

Do you need to have Legolas-style pointed ears to be eligible for the haltijakohtainen kortti?

[interleukin]

The personal Travel Card can also be purchased by temporary residents in the capital region. Temporary residency is proved with a residency certificate received fron the local register Office.

I would guess that by that they mean foreign students and others that are living here, but are not considered permanent residents.

[Hank W.]

Its the one word for two things. they mean vakinainen kotikunta domiciled resident, so students or someone got a job still waiting to get the EU paper from the police is in the system as tilapäinen. So resiudent as in residence opermit and domicile as having a home county is two different smelling animals though they both look black and hairy.

[Rosamunda]

http://www.ytv.fi/ENG/transport/tickets ... lsinki.htm

The multi-user travel card works out at 2,29 € per day, not bad at all. I didn't realise that this card was available to anyone.
What's the point of the tourist card then?

[Hank W.]

Well because thats someone here for 3-5 days and buy it from a machine in 5 minutes. You need to pay a deposit for the travelcard and go queue at the smurf depot open during blue moon.

[OlgaMik]

Hi!
Thanks for that discussion
I`ve got a letter from ... from somewhere! I`ve found the e-mail adress on the site that we all are reading so attentively and have asked them.
So...

Hi,
you can purchase a Travel Card and load a period ticket on it, but as a non-resident you can only get a multi-user
Travel Card. Period tickets loaded on multi-user cards are quite a bit more expensive than period tickets loaded on
personal cards, but it still a more economic alternative than e.g. buying single tickets or Tourist Tickets.

With kind regards,
Krista Igbarria
Customer Service Officer
YTV Transport

So I can buy the multi-user Travel Card in Rkioski, right?