Buy HSL travel card at airport on arrival?

larryk78 · Post by **larryk78** » Mon Oct 07, 2013 10:27 am

My brother is planning to visit me in Helsinki and I'd like to recommend that he buy a HSL travel card at the airport when he arrives.

Is there a HSL vending machine or HSL office at the airport where he can get a travel card?

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Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Mon Oct 07, 2013 10:38 am

larryk78 wrote:My brother is planning to visit me in Helsinki and I'd like to recommend that he buy a HSL travel card at the airport when he arrives.

Is there a HSL vending machine or HSL office at the airport where he can get a travel card?

Yes: http://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares/sales-points

jahasjahas · Post by **jahasjahas** » Mon Oct 07, 2013 3:58 pm

So either the R-Kioski in Terminal 1 or the Alepa in Terminal 2.

Since he doesn't live here, he can't get a normal travel card. Either a "day ticket" with a 1-7 day season, or a "multi-user ticket" with value or a 14+ day season .

larryk78 · Post by **larryk78** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 2:47 pm

jahasjahas wrote:Since he doesn't live here, he can't get a normal travel card.

That's strange because I met a couple of business travellers on the bus the other day and they both had the normal (green, striped, hard plastic) HSL travel cards, which they had procured (somehow) at the airport. One said he had loaded a 4-day period and the other said he had loaded cash. Both were intent on returning the card for their (few EUR) deposit when they flew out after their meetings had finished.

Unless you meant "normal" travel card, meaning specifically the discounted travel for residents?

I'm not expecting my brother to qualify for a discount (clearly not, because he's just visiting), but I'd hope he can pick up the same green card at the airport and load some cash to cover a 5-day visit.

jahasjahas · Post by **jahasjahas** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 5:55 pm

larryk78 wrote:Unless you meant "normal" travel card, meaning specifically the discounted travel for residents?

I'm not expecting my brother to qualify for a discount (clearly not, because he's just visiting), but I'd hope he can pick up the same green card at the airport and load some cash to cover a 5-day visit.

Yep, that'll work. The names are a bit confusing, since HSL treats the "personal" travel cards (which include the discount and must be bought at an HSL office) and "multiuser" travel cards (which don't include the discount, can be bought at an R-Kioski, and can be lent to a friend) as separate products, even though they look the same.

You have to pay 5€ when you buy the card, but I don't think it's an actual deposit that you get back (the HSL site just says "A new card costs €5.")

Though there's something weird about the business travelers' story, since the minimum number of days you can load in a personal or a multiuser card is 14 days. Either you misheard the number, or he actually had a 4-day "day ticket". (Are the day tickets also green cards that look exactly the same? I'm not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me at this point.)

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