Travelling around Åland
Travelling on the Åland Islands is easy both on land and on the sea. The distances are short – the longest linear distance from the east to the west is roughly 50 km. It’s worth remembering that islands with permanent residents have both ferry connections and roads but to get to smaller islands you need a boat or to hire a taxi boat.
In Åland there is a lot to see and experience in a quite small area. The most memorable experiences may be found on the smaller islands in the archipelago or in the villages further off. Try different modes of transport to get the most of your visit to the Åland archipelago.
Public transport
The public transport includes buses, archipelago ferry connections and taxi boat connections in the archipelago municipalities.
Bus lines
Buses from Mariehamn to the countryside leave from the main bus station next to the city library in Mariehamn. There are 5 different bus lines in total. Please observe that bus connections are limited in the evenings and during weekends.
In Mariehamn you can travel by the city bus Mariehamnsbussen. The main stop is in the town centre at the crossroads of Nygatan and Torggatan at the opposite of Åland Post.
Archipelago ferries
Where the road ends you can continue your trip to the archipelago by archipelago ferries. They connect the mainland of Åland with the archipelago municipalities and further off with the Finnish mainland.
The local ferries are free of charge for passengers who travel without a vehicle. However, vehicles like bikes, motorbikes, cars and caravans are charged with a fee. The fee varies by the route.
When you travel from the Finnish mainland to Åland or from Åland to Finland, make sure you have booked at least one overnight stay on one of the Åland archipelago islands. In that way your trip becomes less expensive, and, most importantly, you get more time to experience the archipelago without any hurry.
Archipelago ferry lines
The Northern line
Osnäs, Gustavs – Brändö – Kumlinge – Hummelvik, Vårdö
The Southern line
Galtby – Kökar – Sottunga – Överö, Föglö – Långnäs
The Transversal line
Snäckö, Kumlinge – Sottunga – Överö, Föglö – Långnäs
Föglö line
Svinö, Lumparland – Degerby, Föglö
Info, timetables and bookings at Ålandstrafiken, tel. +358 18 25 600.
Taxi
There are lots of taxis in Mariehamn. There are cars waiting at the airport when the flights land and ferry terminals have access to free taxi phones.
Mariehamns Taxi offers transportation services with cars for up to 8 persons. All taxis have individual license plates and names after old Åland ships such as ”Prompt”, ”Carmen” and ”Moshulu”. Every car also carries information about the ship it’s named after.
There are taxis in the countryside and in the archipelago as well. Even the taxi companies there have cars for up to 8 persons. Ask for the local entrepreneurs contacts at your host.
Cycling on Åland
Åland is a cycling friendly destination – the network of cycle tracks has been built out during the past few years and the extension is in progress. The short distances make it easy for you to experience Åland on a bicycle. The landscape and the views vary and the sea is close wherever you are. There are always new sights to be discovered around the next bend.
Hiring a bicycle
You can hire cycles, tandem bicycles and bicycle trailers. The largest rental service is Ro-No Rent with two locations in Mariehamn. Many accommodation companies rent bicycles for their guests as well.
Some of the guest harbours in Åland have bicycles for their guests too. Biking is a convenient way to experience the surroundings and for example do grocery shopping in the local store.
Bicycle ferry
If you cycle in Åland you’ll find the bicycle ferry between Hammarland and Geta in the northern Åland very convenient. It connects the cycle track network between the municipalities so that you don’t have to take the same way back. The bicycle ferry is in traffic according to timetable in June, July and August.
Car rent
There are two local car renters in Åland so you can travel even without a car of your own and rent a car in Åland.
EnjoyÅland is an Åland car rental company that rents out modern and well-equipped mobile homes in various models. Together with a mobile home, you experience the whole of Åland and at the same time have the accommodation with you during your stay.
EnjoyÅland
Tel. +358 40 625 6950 or www.enjoyaland.com
RBS biluthyrning takes the car you rented in Mariehamn to your hotel, to the airport or to the ferry according to your wishes without an extra cost. They offer a wide range of diverse car brands in various sizes. The company collaborates with Europcar so you can rent a car for your Åland trip conveniently via your local Europcar-partner before your trip.
RBS biluthyrning by the gas station St1, Strandgatan 1 B, Mariehamn
Tel. +358 18 525505 or www.rundbergs.com
Parking in Mariehamn
Parking is free in Mariehamn but it’s good to notice that different parking areas have different time restrictions, varying from 30 minutes up to 4 hours. You should always use a parking disc which should be well exposed in the windscreen. Parking discs are sold at gas stations and stores. If you don’t have access to a parking disc, you can also leave a handwritten message with your parking time and date in your windscreen, says the parking attendant in Mariehamn.
There are also parking areas suitable for longer parking periods in Mariehamn. You can park for more than 4 hours for example on parking areas close to Lilla holmen and Nabben beaches and on roads that aren’t marked with parking restrictions outside the immediate town centre. Also the parking area at Rönnbergs torg close to the Maritime Quarter, is suitable for parking over a day.
It’s good to know that the traffic rules in Åland differ somewhat from the traffic rules in the Finnish mainland. For example, you are not allowed to park towards the opposite driving direction in Åland.
There are 27 parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities or Blue Badge holders on the streets and 6 spaces in underground car parks. Here you can see a map over parking for Blue Badge holders.
The parking attendant in Mariehamn is happy to answer your questions about parking in Mariehamn and advises campers of suitable parking areas. They will answer your questions both in English, Swedish and Finnish during office hours. Contacts via Facebook Messenger, by mail or phone +358 18 531 575.
Electric car charges
There are several chargers for electric cars:
- Zebrabil, Uppgårdsvägen 5, Mariehamn
- Stallhagen brewery, Finström
- Supermarket K-market Kantarellen, Jomala
- Supermarket K-market Mattssons, Godby
