Finland is a big country with not many people in it, which shapes the vocabulary. Long-distance coaches and trains matter more than they would somewhere denser, the word for "connection" comes up constantly, and ratikka — the tram, is a Helsinki word you'll hear far more than the official one.
Fifty-odd words below, plus the phrases for buying a ticket and getting off at the right stop.
Vehicles and Ways to Travel
car
auto
bus
bussi
coach (long distance)
linja-auto
tram
ratikka
tram (formal word)
raitiovaunu
metro
metro
train
juna
plane
lentokone
ferry
lautta
ship
laiva
boat
vene
bicycle
polkupyörä
bike (casual)
pyörä
motorbike
moottoripyörä
taxi
taksi
lorry
rekka
van
pakettiauto
scooter
potkulauta
Practice these words
auto
Good to know: ratikka is what everyone says; raitiovaunu is what's written on the side of it and nobody says in conversation. Lentokone is lento (flight) plus kone (machine), one of the neater compound words in the language. And pyörä on its own means both "wheel" and "bike" — context does the rest.
Stations, Stops and Tickets
railway station
rautatieasema
bus station
linja-autoasema
bus stop
bussipysäkki
stop
pysäkki
airport
lentokenttä
harbour
satama
platform
laituri
ticket
lippu
single ticket
menolippu
return ticket
menopaluulippu
ticket machine
lippuautomaatti
timetable
aikataulu
departure
lähtö
arrival
saapuminen
connection
jatkoyhteys
route
reitti
Practice these words
rautatieasema
Worth learning properly: jatkoyhteys is the onward connection. Finnish journeys often involve one, and it's the word an announcement uses when yours is at risk. Rautatieasema, meanwhile, is "iron-road station" — split it and every part is a word you already know.
Luggage and Passengers
journey
matka
passenger
matkustaja
luggage
matkatavarat
suitcase
matkalaukku
backpack
reppu
ticket inspector
lipuntarkastaja
Practice these words
matka
Why they look alike: matka is the root of half this table — matkustaja, matkatavarat, matkalaukku. Learn the root and four more words come free.
Roads, Petrol and Parking
road
tie
street
katu
motorway
moottoritie
traffic
liikenne
traffic jam
ruuhka
roundabout
liikenneympyrä
petrol
bensa
petrol station
huoltoasema
parking
pysäköinti
car park
parkkipaikka
driving licence
ajokortti
speed limit
nopeusrajoitus
seatbelt
turvavyö
Practice these words
tie
Watch out: Finnish speeding fines are calculated from the driver's income, so the nopeusrajoitus is taken seriously by everyone, including people who could afford not to. Winter driving has a vocabulary of its own, in snow, ice and winter words.
On street signs: tie and katu are the endings on nearly every Finnish address — Mannerheimintie, Aleksanterinkatu — joined straight onto the name with no space.
Asking Which Bus or Train
Which bus goes to the centre?
Mikä bussi menee keskustaan?
Does this go to the station?
Meneekö tämä asemalle?
One ticket to Tampere.
Yksi lippu Tampereelle.
When does the next one leave?
Milloin seuraava lähtee?
Where do I get off?
Missä jään pois?
I'd like to rent a car.
Haluaisin vuokrata auton.
Practice these words
Mikä bussi menee keskustaan?
Tip: mikä and missä are doing the work here. The whole question words family is what turns this vocabulary into sentences.
How Finnish Public Transport Actually Works
Public transport is good and almost entirely app-based. In Helsinki everything runs on HSL, long-distance buses on Matkahuolto, and trains on VR, and all three sell tickets in an app that works in English. Paper tickets still exist, but you'll rarely need the lippuautomaatti unless your phone dies.
Ticket checks are the thing visitors misjudge. Finnish buses, trams and metros have no barriers and you usually board without showing anything, which looks like an honour system and isn't — inspectors board at random and the fine is large and non-negotiable. Buy the ticket.
Then there's distance. It's roughly 1,100 km from Helsinki to Utsjoki, and the night train to Lapland — sleeping compartments, car transport — is a genuinely normal way to travel rather than a novelty. If you're heading north, yöjuna is the word to have.