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Finland

Helsinki

A Baltic capital of design and sea air. Green trams loop the city, and no station has a ticket gate.

City bikes (kaupunkipyörät)

The city bikes run April to October; in winter they vanish. A €5 day pass buys unlimited rides of up to 60 minutes. No QR: register online first, then type an ID and PIN at the handlebar terminal - no smartphone needed.

Updated on August 2, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Register on the HSL site and pick a pass
    Create an HSL account and pick a day, week, monthly or season pass. The HSL app opens the same page.
  2. 2
    Add a card and set a 4-digit PIN
    Register a payment card and choose your own PIN. Once done, you are issued a 7-digit cyclist ID.
  3. 3
    Unlock it at the handlebar keypad
    Press the green enter button on the handlebar unit and key in your cyclist ID and PIN - no QR, no app.
  4. 4
    Ride the cycle path, or the road
    Ride on cycle paths, or the road where there is none, and walk the bike on pavements. No helmets are lent - bring your own.
  5. 5
    Get it back on a rack before 60 minutes
    On a long day, dock at a station en route and take out another bike - that restarts the free window from zero.
  6. 6
    Watch for OK on the screen before you walk away
    Return at any station in Helsinki or Espoo. You are done when the screen shows OK or FINISH.

Fares

Passes & multi-ride3

Day pass
Only the day pass lets one registration hold up to four bikes at once.
5 EUR ≈ $6
Week pass
One bike at a time, with unlimited rides of up to 60 minutes for the whole week.
10 EUR ≈ $11
Season pass
Covers the whole April 1 to October 31 season; the price held steady for 2026.
35 EUR ≈ $39

Add-ons & fees1

Overtime (per 30 min beyond the first 60)
A single hire is capped at five hours; riding the full five racks up €8 of overtime.
1 EUR ≈ $1

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
No payment-card reader on the bike; the card is registered online first
IC card
The unit on the bike reads an HSL card as an unlock key, but it cannot pay
App tickets
Signup and payment on the HSL site; five brands named, JCB and Amex included
Cash
Registration requires a card number - there is no cash route

Quick facts

Hours
Season: Apr 1 - Oct 31
Fares from
5 EUR+

Heads-up

  • Late returns bring a delay fee, then a lost-bike charge

    Fail to dock within five hours and you are charged an €80 delay fee on top of the overtime, straight to your registered card. After 24 hours the bike counts as lost and the charge is €400. If it is stolen, call customer service within two hours and file a police report within two days, then send them a copy - you are then not charged.

  • Pausing with the cable lock does not stop the clock

    You can lock the bike for a break with the cable in the handlebar, but the 60-minute clock keeps running. It only stops when the bike is back on a rack and the return is confirmed - stay paused past the hour and the overtime charge starts anyway.

  • Shared e-scooters shut down on weekend nights

    Shared e-scooters are a separate service from the city bikes and run under a City of Helsinki micromobility licence. For the 2026 season only Dott, Ryde and Voi hold one, and every scooter is switched off from 23:00 to 05:00 on Friday and Saturday nights. Minimum age is 15, riding on pavements is banned, and in the inner city you may only park in marked bays.

  • Vantaa's yellow bikes are a separate, paused system

    The bikes work in Helsinki and Espoo only, and you are free to ride from one city into the other. Vantaa's yellow bikes are a separate, incompatible system and are currently paused indefinitely - your registration does not open them.

Timetable

Operating hours Season: Apr 1 - Oct 31
Typical duration Made for the shoreline paths and the seafront districts of both cities
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka