Vehicles

1. auto

   Car

   Usage

   The general word. "Menen autolla" — I'm going by car. Finnish traffic fines are scaled to income, so they can be startling

2. bussi

   City bus

   Usage

   The city bus. A stop is a "bussipysäkki". In the Helsinki region you buy through the HSL app

3. linja-auto

   Long-distance coach

   Usage

   The formal word for a bus, and what timetables and signs use for intercity coaches. The coach station is a "linja-autoasema", and it is the only way to reach towns the railway never got to

4. juna

   Train

   Usage

   Trains in general. A platform is a "laituri", shown on the boards as "Laituri 5", as in the Public Transport category. The overnight sleepers to the north can even carry your car

5. lähijuna

   Commuter train

   Usage

   Greater Helsinki's suburban rail, its lines named by single letters — A, I, K, P, T. The I and P lines form a loop through the airport in opposite directions, so either one gets you there

6. metro

   Metro

   Usage

   Helsinki only, and the northernmost metro in the world — orange trains and a white "M". A single east-west line that branches towards Espoo and Vuosaari. Same form as in the Basic Nouns category

7. raitiovaunu

   Tram

   Usage

   Helsinki's backbone, colloquially "ratikka", in green and yellow. Tampere has a new system too. Lines 2 and 3 loop past most of the city's sights, so they double as a sightseeing tour

8. HSL

   HSL (Helsinki region transport)

   Usage

   The operator behind the metro, trams, buses, commuter trains and the Suomenlinna ferry in Greater Helsinki — one ticket covers all of them. The app and every stop say HSL, so those three letters are what you look for

   Grammar Note

   Short for Helsingin seudun liikenne; the Swedish-language name is HRT

9. VR

   VR (Finnish railways)

   Usage

   The intercity rail operator — book in the VR app or on its site. The Lapland sleepers and the bike and car-carrying wagons are all theirs

   Grammar Note

   Short for Valtion Rautatiet, the state railways

10. taksi

    Taxi

    Usage

    Deregulated in 2018, so fares vary a lot between companies — read the price sheet on the window before getting in. Pairs with "Voitko tilata minulle taksin?" in the Transportation category

11. moottoripyörä

    Motorcycle

    Usage

    A spring-to-autumn vehicle only — Finnish winter roads make riding impossible

12. mopo

    Moped

    Usage

    Legal from 15 and how rural teenagers get around. Finland also has the "mopoauto", a tiny roofed four-wheeler drivable from the same age

13. polkupyörä

    Bicycle

    Usage

    Colloquially "fillari" or just "pyörä". Helsinki's city bike scheme runs in the summer months only — though plenty of Finns keep riding through winter on studded tyres

14. sähköpotkulauta

    E-scooter

    Usage

    App-rented and common in the cities. Helsinki restricts night-time hire and caps the speed, and riding under the influence is prohibited

15. lentokone

    Aeroplane

    Usage

    An airport is a "lentokenttä". Helsinki-Vantaa is on the commuter rail loop. The country is long from north to south, so flying to Lapland is the practical option

16. vene

    Boat

    Usage

    The small boat of the lakes and archipelago. A rowing boat is a "soutuvene", and every lakeside cottage has one. With over 180,000 lakes, it is an everyday vehicle here

17. laiva

    Ship

    Usage

    The big ships, as opposed to a "vene". The overnight boats from Helsinki to Stockholm and Tallinn are "laiva", and the Stockholm run is a rite of passage for Finns

18. lautta

    Ferry

    Usage

    The island ferries. In the Archipelago Sea many are state-run "maantielautta" road ferries, free and counted as part of the highway. In Helsinki the Suomenlinna boat runs on an ordinary HSL ticket

19. ambulanssi

    Ambulance

    Usage

    The emergency number is 112 for ambulance, police and fire alike. Use it with "Soittakaa ambulanssi heti!" from the Health & Hospital category

20. vuokra-auto

    Rental car

    Usage

    Winter tyres are a legal requirement from December to February and rental cars come fitted with them. Driving north, watch for reindeer, moose and the early dark. Pairs with "Haluaisin vuokrata auton" in the Transportation category

21. kuorma-auto

    Lorry / Truck

    Usage

    Finland allows the longest truck combinations in the EU, some reaching 34 metres. Overtaking one needs a lot of straight road, so do not force it

22. matkailuauto

    Motorhome

    Usage

    A towed caravan is a "matkailuvaunu". Finland's everyman's right covers pitching a tent but not sleeping in a vehicle, so use a campsite or a designated area

23. moottorikelkka

    Snowmobile

    Usage

    The winter workhorse of Lapland and a common tour activity. You need a driving licence and must stay on the marked "moottorikelkkaura" trails

24. hiihtohissi

    Ski lift

    Usage

    For the slopes at Levi or Ruka. A lift pass is a "hissilippu". A ski resort is generally a "hiihtokeskus" (the general term); "laskettelukeskus" refers specifically to the alpine side

25. koiravaljakko

    Dog sled team

    Usage

    A Lapland winter activity — "haluaisin kokeilla koiravaljakkoa" means I'd like to try dog sledding. Some tours run at night and are combined with aurora watching

26. potkukelkka

    Kicksled

    Usage

    A chair mounted on long steel runners that you push along with one foot — a genuine winter tool for packed snow and frozen lakes, still parked outside houses in the countryside and used for shopping or carrying a child

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