Quick answer. Finland is one of the most cashless countries in the eurozone, so at Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL) most visitors need almost no cash; a contactless card or phone pays for everything including the train to the city. Finland uses the euro, which makes a small starter float easy to bring from home. On the ground the cash machines are the shared Otto. network (owned by the Finnish banks), which adds no operator surcharge; avoid the orange Euronet machines, which add a fee and push DCC. Finland has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3% fee anywhere; a no-FX-fee card (Wise, Schwab) is cleaner. Decline DCC and choose euros (EUR). To the city (about 18 km south): the Ring Rail Line (commuter trains P and I) runs straight to Helsinki Central in about 30 minutes (~€4.40 with an HSL ABC ticket), with the Finnair City Bus as a backup.
Where to get Euros at HEL
The key Helsinki-Vantaa fact is that you need almost no cash, and Finland's euro makes a small float easy to bring from home. If you do withdraw, use a shared Otto. machine, not the orange Euronet units. The cost math below assumes you withdraw or exchange the equivalent of $100.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Otto. ATM (HEL arrivals, no surcharge) | Arrivals area | Interbank rate, no operator fee | ~$100 + home-bank fee only |
| Just use a contactless card (no cash needed) | Everywhere, incl. the airport train | Interbank rate on a no-FX-fee card | ~$100 |
| Bring leftover euros from a prior Europe trip | From home | Zero; the euro is the same currency | ~$100 |
| Forex Bank exchange counter (HEL) | Arrivals | A few percent off interbank; fair for a changer but behind a card | ~$96-98 |
| Euronet ATM (orange, HEL) | Arrivals / transit | Operator fee + DCC pitch | ~$88-93 |
Where to find the Otto. ATMs and Forex counter at Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL)
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) is Finland's main international gateway, about 18 km north of the city centre in Vantaa, with two connected terminals operating as a single building since the 2023 expansion. As across the Nordics, the first thing to know is cultural: Finland is among the most cashless societies in the eurozone, with contactless cards and the MobilePay app handling essentially everything, so most visitors need almost no cash. Finland's big advantage over its krone-using neighbors is that it uses the euro, so any leftover euros from a previous Europe trip work here and a small starter float is trivial to bring. On the ground you will not see many bank-branded ATMs, because Finland's machines were consolidated into the shared Otto. network owned by the Finnish banks; the Otto. machines at the airport dispense euros at the interbank rate with no operator surcharge. Avoid the orange Euronet ATMs, which add a fee and push DCC, and treat the Forex Bank counter as a fair-but-not-best fallback. Finland has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner. Decline DCC and choose euros.
Terminal 2 (main, all flights since the 2023 merge)
Finnair's hub operations plus SAS, Norwegian, Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways, and the transatlantic and Asia connections that make Helsinki a short-hop gateway between Europe and Asia. Since the 2023 expansion the airport effectively operates as one connected terminal with a unified arrivals area
Shared Otto. ATMs are in the arrivals area; they add no operator surcharge on foreign cards. Avoid the orange Euronet machines. The Forex Bank counter is a fair-but-not-best fallback. Withdraw only a small float if any, decline DCC, choose euros, then head down to the Ring Rail station beneath the terminal.
Do you actually need cash at Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL)?
No, for almost everyone. The Ring Rail trains, the Finnair City Bus, taxis, and rideshare all take cards, and Finland is one of the most cashless countries in the eurozone. Here is what works on a card, and the rare cases where a little cash still helps:
Ring Rail Line (commuter trains P and I, to Helsinki Central) (~€4.40 (HSL ABC single)): Direct to the city in ~30 min from the station under the terminal. Buy in the HSL app, at a machine, or tap a contactless card where supported. The cheapest and usually fastest option.
Finnair City Bus (to Elielinaukio, Helsinki Central) (~€6.90 one way): Backup to the train, ~30-40 min to the city. Pay by card on board or in the app.
Taxi (~€45-55 to the centre): Fixed-ish fares from the rank; cards accepted. The train is far cheaper.
Bolt / Uber (rideshare) (~€30-45 to the centre): Both operate in Helsinki; book in-app and pay by card. Usually cheaper than a taxi.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL) to Helsinki?
No. Ring Rail Line (commuter trains P and I, to Helsinki Central) accepts contactless. Most taxis accept cards. Uber and other apps are card-only.
Can I order Euros before flying?
Yes. CEI Currency Exchange ships physical Euros to your US address in 2-5 days at rates well below airport counters. Order 50-100 Euros for taxis and tips on day one.
Do I actually need any cash in Finland?
For most visitors, almost none. Finland is one of the most cashless countries in the eurozone: cards and phones pay for the airport train, the trams and buses, restaurants, museums, and kiosks, and locals use the MobilePay app for person-to-person payments. You can spend a week in Helsinki on a card alone. The narrow exceptions are the odd market-square stall (the Kauppatori), a rural shop, or a small donation box. Because Finland uses the euro, any leftover euros from a previous European trip work fine, so if you want a small cushion you may already have it; otherwise a modest Otto. withdrawal covers the rare cash situation.
Why are there no bank-branded ATMs in Finland, and which machine do I use at the airport?
Finland's banks consolidated their cash machines into a shared network called Otto. (the dot is part of the name), so instead of separate bank-branded ATMs you mostly see neutral 'Otto.' machines. At Helsinki-Vantaa the Otto. units dispense euros at the real interbank rate and add no operator surcharge, so you pay only your home bank's fees. Avoid the orange Euronet machines, which charge an operator fee and push DCC. The Forex Bank counter is a legitimate, reasonably fair changer but still behind a card or an Otto. withdrawal. Decline DCC and choose euros.
Is there a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner in Finland?
No. No Finnish bank belongs to the Bank of America Global ATM Alliance, and because the machines are the shared Otto. network rather than individual banks, there is no Alliance option at all. A BoA debit card pays BoA's standard 3% non-network fee at any Otto. machine, with nothing added on the Finnish side. The cleaner setup is a no-foreign-transaction-fee card such as Wise or Charles Schwab; Schwab also refunds ATM operator fees worldwide. Since Finland uses the euro and is highly cashless, the FX fee on card payments matters more than the ATM fee for most travelers.
How do I get from Helsinki-Vantaa to the city centre?
The Ring Rail Line is the standout option. Commuter trains P and I run from the station beneath the terminal directly to Helsinki Central in about 30 minutes for roughly €4.40 on an HSL ABC-zone single ticket; the two lines loop in opposite directions but both reach the centre. Buy the ticket from a machine, in the HSL app, or tap a contactless card where supported. The Finnair City Bus to Helsinki Central (Elielinaukio) is a backup, about 30–40 minutes. A taxi runs roughly €45–55 to the centre. All take cards, so no cash is needed to leave the airport.
Can I order euros before flying?
Yes, and Finland is the easy Nordic case because it uses the euro. CEI Currency Exchange ships physical euros to your US address in 2–5 days at a rate below the airport, and any euros you already have from a previous European trip work in Finland too. That said, Finland is so card-and-MobilePay-driven that you need very little cash. The cleanest setup is a no-FX-fee card (Wise or Schwab) for everything, including the Ring Rail train into town, plus at most a small euro float for a market stall or rural shop, which you can also pull from an Otto. machine on arrival.