How to Get to the East Coast of Finland
From river rapids to the sea just over an hour from Helsinki! You can fly to Helsinki Airport and take a bus or train or drive by a rental to the East Coast of Finland. Here are some tips for you how to reach to get to and around our unique hoods. Kotka, Hamina and Loviisa region is located close to Helsinki, only about an hour drive away.
How Far is Kotka From the Biggest Finnish Towns by Car?
Helsinki-Kotka 130 km (1 h)
Kouvola-Kotka 57 km (50 min)
Lappeenranta-Kotka 110 km (1.5 hours)
Lahti-Kotka 125 km (1.5 hours)
Tampere-Kotka 270 km (3 hours)
Jyväskylä-Kotka 245 km (3 hours)
How to get to the East Coast of Finland by bus and train?
It takes only about 90 minutes to get to the East Coast from Helsinki by buss. The busses take you to the center of Loviisa, Kotka and Hamina. You can also reach us by bus from Lappeenranta, Tampere, Lahti and Jyväskylä. Check the schedules at matkahuolto.fi/en.
You can get to Kotka also by train from several different cities. Take a train first to Kouvola and then a local train to Kotka. Timetables and tickets: vr.fi/en
Which towns are located on the East Coast of Finland?
We have six towns in our region, the East Coast of Finland. Due to the fact that Finland is a bilingual country, some tows have also names in Swedish, so don’t let that confuse you. The towns from west to east (and their Swedish names) are Loviisa (Lovisa), Pyhtää (Pyttis), Kotka, Hamina (Fredrikshamn), Virolahti (Vederlax) and Miehikkälä. Kotka is the biggest city, followed by Hamina and Loviisa, all three by the Baltic Sea.
How to fly to the East Coast of Finland?
The main airport in Finland, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is about an hour’s drive west of our region. You can also fly to a smaller airport in Lappeenranta north of our region and rent a car to explore the region. Sometimes this small airport has some good bargains!
There are car rentals and taxi services at the airports. Parking in our region is almost invariably free of charge. From the ParkMan app, you can conveniently check available parking spaces and pay for your parking.
How to get to the East Coast of Finland by boat?
The Kotka-Hamina region also invites tourists arriving by boat. Our seaside towns have guest marinas with many services for boaters. Also sea cruises are organized to Kotka and Hamina harbors annually during summer months. The Port of HaminaKotka allows the docking of big cruise ships and tours are orgainzed for the travelers arriving at harbors.
Where to Find Tourist Information on the East Coast of Finland?
Here(opens into a new window) are brochures and maps to help you get around. You can also call(opens into a new window) or email(opens into a new window) our tourist information service and pick up more brochures at these locations around are region:
- Maritime Centre Vellamo, Tornatorintie 99, Kotka(opens into a new window)
- Original Sokos Hotel Seurahuone, Keskuskatu 21, Kotka(opens into a new window)
- Infopoint Ruori, Keskuskatu 6, Kotka(opens into a new window)
- Maretarium, Sapokankatu 2, Kotka(opens into a new window)
- Spahotel Hamina, Sibeliuskatu 32, Hamina(opens into a new window)
- Miehikkälä Salpa Line Museum, Säästöpirtintie 70, Miehikkälä(opens into a new window)
- Laivasailta, Laivasilta 11, Loviisa
- Loviisa Camping, Kapteenintie 1, Loviisa
- Strömfors Ironworks, Ruukintie 11, Ruotsinpyhtää
Welcome to the East Coast of Finland! Many unique experiences and spellbinding, clean nature is here for you to explore!