Riga - Helsinki
Ferry to Finland
Riga - Helsinki
Ferry to Finland
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Riga to Helsinki travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Riga to Helsinki might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Riga to Helsinki ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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The largest city in Latvia is Riga and it is located on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the River Daugava. Latvia's capital city can trace its history back over 800 years to 1201 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and also for its 19th century timber architecture. A popular attraction in the city is the Dome Cathedral which is known the world over for its acoustics and giant organ. One of the organ music concerts regularly held in the cathedral is definitely worth a visit. There are also a number of music festivals held in the city during the summer with opera, jazz and rock all represented. The city also has many interesting museums, exhibitions and art galleries for visitors to explore. Riga is also one of Latvia's largest centres for tourism, in part because of its cultural and historic offerings, but also because it has excellent air, road, rail and sea transport links.
The commercial port in Riga is the heart of the city. Many of the city's hotels, restaurants and embassies are within a 5 minute walk from the old town in the Vecriga area. Passenger services operating from the port depart to Stockholm in Sweden, with a crossing time of around 17 hours, and to Lubeck in Germany, with a crossing time of around 31 hours.
Helsinki is the capital of Finland and is located in the south of the country and lies on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. The city is quite small and therefore is just begging to be explored on foot where visitors will be impressed by the city's architecture, culture and shopping and will love exploring the city's parks, forests and coastline with its many islands. A popular attraction in the city is the National Museum of Finland which contains a large collection dating back to prehistoric times through to the present day. The museum is housed is a neomedieval castle which is a popular attraction in its own right. For visitors that enjoy history, other museums in the city include the Helsinki City Museum, which introduces visitors to the city's 500 year history, the University of Helsinki, which has a number of museums which includes the University Museum and the Natural History Museum.
There are daily ferry services to Helsinki from Estonia, Sweden and Germany. All the ferry companies offer also possibility to take a car with you. Helsinki can be reached by ferry also from Russia as well as Poland.
