Transport in Åland

Åland is an archipelago of over 6,000 islands in the Baltic Sea. It is an autonomous, Swedish-speaking province of Finland, with a demilitarised status and a special relationship with the European Union, particularly in customs and taxation. Åland has a well-developed transport system encompassing air, road, and sea links. Maritime transport plays a central role in the region’s economy and connectivity.

Air transport

Mariehamn Airport is served by Nordic Regional Airlines on behalf of Finnair. The island of Kumlinge has a small airfield and a helipad, mainly used for charter flights and emergency services.

Road transport

Highway 1 (Swedish: Huvudväg 1) from Eckerö to Mariehamn

Ålandic vehicle plate with ÅL prefix

Åland’s road network is quiet and well-maintained, attracting many cyclists. Several main roads (Swedish: huvudvägar) include separate cycle lanes. Public buses, operated by Ålandstrafiken, connect population centres and coordinate with the ferry network.

Vehicles registered in Åland use number plates beginning with "ÅL". Many local roads are surfaced with red granite, giving them a distinctive reddish appearance.

Maritime transport

See also: Western Harbour (Mariehamn)

Ferries operated by Viking Line, Silja Line, and Tallink stop at Mariehamn or Långnäs as part of routes between Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. These stopovers enable duty-free sales onboard due to Åland’s special tax status under the Åland Protocol, a provision of Finland’s 1995 EU accession agreement that exempts Åland from the EU’s value-added tax (VAT) and customs area.

Ålandstrafiken operates inter-island ferries as well as services to the Finnish mainland, including ports in Galtby (Pargas) and Vuosnainen (Kustavi).

Eckerö Linjen connects Berghamn in Eckerö with Grisslehamn in Sweden. Finnlines operates a route between Naantali and Kapellskär via Långnäs.

External links

• Ålandstrafiken (archived)
• Visit Åland – Travel information