Public transport
Tampere has a good public transport system. The public transport company in Tampere is called Nysse. You can buy tickets from the bus driver and with your phone via the app, but the easiest and cheapest way to travel by bus is with a travel card. The fares are in general much lower with the card than without it. Students under 25 years old receive the youth discount and get discounted prices straightaway. If you are older than 25 and you are a student, you still get a discounted price, but you need to prove you’re a student, for instance with a Finnish university student card. If you are over 30 years old, you must provide a student certificate and a favourable decision of Student Financial Aid of Kela in order to get the travel discount. The card can be purchased from the public transportation customer service at Frenckellinaukio 2 B, right next to Keskustori central square. You can load it online and in kiosks and markets all around Tampere.
Cycling
Cycling is the nicest way to go from one place to another in Tampere and sometimes the simplest way to move around. Cycling is pleasant in the summer but also common in the winter. Alberto talked about it in his blog post earlier. As he said, riding a bike in Tampere is easy due to the many bike lanes and locks around the city.
If you are interested in cycling, please remember that using a torch or a light is compulsory. You can get a fine if the police see you cycling during the dark hours without any light. On the other hand, the use of helmet is not compulsory but recommended.
Buying a bicycle
There are many shops where you can buy bikes depending on your budget. If you want a new cheap bike, probably one of the cheapest places is Biltema. However, the most common thing in Finland is to buy a second-hand bike. It is easy to buy a bike in the many Facebook groups people sell things, such as this Facebook group. Finns like using tori.fi. I’d like to recommend Fillaritori, it’s a good forum for those that are interested in bikes and want something more. Etappi also sell bikes, in this case, recycled bikes that were abandoned and have been repaired. The address is: Sarvijaakonkatu 28 and 30, 33540 Tampere.
Renting a bike
Citybikes is a public rental system. The bikes are available in the city centre and the rent is 5€ per day (next day + 10€) from Juvenes Kiosk Centre, at the Central Square. These bikes are available from May 6th until the end of September. The bikes can only be rented and returned when the kiosks are open, so make sure to check the opening hours beforehand.
There are other companies that also rent bikes. Easybike works through an app. If you are a student, the first 30 min cost 0.5, 1 Day 5€, 3 Days 10€, a whole season 40€. Pakomatkat offers electric bikes. The prices are higher but that’s what you pay for less pedalling.
Electric scooters
There are two companies that rent electric scooters in Tampere: Tier and Voi. I have personally never used them because I find them a little bit dangerous, but I can understand that they may be useful to move around. They work with an app and their prices seem to range from 1€ + 0.20€ per km.
Tram
Tampere has no tram yet, but soon it will! The whole city is under construction and renovation to welcome the tram. So far, the project is progressing faster than planned. Three quarters of the project are completed, and it’s progressing on schedule and on budget. The tram is expected to run on the 9th of August 2020. The first line will drive from Pyynikintori to Hervanta and Tampere University Hospital. You can learn more here: Tampere Tramway.
All in all, traffic in Finland is much safer than in most parts of the world. It’s calmer, less hectic and people respect the rules quite well. This makes moving around pleasant: be your choice foot, pedal or bus.
– Mónica
