How do the ferries work in the archipelago?
There are two types of ferries in the Finnish archipelago
The Finnish archipelago, especially the Archipelago Sea, is known for its ferries that operate year-round, connecting the islands along the Archipelago Road, including the outer archipelago. During the summer, the ferries connect the Archipelago Trails. This enables living and traveling in the archipelago even where there are no permanent road connections.
Photo: Jaska Poikonen
The yellow road ferries
A road ferry operates on the water sections of the road. The ferries are yellow and sail short distances between the islands. The longest ferry trip takes about 30 minutes and goes between Korpo and Houtskär. All yellow ferries are free of charge. All ferries along the Archipelago Road, except for the Houtskär-Iniö ferry, are yellow and free of charge and cannot be booked in advance.
The connecting vessels
There are also connecting vessels that serve many different islands along various routes and have their own schedules. Some of these routes are short and take about an hour, while the longest route takes five hours. For example, you can take a connecting boat to Själö, Brännskär, Utö, and Kökar. Most of the connecting vessels are also free of charge.