HSL Reviews

by IDontWantAStupidNicknameDamnIt

Doesn’t verify SMS to US numbers.

Requires an account to purchase tickets - why do this for someone visiting for a week or less?

Some localizations revert to Finnish.

Doesn’t support + in email address; error message not shown.

Tickets cannot be purchased with ApplePay.

Stores credit card information for further purchases - this is inappropriate. Worse, you can’t delete the card post purchase because their SMS validation doesn’t work.

Tickets aren’t in Apple Wallet. You have to unlock the iPhone and launch HSL each use. This is a security, privacy and convenience issue.

The entire reason we had to use HSL was that ticket machines cannot process multi day tickets.

We were visiting HEL for three days. That’s it.

Forcing tourists to use a poor app that doesn’t work, forces personal information sharing and stores credit information is inappropriate. Visitors should consider their options before arrival - the multi day tickets are only available in town and not at the airport or ferry.

by Kuhazor

Unable to create an account, or login with the existing phone number, buy ticket screen show the loading spinner forever, adding credit card as payment method crashes. How bad can an app be?

by User 1234561235

Planning a trip to Helsinki and HSL doesn't work. Continuously getting 404 pages and the whole phone MFA is a fail since I'm getting zero text messages on my phone from this app MFA. Why not an email alternative option? Omg smh. Brain hurts!

by Fessto

I downloaded HSL as purported by Finland’s official tourist website as I needed help to plan my trip from HEL Aiport to Finland university in Helsinki. HSL DOES NOT WORK!!! It should be an embarrassment to the officials that a basic function of route planner does not work!!!!! It keeps saying it can’t connect to the service. So disappointing for a digital service ran by Finland of all countries.

by Aam6

It requires you to register with a phone number which is totally unnecessary and impossible for tourists. Unacceptable for a major travel app for a huge metropolitan city. Also, impossible to log out. Do better!

by Mb2975

It is impossible to verify US numbers. As such, it is impossible to move forward with the account creation and buy transit tickets.

by Joe E Travels

Seems pretty basic, but if HSL won’t verify your phone number, what’s the point?

by Logan MV

I have been a Helsinki resident and user of HSL for 2 years and it seems to just keep getting worse. It currently will not load anything, and normally you have to fight satan himself just to get HSL to load and show a route. When displaying routes with switches, it’s nearly impossible to see where the switch is unless there’s a sizable walk between stations. Apple maps, which you’d think would be less accurate since it’s not directly affiliated with this app, seems to have a better connection with the transportation as it shows an estimation of where the vehicle is, no option for that in this app. This is especially inconvenient when buses can be unpredictable. It feels like they created HSL and then decided to never touch it again.

by Cantconfirmaccount

I have the latest iOS and have the latest version of HSL. Neither my spouse nor I could confirm our accounts. My in-law who has a Finnish number also so it’s not an issue of our having a non-Finnish number. I see from other reviews that confirming an account via SMS has been an issue for the last several months. Warning should be given for known issues.

by DCF222

Downloaded this Sept 2022, can’t get the text verification to come through after multiple tries, so I can’t get it to create an account for me. My husband also downloaded HSL on his iPhone and tried to just make a purchase without creating an acct (he had the same problem), and it wouldn’t process his credit card. No luck for either of us. We ended up buying tickets at a kiosk located next to the tram stop. Both of us have iPhones, USA phone numbers, and we tried using a Visa/Mastercard for payment.

by Kalle K369

Third time HSL did not allow login even network was there, password reset emails came trough, still can’t login. Here comes inspection and you get 80Eur ticket to fill the hole in corrupted IT system who built the ticketing systems.

Feedback from the provider “this app ei ole vastuussa sovelluksen virheellisestä toiminnasta, käyttökatkoista, käytön estymisestä taikka sovelluksessa tai sen sisällössä olevista virheistä tai puutteellisuuksista, jotka johtuvat esimerkiksi sovelluksen ylläpitotoimista, teknisistä ongelmista tai muista samankaltaisista syistä. Asiakas on itse vastuussa sovelluksen käytön edellyttämien mobiililaitteiden, ohjelmistojen ja viestintä- sekä tietoliikenneyhteyksien hankkimisesta, kustannuksista ja toimivuudesta.”

by AtOurGates

A good app when it works, but it blocks foreign IP addresses. So that, if you say land at Helsinki Airport and try to use your mobile phone with service from a non-Finnish carrier, you’ll be blocked from doing so without any informative error messages.

You’ll get frustrated, Google the issue and find that anyone using a non-Finnish mobile carrier is blocked from using HSL .

So, you have to spend $13 for a month of VPN service to get a Finnish IP address just to be able to use HSL while you’re visiting Helsinki.

Obnoxious, and unnecessary.

by Frustrated Expat

When HSL works on non-Finnish phones it’s great. But lately HSL doesn’t work only if I delete and re-download it. Which is a pain since I don’t have the strong ID to use our Finnish debit card. I have to use my spouses strong ID / which means I need him available to approve it.

by W. In Orlando

They block all international IP addresses, they do not send SMS to non-finnish numbers, they do not accept non-finnish credit cards. Even “Delete my account” only works if you are finnish and authorize it with your finnish id.
Why are you even offering HSL on international app stores???

by A Person Stalking U

Glitches all the time, has charged my card then failed to load the ticket which results in €100 fine no exceptions. Such a headache to use and cannot create an account with a foreign phone number so do NOT enter a password when prompted.

by BucksFan#

Just downloaded HSL for an upcoming trip. Am in the US. HSL won’t let me set up an account. Error message is an unhelpful “no network connection or connection to this app services”, whatever that means. I do have a working network connection. Argh.

by 136146899427521

If you have a foreign phone number don’t even bother

by Peteroze

Impossible to register with a foreign phone number

by Hslplsfixthisthanms

i can never tell which way i’m walking, so i have to walk like 20 meters before it shows i’ve been walking in the wrong direction

by Liikennehäiriö

Kausilippua ei voi muuntaa arvoksi

by Dwslater

App hides purchased tickets until verification, will not send verification code to any number.

by Jr.Senator

Unable to use app as verification code delivery limited to SMS (no email option).

Example of received SMS:
3¿DΘcù
Δif£Iw-æ9 ΔMbT%X1cÜUsFÅò8hÜ9+ùDÄ:mDΩΓìDÑ2rRΘK6,Σ:iÜ9¥2l2eÖ

by Mbmmarian

Just opened it up and can’t find the post code where I live. Great!

by Thighrrfgges51125

When mobile internet is used, App becomes irresponsive and unable to contact it's server. As a result, ticket cannot be purchased when outside of Wifi zone. Using Airalo eSIM that fine with everything but this app App.

by 𝑖𝑠𝑘𝑢

Pätkii tosi paljon ja heittää aina pihalle. Ei anna usein ostaa lippua eikä kirjautua sisään. Kun toimii nii aika kätevä.

by Anna Lindström

Yes, I know one can get an eSIM and work it through… Yet it is super sad can’t just validate your own number on the go. It’s 2024 and these things make it complicated to be a tourist in Helsinki! Can’t buy tickets with cash either.

by JayJayDubU

HSL is generally well designed. However the functions on the Routes tab do not work over cellular connection for non-Finnish phone numbers. I think this may be due to a map licensing issue. When connected to WiFi, it works fine. When I run my cellular connection over VPN with a Finnish VPN server, it works. But when I run it over regular cellular with my foreign sim while in Finland, it does not work. This prevents tourists from buying tickets, unless they buy a day ticket.

by Amy12344421

I’m trying to become familiar with HSL before my trip abroad but I continue to get a 404 error. It happens in HSL and the website. I can’t see a route or even read the articles. Microsoft-Azure-Application-Gateway

by Chess Novice 1

HSL was helpful for figuring out the routes and trains to take. However I can’t purchase tickets because the confirmation text to verify my phone never goes through.

by KaaleSPb

It seems there’s no maps showing all routes?

by ABR3434

this app allows buying of supplements, e.g. to add the C zone to an existing AB ticket but HSL unfortunately doesn't let you buy these. 🙁

by Brilliante Vellela

US phone numbers can’t be verified but the company sent me the follow work around instructions (which I didn’t test as I had already purchased a paper ticket).

“delete the this app app and reinstall it; After the initial questions HSL asks you, head to the "Tickets" section in HSL and try to purchase a single ticket. This will prompt a registration attempt. When you fill in your contact details, please leave the lowest "Password (optional)” fields empty, thus skipping the this app Account registration part.

You are then able to use the this app app for single tickets and 1-13 days tourist tickets without this app Account registration.”

by Takahē

Absolutely well designed and well-functioning.

by KirsiAJ

HSL is awesome! If you’re going to be in Helsinki and want to get around on public transportation, you need to download this. Bus/tram/train schedules are all at your fingertips. Easy to set up and use!

by Wind In The Leaves

HSL is so easy all you have to do is press a few buttons and you can go on the bus!

by YesYesYesYesYes

Excellent for getting around Helsinki. Absolutely priceless for foreigners like myself. Very clean, fast, and easy to use.

- study abroad student

by Sjordi

Visiting Helsinki lately that application really helped me finding the best transportation options.
As a software developer myself I will use it to show customers what a really well thought application should be.
This one reaches a 10/10 in my scale. It's prefect and easy to use. End users were in mind when they developed it, not engineers.
Bravo. It's rare enough to be mentioned.

by SmileyKeith

HSL made it very easy to find public transit routes and buy tickets even without being familiar with Helsinki.