HSL User Reviews

Name: HSL
Rating: 3.7931 (261 reviews)

HSL

Helsingin seudun liikenne -kuntayhtyma

✈️ Travel

What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of HSL. Based on 261 reviews and a 3.8/5 average, it highlights the 3 positives and 4 negatives reviewers mention most about this Travel app.

Positive things

🚀Excellent app for travel in Helsinki
👍Convenient and worked very well
🚀Great experience, nice UI

Negative things

🐛Buggy and annoying
🐛Doesn't work with international numbers
🐛Kept coming with error triangle or claiming no internet connection
🐛App doesn't function, unable to purchase tickets

Top reviews

Most Recent Highest Rated Lowest Rated

Doesn’t work

To purchase monthly or package tickets you need to create an account. To create an account it sends you an sms to verify your phone number. FOREIGN PHONE NUMBERS WON’T WORK. Once you attempted to create an account, the app is locked and you can’t even purchase a single ticket as a guest. You need to delete the app and download it again. Contacting support from the app doesn’t work. Search sales locations that sell physical cards ( at $5!) doesn’t work. Didn’t expect that from a major European capital city

MariaLolaPB

3 months ago

Response from developer

Hi. Thank you for your feedback. I apologize for the issue with registration. We do have problems with SMS verification to some foreign operators, especially US based ones. The workaround for season tickets is a physical HSL card you can purchase from a service point at Tripla, Pasila. The price category will vary depending on whether you are a permanent resident with a Finnish ID number. Our customer support can help with the best available options if you have a moment to contact them via phone: +358 9 4766 4000. Kind regards, Joona/HSL

None existent

Downloaded the app and cannot even get a verification code sent to my phone.

MJBanks73

3 months ago

SMS Verification

Cannot receive verification code to purchase a ticket

Sschom

7 months ago

Rubbish for tourists

Do not log out of you are not from Finland you will not be able to authenticate and retrieve your tickets. This app is a nightmare.

MelC7777

7 months ago

Worst experience

My ticket magically disappeared while it was scanned. I had proof that i paid for the ticket but the ticket was absolutely nowhere to be found. This has left me with a penalty fine, even though I had purchased the correct ticket. I am beyond angry

NH2902

7 months ago

Response from developer

Hi. Thank you for your feedback. I would recommend filing an appeal in this case. You can find instructions on the penalty fare. Kind regards, Joona/HSL

Frustrated

How such a great transport system can have such an utterly useless app is beyond me.
This is beyond a joke.

Jan Looker

8 months ago

If I could give it no stars I would

The app will not download and start. Just crashes. I have no issues with other apps just this one. Been trying for a couple of days as I am going to Finland for business.

noelly

8 months ago

Very poor functionality

After the latest update the app no longer displays maps properly. You get a blank background which is completely unhelpful. Also the ability to buy tickets using mobile payment has gone. This is not a good way to promote travel to Helsinki by other EU citizens and foreign tourists. Perhaps Helsinki doesn't need or want any visitors and the revenue they contribute to its economy?

Lapland stopover

9 months ago

Doesn’t work for non-Finnish mobile numbers

It used to work because I have an account but now it won’t make one for my husband. The SMS messages it claims to send never arrive. I tried three numbers that I have in two countries.

NYCMark212

10 months ago

Stone Age App

2025 and they haven’t figured out how to send a SMS message. Hey the world has moved to different auth mechanisms than sending text messages, maybe move with the times.

dimsum300

10 months ago

Another American :)

My niece and I traveled from the USA to Helsinki in both 2022 and 2025. We used this app in 2022 without issue, buying a 5-day pass in the app and using it both to navigate and as our pass. It was fantastic and I raved to everyone about Finnish mass transit and how streamlined it was. Then 2025 rolled around and neither of us could buy a pass in the app. Unfortunately we didn’t think to read the reviews, because we had used it before so seamlessly and didn’t assume something so elegant would have been broken. Why ruin a good thing? Anyway it’s apparently broken. We ended up buying a paper pass from the kioski and using the app to find routes but it was certainly less convenient and I was afraid I was going to lose my 50eu pass that I had to scan vs just having the app on my phone. It still is fantastic for finding your way around Helsinki however.

LauraP225

a year ago

Response from developer

Hi. Thank you for your feedback. I apologize for the poor experience with HSL app. We have added a new registration flow for various reasons since 2022. However it has turned out that SMS verification to some foreign operators including US numbers fails. There is a workaround by re-installing the app and after onboarding views one can choose the lowest option "proceed as a guest". This way HSL ID account is not created and no SMS verification is required. Single tickets and 1-3 day passes are available with this "guest mode". We are looking for solution for this SMS verification issue but unfortunately there is no short term fix available. I sincerely hope we can improve before your next visit. Kind regards, Joona/HSL

Doesn’t accept USA phone number for account creation and now can’t buy tickets in app

After my friends 3 day pass was deleted after trying to buy a BC zone single ticket I screenshot my ticket, sent myself receipts, and then tried to create an account in hopes that my 3 day pass won’t disappear like my friends did. My USA number never received a phone verification number so now I can’t buy any additional tickets. While my friend was at a HSL service desk trying to fix the deleted 3 day pass issue I asked how am I supposed to buy tickets now. The service agent said to not touch anything such as logging out (which I can’t even do since it is greyed out) or attempt to delete the account or try to sign in. He said to not touch anything so I guess I will just pray that my remaining 2 days don’t disappear and will have to buy single tickets on board.
Otherwise the app is great but the devs and QA and product team have a lot of work to do here to make this 5 stars.

degenideas

a year ago

Response from developer

Hi. Thank you for your feedback. I apologize for the issue with tickets and account creation. We have problems delivering verification SMS to some foreign operators including US numbers and there is no short term solution available. The guest mode in app was designed as a workaround to help visitors for buying single or daily tickets. The actual HSL ID account is required for permanent residents purchasing season tickets (and Citybike usage). I agree there is a lot to improve and we aim for frequent release cycle in order to fix known errors and bring more new features in. Kind regards, Joona/HSL

Impossible to purchase a ticket for someone with an international phone number

The app requires me to confirm my phone number via an SMS code, but then I never receive the SMS code. Considering that they warn about the high fines for riding without a ticket, you’d think they’d make it possible for people to purchase them!

NM5545

a year ago

Works only with WiFi

If wifi is available, the app works very well. Without wifi you have no chance to register, enter a route or buy a ticket! Despite 5G!!! Absolutely inadequate when you're out and about in the city.

Almut31

a year ago

Response from developer

Hi. Thank you for your feedback. We have times when service level to foreign operators is reduced but we are taking measures to avoid this. I apologize for the inconvenience caused. Kind regards, Joona/HS

Garbage app

Can’t verify US phone number. Tried two different US numbers and still didn’t receive confirmation code. The app blocks you from purchasing any ticket if your phone number isn’t verified.

Haiian

a year ago

Not for Ulkomaalainen

Ticketkauf funktioniert nur mit finnischem wlan

SmithGates

a year ago

No verification code for US numbers

I would like to use the bike share system in Helsinki but I can’t register because I have a US number

Ryan C@

a year ago

No use for me

I live in the U.K. and Ive always been able to use my U.K. debit cards to purchase tickets. Not any more! The payment kept failing even though I had approved them in my banking app. Luckily I was able to use a Finnish friends card instead, otherwise we would have been stuck!

PiMorgan

a year ago

No Customer Service

Apparently other users have also pointed out that the app won't validate US mobile numbers even though it provides +1 as a country code option. I have now submitted a complaint three times and received zero responses despite requesting one. This creates two problems: without an actual account you can't use the wonderful CityBikes that are all over town. I brought 20 Americans to Helsinki this summer and most planned to use the bikes, but were unable to do so. Second, if you try to create an account but it fails to send a validation text, then you can't even use it to buy transit tickets! You have to uninstall and reinstall and then be sure to only use it in guest mode. This seems like such an unnecessary bug in the app for such a tech savvy country, but I am learning that many Finnish services are only developed with Finns who live in Finland in mind.

Flarri