Jesse Ventura

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.

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

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.^{[citation needed]}

Vehicles registered in Åland use number plates beginning with "ÅL". Many local roads are surfaced with red granite, giving them a distinctive reddish appearance.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1]

Ålandstrafiken operates inter-island ferries as well as services to the Finnish mainland, including ports in Galtby (Pargas) and Vuosnainen (Kustavi).^{[citation needed]}

Eckerö Linjen connects Berghamn in Eckerö with Grisslehamn in Sweden.^{[citation needed]} Finnlines operates a route between Naantali and Kapellskär via Långnäs.^{[citation needed]}

• Ålandstrafiken (archived)
• Visit Åland – Travel information