Oulu Airport (OUL), 15 km southwest of the centre, is one of the busiest in Finland after Helsinki, with hourly flights to Helsinki (about 1 hour) operated by Finnair and Norwegian, plus seasonal connections to other European cities.
The train station is a short walk from the centre. The fast Pendolino service from Helsinki takes about 6 hours; the overnight sleeper is slightly longer but pleasant. Bus connections run north to Rovaniemi and Lapland and east to Kainuu and the Russian border.