# VR Scraper - Finnish Train Fares & Schedules (`studio-amba/vr-scraper`) Actor Scrape train schedules, prices, and availability from VR (vr.fi) — Finland's national railway operator. Extract InterCity, Pendolino, and commuter train data for any Finnish route. No login required. - **URL**: https://apify.com/studio-amba/vr-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Studio Amba](https://apify.com/studio-amba) (community) - **Categories:** Travel - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per usage This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ### How to scrape VR data **VR Scraper** extracts train schedules, ticket prices, and journey details from [VR](https://www.vr.fi) — Finland's state-owned national railway operator. VR operates all passenger rail services in Finland, including InterCity, Pendolino (high-speed), commuter, and night trains across the country's 5,900 km rail network. This Actor uses Playwright to navigate the VR booking interface, extract train results with pricing, and return structured data ready for analysis, price monitoring, or integration with your travel platform. It also includes a fallback to Finland's open Digitraffic API for timetable data when the website is unavailable. **No login or cookies required.** ### Why use VR Scraper? - **Price monitoring** — Track ticket prices across Finnish routes and dates to find the best deals or monitor fare trends over time. - **Timetable research** — Compare routes, durations, and train types (InterCity, Pendolino, commuter) for any Finnish destination. - **Market intelligence** — Collect structured pricing data for competitive analysis in the Nordic travel industry. - **Schedule tracking** — Monitor timetables for popular routes like Helsinki-Tampere, Helsinki-Turku, or Helsinki-Oulu. - **API access** — Get VR train data via Apify API, webhooks, or scheduled runs. Integrate with Zapier, Make, Google Sheets, or your own applications. ### What data can you extract from VR? | Field | Description | |---|---| | trainNumber | Train identifier (e.g., IC 35, S 71) | | trainType | Service type (InterCity, Pendolino, Commuter, Express) | | departureStation | Departure station or city | | arrivalStation | Arrival station or city | | departureTime | Departure time (HH:mm) | | arrivalTime | Arrival time (HH:mm) | | duration | Total travel time (e.g., 1h 42min) | | price | Ticket price in EUR | | currency | Currency code (EUR) | | travelClass | Seat class (Eco, Extra) | | changes | Number of transfers (0 = direct) | | url | Source URL | | scrapedAt | Timestamp of extraction | ### How to use VR Scraper 1. Go to the VR Scraper [input page](https://console.apify.com/actors/vr-scraper/input). 2. Enter your **origin** city (e.g., Helsinki) and **destination** city (e.g., Tampere). 3. Optionally set a **departure date** in YYYY-MM-DD format. If left empty, defaults to 14 days from today. 4. Set the number of **passengers** (default: 1). 5. Configure **max results** to limit the number of train results returned. 6. Click **Start** and wait for the run to complete. 7. Download your data from the **Dataset** tab in JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML format. ### Input parameters | Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |---|---|---|---| | origin | string | Helsinki | Departure city or station name | | destination | string | Tampere | Arrival city or station name | | departureDate | string | 14 days from today | Travel date (YYYY-MM-DD) | | passengers | integer | 1 | Number of adult passengers (1-9) | | maxResults | integer | 50 | Maximum results to return | | proxyConfiguration | object | Residential FI | Proxy settings (residential recommended) | #### Example input ```json { "origin": "Helsinki", "destination": "Oulu", "departureDate": "2026-07-15", "passengers": 1, "maxResults": 30 } ```` ### Output example ```json { "trainNumber": "IC 35", "trainType": "InterCity", "departureStation": "Helsinki", "arrivalStation": "Tampere", "departureTime": "06:18", "arrivalTime": "08:00", "duration": "1h 42min", "price": 12.90, "currency": "EUR", "travelClass": "Eco", "changes": 0, "url": "https://www.vr.fi/en/train-tickets", "scrapedAt": "2026-06-09T10:30:00.000Z" } ``` ### How much does it cost to scrape VR? A typical run searching one route returns 10-40 train results and costs approximately **$0.10-0.25** in Apify platform credits, depending on proxy usage and page load speed. The Actor uses Playwright (browser-based) which consumes more compute than HTTP-only scrapers, but this is necessary because VR.fi is a Next.js single-page application. To keep costs down: - Set `maxResults` to only what you need. - Use a specific date rather than leaving it to default. - Schedule runs during off-peak hours for faster loading. ### Supported routes VR operates all passenger rail services in Finland. Popular routes include: - **Helsinki - Tampere** — Finland's busiest route, ~1h 40min by InterCity or Pendolino. - **Helsinki - Turku** — Coastal route, ~2h by InterCity. - **Helsinki - Oulu** — Long-distance northern route, ~6h by InterCity. - **Helsinki - Jyvaskyla** — Central Finland, ~3h. - **Helsinki - Kuopio** — Eastern Finland, ~4h. - **Helsinki - Rovaniemi** — Arctic route to Lapland, ~8-12h (including night trains). - **Helsinki - Lahti** — Fast commuter route, ~1h. - **Tampere - Oulu** — Northern corridor, ~4h. - **Tampere - Turku** — Cross-country route, ~2h. The Actor supports all Finnish station names. You can use either Finnish names (e.g., "Jyvaskyla") or station codes (e.g., "JY"). The Digitraffic fallback covers all 200+ passenger stations on the Finnish rail network. ### Train types in Finland | Code | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | S | Pendolino | High-speed tilting train, fastest service | | IC | InterCity | Long-distance express with restaurant car | | P | Express | Regional express trains | | HL | Commuter | Helsinki metropolitan commuter trains | | HDM | Diesel | Diesel multiple unit for non-electrified lines | ### Tips for best results - **Use residential proxies** — VR.fi is a modern Next.js application. Residential proxies with FI country code provide the best success rate. - **Set realistic dates** — VR typically opens ticket sales 60 days in advance. Past dates or dates too far out will return no results. - **Finnish city names work best** — While the Actor handles English input, Finnish names improve autocomplete matching on the website. - **The Digitraffic fallback is reliable** — Even if the VR website blocks scraping, the open Digitraffic API provides accurate timetable data (without pricing). ### Integrations Connect VR Scraper to your workflow with: - **Apify API** — Call programmatically from any language. - **Webhooks** — Get notified when a run completes. - **Scheduled runs** — Monitor prices daily or weekly. - **Zapier / Make** — No-code integration with 5000+ apps. - **Google Sheets** — Export results directly to a spreadsheet. ### FAQ #### Is it legal to scrape VR? This Actor extracts publicly available train schedule and pricing information that any visitor can see on vr.fi. No login, authentication, or account is required. The Digitraffic fallback uses Finland's official open data API. Always ensure your use case complies with applicable laws and VR's terms of service. #### Why did my run return zero results? VR.fi may block automated requests. Make sure you are using residential proxies with FI country code. Also verify that your origin and destination city names are valid Finnish stations and your departure date is within VR's booking window (up to 60 days ahead). #### Can I get pricing data? The Actor attempts to extract pricing from the VR website. If the website blocks access, it falls back to the Digitraffic API which provides accurate timetable data but does not include pricing. In that case, the `price` field will be null. #### Can I scrape multiple routes in one run? Currently the Actor searches one route per run. To scrape multiple routes, trigger separate runs with different origin/destination combinations using the Apify API or scheduler. #### How often is pricing data updated? VR uses dynamic pricing — fares change based on demand and how far in advance you book. For accurate price tracking, schedule runs at consistent times (e.g., daily at 8:00 AM EET). ### Support and feedback If you encounter issues or have feature requests, please open an issue in the [Issues tab](https://console.apify.com/actors/vr-scraper/issues). For custom scraping solutions, reach out via the Actor's page on the Apify Store. # Actor input Schema ## `origin` (type: `string`): Departure city or station name (e.g., Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyvaskyla). ## `destination` (type: `string`): Arrival city or station name (e.g., Tampere, Helsinki, Turku, Oulu, Rovaniemi). ## `departureDate` (type: `string`): Travel date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Defaults to 14 days from today if not set. ## `passengers` (type: `integer`): Number of adult passengers. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of train results to return. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings. Residential proxies recommended for best results with vr.fi. ## Actor input object example ```json { "origin": "Helsinki", "destination": "Tampere", "passengers": 1, "maxResults": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ], "apifyProxyCountry": "FI" } } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "origin": "Helsinki", "destination": "Tampere", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ], "apifyProxyCountry": "FI" } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("studio-amba/vr-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "origin": "Helsinki", "destination": "Tampere", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], "apifyProxyCountry": "FI", }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("studio-amba/vr-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "origin": "Helsinki", "destination": "Tampere", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ], "apifyProxyCountry": "FI" } }' | apify call studio-amba/vr-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=studio-amba/vr-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "VR Scraper - Finnish Train Fares & Schedules", "description": "Scrape train schedules, prices, and availability from VR (vr.fi) — Finland's national railway operator. Extract InterCity, Pendolino, and commuter train data for any Finnish route. No login required.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "du3GdnpN3kRnOhKTs" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/studio-amba~vr-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-studio-amba-vr-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/studio-amba~vr-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-studio-amba-vr-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/studio-amba~vr-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-studio-amba-vr-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "title": "Origin City", "type": "string", "description": "Departure city or station name (e.g., Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyvaskyla).", "default": "Helsinki" }, "destination": { "title": "Destination City", "type": "string", "description": "Arrival city or station name (e.g., Tampere, Helsinki, Turku, Oulu, Rovaniemi).", "default": "Tampere" }, "departureDate": { "title": "Departure Date", "type": "string", "description": "Travel date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Defaults to 14 days from today if not set." }, "passengers": { "title": "Passengers", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 9, "type": "integer", "description": "Number of adult passengers.", "default": 1 }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of train results to return.", "default": 50 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings. Residential proxies recommended for best results with vr.fi." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```