Rovaniemi Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

Rovaniemi is the main transport hub in Lapland. Frequent express buses go south to Kemi (€18.90, 1¾ to 2¼ hours) and Oulu (€32.30, 3¾ hours); also to Muonio (€33.60, 3½ hours), Hetta (Enontekiö; €39.20, five hours) and Kilpisjärvi (€53.50, eight hours) in the northwest; Kuusamo (€25.40, three hours) in the east; and to Sodankylä (€21.30, two hours), Ivalo (€42, five hours) and Inari (€44.50, 5½ hours) in the north, with some continuing on to Norway.

Train

The train is the best way to travel between Helsinki and Rovaniemi (from €71.40, 10 to 12 hours) - it's considerably quicker and cheaper than the bus. There are four daily direct services (via Oulu), including overnight services. There's one train connection daily to Kemijärvi, further northeast (€12.80, 1½ hours).

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Air

The Rovaniemi airport is Finland's most northerly major airport, and the 'official airport of Santa Claus' - does he hangar his sleigh here then? Finnair flies here daily from Helsinki, Kemi and Oulu. The budget carrier Blue1 also has almost-daily flights between Rovaniemi and Helsinki.

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