Getting here

Rovaniemi is situated in Finnish Lapland, right on the Arctic Circle. Despite the northern location, getting here is easy – Rovaniemi is well connected to the rest of the world via various means of transport.

From abroad, the town is easiest to get to by plane via Helsinki. Inside Finland, Rovaniemi can be reached by plane, train, coach or car. In the winter – the Christmas season in particular – charter flights with hotel packages are offered from many countries.

Please see below detailed information on transport to and from Rovaniemi.

Flight connections

Daily flights between Rovaniemi and Helsinki are operated by Finnair and Norwegian throughout the year.

For winter and spring 2019-2020, the following direct flight connections to Rovaniemi have been established:

London (Gatwick) – Rovaniemi with Norwegian
– Operated between 28th October 2019 and 27th March 2020 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
London (Gatwick) – Rovaniemi with easyJet
– Operated between 17th November 2019 and 25th March 2020 on Wednesdays and Sundays
Istanbul – Rovaniemi with Turkish Airlines
– Operated between 5th December 2019 and 22nd March 2020 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

For detailed information about Rovaniemi Airport, please see here.

Getting to Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland is easy by plane - photo by Finnair

Train connections

Finnish railroads are operated by state company VR.

Rovaniemi is easy to reach by rail from many Finnish towns, with several trains running to and from Helsinki every day. Trains run year round, despite harsh weather at times.

Getting here - travel to Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland by train - photo by VR

Coach connections

The coach services by Matkahuolto cover a great deal of Finland’s road network.

They’re not only an option for reaching Rovaniemi from the south, but also the only means of public transport that connect the town with the northern parts of Lapland.

Another coach company, Onnibus, offers services in most of Finland, Rovaniemi being one of their northernmost stops.

The bus station designed by Alvar Aalto in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

Road connections

Rovaniemi is easy to get to by car from all directions.

If you plan on travelling around Lapland by car, be sure to allocate enough time for the long distances and changing weather conditions, particularly in the winter.

Up-to-date information on road conditions is published by the Finnish Transport Agency.

Check here important facts about driving in Finland.

Aurora Borealis over a road in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

Traffic connections to neighbouring countries

Norway

In the summer season, there is a daily bus connection from Rovaniemi to Tromsø (Norway) and from Rovaniemi to North Cape (Norway) as well as from Rovaniemi to Vadsø (Norway). In wintertime, buses from Rovaniemi run to Karasjok and Tana Bru (Norway), where domestic Norwegian bus lines operate to further destinations.

Sweden

Buses and trains operate all year from Rovaniemi via Kemi and Tornio to Haparanda (Sweden).

Arctic Route winter 2019-2020

New bus and train routes to Northern Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Routes operate daily from 1st December 2019 until 31st March 2020 between Rovaniemi (Finland), Tromsø, Narvik, Lyngen, Alta (Norway), Luleå and Kiruna (Sweden).

Bus timetables from/to Rovaniemi:

Rovaniemi, Finland – Luleå, Sweden 1.12.2019-15.3.2020
Luleå, Sweden – Rovaniemi, Finland

Rovaniemi, Finland – Tromsø, Norway 1.12.2019 – 31.3.2020
Tromsø, Norway – Rovaniemi, Finland

Check here for more routes in Sweden and Norway: www.thearcticroute.com

The Arctic Route Brochure