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. NB! Changes in all data are possible due to the coronavirus pandemic!

Flight connections

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

For winter and spring 2021-2022, the following direct flight connections to Rovaniemi have been established:

London (Gatwick) – Rovaniemi with easyJet
– Operated between 17th November 2021 and 23rd March 2022 on Wednesdays 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.

Traveling to Rovaniemi The Official Hometown of Santa Claus with train

Coach connections

The coach services by Matkahuolto and Onnibus 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.

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 2020-2021

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

Important Covid-19 information: Due to the ongoing world wide Covid-19 pandemic with strict restrictions on what to do, travel restrictions and closed borders, start of The Arctic Route will be postponed until March 2021 at the earliest. They are monitoring the situation closely and no later than 15 February, they will make a decision based on what they will do in March 2021.

Routes operate from 1.3.2021-31.3.2021 between Rovaniemi (Finland), Tromsø, Narvik, Lyngen, Alta (Norway), Luleå and Kiruna (Sweden).

Bus timetables from/to Rovaniemi:

Rovaniemi, Finland – Tromsø, Norway / Tromsø, Norway – Rovaniemi, Finland 1.3.2021 – 31.3.2021

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