Traveling from Helsinki to Lapland by train is the most convenient way to get from Southern Finland to Lapland if you have even one of the following:
- loads of stuff
- kids
- pets
- a car
- a limited amount of time
We Finns often drive to Lapland. So did my family too but then we decided to try the train. We booked the night train with a car because we wanted to explore Lapland on our own once we were there.
And oh, the easiness of packing one week’s things in the trunk of our car, parking the vehicle into the car-carrier, walking to our compartment and waking up the next morning in Lapland… After that one time on the train, I knew I was never going to drive to Lapland again!
I have gathered this mini-guide to help you make the best trip to Lapland using the train.
Okay, let’s go! Here’s what I’m going to be
Table of Contents
Helsinki to Lapland Trains: Your Options
There are a couple of Lappish railway stations: Rovaniemi, Kolari
On my trips, I have traveled from Helsinki to both Kolari and Rovaniemi. When using the train, my recommendation is to travel from Helsinki to Lapland using the night train. It’s the most efficient use of your time and if you book early, not so expensive as you might think.
Departure time is always around 7-9 pm from Helsinki and arrival time in the morning or before noon at the last destination. By the way, the Helsinki – Rovaniemi Night Train connection is sometimes called as Santa Claus Express because Rovaniemi is the official hometown of Santa Claus. Check here the timetables from Helsinki to Lappish railway stations.
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Helsinki to Lapland Train – How Much It Costs?
You can buy a seat, a berth, a private compartment and take a car with you if you want. A lot of options! If you are traveling on a budget, I recommend booking 2-3 months before your trip. You can easily score a cheap berth ticket (for example, 50€/one-way in a Helsinki Rovaniemi train).
In August 2017, the price of Helsinki-Rovaniemi-Helsinki tickets including a car and two persons in a private compartment with own toilet & shower was around 450 euros.
In April and September 2018, the price of Helsinki-Kolari-Helsinki tickets including a car, two persons and a baby in a private compartment was around 650 euros
In March 2019, the price of Helsinki-Kolari-Helsinki tickets including a car, two persons and three kids (two of them under 10 and thus free of charge), in a private compartment was around 800 euros.
Waiting at Pasila railway station in Helsinki to hop on the train and go to our compartment. The car is already on board.
The Older and Newer Lapland Night Trains
There are older trains and newer trains shuttling between Lapland and the south. I have traveled in both. The older train model doesn’t have private toilets in the compartments.
However, the cabin and bed are slightly bigger in the older model. So, as we travel with a kid or kids, we have chosen the older train model, if there was a possibility to do so. Both train types have their pros and cons. In both, the bathroom facilities are tidy.
A Lapland Night Train with a Car
You are able to take a car with you to the Lapland night train. As it might sound a bit tricky (it’s not!), I try to describe how it works.
- Buy the tickets.
- The driver (most likely you) drives the car into the car-carrier. Others wait aside as that happens. This area is somewhere close to the regular station.
- Walk to the regular station platform and board the train as usual. (Car-carriers are attached separately to the ordinary train.)
- Go to your compartment and get comfortable.
- Don’t get too comfortable because you will hear a knock on your door and tickets are checked.
- Get really comfortable.
- Wake up at your destination.
- Walk to the car-carrier platform. The driver gets the car.
- Continue your adventure!
The car-carrier station in Pasila, Helsinki looks like this. There’s a short walk to the main station of Pasila where you get on board.
The car-carrier about to be opened so that the drivers can fetch their cars in Rovaniemi. Behind on the left, the sleeping cars of the same trains.
Seven Important Tips to Lapland Night Trains
Here are my helpful tips from several train rides so you know how to book and what to expect on board!
#1 Book early
Remember to book early in advance, in all seasons! Especially winter time is crazy busy! We buy our tickets online. Finland has only one state-owned railway company, so you can’t go wrong.
Usually, you can buy night train tickets three to four months before the actual date. If the search is not able to fetch your dates, then the tickets haven’t been released.
If I’ve had any questions about the connection which I’m about to book, I have chatted with the customer service on Facebook. The chat is phenomenal! So quick to reply. Another option is to call the customer service.
#2 Pack the minimum
The cabin is comfortable but understandably tiny. Pack a separate bag with overnight essentials for the train trip only. The train price includes towels, linen, and a tiny water bottle. Remember to take earplugs and an eye mask if you are a light sleeper!
#3 Happy if not hungry
There is a cafeteria on board with extended opening hours. On our first train trip, we chose to bring our snacks to maximize the unsocial bliss of our private compartment. Later (read: after the baby), we have used the cafeteria as it is so easy to eat there.
Anyway, my recommendation is to take at least a big bottle of drinking water with you! You cannot drink tap water on the train and the free bottles in the compartment are minuscule.
#4 Nauseous?
If you get seasick, the side movement of the train when lying may cause you the same feeling. Have a pill (you can get it from a local pharmacy without a prescription) and feel better.
#5 Family business
At the moment, children aged 10 and under travel free of charge if they sleep in the same berths with the parents.
It is a great deal but not a good night of sleep. If you would like to have separate berths for kids but be close to them, you can ask for adjoining compartments. In that case, remember to make your booking via phone or consult your booking in the chat before booking.
If you are just booking one compartment and have young kids who travel for free, you can do the online booking this way: Buy private compartment tickets for the adult/adults.
Then, go to the VR Facebook chat and say you have young kids traveling with you. They will ask your ticket number and send free kids’ tickets into your email.
#6 New train model compartment info
The cabin with a private bathroom looks like this.
One berth is comfortable for one person and belongings. These two pics are from the newer train model.
#7 Older train model compartment info
Here are some helpful pics of the older compartment style.
The compartment.
The orange table of the compartment is a sink too!
The upper bed tilts with the use of the ‘wall spike’ so that you fit to sit straight on the bed below.
If you have any questions about traveling from Helsinki to Lapland by train, let me know!
Looking for more tips on visiting Lapland? Check out some of my other guides:
Warm wishes from Finland,
Varpu
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Hello there!
I’m Varpu. One blonde,
travel-loving,
Finnish engineer driving this site.
Great info.. We are planning a trip from Ireland to Rovaniemi with kids (6&8) in December. Originally I was planning on just flying to Rovaniemi, but now I think it might be an idea to fly to Helsinki and get the train. It’s no cheaper but I think the idea of sleeping on the train will be great. Both my kids love the polar express!! Although I’m not sure how cramped a 2 berth compartment will be for 2 adults and 2 kids..
Also what is the best way to get from the train station in Rovaniemi to Santa village?
Hei Lydia! You can take the bus from Rovaniemi city center to Santa village. The train station is a bit of a walk away from the center considering you have kids. So if you have a hotel in the city center, I’d take a taxi to get there. As for the Santa village, this page is useful for you closer to your dates (they update the info regularly)https://santaclausvillage.info/info/connections-rovaniemi/
Oh and we traveled with 3 kids + 2 adults in one compartment and yes, it’s no sleep. 😀
I have allergies and products like scented laundry soap and air fresheners are really bad for me. Do they use scented detergent on the sheets and towels on the trains, in your experience.
Hei Jennifer, this is a great question! They use unscented detergents with the sheets and towels. AND they even have allergy compartments. Our family has these kinds of issues too and I always book the allergy compartment, just in case. But the detergent is the same throughout the train. It’s super easy to select the allergy compartment when you do the online booking and it doesn’t cost any extra. The soap in the train toilets is scented so that I wouldn’t use. And there are no air fresheners!
I am traveling with my two kids and th their families
In total we are6adults and 5 children
It is our first time in Finland
Not much experience in Europe
We live in Bethlehem most of us
Want to see northern lights
We are going mid February
Any recommendations are greatly appreciated
Oh my gosh, Olivia, I have totally missed your comment! I’m so sorry! How is your travel planning going? Did you find my post about northern lights in Lapland? It is there in the recommendations what other posts would be good to read.
I think I have almost read your entire blog, thank you! We are traveling to Levi in december from Australia!!
Do you happen to have any photos of the 3 berth cabins on the Kolari train? I haven’t been able to find any and trying to visualize fitting all 4 of us plus luggage worries me!
Hei! Wow, you guys will have awesome time! I went through all my pics but no.. sorry! I’ll try to describe them: They are very orange in decor and the floor space is 75 cm x 150 cm (I’ve actually asked this on their chat and they are so wonderful that I got a prompt reply). There are also storage shelves on top of window and door. I think it will be tight but you’ll manage! If it’s impossible, I’d ask the staff if they could find some room for the biggest item you’ve got. The staff is lovely and super helpful on the train!
Thank you! I’m so excited, I have always wanted to do this trip and now I can with my children!
Awesome! I’m so excited too that you are soon in Lapland!!
Hi Varpu,
I have 2 kids and 2 adults, I could not find a private compartment in the booking page. May I know where can i find it. Tks!
Regards,
Shane
Hi Shane! You find it in the middle of making a booking. As a default, the site offers a seat positions for you guys. When you go on with your booking, you are able to switch them to a compartment and update the price. For further information, I really recommend the Facebook chat service. It is wonderful! 🙂
The first time my family went to Oulu for a sukujuhla we took the day train from Helsinki so we could see the county side (we also did not have a car). I was not disappointed! Very beautiful countryside. Finland is such a wonderful place and I can’t wait to come back!
Hei Brian! Yes, traveling by train is such a great way to explore the Finnish countryside! Also, driving makes me sometimes quite tired. When I take the train, I have a ton of energy at my destination. Hope to see you soon back in Finland!
hi,very informative. I was wondering if you had extra charges for reservation fee when booking onlin. I used eurail and had to pay only for the reseravation fee about 49 euro, both of us at 99. I was wondering maybe I could have saved more by purchasing online without buying eurail as I think resevation fees was almost the same with the price if there was no reservation fee. thanks
Hei! I’m so glad that you found this post useful!! Hmmm.. You know what? The Finnish Railway has awesome customer service chat in Facebook. I use it all the time 😀 It’s super fast and helpful. Here’s the address: https://www.facebook.com/VRmatkalla/ If you ask them, I’m sure you’ll get the correct answer!
I see every day trains passing near to us in Oulu from our balcony. LOL.
I can vouch for it not being a great night’s sleep with a child in the tiny bed with you 😀
But your experience sounds ideal! Definitely a much less stressful way to get to Rovaniemi.
Hehheh, I can only imagine. 😀 Yep, the train is so easy!