Which airport for Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä, Inari or Rovaniemi, real bus and taxi prices, the Helsinki overnight train, and when to rent a car in Lapland.
Four airports, one overnight train from Helsinki, four real bus prices.
Finnish Lapland has four working airports. Most travellers default to Helsinki and add 12 hours of overland travel, usually unnecessary. Direct winter routes from London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt land you on the runway closest to your cabin.
VR's overnight train leaves Helsinki around 19:00 and arrives in Rovaniemi at 08:00, twelve hours of sleep instead of four hours of airport security plus a flight. Family-friendly, car-carriage option included.
, usually 2–3 months ahead for peak weeks. We do not have an affiliate relationship with VR; that recommendation is purely editorial. If VR is sold out or you would rather compare both rail and coach in one place, the global travel agents below cover both modes.
Many travellers take the sleeper to Rovaniemi, pick up a rental car at the station, and drive to their cabin. Saves a flight, gets you the romance of the train, and gives you wheels for the rest of the trip.
Studded tyres are not mandatory, but they are permitted 1 Nov – 31 Mar. What the law requires in that window is winter tyres, whenever weather or road conditions demand. A Lapland rental almost always has studs fitted already. Ask the operator if not specified.
830 km · 9 h drive · 12 h overnight train
Long way round, fly direct to KTT instead
Year-round HEL · winter LHR · CDG · BCN · MAD
Winter LHR · CDG · AMS · FRA · ZRH · HEL
Couchette from ~€90 per person, sleeper cabin from ~€140
Car carriage available, drive your own car off the train at Rovaniemi or Kolari
Kolari terminus is 35 km from Ylläs (better gateway than Rovaniemi for the western fells)
Restaurant car serves dinner; breakfast at the destination
You're staying in a remote cabin (lakeside Inari, off-fell Ylläs, Muotka)
You want to drive between two destinations (Saariselkä → Inari → Rovaniemi)
You're a group of 3+ where taxi maths breaks down
You're skiing AND aurora-hunting and need flexibility for clear-sky drives
You're staying in Levi village (walkable, full safari pickups from your door)
You're at Kakslauttanen / Star Arctic (private transfer included on premium tier)
You're a couple at a single property, bus + taxi works out cheaper
You don't have winter-driving experience and roads might be –30 °C ice
€15–20 to Saariselkä · no walk-on bus to Inari, pre-booked transfer only