Helsinki to Rovaniemi by train

Direct VR trains run from Helsinki to Rovaniemi by day and by night. The real choice is a day train seat or a sleeper cabin.

Night train or day train

For most trips to Lapland, take the night train. VR's Santa Claus Express leaves Helsinki in the evening and pulls into Rovaniemi the next morning, about 12 hours later. You skip a hotel night. You also arrive with the whole day ahead. On busy nights up to three night trains run to Rovaniemi.

The daytime InterCity and Pendolino trains are faster, at about 8 to 9 and a half hours, and the quickest take about 8. Several leave each day, the first early in the morning. They stop at Tampere and Oulu on the way north.

Cabins, seats and cars on the night train

You can ride overnight in a seat, but a sleeper cabin is what makes the trip. VR sells a two-person cabin on the lower floor, a two-person cabin with a shower upstairs, and an older three-person cabin. You pay for the whole cabin, not per person. Two friends split it.

Cabins from Helsinki to Rovaniemi start from €59, and those with a shower from €74. Ski-season nights are the busiest, so book your cabin once your dates are fixed. Your car can come too: spaces start from €49 and can be added after you book.

Dinner and breakfast come from the restaurant car, or to your seat or cabin.

Boarding in Helsinki

Board at Helsinki Central station, where every Rovaniemi train starts. All of them call at Pasila and Tikkurila a few minutes later. Those stops only help if you are staying nearby. Rovaniemi has one station, so the arrival end is simple.

Tickets and Interrail passes

VR sells tickets on vr.fi and in the VR Matkalla app. Sleeper cabins are sold in both; car spaces are sold on vr.fi or by VR customer service, not in the app. Fares depend on when you buy, and booking well ahead usually costs less. If plans shift, a ticket can be changed before departure for €5.20.

Interrail passes are valid on VR trains. Day trains need no reservation, though one is recommended. Night trains do need one, and a sleeper cabin costs extra on top of your pass, priced by cabin type and date.

Track work this winter

A few dated closures hit this line. On 5 December 2026 buses replace some trains between Seinäjoki and Kokkola. Night train PYO 273 does not run on Saturday 23 January 2027. Buses also replace day trains between Kempele, Oulu and Rovaniemi on 16 and 17 February and on 23 March 2027. If you travel on one of those days, check the replacement arrangements when you book.