Getting to Rovaniemi: Airport Shuttles and the Santa Claus Express Night Train

Despite sitting on the Arctic Circle 800 kilometres north of the capital, Rovaniemi is one of the easiest Arctic destinations in the world to reach, giving you a choice between a 75-minute flight from Helsinki (plus direct winter flights from London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Milan, Madrid and Istanbul) or one of Europe's most beloved overnight railway journeys.

1. The VR "Santa Claus Express" Night Train from Helsinki (8 to 12 hours)

Every evening of the year, two double-decker green-and-white VR Night Trains (Yöjuna, Trains 265 and 273) depart Helsinki Central Station (stopping at Pasila, Tikkurila and Tampere) and glide north through the snowy forests of Ostrobothnia to pull into Rovaniemi Railway Station the next morning:

• Book an Upstairs Cabin with Private En-Suite Bathroom: on VR's modern double-decker sleeping cars (makuuvaunu), the Upper Deck cabins include a private en-suite shower and toilet inside your lockable two-berth compartment, whereas Lower Deck cabins share clean toilets and showers down the corridor. (Wait for sales to open on the official VR.fi website or VR Matkalla app 3 to 6 months ahead; booking the whole 2-bed cabin for yourself or a couple is far more comfortable than a downstairs seated coach ticket).
• Daytime High-Speed Pendolino / InterCity Trains: if you want to watch the Finnish landscape transform from southern lakes into snow-covered northern taiga in daylight, daytime InterCity trains make the Helsinki, Rovaniemi run in roughly 7 hours 30 minutes with a restaurant car on board.

2. Flying into Rovaniemi Airport (RVN)

Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) sits just 3 kilometres from Santa Claus Village and 10 kilometres north of Rovaniemi City Centre. From the compact arrivals hall, you have three ways into town: the Airport Express Shuttle Bus (timed to arriving flights, dropping off at Santa Claus Village and main central hotel stops), Santa's Express / Local Bus 8 (during daytime hours), or official metered taxis (Taksi Rovaniemi and Menevä) waiting outside the terminal doors (taking 5 minutes to Santa Claus Village and 12 minutes to downtown).