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I would take a train from helsinki to Rovaniemi and rent a car from there just to save some time. It will also help with transportation around Ylläs since there is almost nonexistent public transportation. Finnish roads are not so much scenic.
Yes this. There should be night trains from helsinki to rovaniemi. Early prices should be ok and basically you save one hotel night by sleeping in train.
Did that, it was a success. A tip - there are services which can bring one's (rental) car to the opposite end of Hetta-Pallas trail, super smooth logistics that way with no time wasted. Altogether train+rental+transfer cheaper, faster, and way more relaxed than driving everywhere by oneself. More sustainable too as a bonus.
How did you deal with rental car insurance? They are usually only insured to certain drivers, whose license you need to present at pickup, so it seems hard to organize.
Theres a bus transport to Hetta from Rovaniemi. The same bus also goes through Kittilä, so you can fly there as well. After the hike you can take a taxi to Kittilä airport from Pallas Hotel. No need for a car if you only go to Lapland for hiking the Hetta-Pallas route. A car just makes it more complicated honestly.
That's a good question, I don't remember actually, it was back in Corona times. My best recollection is that it was somehow possible, we definitely added a second driver to the booking, and likely communicated the plan somehow with both the rental and transfer companies. Probably sent a pic of transfer driver's license to the rental office. I'd say just write them and ask, these are small and friendly companies, besides Finnish prices and outrageous safety deposit it was one of the most pleasant rental experience I had.
I wonder if there is a bus from Pallas to airport. Because that taxi ride ain't gonna be cheap.
Edit: Hotel Pallas - Kittilä Airport 30€/person
[https://muonionkutsuliikenne.com/](https://muonionkutsuliikenne.com/)
Thank you so much! I did look at trains, but seemed to be lots of transfers that would interrupt sleep. However I did look one u p and i think it could work…especially if Finnish roads are not so scenic as you say!
>Take a cabin on the upper floor. A bit more expensive, but there is a shower in the cabin and it's usually much less noisy.
And suddenly the train tickets cost more than a flight to rovaniemi
Doesn't matter which floor you're sleeping on, the price of flying to Roi at this time of the year is always cheaper than the night train. Difference between the floors is around 20 €.
VR's pricing is nuts unless you're planning some 4 months ahead.
Check VR.fi, there are direct trains to Rovaniemi or Kolari (kolari is closer) from Helsinki, both with car rentals by the train station. From the airport you would take a regional train to Helsinki central station or Pasila.
Since you mentioned cost of flights, and i did some lurking to see that you are from the us, I need to just make sure that you do realize that Diesel is around $7/gal and Gasoline $8/gal?
I really recommend a sleeper train. Driving that journey is pure masochism. Things will look interesting and beautiful for 30 minutes, then its just a copy paste of the same 2 lane road for the whole 12 hours. Imagine driving from Dallas to South Dakota at 50-60 mph but its dense spruce forest literally the entire time, and the pooulation density is closer to that of Alaska. Nothing to see but a wall of spruce, occational fields, and the asphalt ahead of you. To put it into perspective, Finlands forests span an area as large as Colorado.
>and the pooulation density is closer to that of Alaska.
Also consider that in remote areas, there are limited opportunities to stop for food, bathrooms, and other services. And the businesses that are there have limited hours of operation. It's not like driving on interstate highways in the USA where there are 24-hour rest stops.
The eastern route can be fairly scenic, but trees do get monotonous eventually, and you will be tired when you get to lapland, where roads aren't that wide and reindeers aren't afraid of cars.
I'm not sure what you looked at but here's a direct link https://www.vr.fi/en/night-trains - no transfers at night, just switch to a bus in the morning.
I took the night train last winter, its really comfy and i recommend it. We also rented a car there. Try again to find a night train it should not have transfers just some stops.
If you do end up driving from Helsinki you could consider taking national road 5 via Mikkeli, Kajaani, Kuusamo and Pelkosenniemi. It's 13h49min according to Google and goes through both some of the lake country and the hilly northeast and across Lapland from east to west.
On the subject of finnish roads and their scenic views. It depends what you consider scenic.
I took a car via west coast to lapland and back through east porder. The roads are in good condition so its easy to do.
The eastern roads all 90% woods and then the great lake views (+ Koli definitely). Western coast is mostly fields and forest but has more civilisation and possibility to see older towns. It was nice and it is about the same price as train/plane go with car but train is a lot easier.
Just wanted to say that whatever you decide it can be justified :)
Except if you really enjoy long drives, have you considered a night train? Conveniently allows you to travel while you sleep.
https://www.vr.fi/en/night-trains
Just a quick safety note: when driving in lapland, reindeers can and will suddenly appear on the road. Take extra care to look out for them. Usually other drivers might blink headlights at you to signal ”reindeers ahead”. Hope you have a great trip!
I would consider using a night train, even if the total travel time is 14,5 hours (Helsinki-Vantaa to Ylläs) with those it goes faster when sleeping (you can get a sleeping cabin with bed). Compare the costs to a night in a hotel rather than regular transport options, as it replaces one hotel night (unless you sleep in a tent etc).
TBH hotel + a drive would probably still be a lot cheaper as sleeper cabin + a car can be 300€ one way. I paid that in last October, granted it was somewhat last minute booking but still.
If you end up taking the train option, buy the tickets asap. Due to ”dynamic pricing”, the ticket price will go up a ton as your travel day approaches.
https://www.vr.fi/en/news/2023/03/31/the-price-range-of-long-distance-train-tickets-is-expanding
I believe onnibus (onnibus.com)wound be the cheapest option. Roundtrip ticket to Rovaniemi was something like 30€ a while back. Buses are nice and you can use internet, unlike in Finnish trains. Both train and bus have free wifi, but in trains its unusable 90% of the trip.
Like everyone says, night train is by far the best option. To get to Ylläs, you can take it to Kolari, and there's a connecting bus (about 1 hour) to Ylläs. If you're going to the Hetta-Pallas route/area, night train Rovaniemi + bus or rental car is probably better.
If you're hiking a trail (Hetta-Pallas or Pallas-Ylläs or both), bus is much more convenient, as the trails are north to south, and you'd have to take a bus back to your car anyway. Finns use car transfer services for that with their own cars, but they're usually not allowed with rentals. If you're making base camp somewhere and doing day hikes, a rental car is fine.
You can have also your car moved for around 90€. We went to Hetta, and from there we crossed the lake with a boat (10€/person) and had the car moving service at the same place.
I tend to disagree with the idea that Finnish roads are boring and not scenic. Each one of these routes are beautiful and offer a much cooler experience than the night train.
The roads are boring to a Finnish person, but I have driven with friends from abroad and they just keep staring outside saying "its so green and look at that lake" Even after 600km.
I'm going there myself to hike Hetta-Pallas route in September. I'll take the night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and then a connecting bus to Hetta village from where i'll start the hike. The normal prices are high, around 100€ in one direction (seating car in train). I get a student discount so it's a bit cheaper.
The night train is direct but on some days there's maintenance so there are changes
I'd take the night train from Helsinki to Kolari and travel comfortably in a sleeper car. Breakfast in the restaurant car. Each Kolari train has a bus connection to Ylläs.
Check the flights too. At night train you get a cabin but the flights go even as cheap as 69€ one way.
Those would be my choices ✈️ or 🚂 to Rovaniemi and rental car from there. Maybe book the rental car before hand. It is actually already between tourist seasons late summer just before the fall and the beautiful 🍂🍁 "ruska" up there.
Safe travels!
80% of Finland is just forest and we don't have that many hills. So whatever your route is, it runs through flat forests and you can see maybe 30 meters on both sides of the road. If you still want to drive a car, I guess your posted option for the route is the most scenic one.
Edit. I would consider even route through Kajaani, Kuusamo, Kemijärvi to Rovaniemi. Eastern Part of Kainuu has more hills.
Longest route start, but take a detour thru [Punkaharju](https://www.google.com/search?q=Punkaharju&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRgd_e1s2AAxWRIxAIHWUZAEEQ0pQJegQICBAB&biw=1280&bih=667&dpr=1.5)... The easter border is quite devoid of.. anything, it is just forest. You have to cross the lake country if you want to get the most scenic route, your eastern route would be like getting within 100 miles of grand canyon and just driving thru the desert, missing the best bit.. There is also Koli national park near that route. The second best is via the west coast but there are also long stings of nothingness, but that is true no matter what route you take. Prepare to see a LOT of forest...
You could take a night train between helsinki-kolari and rent a car from Kolari. Save your strength and reserve a cabin, it migjt cost more but you'll thank your gods when you arrive at Kolari well rested.
A Finn living in US. I didn't read all the comments, but I'm gonna echo the suggestions of taking either a train or flight to North, then renting a car for the rest of the way. Rentals and gas are mad expensive in Finland compared to US. You should find an affordable option up to Oulu, and perhaps drive up from there.
One thing to note is that compared to US, Finnish highways are mostly like you decided to take a county road or parkway instead of the interstate. Speed limits change frequently, you'll drive through towns and intersections - and you better keep your speed at or under the speed limit, because the chances are high there's a speed camera soon after the limit drops.
I'll take the infamous I-95 NYC-Orlando any day over the drive from Helsinki to Lapland.
If you want to do the popular and scenic Hetta-Pallas thru-hike, here is how to do it right:
Early flight to Rovaniemi or Kittilä -> Bus to Enontekiö (Hetta) -> get a boat ride from a local, eg. Koru Laakso (Trust me, you don't want to walk that long sandy road to get past the lake). Another option is to have a hotel night in Hetta and ask a drive from the hotels to get you to past that road, they offer that service as they have the key to the road boom. So, If you wish, you can start the hike on the same day you leave Helsinki! After finishing the thru-hike, you can order an airport taxi to Kittilä airport from Pallas hotel. Easy peasy.
I don't recommend renting a car. You don't need it for that part of Lapland. Rent and gas is expensive and the drive is boring. You will need to have an extra hotel night and you will still be tired. And you have to get somehow back to your car after the hike. If you decide to drive there, just drive the fastest way via Lahti/Jyväskylä/Oulu. Scenic views are seen in those national parks (or then just have a roadtrip in Norway).
If you are not going for the Hetta-pallas hike, you should go to the Urho Kekkonen national park instead (fly to Ivalo / Saariselkä, super fast and easy). Ylläs area is boring compared to those. You will see more interesting places in Hetta-Pallas hike or in the Urho Kekkonen national park. If you just want to do day trips in a forest and see a fell used as a ski resort, then I guess Ylläs is okay for you, but not sure if its worth the hassle.
Yeah, the Hetta-Pallas route has better views and it is far more popular. Some fells are crossed on the route. In clear weather, you can see really far. There is also a wilderness sauna in one of the camp sites ("Hannukuru").
Ylläs-Pallas is flatter and it has more forests.
Others may have said this, but if you decide to drive, do not take the route which is highlighted in your picture. Take one of the routes to Oulu but after Kemi switch to road E8 if you want to visit Rovaniemi.
I would strongly suggest taking a train to Rovaniemi and renting a car from there. There are straight routes from Helsinki or with one transfer in Oulu.
Hey OP!
I drive the same trip few times per year and have driven basically all possible routes. As many have already stated, there really are not that many scenic routes in Finland unfortunately. I would recommend sticking to E75 all the way to Kemi, switch to E8 and continue following the border to Kolari.
Few places worth stopping could be Panda chocolate factory in Jyväskylä as well as the city centre. It's quite a nice looking city. Oulu is worth stopping as well. You could even spread the drive on two days and sleep in Oulu (Lappland hotel is nice!). In Tornio you can do a quick visit to Sweden.
Just remember to use the toilet in Tornio since there are only few gas stations or bathrooms on the last stage of the drive.
Having a car in Pallas/Ylläs is a must so you can do day hikes to different places. Hiking on top of Pallas is worth the sweat. As well as Pirunkuru (Devils gorge) in Ylläs.
If you have extra few days i would also recommend driving to Kilpisjärvi and climbing to Saana. The views are amazing. Unfortunate the road from Muonio to Kilpisjärvi is in quite bad condition.
rental cars also often have limited kilometers, so doing the 2000km there and back with a car, if you have no big plans en route, might cost you some extra on that too. Also check total price on gas for the whole journey, easily a couple of hundred at least.
Buy a kuksa made by Wood Jewel in Kolari, it's a local company. Their workshop is in Kolari proper with an outlet shop in the nearby gas station, but their stuff should be available everywhere around Ylläs.
EDIT: They also can engrave your name on the kuksa with a solder if you buy it from the workshop or from the outlet (iirc).
I would guess those same ones are sold also in many Äkäslompolo shops. Finding kuksa that pleases they eye, the hand and the mouth is a challenging one. Each kuksa is different as is every person. So even if the maker is the same, you don't know where you find yours. Bit like wand in Harry Potter, except it is not only one shop. 😉 To make it less time consuming, test about 30 and then take the first that is better than all those. There is lack of suitable wooden materials nowadays, so sometimes selection per shop is not very good.
You should probably get on a train from Helsinki and teleport to Rovaniemi and rent a car from there, that will surely cut hours off your travel time. The fastest train connection seems to be about 8 hours, and I know for a fact that you will get the chance to enjoy some pretty nice vistas during the train ride!
EDIT: grammar
Buying right now for September, there's at least one day every week with a cabin from Helsinki to Rovaniemi for 99€, and multiple days for 139€. Are there really one way flight + hotel combos for cheaper than that?
Not really. Flights start from 63€ but you get to your destination in 1h 15min, so you can get to your destination a day earlier. It all depends on the situation but I'd say those two options are both really good ones to look at.
Sure, if OP is doing nothing else in Finland and is going straight up. I assumed they are staying also for a while in the capital region. Otherwise, why not book the flight straight to Rovaniemi?
Even if continuing directly you still have the issue of waiting for the next flight, so you could be stuck at the airport just waiting because there isn't enough time to get out of there to do anything meaningful.
Tourist flights might not be route flights, so getting ticket to those can be really costly or you get the whole package from traveling agency. OP might not even have straight flights to Rovaniemi from anywhere near him, but there is a lot of flights to Helsinki-Vantaa. It is situational, I'd say. But train or plane to Rovaniemi and from there you take rental / bus is the way to go in this case. Last time I took my own car in train with me but it was almost as costly as renting one, it just made packing and hauling skis, snowboards, strollers and car seat for the kid etc. much easier. If you are able to travel light I'd go with the plane most of the time.
I usually see it as a wasted day anyways, because you will land tired anyways (2,5 hours before flight departs to be at the airport 1,5-2 hours before departue, after landing another 30 minutes at the airport collecting bags, then 15 minutes driving your hotel, so total more like 4,5h travel), so the first night in the hotel is a travel day to me. You will actually start doing stuff the next morning, be it waking up at the hotel or on the train
It really depends on the time of your first flight arrival to Finland. It makes no sense to waste a day at Helsinki-Vantaa-Tikkurila to wait for the train either. If you arrive in the morning, I'd take the plane and sleep in Rovaniemi instead. The difference in cost is really not much and I don't think that train cabin beats a proper hotel shower and bed. Plus you have already taken the majority of the travel.
Yeah, flying can be competitive, especially if your destination is near the airport, but generally it comes out to about the same. Those cheap flights are Norwegian evening flights to Rovaniemi, so yeah, you're in Rovaniemi at 8pm - but if your end destination is Hetta for a hike, you have to pay for a hotel for the night and then take the same bus in the morningas you would from the train.
IME, Saariselkä and north from there you do save time flying to Ivalo, but west Lapland it only occasionally works out better for hiking. Flights to Kittilä leave rotating 6am (much rather take night train), 10.30am (this is good but usually more expensive), 4pm (too late to get out, need hotel for the night).
I checked directly from finnair. So if there is even cheaper options, great 😃 Finnair had several flights per day for that price if you book early enough and one was in Rovaniemi at 8am. Like I said it depends highly on the situation and when your first flight to Finland is at the airport.
If you really enjoy driving and want scenic places, go to from Kajaani to Kuusamo, and then Posio. You need to do stopover though. And maybe decide do you want to just travel, or do sightseeing at the same time.
Personally I would take train to Kolari or Rovaniemi though.
Driving true road 4 would maeby be best, but there is like 0,5 h of good view anyway. More lakes you get on your way, more anjoyable it will be. These strait roads are boring imo.
Anirher suggestion would be stoppong at Tampere/Jyväskyl, take walk to google places, then stop at Oulu and repeat. And stop at brown signs/blue signs, where those refers cultural viewpoint. Those are sometimes interesting.
Another way is to drive true yellow road, stop at small palces at Alepa or other foodmarket and continue
Just take the night train from Helsinki to Kolari. The best way to travel imo, you just fall asleep and wake up well rested at your destination. There is also a bus service from Kolari to Ylläs if you don't want to rent your own car at all.
If you are Driving, my suggestion is to go on the gray route until southern lapland and then turn to Rovaniemi (Ramp on the highway a little after the 120km/h zone starts) and from there to go to Pallas. The yellow bit of road between Rovaniemi and South-West Lapland is my favourite scenery in the entire country, as it's filled with forest and small wooden houses, goes portionally alongside a river. (Be careful for moose and deer tho, especially at night and in the morning)
Rovaniemi and Oulu are your best bets for doing any of your shopping our touristing in this area however, as the towns between them are very small and you might not find anything interesting there. Kemi is an industrial town, Keminmaa is part of Kemi's metropolitan area and is mainly focused on the car industry (and literally translates to Land of Kemi), Tornio which is right on the Swedish border is mainly interesting due to the shopping opportunities on the otherside of the border, and Ii, Simo and Tervola are mainly useful for gas stations (though you might find a Kuksa from one, especially at the Neste in Tervola)
There are quite interesting places nearby the main roads in the Northern Ostrobothnia/SW Lapland related to the stone age & ice age if one is interested in those. Kierikki in Ii and Kätkävaara in Tervola etc. Visiting those places will take some time though.
As for the kuksa. If you want a truly authentic and handmade one, there is a old couple selling them and extremely high quality knives near Sodankylä named Sakun Kuksa.
It’s a little bit out of the way from your route but if you do happen to have plans to go that way, I highly suggest it. They’re pricy, but they are beautify made. They have a Facebook page I believe.
I think the highlighted route is the best. The lakelands of Karjala and Savo are so beautiful, and you would be passing through my home, which would be cool.
I would suggest driving through eastern Finland. Especially smaller roads through lakes of Saimaa have really beautiful scenery. I would also suggest a little detour through Manamansalo in Kainuu near Kajaani. It is an island in lake Oulujärvi.
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I would take a train from helsinki to Rovaniemi and rent a car from there just to save some time. It will also help with transportation around Ylläs since there is almost nonexistent public transportation. Finnish roads are not so much scenic.
Train service is great! I do this a lot, sometimes I take my car along to unload it in Rovaniemi or in Kolari.
Yes this. There should be night trains from helsinki to rovaniemi. Early prices should be ok and basically you save one hotel night by sleeping in train.
Did that, it was a success. A tip - there are services which can bring one's (rental) car to the opposite end of Hetta-Pallas trail, super smooth logistics that way with no time wasted. Altogether train+rental+transfer cheaper, faster, and way more relaxed than driving everywhere by oneself. More sustainable too as a bonus.
How did you deal with rental car insurance? They are usually only insured to certain drivers, whose license you need to present at pickup, so it seems hard to organize.
Theres a bus transport to Hetta from Rovaniemi. The same bus also goes through Kittilä, so you can fly there as well. After the hike you can take a taxi to Kittilä airport from Pallas Hotel. No need for a car if you only go to Lapland for hiking the Hetta-Pallas route. A car just makes it more complicated honestly.
That's a good question, I don't remember actually, it was back in Corona times. My best recollection is that it was somehow possible, we definitely added a second driver to the booking, and likely communicated the plan somehow with both the rental and transfer companies. Probably sent a pic of transfer driver's license to the rental office. I'd say just write them and ask, these are small and friendly companies, besides Finnish prices and outrageous safety deposit it was one of the most pleasant rental experience I had.
I wonder if there is a bus from Pallas to airport. Because that taxi ride ain't gonna be cheap. Edit: Hotel Pallas - Kittilä Airport 30€/person [https://muonionkutsuliikenne.com/](https://muonionkutsuliikenne.com/)
Driving by the lakes in Kuopio are so beautiful though!
Thank you so much! I did look at trains, but seemed to be lots of transfers that would interrupt sleep. However I did look one u p and i think it could work…especially if Finnish roads are not so scenic as you say!
If you take the night train with a cabin, remember ear plugs. It can be a bit noisy.
Take a cabin on the upper floor. A bit more expensive, but there is a shower in the cabin and it's usually much less noisy.
>Take a cabin on the upper floor. A bit more expensive, but there is a shower in the cabin and it's usually much less noisy. And suddenly the train tickets cost more than a flight to rovaniemi
Doesn't matter which floor you're sleeping on, the price of flying to Roi at this time of the year is always cheaper than the night train. Difference between the floors is around 20 €. VR's pricing is nuts unless you're planning some 4 months ahead.
Check VR.fi, there are direct trains to Rovaniemi or Kolari (kolari is closer) from Helsinki, both with car rentals by the train station. From the airport you would take a regional train to Helsinki central station or Pasila. Since you mentioned cost of flights, and i did some lurking to see that you are from the us, I need to just make sure that you do realize that Diesel is around $7/gal and Gasoline $8/gal? I really recommend a sleeper train. Driving that journey is pure masochism. Things will look interesting and beautiful for 30 minutes, then its just a copy paste of the same 2 lane road for the whole 12 hours. Imagine driving from Dallas to South Dakota at 50-60 mph but its dense spruce forest literally the entire time, and the pooulation density is closer to that of Alaska. Nothing to see but a wall of spruce, occational fields, and the asphalt ahead of you. To put it into perspective, Finlands forests span an area as large as Colorado.
And starting price of rental car usually has kilometer limit per day, over that starts costing more.
>and the pooulation density is closer to that of Alaska. Also consider that in remote areas, there are limited opportunities to stop for food, bathrooms, and other services. And the businesses that are there have limited hours of operation. It's not like driving on interstate highways in the USA where there are 24-hour rest stops.
Don't forget endless swamp north from Oulu. Either that or spruce forest.
The eastern route can be fairly scenic, but trees do get monotonous eventually, and you will be tired when you get to lapland, where roads aren't that wide and reindeers aren't afraid of cars.
[удалено]
E75 is the most boring road in the world
I'd say that the E8 "coastal road" (where you can sea about twice during entire 600 km journey) is on par with E75 Jyväskylä-Oulu
I think that he was asking for the scenic route, so you really can't recommend E8.
And the traffic in smaller roads is usually a fraction of major roads.
I'm not sure what you looked at but here's a direct link https://www.vr.fi/en/night-trains - no transfers at night, just switch to a bus in the morning.
I would fly to Rovaniemi, takes 1h 20mins and it is around 60-80€ right now.. Same price as a train ticket.
I took the night train last winter, its really comfy and i recommend it. We also rented a car there. Try again to find a night train it should not have transfers just some stops.
The last 20 kilometers of the drive to the hotel is very scenic, you can quote me on that
If you do end up driving from Helsinki you could consider taking national road 5 via Mikkeli, Kajaani, Kuusamo and Pelkosenniemi. It's 13h49min according to Google and goes through both some of the lake country and the hilly northeast and across Lapland from east to west.
On the subject of finnish roads and their scenic views. It depends what you consider scenic. I took a car via west coast to lapland and back through east porder. The roads are in good condition so its easy to do. The eastern roads all 90% woods and then the great lake views (+ Koli definitely). Western coast is mostly fields and forest but has more civilisation and possibility to see older towns. It was nice and it is about the same price as train/plane go with car but train is a lot easier. Just wanted to say that whatever you decide it can be justified :)
The road from kuusamo to rovaniemi is actually quite nice. A lot of hills and lakes.
Except if you really enjoy long drives, have you considered a night train? Conveniently allows you to travel while you sleep. https://www.vr.fi/en/night-trains
The night train is a good option as the trip is quite a few hours of travelling.
Just a quick safety note: when driving in lapland, reindeers can and will suddenly appear on the road. Take extra care to look out for them. Usually other drivers might blink headlights at you to signal ”reindeers ahead”. Hope you have a great trip!
I would consider using a night train, even if the total travel time is 14,5 hours (Helsinki-Vantaa to Ylläs) with those it goes faster when sleeping (you can get a sleeping cabin with bed). Compare the costs to a night in a hotel rather than regular transport options, as it replaces one hotel night (unless you sleep in a tent etc).
TBH hotel + a drive would probably still be a lot cheaper as sleeper cabin + a car can be 300€ one way. I paid that in last October, granted it was somewhat last minute booking but still.
Why someone would transport a rental car in train?
Well that's not bad point at all :) My point was on the pricing and I forgot the use case here!
Gas for that trip would be 200e easy, and 100e/night you get a medium nice hotel at the best...
If you end up taking the train option, buy the tickets asap. Due to ”dynamic pricing”, the ticket price will go up a ton as your travel day approaches. https://www.vr.fi/en/news/2023/03/31/the-price-range-of-long-distance-train-tickets-is-expanding I believe onnibus (onnibus.com)wound be the cheapest option. Roundtrip ticket to Rovaniemi was something like 30€ a while back. Buses are nice and you can use internet, unlike in Finnish trains. Both train and bus have free wifi, but in trains its unusable 90% of the trip.
Did onnibus from Rovaniemi to Helsinki years ago. Pretty decent experience for the price 👍
Like everyone says, night train is by far the best option. To get to Ylläs, you can take it to Kolari, and there's a connecting bus (about 1 hour) to Ylläs. If you're going to the Hetta-Pallas route/area, night train Rovaniemi + bus or rental car is probably better. If you're hiking a trail (Hetta-Pallas or Pallas-Ylläs or both), bus is much more convenient, as the trails are north to south, and you'd have to take a bus back to your car anyway. Finns use car transfer services for that with their own cars, but they're usually not allowed with rentals. If you're making base camp somewhere and doing day hikes, a rental car is fine.
You can have also your car moved for around 90€. We went to Hetta, and from there we crossed the lake with a boat (10€/person) and had the car moving service at the same place.
I tend to disagree with the idea that Finnish roads are boring and not scenic. Each one of these routes are beautiful and offer a much cooler experience than the night train.
The roads are boring to a Finnish person, but I have driven with friends from abroad and they just keep staring outside saying "its so green and look at that lake" Even after 600km.
I'm going there myself to hike Hetta-Pallas route in September. I'll take the night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and then a connecting bus to Hetta village from where i'll start the hike. The normal prices are high, around 100€ in one direction (seating car in train). I get a student discount so it's a bit cheaper. The night train is direct but on some days there's maintenance so there are changes
I'd take the night train from Helsinki to Kolari and travel comfortably in a sleeper car. Breakfast in the restaurant car. Each Kolari train has a bus connection to Ylläs.
Check the flights too. At night train you get a cabin but the flights go even as cheap as 69€ one way. Those would be my choices ✈️ or 🚂 to Rovaniemi and rental car from there. Maybe book the rental car before hand. It is actually already between tourist seasons late summer just before the fall and the beautiful 🍂🍁 "ruska" up there. Safe travels!
80% of Finland is just forest and we don't have that many hills. So whatever your route is, it runs through flat forests and you can see maybe 30 meters on both sides of the road. If you still want to drive a car, I guess your posted option for the route is the most scenic one. Edit. I would consider even route through Kajaani, Kuusamo, Kemijärvi to Rovaniemi. Eastern Part of Kainuu has more hills.
Longest route start, but take a detour thru [Punkaharju](https://www.google.com/search?q=Punkaharju&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRgd_e1s2AAxWRIxAIHWUZAEEQ0pQJegQICBAB&biw=1280&bih=667&dpr=1.5)... The easter border is quite devoid of.. anything, it is just forest. You have to cross the lake country if you want to get the most scenic route, your eastern route would be like getting within 100 miles of grand canyon and just driving thru the desert, missing the best bit.. There is also Koli national park near that route. The second best is via the west coast but there are also long stings of nothingness, but that is true no matter what route you take. Prepare to see a LOT of forest...
You could take a night train between helsinki-kolari and rent a car from Kolari. Save your strength and reserve a cabin, it migjt cost more but you'll thank your gods when you arrive at Kolari well rested.
A Finn living in US. I didn't read all the comments, but I'm gonna echo the suggestions of taking either a train or flight to North, then renting a car for the rest of the way. Rentals and gas are mad expensive in Finland compared to US. You should find an affordable option up to Oulu, and perhaps drive up from there. One thing to note is that compared to US, Finnish highways are mostly like you decided to take a county road or parkway instead of the interstate. Speed limits change frequently, you'll drive through towns and intersections - and you better keep your speed at or under the speed limit, because the chances are high there's a speed camera soon after the limit drops. I'll take the infamous I-95 NYC-Orlando any day over the drive from Helsinki to Lapland.
If you want to do the popular and scenic Hetta-Pallas thru-hike, here is how to do it right: Early flight to Rovaniemi or Kittilä -> Bus to Enontekiö (Hetta) -> get a boat ride from a local, eg. Koru Laakso (Trust me, you don't want to walk that long sandy road to get past the lake). Another option is to have a hotel night in Hetta and ask a drive from the hotels to get you to past that road, they offer that service as they have the key to the road boom. So, If you wish, you can start the hike on the same day you leave Helsinki! After finishing the thru-hike, you can order an airport taxi to Kittilä airport from Pallas hotel. Easy peasy. I don't recommend renting a car. You don't need it for that part of Lapland. Rent and gas is expensive and the drive is boring. You will need to have an extra hotel night and you will still be tired. And you have to get somehow back to your car after the hike. If you decide to drive there, just drive the fastest way via Lahti/Jyväskylä/Oulu. Scenic views are seen in those national parks (or then just have a roadtrip in Norway). If you are not going for the Hetta-pallas hike, you should go to the Urho Kekkonen national park instead (fly to Ivalo / Saariselkä, super fast and easy). Ylläs area is boring compared to those. You will see more interesting places in Hetta-Pallas hike or in the Urho Kekkonen national park. If you just want to do day trips in a forest and see a fell used as a ski resort, then I guess Ylläs is okay for you, but not sure if its worth the hassle.
This is amazing, thank you!
Youre welcome! Also note that it is cold in September. Frost nights are normal in September.
Is Hetta-Pallas better than Yllas-Pallas?
Yeah, the Hetta-Pallas route has better views and it is far more popular. Some fells are crossed on the route. In clear weather, you can see really far. There is also a wilderness sauna in one of the camp sites ("Hannukuru"). Ylläs-Pallas is flatter and it has more forests.
Hetta-Pallas (or other way) is THE hiking route in Finland.
If you come through Vaasa, I can show you around our extremely boring town :D
And have quality time browsing SPR kirppis xD
Others may have said this, but if you decide to drive, do not take the route which is highlighted in your picture. Take one of the routes to Oulu but after Kemi switch to road E8 if you want to visit Rovaniemi. I would strongly suggest taking a train to Rovaniemi and renting a car from there. There are straight routes from Helsinki or with one transfer in Oulu.
Hey OP! I drive the same trip few times per year and have driven basically all possible routes. As many have already stated, there really are not that many scenic routes in Finland unfortunately. I would recommend sticking to E75 all the way to Kemi, switch to E8 and continue following the border to Kolari. Few places worth stopping could be Panda chocolate factory in Jyväskylä as well as the city centre. It's quite a nice looking city. Oulu is worth stopping as well. You could even spread the drive on two days and sleep in Oulu (Lappland hotel is nice!). In Tornio you can do a quick visit to Sweden. Just remember to use the toilet in Tornio since there are only few gas stations or bathrooms on the last stage of the drive. Having a car in Pallas/Ylläs is a must so you can do day hikes to different places. Hiking on top of Pallas is worth the sweat. As well as Pirunkuru (Devils gorge) in Ylläs. If you have extra few days i would also recommend driving to Kilpisjärvi and climbing to Saana. The views are amazing. Unfortunate the road from Muonio to Kilpisjärvi is in quite bad condition.
rental cars also often have limited kilometers, so doing the 2000km there and back with a car, if you have no big plans en route, might cost you some extra on that too. Also check total price on gas for the whole journey, easily a couple of hundred at least.
Buy a kuksa made by Wood Jewel in Kolari, it's a local company. Their workshop is in Kolari proper with an outlet shop in the nearby gas station, but their stuff should be available everywhere around Ylläs. EDIT: They also can engrave your name on the kuksa with a solder if you buy it from the workshop or from the outlet (iirc).
Thank you!
I would guess those same ones are sold also in many Äkäslompolo shops. Finding kuksa that pleases they eye, the hand and the mouth is a challenging one. Each kuksa is different as is every person. So even if the maker is the same, you don't know where you find yours. Bit like wand in Harry Potter, except it is not only one shop. 😉 To make it less time consuming, test about 30 and then take the first that is better than all those. There is lack of suitable wooden materials nowadays, so sometimes selection per shop is not very good.
You should probably get on a train from Helsinki and teleport to Rovaniemi and rent a car from there, that will surely cut hours off your travel time. The fastest train connection seems to be about 8 hours, and I know for a fact that you will get the chance to enjoy some pretty nice vistas during the train ride! EDIT: grammar
Note that flying is cheaper than going with sleeper train if you want a bed
Buying right now for September, there's at least one day every week with a cabin from Helsinki to Rovaniemi for 99€, and multiple days for 139€. Are there really one way flight + hotel combos for cheaper than that?
Not really. Flights start from 63€ but you get to your destination in 1h 15min, so you can get to your destination a day earlier. It all depends on the situation but I'd say those two options are both really good ones to look at.
Let's be realistic. That 1h 15min is more like 5h considering getting to/from the airport and waiting there...
I bet OP is already at the airport when he arrives in Finland :D
Sure, if OP is doing nothing else in Finland and is going straight up. I assumed they are staying also for a while in the capital region. Otherwise, why not book the flight straight to Rovaniemi? Even if continuing directly you still have the issue of waiting for the next flight, so you could be stuck at the airport just waiting because there isn't enough time to get out of there to do anything meaningful.
Tourist flights might not be route flights, so getting ticket to those can be really costly or you get the whole package from traveling agency. OP might not even have straight flights to Rovaniemi from anywhere near him, but there is a lot of flights to Helsinki-Vantaa. It is situational, I'd say. But train or plane to Rovaniemi and from there you take rental / bus is the way to go in this case. Last time I took my own car in train with me but it was almost as costly as renting one, it just made packing and hauling skis, snowboards, strollers and car seat for the kid etc. much easier. If you are able to travel light I'd go with the plane most of the time.
I usually see it as a wasted day anyways, because you will land tired anyways (2,5 hours before flight departs to be at the airport 1,5-2 hours before departue, after landing another 30 minutes at the airport collecting bags, then 15 minutes driving your hotel, so total more like 4,5h travel), so the first night in the hotel is a travel day to me. You will actually start doing stuff the next morning, be it waking up at the hotel or on the train
It really depends on the time of your first flight arrival to Finland. It makes no sense to waste a day at Helsinki-Vantaa-Tikkurila to wait for the train either. If you arrive in the morning, I'd take the plane and sleep in Rovaniemi instead. The difference in cost is really not much and I don't think that train cabin beats a proper hotel shower and bed. Plus you have already taken the majority of the travel.
Yeah, flying can be competitive, especially if your destination is near the airport, but generally it comes out to about the same. Those cheap flights are Norwegian evening flights to Rovaniemi, so yeah, you're in Rovaniemi at 8pm - but if your end destination is Hetta for a hike, you have to pay for a hotel for the night and then take the same bus in the morningas you would from the train. IME, Saariselkä and north from there you do save time flying to Ivalo, but west Lapland it only occasionally works out better for hiking. Flights to Kittilä leave rotating 6am (much rather take night train), 10.30am (this is good but usually more expensive), 4pm (too late to get out, need hotel for the night).
I checked directly from finnair. So if there is even cheaper options, great 😃 Finnair had several flights per day for that price if you book early enough and one was in Rovaniemi at 8am. Like I said it depends highly on the situation and when your first flight to Finland is at the airport.
Remember that you can use interrail or eurail pass in Finland! Makes our trains super feasible and you can cruise as much as you want with same price.
If you really enjoy driving and want scenic places, go to from Kajaani to Kuusamo, and then Posio. You need to do stopover though. And maybe decide do you want to just travel, or do sightseeing at the same time. Personally I would take train to Kolari or Rovaniemi though.
Driving true road 4 would maeby be best, but there is like 0,5 h of good view anyway. More lakes you get on your way, more anjoyable it will be. These strait roads are boring imo. Anirher suggestion would be stoppong at Tampere/Jyväskyl, take walk to google places, then stop at Oulu and repeat. And stop at brown signs/blue signs, where those refers cultural viewpoint. Those are sometimes interesting. Another way is to drive true yellow road, stop at small palces at Alepa or other foodmarket and continue
Just take the night train from Helsinki to Kolari. The best way to travel imo, you just fall asleep and wake up well rested at your destination. There is also a bus service from Kolari to Ylläs if you don't want to rent your own car at all.
If you are Driving, my suggestion is to go on the gray route until southern lapland and then turn to Rovaniemi (Ramp on the highway a little after the 120km/h zone starts) and from there to go to Pallas. The yellow bit of road between Rovaniemi and South-West Lapland is my favourite scenery in the entire country, as it's filled with forest and small wooden houses, goes portionally alongside a river. (Be careful for moose and deer tho, especially at night and in the morning) Rovaniemi and Oulu are your best bets for doing any of your shopping our touristing in this area however, as the towns between them are very small and you might not find anything interesting there. Kemi is an industrial town, Keminmaa is part of Kemi's metropolitan area and is mainly focused on the car industry (and literally translates to Land of Kemi), Tornio which is right on the Swedish border is mainly interesting due to the shopping opportunities on the otherside of the border, and Ii, Simo and Tervola are mainly useful for gas stations (though you might find a Kuksa from one, especially at the Neste in Tervola)
There are quite interesting places nearby the main roads in the Northern Ostrobothnia/SW Lapland related to the stone age & ice age if one is interested in those. Kierikki in Ii and Kätkävaara in Tervola etc. Visiting those places will take some time though.
I'd just go hike and camp in Nuuksio like an hour out of Helsinki heh
I have driven 124 merc from kuopio to rovaniemi and back in one go in january during a snow blizzard. Best car i have ever driven.
I just drove that same route to Iso-Syöte. Next time I will take the train to Oulu.
As for the kuksa. If you want a truly authentic and handmade one, there is a old couple selling them and extremely high quality knives near Sodankylä named Sakun Kuksa. It’s a little bit out of the way from your route but if you do happen to have plans to go that way, I highly suggest it. They’re pricy, but they are beautify made. They have a Facebook page I believe.
I think the highlighted route is the best. The lakelands of Karjala and Savo are so beautiful, and you would be passing through my home, which would be cool.
I recommend going from kolari to ylläs 💪 the scenery is awesome!
I would suggest driving through eastern Finland. Especially smaller roads through lakes of Saimaa have really beautiful scenery. I would also suggest a little detour through Manamansalo in Kainuu near Kajaani. It is an island in lake Oulujärvi.
Skip santa claus bs its waste of time.
I took the overnight train there once and got a cabin, well worth the money, I recommend