Finland
Finland is a Nordic country of 5.7 million people, bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south. Helsinki, on that southern coast, is the capital and largest city, and Finnish and Swedish are both official languages. Boreal forest covers most of the land, more than 180,000 lakes are scattered through it, and the country reaches far enough north that a large part of it lies in Lapland.
Which is what shapes rail travel here. VR, the state railway, runs fast, comfortable InterCity and Pendolino trains around the populated south — and then does one thing better than almost any railway on earth: the overnight run north. Modern double-decker sleepers cover the length of the country while their passengers sleep, they carry cars as well as cabins, and they arrive among the snow, the reindeer and the fells.
Rail journeys in Finland
The Santa Claus Express
Go to bed in Helsinki and wake up in the Arctic — Finland's double-decker night train to Rovaniemi, where the reindeer and the northern lights begin.
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The Ski Train to Lapland
The overnight sleeper to the fells — Finland's night train to its northernmost railhead, and the gateway to the snow and aurora of Arctic Lapland.
View journey →Good to know
Is Finland a good country for train travel?
Very — and for one thing above all: the night trains to Lapland. VR runs modern double-decker sleepers from Helsinki to the Arctic, so you can wake up in the snow. The Santa Claus Express to Rovaniemi and the ski train to Kolari are the highlights; fast InterCity and Pendolino trains cover the rest of the south.
What is the Santa Claus Express?
The Santa Claus Express is VR's overnight double-decker sleeper from Helsinki (and Turku) to Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle — about 12 hours and 930 km. You sleep in a cabin, there is a restaurant car, and you can even bring your car. Rovaniemi is the official home town of Santa Claus.
Can you get to the Lapland ski resorts by train?
Yes — the night train to Kolari, Finland's northernmost station, is the classic way to reach the Ylläs and Levi ski areas. You board the sleeper in Helsinki in the evening, wake among the fells, and a connecting bus takes you to the slopes. Skis and cars travel with you.
How do I book Finnish trains?
Book online at vr.fi, which has a full English site, e-tickets and cabin selection, or at the stations. For the Lapland night trains, book well ahead — the sleeper cabins, especially the upper-deck ones with a shower, sell out weeks in advance for Christmas and the February–March ski holidays.