Getting There and Traveling in the Region

Air

Airports in Lapland that have connections to Helsinki, Finland are located in Enontekiö, Ivalo, Kemi-Tornio, Kittilä, Kuusamo, and Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is the primary airport of Finnish Lapland. Most flights are operated by Finnair, but some European low-fare airlines fly to north Finland as well.

Even small towns and villages in north Norway may have airfields. Some are connected with regular flights to Oslo and towns nearby, but some have flights during high season only. Airfields in Norway's Lapland are located in Alta, Bodø, Hammerfest, Harstad, Kirkenes, Lakselv, Mo i Rana, Mosjøen, Narvik, Svolvær and Tromsö.

Flights from Stockholm to northern Sweden land in Gällivare, Jokkmokk, Kiruna, Luleå, and in Pajala.

Train

In Finland, towns of Kemi, Kemijärvi, Kolari, Rovaniemi and Tornio are connected to Helsinki via regular train service. Some trains transport cars as well. You can study train timetables at VR web pages at www.vr.fi.

In Norway, a NSB (www.nsb.no) train from Oslo can take you as far as Bodö, but once there you have to find another form of transportation. It is possible, however, to travel further north to Narvik by train via Sweden. A rail line from Luleå goes via Kiruna and Abisko over the mountains to Narvik.

In Sweden, the timetables and routes of SJ can be viewed at the web site www.sj.se. Abisko, Kiruna and Luleå can be reached by train from Stockholm.

Bus

Bus transport enterprises in Finland have a joint service called Matkahuolto (matkahuolto.fi/en) where you can explore routes and timetables, and book tickets. A low cost bus operator Onnibussi (www.onnibus.com/en) is a popular alternative to Matkahuolto.

A number of bus transport companies operate in northern Norway. Web service Rutebok lets you search connections between towns and villages at: rutebok.no.

In Sweden, Länstrafiken operates a bus network in the north. Timetables and routes can be viewed at the web site www.ltnbd.se.

Sea

Most road travelers from Continental Europe make a brief trip across the sea from Denmark or Germany to Sweden or Norway. There are many ports where you can start and end the sea trip. View the ferry routes and timetables at Stena Line’s web page www.stenaline.com/en-GB-corp/corporate or TT-Line’s home page www.ttline.com/en/passengers. Another popular sea journey is from Stockholm to Finland (Turku or Helsinki). Tallink (www.tallink.com) and Viking Line (www.sales.vikingline.com) have huge ships designed for entertainment and shopping, but they carry cargo and hundreds of vehicles as well.

One of the large cruise ships sailing the Stockholm-Helsinki route at the Helsinki port.

Once a road traveler reaches Finland, Norway or Sweden, sea trips are only needed to travel to islands in Norway, get to the other side of a fjord, or to explore the Lofoten archipelago. Ferries in Norway charge a fee based on the type of vehicle you are driving. For instance, the fee for a large family car was around 100 kronor in 2016 for a ride across a fjord. Ferry rides provide an excellent opportunity to admire the landscape from the sea.

A ferry in Lofoten, Norway.

If you really want to avoid the sea completely, it is possible as well. The eastern route via the Baltic states and Russia takes you to eastern Finland (although most travelers take a ferry from Tallinn, Estonia to Helsinki). Another route to Sweden that avoids ferries goes through Denmark via a bridge from Jylland to Fyn island, via another bridge to Själland, and finally via a bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö.

Road travelers who want to save energy and petrol can board a ferry in Travemünde or Rostock in Germany, or Gdynia in Poland and let a ferry take them to Helsinki. Finnlines (www.finnlines.com/ferry-trips) operates these ferry routes. Polferries (polferries.com/ferry) operates a route from Gdansk, Poland to Nynäshamn near Stockholm.

The legendary Hurtigruten ship line in Norway stops in many seaside towns and villages in Lapland. Hurtigruten ships can take van-size cars on board, but not caravans or motor homes. The classic Hurtigruten coastal route stops by, for instance, in Bodö, Svolvär, Harstad, Tromsö, Hammerfest, and in Kirkenes. Timetables and booking: www.hurtigruten.com/uk.

Taxi

Taxis are readily available in large towns and resorts, but in small towns you should book in advance. Booking a taxi in advance is a smart move if you are flying into a small airport and need a ride from the airport.

Car and motorbike

Driving a car, motor home or motorbike in Lapland is an exhilarating experience. Even during the high season in July and August, there is plenty of space on the road and the views are spectacular. The biggest dangers on the road are drivers who have forgotten to follow the traffic because they are admiring the scenery, or reindeer who have decided to take a break in the middle of the road.

In the fell region: Saariselkä, Finland.

Reindeer are not afraid of cars or motorbikes. When a vehicle approaches, they mind their own business and continue doing whatever they happened to be doing. Local police have one key piece of  advice for avoiding accidents with reindeer: adjust your speed so that you have time to react if a herd of reindeer has decided to spend some time on the road around the next corner. If the animals block the road, you can very slowly and carefully –basically at a walking pace - drive through the herd.

If you spot one reindeer, the rest of the herd is somewhere nearby. Warning signs for reindeer have been set in places where they frequently move.

It is obligatory to call the police if you hit a reindeer, even if the animal disappears into the bush. The police will let the owner know about the accident, so that the animal can be tracked. The emergency number is 112 in all countries in Lapland.

If you drive in Lapland in autumn, winter or spring when snow and ice cover roads, winter tires are required. Some mountain roads in Norway maybe closed for traffic during the winter. State’s traffic department informs of roadwork and closures at www.vegvesen.no/en/Home.

Driving in winter has its own challenges. Snowstorm on the mountains between Sweden and Norway.

In Norway, roads may zigzag along rugged shorelines or up and down mountains. These roads – even the major ones - tend to be narrow, sometimes very narrow. If you are driving a vehicle that is larger than a compact car, such as a van or a motor home, make sure you can comfortably drive on the right edge of the road before heading to fjords and fells. The trick is to drive so that the right-side wheels travel on the white line painted on the edge of the road. When you and an approaching vehicle - even when it is a large truck - both do this, everything goes smoothly without having to do any sudden corrections.

Headlights must be switched on all the time, day and night, on all roads in Scandinavia. The tolerance for alcohol in traffic is low: in Finland 0.5 per mille of alcohol in blood is the maximum amount, 0.2 per mille in Norway and in Sweden. In practice, a bottle of beer during lunch may take you close to the maximum limit.

Driving from Continental Europe to Lapland

Driving from Continental Europe to Lapland is a long road trip, but it surely is a journey to remember. You have to drive across Finland, Norway or Sweden in order to reach the magical north, and after touring in Lapland, you have to drive back. In addition to getting to know Lapland, the long journey is also a great opportunity to explore the Nordic countries that have an intertwined history, but each nation has its own characteristics and culture.

You may choose one route when you are heading north and another when returning south. Perhaps it is Finland’s lakedistrict you want to experience, Norway’s mountains, or Sweden’s historical sites. Plan your route, and take time into consideration as well because a longer route may actually be faster. If you are going all the way to Nordkapp, see the Nordkapp chapter for route suggestions to reach the end of the world.

Here are a few suggested routes across Nordic countries that are suitable for any type of vehicle, a compact car, motor home, caravan, or a motorbike.

Routes across Finland

Three routes from southern Finland to Lapland are popular among road travelers: driving across the lake region, following the West Coast, or the fast route across the central Finland.

West coast, central and lake region routes across Finland.

Via the lake region in the east

Two things define the route that passes across eastern Finland: vast lush forests and thousands of lakes. Along the route, the cities of Lappeenranta, Joensuu, and Kajaani are the largest settlements. In Kajaani, you may choose to continue north to Kuusamo (and Ruka resort) or head to northwest to the city of Oulu.

The key sights along the eastern route are the scenic Punkaharju ridge, the medieval castle of Olavinlinna in Savonlinna and Koli hill with open views to the lake region. Following the national road number 6 until Kajaani keeps you on the right path.

In Kuusamo, Ruka resort is  one of the most popular destinations for Finns where they enjoy the great outdoors both in summer and winter. Plenty of accommodation options and other services are available on the site. From Kuusamo, you may choose to continue north via Kemijärvi and Sodankylä, or head west to Tornio or Rovaniemi via Ranua.

West Coast

The West Coast of Finland is mostly flat farming land, but there are many old towns and villages on the coast worth stopping in. Some of the oldest villages in Finland are located on the West Coast. Among the most charming small towns are Uusikaupunki, Rauma, Kristiinankaupunki, Jakobstad and Raahe. Many settlements on the coast are Swedish speaking communities.

The West Coast route starts from Turku, Finland’s original capital, and follows the coast until Oulu. Follow road E8 on the West Coast.

Central Finland

The highlights of the route from Helsinki to Oulu and Rovaniemi via Central Finland are the cities of Tampere and Jyväskylä. Both of them are lively university towns. If you choose to drive to Oulu via Lahti (instead of Tampere), you will save some time. The route via central Finland is for those who are in a hurry and don’t mind staring at never-ending forest scenery. This is the fastest route across Finland, because there are few towns and attractions along the way. E75 takes you from Helsinki to Oulu.

Route across Norway

If you want to go all the way through Norway on your journey from southern Norway to Lapland, there is only one practical option: the E6 road from Oslo to the north via Lillehammer, Trondheim, Mo i Rana and Narvik. At times, the road ascends to high plateaus in central Norway, and at other times, it follows shores of fjords, or stays in river valleys.  The further north the road winds, the more spectacular the landscape becomes. The route across Norway along E6 is – by far – the slowest way to travel to Lapland, but the sceneries are the finest.

E6 leads all the way across Norway from south to north.

The speed limit outside inhabited areas is 80 km/h (50 mph) and 50 km/h (31 mph) when the road passes through villages. The traffic tends to flow well until trucks ahead of you slow down in a long ascent. Long or steep ascents are the best - and usually the only - places to overtake a truck.

Driving in Norway tends to take time, leaving more time for the passengers to absorb the (mostly) spectacular landscape. There is one section on the E6 road that is particularly slow and tedious to drive: between Fauske and Narvik. The road is old, narrow, and in poor condition, and trucks use it as well. Take your time if you decide to drive it, because the average speed may fall to as low as 50 km/h (31 mph).

An alternative route from Oslo to Lapland avoids the slowest sections in central Norway by diverting via Sweden. That’s how long-distance buses were routed from Oslo to Norway’s Lapland when travel author Bill Bryson visited Hammerfest years ago. From Oslo, drive north along E6 until Trondheim, where you turn east to Sweden. E74 leads to Östersund where you turn north. Follow E45 until Gällivare. Between Gällivare and Kiruna you may choose to return to Norway in Narvik, or continue straight north via Finland.

Routes across Sweden

If you want to visit Stockholm before heading north, the coastal route that follows the Gulf of Bothnia is a good choice. If you start from Gothenburg, the inland route via large forests and scarcely inhabited regions is an option to consider. Another option is to drive from Gothenburg to Stockholm in about six hours and head north along the coast. 

The coastal and inland routes across Sweden.

Via East Coast

Vast majority of Swedes live and work in cities and towns south of Stockholm. When you head north from Stockholm, it quickly becomes obvious that most of the nation really lives in the south. The ancient town of Uppsala is the highlight of the coastal route. Uppsala's charming old town is worth exploring even if you have just survived Stockholm's beautiful Gamla Stan (old town).

E4 is the road number for the East Coast route. Heading north from Uppsala, the towns of Gävle, Sundsvall, and Umeå are neat coastal destinations before arriving in Swedish Lapland’s largest town Luleå.

The inland route

The E45 road leads from Gothenburg to Lapland via large forests and wilderness areas. The inland route passes through scarcely populated areas of Sweden, where towns and villages are few and small.