Santa Claus Express night train
The Finnish double-decker night train, known as the Santa Claus Express, travels from Helsinki and Turku to snow-covered Lapland in the north. One of the trains stop at Rovaniemi, the official home of Santa Claus, and then goes on to Kemijärvi, its final destination. The other service runs even more North towards Kolari along the Swedish border. See the beauty of Finland from the comfortable compartments of this train and wake up above the Arctic Circle the next morning.
Santa Claus Express routes
The Santa Claus Express runs from Helsinki and Turku in the south to Rovaniemi, Kemijärvi and Kolari in Finnish Lapland. In less than fifteen hours, you will find yourself in a magical place where the sun doesn’t set for weeks in summer and doesn’t rise for weeks in winter. Kemijärvi and Kolari are both above the magic Polar Circle. Once you get to Rovaniemi, where you can gaze in awe at the Northern Lights, be sure to pay a visit to Santa Claus and his reindeer at the Santa Park.
The Santa Claus Express runs on the following routes:
Helsinki-Rovaniemi
- Via Tampere and Oulu
Helsinki-Kemijärvi
- Via Tampere and Oulu
Helsinki-Kolari
- Via Tampere and Oulu
Turku-Rovaniemi
- Via Tampere and Oulu
Reservations
Reservations for beds and cabins on the Santa Claus Express night trains are compulsory; for seats it is highly recommended to reserve a spot. Reservations open up to 10 months in advance, during high season it is advised to book well in time.
How to make reservations on the Santa Claus Express
You can reserve your seat or sleeping accommodation on the Santa Claus Express in the following ways:
- By calling the Finnish Railways (VR) customer care (+358 9 2319 2902).
- At the train station. There is a € 1 service fee if you buy your reservation at the station.
Reservation fees:
VR currently only sells sleeper cabins as a whole and not as separate beds.
Night train reservations at VR cost 50% of a full fare ticket.
All prices are subject to availability and vary on the route you are booking:
- Seat: €5 – €32,70
- Double sleeper cabin: €39 – €150
- Deluxe double sleeper cabin with private bathroom: €39 – €160
It is recommended to book early, especially when you want to travel during winter-high season. This way, you will save on reservation costs.
Facilities and services
Change of currency
You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Remove the Pass, and then change the currency on the website header.