Did you know that you can visit the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi for free?
You heard it right, no entrance fees, no mandatory guiding. You are welcome.
Keep reading for more tips about traveling to the Arctic Circle in Finland on a shoestring budget:
How to get there, where to stay, and more.
*This post contains affiliate links
I’m not gonna lie – I hate mass tourism and its impact on the environment. Another thing I hate about it is people getting greedy, scamming, and rolling money out of travelers’ pockets.
I haven’t been to Rovaniemi for years, but I needed to write this article before I get there, just to warn you. Yes, people do live out of tourism, but there’s a certain line…
For me, it’s crossing the Arctic Circle to the Santa Claus Village.
We’ll get into that in a bit, but let’s start with the information about how to get to Rovaniemi, where to stay, and some ideas about what you should do there – besides visiting the Santa Claus Village.
How to Get to Rovaniemi
Currently, there are direct flights to Rovaniemi only in the winter, and only domestic flights in the summer season, but I see no reason to fly there.
Rovaniemi is easily accessible by train from Helsinki.
Trains
You can book a flight to Helsinki, or take a ferry from Stockholm or Tallinn, and then continue North by train.
Finnish trains are nice and relatively affordable. Bonus is to see landscapes on the way.
Or if you are not interested in staring at endless hours of Finnish forest passing by, book a sleeper cabin and close your eyes.
That way, you will save one night’s hotel fee. Though you might spend the same amount of money on that train ticket.
Train schedules and ticket prices from Helsinki Airport to Rovaniemi.
The earlier you book, the lower the price.
Price examples:
At the time of writing this article, booking one month in advance, prices start from €24,90 (seat in Pendolino).
The night train costs €41.60 for a seat, €119 for a sleeper cabin, and €146 with a private shower and toilet.
Note that the seat price is per person, but you can share the sleeper cabin.
There will be only €2 addition for the second person.
So, two people sharing would pay €60,50 or €74 pp, which is either €37,80 or €64,80 difference for seats. Compared to the budget accommodation I mentioned above, it’s up to your preference, and a bargain compared to any other stay in Rovaniemi.
The Finnish Railways VR and app work in English and are easy to use. If you feel more comfortable using, for example, *Omio, tickets to Finnish long-distance trains are also available there.
Note: You can also buy tickets from the machine at the station, but I highly recommend booking in advance, especially if you have a fixed schedule. The trains are often fully booked, and tickets are cheaper if you book early.
It’s also possible to change your dates for €5 extra charge only.
Buses
There are also long-distance buses available. They are often cheaper than trains, but slower, and in my opinion, less comfortable.
If you are traveling outside of Rovaniemi in Lapland, buses are often the only choice, as train connections in the North are quite limited.
For schedules and tickets, check Matkahuolto. Note: You must buy tickets in advance online. There is no service at the Rovaniemi bus station.
Flights
If you prefer to fly, there are currently 20 direct flights from European cities to Rovaniemi in the winter season.
Check the Visit Rovaniemi website for more information, or search *here for any flights to Finland.
Where to Stay in Rovaniemi
As it’s been years since my last visit to Rovaniemi, I can’t tell the best unique hotels. I recommend that you check Booking.com and choose anything that fits your style.
I would also check Booking.com to find the most affordable ones, as this platform is the most popular in Finland (and in Europe, in general).
Normal People Budget
I checked what they got, and *this studio apartment, located only 300 m from the bus station, is one of the most affordable in the city.
Staying here will leave you money for food. You know, you can’t even go fishing for free.
I checked random dates for September, and it was €60 per night.
Take it, you can’t go much lower in Finland, even sleeping in a tent. Moneywise, I mean. It’s even more expensive to sleep on a train, but I’ll tell you more about that a bit later.
Mid-Range for Middle Class
If you are not looking for the cheapest place to stay, Lapland Hotels are known for their great quality. They have two hotels in Rovaniemi, prices starting from €140.
Oh My Gosh Posh
Now that you’ve saved hundreds on my tips, not paying for the Santa Claus Village, you might even want to spend it on the *glass “igloo” by the lake.
Quotation marks, as calling these glass-roof lodges is a bit controversial. Igloo (iglu in Inuit) is mainly a Greenlandic housing, also known in Canada’s Arctic areas, but not in Lapland.
Sky lodging would be a more polite way to call, for example, *these private chalets. – That’s the name they also use.
Anyhow, these lodges are admirable, yet expensive. If you are lucky, you can book your stay for €200 per night, but prices go through the glass roof. I can’t afford even to check how much they are for Christmas, you do if you want to know.
Also, note that these lodges are 15-30 kilometers from Rovaniemi city.
Friend Referral Stay
One more option. This is not the cheapest place to stay if you travel alone, but for a group of friends or a family with children, this is a great deal, as *Villa Peippo accommodates six people.
Prices start from €200 per night for the entire villa; a minimum stay is two nights.
Villa Peippo is located about 3 km from the center of Rovaniemi.
Psst, you might also get a discount for a rental car by staying here, or vice versa. – Its owner also has a Hertz car rental business. How do I know? He’s a friend of mine. So, ask, and say hello from me.
Grocery Shopping in Finland
Finland is a country of big supermarkets. There are, of course, some green markets and small boutiques too (which I prefer). For a huge selection and imported goods, visit K-Market, K-Supermarket, or S-Market. Also, Lidl is common.
If you want to buy some Finnish products to take home, go to small local shops. But for those who prefer to stay in hostels and apartments to save money by cooking at ‘home’, supermarkets are a good place to find familiar items.
Do not pay excess while traveling
While I write this post for you, as I despise people ripping off tourists, there is another reason.
This is not so much of a problem in Finland, as this is an expensive country anyway, but in general, it’s not a good idea to buy overcharged tours.
Sustainable travel is caring about the environment, but it’s also caring about the local economy and people. Throwing away money on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday doesn’t seem like a big deal.
Many travelers also believe that paying extra leaves more money for the locals, but it’s not true.
Locals can’t afford to pay double prices every single day; they don’t want overpriced, crappy restaurants in their neighborhoods. Locals can’t afford to pay Airbnb prices for their rental apartments.
It’s happening in Finnish Lapland too; people got jobs for the peak season, but they can’t find apartments to live in.
Btw, we don’t have a tipping culture in Finland, so no need to tip. If you wish, you can give some tips for good service in a restaurant – I often do. Never a certain percentage, but 2-5 euros is fine for the dinner for two.
Visit Santa Claus Village for Free
As a Finn, I learned at a very young age that Santa brings presents to well-behaved kids. But they never said anything about needing to be rich to see him.
Santa is for everyone, which means that any kid can meet him for free.
So, here is a thing: I want to tell you how to do Santa Claus village on a shoestring budget, without missing anything important.
If you can afford it, book a tour, as it brings money for the local families. (At least if you book a local guide.)
But don’t skip visiting Santa Claus Village just because you are on a tight budget.
A visit to the Santa Claus Village is free. No entrance fees. Nada. Just go. Any day of the year.
Santa Claus Post Office
Santa Claus has his own post office in Rovaniemi.
A trip there is included in many tours, but as magical as it is, it’s (just) a post office; you don’t need to book a visit there.
Just queue like in any post office around the world.
Send a postcard to your loved ones and get a special Arctic Circle stamp – that’s pretty cool, and affordable.
The Santa Claus Post Office is open 24/7/365. Wait, no, not 24/7, but every day of the year anyway.
Get a letter from Santa
It’s Christmas morning. Was Santa already here? You tiptoe to the living room, careful not to wake up your parents. And there it is: a letter from Santa Claus!
A kid or an adult – who wouldn’t love a letter from Papa Santa?
This option is available even if you can’t afford to travel to Lapland at all.
Santa is a modern guy (he’s a Finn anyway), so his post office operates online, too.
You can order a letter from Santa Claus for a reasonable price of €9.95, without paying a visit.
There are 13 language options, so no need to learn Finnish.
Arctic Circle Activities
If you prefer paid tours, go for it. Many great tours are worth every cent.
If you don’t feel like using local transportation and want to have a guide with you, there are multiple half-day packages for Santa Claus Village too.
For example, this one by Klook or this one by Get Your Guide.
I don’t see much value in paying for something that’s otherwise free, so I would recommend booking a package with some specialities, like a *husky sled ride or taking *a cooking class.
*Aurora hunting is something that probably everyone wants to do – and in my opinion, you should. Just remember that it isn’t possible all year round, it’s a natural phenomenon after all.
The season for Northern Lights is September to March.
Public Transportation in Rovaniemi
I got an idea for this article a couple of years ago, when I read an Aussie traveler writing on a Facebook group that she loved her trip to Rovaniemi, but was terrified by how expensive it was. She had paid something like €30 pp for a bus ride from Rovaniemi city center to the airport.
Finland is expensive, but that’s just a ridiculous price! We have a great public transportation system, and it’s affordable.
How to Get to Santa Claus Village
- The Santa Claus Village is located only 3 km from the Rovaniemi Airport. Airport Express bus runs to the city center via Santa Claus Village. Operates all year round.
- Santa Claus Bus rides directly from the city center to the Santa Claus Village. Operates in the peak seasons.
- The distance between Rovaniemi city center/railway station and Santa Claus Village is 10 km.
The city bus line is 8. It runs 1-2 times per hour, and the travel time is 37 minutes. This is the route. - The bus station is in the city center, basically next to the railway station. The city bus number 8 also stops at the bus station. It’s a 35-minute ride to the Santa Claus Village.
Bus ticket prices:
- Airport Express €8,00 one-way
- Santa Claus Bus €4,00 one-way, €7,00 for return ticket
- Public bus A zone €3,60, transfer time max 60 min (Rovaniemi center and Santa Claus Village are on A zone)
- Public bus A+B zones €5,60
- + €1,50 for a large luggage on the city buses
You can pay with cash or a card on a bus. Airport Express and Santa Claus Bus prefer cards. No need to book in advance.
This is the official site of the city buses in Rovaniemi. Use it for route planning, schedules, ticket prices, and to find ticket sales points.
When is the Best Time to Visit Santa Claus Village
I don’t know about you, but my Christmas would be ruined with the crowds, and trust me, your family isn’t the only one who came up with the idea to travel to Lapland for the Christmas holidays.
So, Christmas isn’t the best time to travel to the Santa Claus Village. There is everyone, except Santa Claus. You know, he is bringing the presents to the kids!
And you can expect to pay a triple price for accommodation.
For the Aurora Borealis, the right season is autumn to spring. In Lapland, snow stays ’til the springtime, if that’s what you are coming for.
My personal choice is late summer/early autumn for the nature colors, harvest time, and less rain and fewer crowds.
That is also the best time to combine the Southern parts of Finland with your Northern journey.
Welcome to Finland & enjoy your trip!
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