Last Updated on by vincent
Rovaniemi airport, the biggest in Finnish Lapland, sits close to the city but above all right next to Santa Claus Village. So when you step off the plane, getting to your accommodation is quick and easy, whether it’s in town or at the Village. There are several options:
- the bus, we’ll get to it, there are one or two depending on the season
- the taxi, easy
- ride-hailing apps, there’s Uber and Bolt
- a driver waiting for you
What’s the difference between the Airport Express and Santa’s Express buses
So there are 1 or 2 buses running the Airport – Rovaniemi – Santa Claus Village link, depending on the season. It’s not exactly crystal clear, but it works out fine (well, in theory, nobody could really confirm it for me, I’m still waiting for the final answer from the Rovaniemi bus service 😀 ):
- from April to September, there’s only one bus: the Airport Express, which covers every link
- from October to March, there are 2 buses:
- the Airport Express connects the city centre with the airport
- the Santa’s Express connects the airport with the Village and the city of Rovaniemi (but with fewer stops than the Airport Express)
- as for the timetables, they’re not quite the same:
- the Airport Express leaves after each plane
- the Santa’s Express has its own set times, roughly every half hour (we’ll get to it)
- as for the prices:
- the Airport Express costs €7, the Santa’s €4
You can buy tickets on the bus or on the website, with 30% off if you buy in advance
4 great activities in Rovaniemi
📍 Rovaniemi · Wild about Lapland (4 hrs)
Guided snowmobile adventure through the taiga forests and frozen landscapes of southern Lapland, with 2 to 2 hrs 30 outdoors and a hot drinks break.
- 2 to 2 hrs 30 outdoors + 2 adults per snowmobile
- Suit + boots + gloves + helmet provided
- Small group + experienced multilingual guide
Free cancellation
From 165 € per person
📍 Rovaniemi · Lapin Taivas Arctic (8 hrs)
Northern lights hunt in a heated van, small group of 8 max, with a 75% refund guarantee if you see no lights.
- Small group of 8 max + heated van + unlimited mileage
- 75% refund guarantee if no northern lights are seen
- Pro photos delivered 12-72 hrs later + into Sweden if needed
Free cancellation
From 179 € per person
📍 Rovaniemi · Arctic Circle Snowmobile (6 hrs)
3-in-1 combo in the Arctic Circle forests: 1 hr of snowmobiling, a short reindeer sleigh ride then a husky sled ride (500 m each).
- Snowmobile 1 hr + reindeer sleigh 500 m + huskies 500 m
- Meeting with Sami herders + hot juice + biscuits
- Winter clothing + helmet provided + hotel pick-up
Free cancellation
From 198 € per person
📍 Rovaniemi · Apukka Resort (3 hrs 30)
A 6 km self-drive safari in the winter wonderland of Apukka Resort, with Green Activities certification for animal welfare.
- 6 km self-drive safari
- Green Activities certification (animal welfare)
- Thermal suit + boots + mittens + transfers
Free cancellation
From 219 € per person
How to get from Rovaniemi airport to Santa Claus Village
By bus, with the Santa’s Express or the Airport Express
Taking the bus between Rovaniemi airport and Santa Claus Village is very easy. There’s one all year round, but it depends on the season!
- low season, between April and September: it’s the AIRPORT EXPRESS bus, between 9:00 and 21:30, departures roughly every 25 minutes, no fixed timetable. The price is €7
- high season, between October and March: it’s the SANTA’S EXPRESS, between 9:30 and 17:30 (not entirely sure), with fairly variable times that you can find here (one to two buses an hour), for €4 a ticket
It really is right next door, it takes 5 minutes.
By taxi, Uber or Bolt
Again, it’s dead simple. There are the official taxis (do watch out, there are chancers at every airport) and two ride-hailing companies: Uber and Bolt.
The fare to Santa Claus Village is roughly the same for everyone: about €10/15.
In a taxi, ALWAYS ask for the price before you get in!
CAR HIRE IN FINNISH LAPLAND
Roam around Lapland with a car hired from Discover Cars
- Hire a car from Rovaniemi or Kittilä
- Small model, SUV or 4×4 for the adventure
- Prices from 20€
Getting between the airport and Rovaniemi city centre
The Airport Express bus
The Airport Express runs all year round. It links Rovaniemi airport with several spots in the city centre, including the train station. And in low season it also serves Santa Claus Village, handy!
As I’m hinting at, it doesn’t behave the same way in low season (April to September) and high season (October to March):
- in low season, the Airport Express serves everything, including Santa Claus Village, because there’s no Santa’s Express
- whereas in high season, with the Santa’s Express around, the Airport Express focuses on Rovaniemi city, from the airport
The Airport Express costs €7
The first run through town is at 7:30 and it reaches the airport at 7:55. The first pick-up from the airport is at 9:30.
But there’s no fixed timetable! In high season, the buses leave according to plane arrivals, so nobody has to wait (unlike the Santa). Whereas in low season, it’s generally a 25min wait between buses.
You can buy tickets on the bus or directly on the website to get 30% off
The Santa’s Express bus
So as I was saying, it’s ONLY in high season, from October to March, that this second bus runs, serving Santa Claus Village but also Rovaniemi city centre!
Really handy, you can check its timetable here (or just read on below!)
📍 Pekankatu 9 · Rovaniemi centre · Sampokeskus 2 min walk
A modern 4★ right in the centre of Rovaniemi, the practical and affordable option for reaching the restaurants, shops and the Sampokeskus shopping centre on foot without complicated logistics.
- Sampokeskus shopping centre + restaurants 2 min walk
- Finnish saunas + rooms rated quiet and comfortable
- Ideal base for reindeer/husky/northern lights safaris
Free cancellation
From 145 € / night
📍 Antinmukka 4 · at the foot of the Ounasvaara resort · 5 km from the centre
Proper wooden chalets at the foot of the Ounasvaara ski resort: every chalet has its own private Finnish sauna — handy after a day of snowmobiling, skiing or snowshoeing.
- PRIVATE Finnish sauna in every chalet
- Ski-in ski-out on the Ounasvaara resort (downhill + cross-country)
- Cosy family chalets + on-site restaurant serving Lappish food
Free cancellation
From 145 € / night
📍 Tähtikuja 2 · in the heart of Santa Claus Village · 8 km north
The magical option for families: wooden cottages right inside Santa Claus Village, with walking access to Santa himself, to the reindeer and to the husky safaris.
- Right inside Santa Claus Village (Santa 2 min walk away)
- Cottages with kitchenette + private Finnish sauna
- Reindeer and husky safaris leaving from the village
Free cancellation
From 147 € / night
📍 Tutkijantie 28 · on the shore of Lake Olkkajärvi · 15 km NE of Rovaniemi
The upmarket resort tucked away on the shore of Lake Olkkajärvi, with glass-roofed cabins for watching the northern lights go by from your bed and signature saunas (ice sauna, igloo sauna).
- Glass-roofed cabins: northern lights visible from your bed
- Ice sauna + igloo sauna + outdoor lakeside hot tub
- On-site activities: snowmobiling, northern lights safaris, husky sledding
Free cancellation
From 370 € / night
By taxi or ride-hailing app
With Uber or Bolt, the trip between Rovaniemi city centre and the airport costs between €20 and €40. Yes, that’s a wide range, but it depends on the time, the traffic, the demand. Still, it’s really not unusual for it to cost €20. And when I ran a quick simulation earlier, it came out around €35, but that was late Saturday afternoon, so peak time.
In a taxi, watch out! You absolutely have to ask for the price BEFORE you get in. Because they’ll pile on all sorts of extra charges, a €35+ pick-up fee on top of the ride, that kind of thing. There are quite a few rip-offs. Normally the city centre is around €30. Compare the prices with Uber and Bolt too before you get in.
Here are the “trusted” companies: Lähitaksi, Menevä and Taksi Rovaniemi
Book your driver in advance
Right, it’s pricier but it’s the most convenient. You can book your driver in advance, depending on how many of you there are, to get into the centre. You click, you set the arrival time (sometimes the flight number) and there you go: when you walk out, your driver is waiting for you.
The price is €55 for up to 4 people, so not necessarily great value compared to an Uber, but convenient. There’s also the option of a bigger vehicle like a minivan if you’re a decent-sized group!
How to get from Rovaniemi to Santa Claus Village
Right, it’s dead simple. Obviously the two buses I’ve just mentioned, the Airport Express (in low season) and Santa’s Express (in high season), do the trip in about ten minutes.
But there’s also bus line 8, which gets you to Santa Claus Village very quickly! You’ve got the route here, with the stops. The trip costs around €4, so it’s worth checking, depending on how many of you there are, whether a ride-hailing car works out cheaper.
In conclusion
And there you go! You know pretty much everything! Honestly, I’ll admit that finding information on the differences between the two buses, Airport Express and Santa’s Express, isn’t exactly straightforward, but what’s certain is that in low or high season there’s always a bus taking you to the centre of Rovaniemi or to Santa Claus Village.
The timetables are a bit thinner in the evening for the latter, but there’s always a solution. If it isn’t a bus (very regular during the day), then it’s the ride-hailing cars with their good rates.
Watch out for the taxis, they’ve got their share of chancers! But to get to the Village it’s really not expensive, since it’s just across the road!
If you want to know more about Rovaniemi and Finnish Lapland, then I’d recommend the following articles:
- What to do in Rovaniemi – discover the region and the activities with a one-week itinerary
- The best places to stay in Rovaniemi – budget options, great hotels, cabins, there’s something for everyone!
- Which company to go dog sledding with in Rovaniemi – discover the family-run kennels and the bigger ones, and avoid the traps!
- Visiting Finnish Lapland – where to start? follow the guide step by step
- Which town in Lapland to go to – there are several great places to go like Ylläs, Levi, Saariselkä… I compare them all so you find the right spot!
- What are the best activities to do in Finnish Lapland – there’s more to it than dog sledding and the northern lights, of course! I’ll tell you all about it!
- How to see the northern lights in Finnish Lapland – it’s a great playground, but you need to watch a few things, the weather in particular
- Sleeping in an igloo made of glass – fancy being pampered and falling asleep under the lights? then you’ll find what you’re after here!
- Where to go dog sledding in Finnish Lapland – from the small family farm to the big resort, there are loads of options, but you need to be careful!
The map of Finnish Lapland
I’ve created a map of Finnish Lapland that includes everything you’ll need to plan your trip:
- the places to stay, including the ice igloos under the northern lights
- all the best activities, in every town, like dog sledding and snowmobiling
- all the reindeer farms
- the northern lights companies
- and loads of other info for each resort!
