Travel guide
Rovaniemi may be far in the north, but there are many ways to get there. Whether you prioritize comfort, budget or travel speed, here’s a breakdown of your options:
Flying: 75 minutes from Helsinki
The fastest way to reach Rovaniemi is by flying from Helsinki, with a flight time of approximately 1 h 15 minutes. However, direct flights from cities other than Helsinki are very unlikely, as August is not the peak tourist season in Lapland.
Recommended flight options to reach the seminar by Wednesday afternoon:
Wednesday 6 Aug 2025
7:25 HEL → 8:40 RVN | ⏱ 1 h 15 min | ✈ Direct | Finnair AY533 | €83.00
Wednesday 6 Aug 2025
12:20 HEL → 13:35 RVN | ⏱ 1 h 15 min | ✈ Direct | Finnair AY533 | €91.00
(Prices by skyscanner.net, retrieved 6 Apr 2025)
Train: 8–12 hours from Helsinki
Rovaniemi is accessible via day or night train with VR (Finnish State Railways). Book your journey here:
VR Homepage
VR Night Trains
The night train offers the most comfortable journey if you book a private cabin. The cabins, featuring two beds, are automatically reserved for two people, meaning if you book alone, you’ll pay for both beds and have the cabin to yourself. For a more budget-friendly alternative, you can book a regular seat instead. It may be less comfortable but slightly more affordable. The cabins are not available for daytime trains.
To reach the seminar by Wednesday afternoon you'll have to depart from Helsinki on Tuesday:
Outbound journey: Tuesday, August 5
Helsinki – Rovaniemi, 1 adult
12:20 → 20:23 | ⏱ 8 h 3 min | 🚆 Direct | InterCity 25 | €43.60
(note that you'll have to book an accommodation for extra night)
14:20 → 22:45 | ⏱ 8 h 25 min | 🚆 Direct | InterCity 27 | €27.80
(note that you'll have to book an accommodation for extra night)
19:29 → 7:20 | ⏱ 11 h 51 min | 🚆 Direct | Night Train 265 | €22.90
23:13 → 11:03 | ⏱ 11 h 50 min | 🚆 Direct | Night Train 273 | €22.90
(Prices by vr.fi, retrieved 6 Apr 2025)
Please note that VR implements dynamic pricing which means tickets prices may be noticeably low if booked early but tend to rise sharply in response to increased demand: better act fast with the tickets.
Bus options
🚌 OnniBus & FlixBus
If you're traveling from Helsinki or other major cities, you can take a long-distance bus with OnniBus or FlixBus. Keep in mind that FlixBus is typically more expensive than OnniBus.
Plan your route:
Car rental
For the ultimate Arctic adventure, consider renting a car and driving to Rovaniemi. With Hertz, you can even return the car in another Finnish city—or in Sweden or Norway, depending on availability!
Rent a car:
Travel companions
Looking for potential travel buddies? We have two online platforms for the participants to suggest ideas:
* a closed Facebook group (for registered participants)
* a WhatsApp group (link will be sent to registered participants and can also be found from the aforementioned Facebook group).
Any questions?
Feel free to contact us with a direct message or via email: stutteringworldcongress2025@ankytys.fi
Additional information by visitrovaniemi.fi:
https://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/plan/getting-here/
https://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/plan/getting-here/flights-to-rovaniemi/