What is the Santa Claus Express?
The Santa Claus Express train is a popular overnight train that takes you from the south of Finland to the north of Finland (from Helsinki to Rovaniemi) and vice versa.
It is named the Santa Claus Express because it takes you to the town of Rovaniemi, the “official home of Santa Claus.” Rovaniemi is located in the arctic circle in Lapland, Finland.
There are two night trains every day (two departure times) and the journey takes a total of 12 hours.
Santa Claus Express Night Train Seating Options
The Santa Claus Express night train offers three seating options:
- Economy seat
- A downstairs private double-bed cabin (this is what we booked!)
- A upstairs private double-bed cabin with private bathrooms
Booking Tickets for the Lapland Night Train
Booking tickets for the Santa Claus Express was an easy straightforward process. We booked tickets in advance online through Finland’s main railway company, VR.
Here are some other ways of booking tickets:
- From the VR Matkalla app (download from Apple Store or Google Play)
- Calling Finnish railways (VR) at +358 923 192 902
- Vending machines inside train stations
I recommend booking tickets in advance as tickets will typically get more expensive as time passes. We booked five months in advance in September 2024 for our trip in February 2025.
Cost of the a Sleeper Cabin
The cost of a sleeper cabin varies depending on availability and when you purchase a ticket. While I couldn’t find an accurate price list for these tickets, the prices seem to fluctuate from an estimated 70 euros to over 200 euros.
Here are our costs for a downstairs cabin for two people:
- from Helsinki to Rovaniemi one-way: €179.00
- from Rovaniemi to Helsinki one-way: €89.00
Total cost for a roundtrip cost for a downstairs cabin for two people: €268.00
Cancellation Insurance for the Night Train
VR also provides cancellation insurance which allows the ticket price to be refunded to you should you cancel before it departs.
The cost of cancellation insurance is €19.00 per person per one-way trip. The total cost for two people for a roundtrip journey is €76.00.
Now, I know some people might think this is unnecessary; but for us, it was necessary because we weren’t sure if our trip was going to 100% happen due to a family illness. We made sure to include it.
We Unexpectedly Used the Cancellation Insurance
Aaaand, we ended up using our cancellation insurance, but not for the reasons you think! Our original ticket for our return journey was €199.00 euros, but when I checked ticket prices a few months later in December, a new train with cheaper tickets was listed online. We cancelled the original €199.00 booking, and re-booked it for €89.00. Including the cancellation insurance, we ended up saving €72.00 euros. This was not our original intention, but we’re glad we made use of it and gave us the peace of mind in case we had to cancel.
Boarding the Lapland Night Train
Our Santa Claus Express train arrived approximately 10-15 minutes before departure.
Be sure to know what car you are in; each car is numbered near the doors. In order to board, you’ll need to press the open button next to the doors.
There were a fair amount of people collectively waiting for the train, but since there were many coaches, we didn’t have to wait in uncomfortably long lines or crowds. It was a pretty fast and stress-free boarding process.
After we boarded, it was easy to find our room since each room was visibly numbered in ascending order. The walkway is quite narrow so be aware of anyone passing through.
The train departed exactly on time on both occasions.
How Sleeper Cabins Look Like
My general impression of the cabin is clean and modern. The interior offers a monochrome color theme with bright overhead lighting.
To be honest, I was shocked at how clean it was – the floor was spotless, the bedding was pristine, and the walls had no marks. My very first overnight train experience 16 years ago was miles behind this experience, and in contrast, this journey was very enjoyable!
In the sleeper cabin, there are wall hangers, a small table by the window, under compartment storage for your luggage, foldable wall bench seat, and blackout blinds.
On the beds were a small bottle of water, dining car menu, one pillow, a towel, and a comforter. Next to the beds, there’s a digital clock, power outlet, reading light, and a convenient storage cubbyhole.
Since our sleeper cabin did not include a private bathroom, we used the shared bathroom in the hallway. The bathrooms were clean, very spacious, and very close to our cabins; however, on our return trip, the bathroom closest to us was closed so we had to walk to the next train car to use the restroom. It wasn’t a big deal since it was a very short walk but just something to note.
Amenities on the Train
The most prominent amenity on the train is the restaurant car/dining car which offered a variety of foods and drinks, such as Finnish meatballs, salmon soups, coffee and alcoholic beverages.
On both our journeys, a single lady was working the kitchen and taking orders, but the food still came out fairly quickly. On one side of the kitchen was the main seating area with tables and booths, and the other side of the kitchen was an area to order with some seating but mostly bar height tables.
Seating can be limited so I recommend arriving early or going during off-hours.
The restaurant car closes at 2:00 AM, but alcohol service ends at 1:30 AM, and it reopens at 4:00 AM.
Pro-tip #1: Make sure to have your boarding ticket on you when you’re in the restaurant car. Even though we checked in through the app, the train operator still requested to see our ticket.
Pro-tip #2: You are NOT allowed to bring your own beverages into the restaurant car. We learned this the hard way and had to leave and re-enter without them.
Experience Sleeping on the Night Train
There were a total of 22 stops, but it didn’t affect my sleep at all. Frankly, I slept soundlessly and didn’t wake until my alarm went off in the morning.
The beds are comfortable, and the room was also a comfortable temperature – not too warm or cold. Even though we were traveling north toward the arctic circle, I never felt cold at any point of the trip.
Since we boarded the night train, we couldn’t see too much landscape scenery out of the room window, but we were able to see snow laden trees passing by in the morning. There was a lot of light pollution from the railway lamp posts, so we were not able to see any northern lights, but there could be an opportunity when the northern lights are particularly vibrant.
Arriving in Rovaniemi Train Station
As we were approaching arrival, the staff announced on the intercom to alert everyone the expected time of arrival.
Unlike Helsinki Train Station, Rovaniemi Train Station is very small. It’s easy to find what you’re looking for, but be prepared to maneuver around snow if you’re visiting during the winter. When we arrived at the end of January, the train station was covered in snow and my first step out of the train felt like I was exiting the Polar Express train awaiting an arctic circle escapade.
Bundle up and let the Lapland adventure begin!
If you’re planning a trip to Finland, I’ve also shared my top 10 magical activities in Finland, such as visiting a 160 year old reindeer farm. If you’re looking for food ideas, check out Finnish foods you need to try. Or if you’d like more travel inspiration, head to my destinations page to explore other destinations!
