Rovaniemi airport to Santa Claus Village or the city centre: bus, taxi and train options

The distances that decide your transfer

Rovaniemi airport is about 3 km from Santa Claus Village, a taxi ride of about 4 km by road, and about 10 km from the city centre. The village and the city centre sit 8 km apart from each other.

Those numbers make the village the shorter transfer from the airport for almost every flight time, while the city centre still works well for a family who wants to start the trip with restaurants and shops rather than the Santa Claus Office.

None of these distances change with the season, so the same numbers apply to a flight in July and one in December. What does change across the year is which transfer options are actually running, covered in the next sections.

Santa's Express and the Airport Express

Santa's Express and the Airport Express run between the airport, the city centre and Santa Claus Village from November to March. Tickets are sold through airportbus.fi; check the current timetable and fares before you fly, since schedules are matched to flight arrivals.

Local bus 8 is a separate service. It runs all year between the railway station, the city centre and Santa Claus Village, but it does not serve the airport, so it is not an option for the first transfer after you land.

Outside the November to March window, or outside the times these seasonal buses run on any given day, a taxi or a pre-arranged transfer is the only option straight from the terminal, so check the current schedule before you plan an edge-of-season flight around it.

Taxi ranks and the two taxi numbers

Taxi ranks exist at the airport and in Santa Claus Village. The village lists two operators directly: Lähitaksi on +358 100 7300 and Taksi Rovaniemi on +358 600 14000.

A taxi is the most flexible option for a flight outside the seasonal bus timetable, a family with a lot of luggage, or a late arrival when waiting for a scheduled bus adds unwanted time in the cold. Confirm the current fare with the operator when you book.

Both operators cover the whole route between the airport, Santa Claus Village and the city centre, so either number works regardless of which base you have booked. Save both numbers in your phone before you fly, since battery life and signal are less predictable in the cold.

The 2026 terminal construction, and arriving by train

During 2026, construction at Rovaniemi airport moved the airport bus stops to the departures end of the terminal, so check the current signage or the airportbus.fi site for the exact pickup point rather than assuming the old stop still applies.

VR also runs day and night trains to Rovaniemi station, about 1.5 km from the city centre, and the overnight service from Helsinki takes roughly 12 hours. Check VR directly for exact times, and plan a short taxi or walk from the station to the centre.

A family arriving by night train reaches a station about 1.5 km from the city centre rather than the airport, so the same taxi ranks and bus 8 apply for the final stretch into town, without any of the airport-specific seasonal buses or construction changes described above.

Which transfer fits your trip

A family with an early or late flight, a lot of luggage, or young children who need the shortest possible transfer generally does best with a taxi straight to Santa Claus Village, about 3 km from the terminal. A family arriving in the middle of the day with light luggage can use Santa's Express or the Airport Express to either base for less.

Booking the first night inside Santa Claus Village suits an early flight particularly well: the transfer is the shortest of the two bases, about 3 km, and the Santa Claus Office is close enough to visit on the same day without a second long ride.

Groups without a car and without a strict schedule can treat the choice as a simple trade: the seasonal bus takes a little longer with more stops along the route, while a taxi goes straight to the door of the hotel or the village. Check the current fare and timetable for both before you decide.

• Early or late flight, heavy luggage: taxi from the rank, especially to the village at about 3 km.
• Daytime flight, November to March, standard luggage: Santa's Express or Airport Express.
• Outside the seasonal bus months: taxi is the only fixed option from the terminal.
• Arriving by overnight train: taxi or a short walk from the station, about 1.5 km from the centre.
• Group arriving on different flights: agree one shared pickup point and time in advance.