The Santa Claus Express is VR's double-decker night train running from Helsinki or Turku to Lapland. You book an entire private sleeper cabin rather than sharing with strangers, and prices start from €59 per cabin. Live departure times, delays and the Christmas week timetable are set out in the board above.
What the Santa Claus Express is
VR calls its double-decker night train to Lapland the Santa Claus Express, or the Santa train. These services run from Helsinki or Turku and go north to Rovaniemi, Kolari or Kemijärvi.
On the Santa train you can choose between a standard seat and your own sleeper cabin, and there are several connections a day. The board above shows current departures and live delays for these routes. VR's night trains run to Rovaniemi, Kolari and Kemijärvi; connecting buses, local taxis or a hire car cover the rest.
Night train or day train
VR's current long-distance timetable is valid from 10 August 2026 to 12 December 2026. A new timetable starts after that date, so Christmas trips run on the new timetable. If you plan to travel during Christmas in Finland, keep this seasonal schedule change in mind.
VR's case for taking the night train rather than a daytime service is that you arrive well rested and save your own time on the way north. Tickets open early: VR already sells night train trips as far ahead as autumn 2027. In high season, such as the winter holidays, you may get a cabin on the older, nostalgic express train.
The sleeper cabins
VR does not sell single berths in shared compartments. A cabin is only ever used by you and the people you booked with.
Modern double-decker cabins
On the modern double-decker trains, you can choose between two levels:
- Upstairs cabins: Built for 1–2 people, these cabins measure 4.2 m² and have their own en-suite toilet and shower. The cabin door width is 55 cm, and the room comes with bath towels for two.
- Downstairs cabins: These measure 3.3 m² and cost a little less. They contain two beds and a washbasin, but the toilet and shower are located outside in the corridor.
The beds in these newer sleeper cabins are bunk beds measuring 200 x 75 cm. They come fully made up with blankets, pillows and bedlinen. Families or small groups can book two downstairs cabins as an adjoining pair for four people (2 + 2); the conductor opens the internal partition between them. There is room under the bed for a snowboard.
Older cars and accessibility
The older single-storey cars feature cabins for three people with triple bunks. These older compartments offer more room for luggage, but have no air conditioning, and the toilet is in the corridor.
Every night train includes accessible sleeper cabins situated directly next to the car's accessible entrance, with accessible toilets located right by the entrance. If you travel with pets, dedicated pet cabins accommodate at most two dogs or two pet carriers for an additional fee.
What a cabin costs, and booking it
A private cabin on the Helsinki–Rovaniemi night train starts from €59 on VR's night trains, and this base price covers the entire cabin. The price is set per cabin and does not depend on how many people sleep inside. VR gives no discounts on night train cabins. To compare rates across different travel dates, search for your route and tick "show cabin prices on night trains" in the search results.
Key booking conditions and add-on costs include:
- Children: Children aged 0 to 10 travel free on night trains when they share a berth with another passenger.
- Car spaces: A car space on the night train starts from €49. You can add a vehicle space to your booking after buying your passenger ticket.
- Pets: Bringing a pet costs €4,10–8,30, depending on the distance travelled.
- Cabin changes: You can change to a different cabin after buying the ticket.
- Cancellation cover: This must be bought together with the ticket; it cannot be added afterwards. To receive a refund under the cover, the journey must be cancelled before the train's scheduled departure. For a two-person sleeper cabin from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, VR gives €19,80–39,50 as the example price of cancellation cover, which protects the whole cabin.
On board
A few practical details make the overnight trip smoother:
- Drinking water: The tap water on the train is not drinkable and should not be used for brushing teeth, so bring your own water. Each berth comes supplied with a 0,35 litre bottle of water, and additional water is sold in the restaurant car.
- Breakfast: Breakfast delivered directly to your cabin must be ordered at least 5 days in advance on vr.fi.
- Food orders: During the trip, you can order food from the restaurant car menu to your cabin through the conductor.
- Noise: Light sleepers should pack earplugs, because the train and other passengers always make some noise. If you forget them, the restaurant car also sells earplugs.
- Power: Cabins on the older express trains have only one electrical socket and charge devices slowly, so bring a spare battery pack.
Arriving in Rovaniemi, and going further
If you are arriving in December, see our guide to Rovaniemi in December, or check the northern lights verdict for Rovaniemi. From Rovaniemi railway station it is 170 km to Levi, which takes around 2.5 hours by bus. VR's trip search automatically offers connecting bus routes timed to meet the trains, allowing you to buy the combined train and bus ticket in one transaction.