It may be a bucket list destination for many, but you’ll have an adventure just getting to Lapland with this route!
Lapland is the name for an area spanning the north of Finland, Sweden, Norway and part of northwestern Russia. The indigenous home of the Sami people (its native name is Sápmi, but it is quite well known as Lapland for tourist reasons).
I took the journey from London to Lapland during Christmas 2024, and I’ve travelled overland to Helsinki two other times, most recently last May.
The journey travelling north is magical; you’ll jump between German cities (there’s the possibility to stop in others if you have more time!) before entering Scandinavia, travelling through Denmark and Sweden before sailing through the Stockholm archipelago and making it to Finland.
Then, the Santa Claus Express is one of my favourite EVER train journeys. I took it in December, so it was dark the whole time, but it was still enchanting knowing I was being whisked away to the Arctic Circle… and if you take it in the summer, the evening and morning views are said to be immense!
Here’s exactly how to do it!
Total cost and time
- Total cost: £613.38 (please note that this is very rough!)
- Total travel time: 4 days (or more if you want)
- Overnight stops: 1 (Cologne, but you could also stop in any other city the trains call in)
This includes a two overnight trains and one overnight ferry. You will be able to get this rate for slightly less if you’re travelling as a couple.
If your SIM card doesn’t have EU data, make sure you download an eSIM before leaving St Pancras. You’ll need it on those long train journeys! I use and recommend Airalo – click through to go through to their website.
Step one: Eurostar London to Cologne
First up, take a Eurostar from London to Cologne, which changes in Brussels.
I popped in a dummy date for 4.5 months from now to look at how much this would cost, and got a 9:15am train for £96.
There are cheaper trains available very early in the morning, but you’ll need to get a hotel close to St Pancras if you do that, which obviously adds to the cost!
I’ve stayed at Generator London before when I’ve had an early train. You can see more info about them here.
Other options close to St Pancras include:
- Pullman London St Pancras – see more information
- St Pancras London, Autograph Collection – see more information
You’ll take the Eurostar to Brussels, and will need to change trains here – but it’s quite quick and easy! The official Eurostar page has the best insturctions – see it here.
I’ve created a full guide to getting cheap Eurostar tickets and other hacks – check it out here.
This gets you into Cologne at 3:15pm, so you’ve got some time to see the cathedral and Cologne’s other attractions.
Step two: Overnight in a Cologne Hotel
Cologne station is right next to the Dom, or Cathedral. I’d recommend staying near here, as you’ll be leaving from here in the morning.
The A&O Hotel in Cologne is around £93 (on the dummy date I looked at). The A&O chain is reliable, with comfortable rooms and continental breakfast. See it here.
I did find an even cheaper hotel – Koncept Hotel International – which had fantastic deals on the date I looked at (£65 for a room!), but it is a 25 minute walk from the station – so it depends on your priorities! See the hotel here.
You’ve got some time to have a stroll around the city! If you want a guide, check out this private walking tour which you can book for the evening.
Step three: Cologne to Hamburg
From Cologne, take a train to Hamburg. There multiple direct trains per day – looking at trains in about 4.5 months time, you can get one for around £25. It will take just under four hours.
I recommend a train at around 10am, which will get you into Hamburg at 2pm.
You’ll then have a few hours to enjoy the city before your night train!
Step four: Hamburg to Stockholm
There are tonnes of things to do in Hamburg!
You could start with a harbour cruise, head up St. Michael’s Tower for views across the city, then spend time in places like the Police Museum or the Archaeological Museum. Add in a bus sightseeing tour, a pedicab ride through the streets, or an Alster lake cruise, and you’ve quickly built a varied itinerary across different parts of Hamburg!
The Hamburg City Card helps keep costs down across transport, museums, tours and experiences, so it’s worth getting a day pass in advance if you’re planning to fit several of these into your day. Click here for more information about a Hamburg City Card.
In the evening, it’s night train time!
There are two night trains per night, one operated from SJ (Swedish Railways) and one from Snälltåget, a competing company.
There are a few different levels of classes with shared and private compartments available; a shared couchette compartment with SJ was £129.95 on the dummy date I looked at, and a private compartment started at around £280.
Obviously, if you’re travelling as a couple, the price will be lower!
This train departs Hamburg at around 10pm and arrives into Stockholm at 10am.
Step five: Stockholm to Helsinki
You’ll have a few hours in Stockholm; a city with fantastic museums!
The main reason I wanted to visit the Swedish capital was to go to the ABBA museum (you can purchase tickets here), there’s also the Avicii Exhibit (tickets here) and the Vasa Museum (tickets here).
It’s also worth walking around Gamla Stan and Stortorget and popping into the city’s atmospheric cafes!
Taking a ferry through the Stockholm Archipelago was one of my favourite experiences in Europe. The archipelago, a ribbon of water threading through bright green islands and wooden Nordic houses leading down to golden beaches.
If you take this ferry in the winter months, it will be dark, but in the spring and summer (the closer to 21st June the better!), sitting on the deck and watching the islands go by is glorious.
The Stockholm to Helsinki ferry isn’t a bad price, either. On the dummy date I checked, it’s £79.15 for the most basic private cabin.
The ferry departs at 4:30pm and arrives in Helsinki at 10:00am.
Step six: Helsinki to Rovaniemi
You’ve arrived in Helsinki!
You have all day to explore, and I really recommend a trip to the Allas Sea Pools right by the harbour. Here, there are traditional Finnish saunas and the chance to take a dip in the often near-freezing Baltic Sea!
Suomenlinna is also worth a visit – a UNESCO-rated island with Swedish and Russian imperial history.
Then, at 7:30pm, it’s time to board the train to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Sápmi!
The train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, on my dummy dates, is currently £189.83 for a private cabin. This will be a little cheaper if you’re travelling as a couple!
It’s a 12 hour journey that will whisk you up to Finland’s far north! The fir-lined track is majestic all year round – and when you arrive in Lapland, you’ll see it’s not just for Christmas!
That said, you can visit Santa Claus 365 days per year, but there are also saunas, museums, hiking, skiing and snowshoeing, depending on the time of year.
Two activities that I LOVE the look of are this Midnight Sun Forest Lake Float and this Arctic Wilderness Hike from Rovaniemi.
You can also see my guide to things you should know about Rovaniemi here and tips for visiting on a budget here.
The grand total is £613.38, including all transport and one hotel (not including food or any activities).
I did this journey as part of a trip from Marrakech to Lapland without flying – you can see my YouTube playlist here.
And here’s my Nordic summer ferry trip, so you can see what the coastline is like in the summer!
