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Getting Around In Lapland

Lapland is sparsely populated. Getting around in Lapland can be difficult in some areas if you don't go by car.

The distances between destinations can be long. The public means of transport are bad in some areas. And there are relatively few tour operators.

The most common means of public transportation in Finnish and Swedish Lapland are plane, bus and train. In Norwegian Lapland the most common are plane, bus and the coastal express ('Hurtigruten').

In Norwegian Lapland (Finnmark) there are no railways. In Finnish Lapland you can go by train up to Rovaniemi. In Swedish Lapland there are railway connections through most of the area. From Kiruna you can go by train to Narvik in Norway.

By Plane

You can travel by plane between the many airports in Lapland. There are, though, some "buts". You can travel by plane between airports inside Finnish Lapland, inside Norwegian Lapland and inside Swedish Lapland.

But travelling by plane between the three parts of Lapland is nearly impossible. There are few, if any, flights interconnecting the three Lapland parts. Some routes have had short lives. Check with your travel agent.

The main airports in Finnish Lapland with regular flights are Kemi, Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kittilä and Enontekiö. The Finnish domestic airline, Finnair offers daily flights between several destinations within Finnish Lapland.

In Norwegian Lapland these airports have regular flights: Alta, Kirkenes, Hasvik, Hammerfest, Honningsvåg, Lakselv, Mehamn, Berlevåg, Båtsfjord, Vardø and Vadsø.

Alta and Kirkenes are main airports with a well-developed network of flights to the outlying districts. If you want to travel by plane inside Finnmark, Wideröe has most flights.

You'll find these airports in Swedish Lapland: Kiruna, Arvidsjaur, Storuman, Hemavan, Lycksele and Vilhelmina with regular flights. You can choose several airlines for you Lapland flights.
SAS (Scandinavian) is one choice and Skyways is another choice

Going by bus

There are many bus companies throughout Lapland, both private and public. Some of them arrange round trips. There are many bus companies that can bring you around in the different parts of Lapland.

In Finnish Lapland several bus companies have a wide network of routes. At Matkahuolto travel services you will find your bus.

In Norwegian Lapland (Finnmark) there just a few bus companies. The North Norway Bus Express is part of bus net Nor-Way Bus Express. These buses bring you to Norwegian Lapland.

You can also check out the FFR/Veolia buses.

In Swedish Lapland you can check out the LTN buses in the Norrbotten part of Lapland.
In the Västerbotten part you can try Länstrafiken buses.

On the Roads

Going to new places by car also means new traffic regulations to learn. Here are a few tips to contribute to your safe driving in Lapland.

Going by train

In Finnish Lapland

In Finnish Lapland you can check here aboutgetting around by train in Finnish Lapland

In Swedish Lapland

In Swedish Lapland you can find out about trains in Swedish Lapland here. You can also go by train from Narvik in Norway to Swedish Lapland (only in Swedish).

What about getting around on a sea voyage?

An alternatively is to take the Norwegian Coastal Express ('Hurtigruten') between the different ports in Norwegian Lapland. You can take a long or a short trip. You can take your car with you to the next harbour or all the way. You can also combine this trip with bus, train or plane.

'Hurtigruten' stops at 11 ports on the Finnmark coast(northward bound): Øksfjord, Hammerfest, Havøysund, Honningsvåg, Kjøllefjord, Mehamn, Berlevåg, Båtsfjord, Vardø, Vadsø and Kirkenes. This sea voyage is called the world's most beautiful voyage. Plan your trip here. The 'Hurtigruten' sails along the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes.

Accommodation

As you are getting around,you'll need some kind of accomodation. Check this article.

See also the article on getting to Lapland.

Safety

When going on your own, you need to think of your own safety without the help of guides telling you about safety for instance in the wilderness or when you meet wild animals. Read more about safety.

Tourist information

The tourist information offices and your travel agency will give you further details on how to get to the different destinations and getting around in Lapland.

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