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Kemijärvi News: From Helsinki to Kemijärvi in an atmospheric night train

Kemijärvi railway station is a gateway to the fells of Lapland.

The night train from Pasila in Helsinki to Kemijärvi runs daily and arrives at the Kemijärvi railway station at 8:50. To the south, the train leaves daily at 19:15.

The train runs through Oulu and Rovaniemi, through the northern Finland to the Arctic Circle. In the summer, a nightless night from the train window is a thrilling experience. In the winter season, high snowdrifts await you.

At its cheapest, an adult travels between Kemijärvi an Helsinki in a sleeping cabin for 49 euros. VR uses so-called floating pricing, so the earlier you book your tickets, the cheaper you can get them. Sleeping cabins must be fully booked, even if you are travelling alone. Seats are also sold on trains, which are cheaper than the cabins.

Kemijärvi is served by the latest night train fleet, which mainly consists of two-person cabins. The night trains have showers and toilets along the aisles, but the trains also have cabins equipped with showers. The trains also have a cosy restaurant car, where you can enjoy your travel with food, drink and company.

So where could you go from the train? That's where the abundance of options strikes, as there are connections from the Kemijärvi station to four skiing centres: to Pyhä, Salla, Suomu and Ruka. These include three national parks: Pyhä-Luosto, Salla and Oulanka. All of these locations can be reached within 1 to 2 hours. If you do not want to decide right away, you can spend, say, a day in the island centre of Kemijärvi, enjoying the lakeviews and then make the decision on which ski location you would like to visit.

Full details of trains and connections can be found at: https://www.visitkemijarvi.fi/en/info/getting-there/

It is always a good idea to check the bus timetables on the Matkahuolto website.

Night train seats are available three days a week. Car trains depart from Pasila on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. From Kemijärvi, car trains depart on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. In Kemijärvi, you can also rent a car for yourself from Juhan Auto.

This article has been published in Kemijärvi News travel magazine in May 2023.