Leaving the ARCTIC CIRCLE on Europe’s Best Train | Snowy Journey Through Lapland

Leaving the ARCTIC CIRCLE on Europe’s Best Train | Snowy Journey Through Lapland

Leaving the Arctic Circle on Europe’s best train with amazing onboard amenities and unique seating compartments in the panoramic seat through snowy Lapland from Rovaniemi to Helsinki. Enjoy the ride! Welcome to Rovaniemi, the regional capital of Lapland in Finland. The city is located only about 6 kilometers (4 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. Here you can also find the famous Santa Claus Village. More on our second channel, Letsgobyland Vlogs. Link below. You can also see reindeer here. And the incredible northern lights! Today’s trip starts early in the morning with such an amazing sunrise. Our accommodation was outside the city, so we had to take a bus to the center and from there to the train station. This steam locomotive Tk3-1147 is located near the train station. The Rovaniemi train station is small and not exactly the prettiest. But this sunrise is! Let’s take a look inside. We got to Rovaniemi on the Santa Claus Express sleeper train. You can watch the video on our channel, the link is in the video description. The station has a few places to sit, a luggage storage room and a car rental office. And you can take a photo with Santa Claus and his train here. Our train is IC 24 departing at 09:22. The train is already on the platform, so let’s go take a look. It is a double-decker train. And it has 6 carriages. We have a bi-mode locomotive VR Class Sr3 built by Siemens with a maximum speed of 200 km/h (125 mph). Just look at that sunrise! This train offers different types of classes. Such as Eko Class, Ekstra Calm Class or Ekstra Relaxed Class. It also has a restaurant car. And there are some amazing onboard amenities too. We’ll look at all of them later in the video. So keep watching and find out why this is the best train in Europe. So, let’s board. Our seats are on the upper deck. We paid €24 ($27.80) per person to reserve a seat with first class Interrail. Tickets include spring water found in the carriage, also coffee, tea and hot chocolate that can be picked up from the restaurant car. And restaurant car meals can be enjoyed at your seat. Today we’ll be traveling in the Extra Relaxed Class with a 2+1 seating layout. We specifically chose Ekstra Relaxed Class because of these panoramic seats. They are facing directly at the window and these last 2 seats will be ours. The seats can also be rotated 360 degrees. They always block automatically, so you have to press the button again. You can also adjust the seat. They are very well padded. And they are leather and very comfortable. It has a movable armrest, but it won’t stay up. The seat numbering is on the side of the seat. There’s a great place to put your feet up. The table stretches along all the windows, but everyone also has their own little pull-out table. There are power sockets, coat hooks, reading lamps, and a luggage rack above the seats. And the windows have sun blinds. Departure from Rovaniemi on time at 09:22. Let’s look at today’s route map. Today’s journey is scheduled to take 8 hours and 13 minutes, covering approximately 900km (559mi), arriving in Helsinki today at 17:35. Giving the train an average speed of about 110 km/h (68 mph). Finnish car carriages that you can use to bring your car, for example, on the Santa Express from Helsinki. Our train doesn’t have them. Goodbye Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle. Let’s take a look at the rest of our carriage because there are some great amenities here. Like this little room next to the toilet. Do you know what that is? It’s a place where you make phone calls so you don’t disturb others. What?! This should be on every train, especially these days when people are arrogantly and annoyingly talking on their phones over speakers! Right next to it is a luggage storage area. And there’s more space for luggage above the seats. Trash cans with a small table and tissues. And at the end of the carriage is a 12-person conference compartment. Have you noticed those little bags used for trash instead of a trash can? The downstairs area has tables where you can enjoy food from the restaurant car which is right next door. This is a restaurant car. Very different from other restaurant cars. The seating options are in an excellent layout. For 2 people or larger groups. We’ll take a look at it again later when the restaurant opens, then we’ll see all the options for food, drinks, and snacks. Now let’s look at the rest of the train, there’s some more amazing amenities to see. This is the cheapest class on this train, and it looks very comfortable. It is Eco Class in 2+2 layout. For an extra fee, you can buy a seat next to you. Place for people in wheelchairs or strollers. There are various places for luggage in the corridor. The train also has spaces for bicycles, ski and snowboards. Now look at this! After opening this small gate with a magnetic latch at the bottom that keeps it closed, you enter a children’s kingdom. How cool is that? Even I want to play here. Lots of options for kids to play. Even a slide. Have you ever seen this on a train? You can also buy a model train. Another unique place on this train is this. Compartment with 4 seats and children’s corner. Again, amazing layout. There is even such a small private compartment with only 2 seats. And it even has automatically closing doors. Now let’s look at the Extra Calm Class. The lighting on the floor creates a luxurious effect. The seats here are in a 2+2 layout. This class is a great area for quiet relaxation or work. In the single seat you have your own lamp on the table. There is space for luggage and even jackets. A refreshment station where you can self-serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate or spring water. And again this little room. Let’s continue exploring. The stairs are equipped with a platform for wheelchair access. In addition to the 2-person compartment, there is also a 4-person compartment available. So many options on this train! There is also a seat where you can travel with your pet. The green color looks great. Another great thing, lockable lockers. Ok, let’s take a look at the beautiful snowy landscapes of Lapland now and then continue exploring, there is still more to discover! Our journey begins in Lapland, the largest and northernmost region of Finland. Lapland borders the Finnish region of Northern Ostrobothnia to the south, where we are currently heading. It also borders the Gulf of Bothnia, Norrbotten County in Sweden, Finnmark County and Troms County in Norway. Also the Republic of Karelia in Russia. And Murmansk Oblast in Russia, where we also traveled by train! You can watch the video on our channel. Panoramic seats with a view like this are definitely a great choice. Many rivers are completely frozen and covered in snow. The wifi worked very fast, we even uploaded a video to YouTube! You can support the channel and get access to ad-free videos, early access to every new video, and more! Become a channel member or join us on Patreon. Click the link above now or bellow any video. Thank you! And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss new videos every week! Let’s go look at the toilet. It locks very easily from the inside. The water works well, there is soap, paper towels, and everything is very clean. There is also a power socket on the wall with colorful pictures of trees. And of course there is plenty of toilet paper and a large mirror. The train also has an accessible toilet. It closes automatically and is locked with this button. There is a sink with a trash can and a large mirror. A baby changing table above the toilet. Next to the flush button, there is also a personnel call button. The water works and there’s even a potty and a bottle warmer. And of course a power socket. The restaurant is open now, so let’s go take a look. There are a lot of pictures here, which is great because you can see what some of the dishes look like. The restaurant car serves main courses and warm meals, quick snacks, dishes for children, salads, filled sandwiches, pastries. Also breakfast options, hot beverages such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, cold soft drinks, and a changing selection of craft beers. We pass by the Isohaara hydroelectric power plant across the Kemijoki River. The longest river in Finland, with a length of 550 km (340 mi). This part of the river was completely frozen and covered with snow. Kemi station on time at 10:38. Stop for 2 minutes. This was also our last stop in Lapland. But we still have 30km (18mi) to go before we officially leave Lapland. And we are out of Lapland. But don’t worry, the scenery will still be beautiful. You can often see people doing various winter sports here. The Rautasilta “iron bridge” a historic iron truss bridge built as a railway bridge in 1886. Today, it is a well-known local landmark and is considered a top photographic target. Oulu station on time at 11:40. Stop for 15 minutes. Oulu is also the most populous city in Northern Finland. VR depot near Oulu station. Let’s see how full the train is. I found another place for bicycles. People use them even in winter. Let’s look at the locomotive. These VR Class Sr3 based on the Vectron model are used with both passenger and freight trains and their first run was in 2017. Railway Bridge over the Siikajoki River. We pass by Vihanti station. Ylivieska station on time at 12:57. Stop for 2 minutes. Those are huge piles of snow! Steam locomotive Tk3 1159 at the station. Kokkola station on time at 13:35. Stop for 3 minutes. As we go further south, the weather slowly changes. And the rivers are no longer completely frozen. We are arriving in the city of Tampere. Finland’s second most populous urban area in the country after the Helsinki metropolitan area. VR Class Sr 3056 built in the Soviet Union! Car carriages. Tampere station on time at 15:51. Stop for 9 minutes. The weather became very foggy. Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevsky and St. Nicholas. It’s very foggy now! Even the snow is slowly disappearing. Vanajavesi Lake. It is part of the Kokemäenjoki basin. Tavastia Castle or Häme Castle. A medieval castle in Kanta-Häme built in the 13th century. Sunset starts around 17:00. Passing by Pasila station. We are arriving in Helsinki. Helsinki station on time at 17:35. Another great train journey done. Combining the Arctic Circle and the best train in Europe is great! What do you think? Would you say this is the best train in Europe? Or do you know another train that you think is the best in Europe? Let us know in the comments below this video. Welcome to the capital of Finland, Helsinki. Don’t forget to watch our video about the train journey on the famous Santa Claus Express sleeper train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. It was a great journey in a private compartment and we woke up near the Arctic Circle! You can find the video in the description. We hope you enjoyed the video. Don’t forget to let us know what you think about this journey in the comments. And subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss new videos every week. Thanks to our channel members for your support! Your names are in the video description. Thank you for watching, and see you in the next video.

Hello from Finland! 🇫🇮 Today, we leave the Arctic Circle on what many call Europe’s best train, traveling from Rovaniemi to Helsinki through frozen forests and the quiet winter beauty of Lapland. This is one of the most iconic train journeys in Finland and one of the most scenic winter railway routes in Europe. Along the way, we cross remote Arctic landscapes, pass through traditional Lapland villages, and watch the wilderness slowly transition into southern Finland.

In this video, we show you what traveling from Rovaniemi to Helsinki by train in winter feels like — the snowy scenery, the atmosphere onboard, and the unique comfort and features of Finland’s long-distance rail system.

Enjoy the ride on Europe’s best train from the Arctic Circle to Helsinki!

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• Trip information •
Departure from: Rovaniemi
Arrival to: Helsinki
Travel time: 8h 13min
Ticket fare: First class Interrail + seat reservation for €24 ($27,80)
Distance (approx.): 900km (559mi)
Railway company: Finnish Railways (VR)
Train: IC 24
Carriage class: Ekstra Relaxed Class
Trip date: February 2025

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• Video chapters •
00:00 – Intro
00:29 – Rovaniemi, Finland
00:57 – Leaving the Arctic Circle
01:15 – Rovaniemi train station
02:19 – Rovaniemi to Helsinki train
03:20 – Tickets informations
03:34 – Extra relaxed class
04:57 – Departure from Rovaniemi
05:07 – Route map
07:09 – A walkthrough
11:07 – Lapland views
12:09 – Support the channel
13:03 – Toilet check
14:22 – Restauran car
22:18 – Arrival in Helsinki
22:27 – Conclusion
23:34 – Outro

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