Rovaniemi · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
The Arctic Circle runs through a theme park here, and everything doubles in price for December.
Koskikatu and Ounaskoski
Hostels and guesthouses sit along the main street in the grid centre; the campsite is across the river at Ounaskoski, ten minutes' walk from town.
What a day costs
EUR 55–95 outside winter, and considerably more from December to January when a dorm bed alone can take the whole budget. Self-catering is essential.
Bus 8 and sleepers
Local bus 8 links the centre, the airport and Santa Claus Village on one cheap ticket. Sleeper trains from Helsinki take around twelve hours with couchettes.
Free by day
Crossing the Arctic Circle line costs nothing, and neither do the Ounasvaara trails, the frozen river in winter or the aurora away from the streetlights.
Hostel saunas
Nearly every hostel here has a sauna, and the evening slot is where the aurora car-shares and husky-tour splits actually get arranged.