What it’s like to ride Finland’s Santa Claus Express train to the far north

It’s 6.45pm and 2C on the concourse of Helsinki Central Station, but I’m warmly ensconced within this majestic building, sipping on a pint of Finland’s ubiquitous Karhu (“bear”) beer. With one eye on the departures board and another on the growing number of swaddled passengers making their way through the station ahead of their journey north, I pick out a surprising number of four-legged travellers, plus a flock of excitable children waiting to board. And who can blame them? We’re heading to the home of Father Christmas.

The railroad from the Finnish capital to Rovaniemi – the “official hometown of Santa Claus” – was completed in 1909, with a train service between the two cities in operation for more than 110 years. Situated on the Arctic Circle, travellers tend to visit this northern outpost for winter activities such as ice-fishing, aurora hunting and reindeer rides, not to mention visiting Santa Claus village. For me and my travelling companion, however, Rovaniemi merely serves as a stop-off point on our onward journey by car to the far north of Finland.

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As railway stations go, there are worse places to wait for a train. Designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and opened in 1919, this arresting art nouveau structure features copper roofing, a pink granite facade, a landmark clock tower and custom-made chandeliers. A pair of stern-faced statues holding spherical lamps that glow once darkness falls flank the main entrance; the station also contains a presidential lounge for the exclusive use of the president of Finland and their guests. It’s little wonder it made the top 10 in a BBC round-up of the world’s most beautiful train stations.

By 7pm, the double-decker train, known as the Santa Claus Express, is on the platform and ready for passengers to begin boarding. The service runs twice daily, increasing to thrice in the peak winter season. Travellers can opt for a private cabin with shared toilet and shower facilities (€139 for two people, situated on the lower deck), a private cabin with en-suite facilities (€159, situated on the upper deck) or a simple seat (€23). For seasoned travellers who are able to nod off anywhere, this latter option is undoubtedly a bargain, but for those seeking a bit more comfort on our 12-hour overnight journey, a cabin makes the most sense. Finland isn’t a cheap country for Brits, so my companion and I decided to opt for a private cabin with shared facilities in a bid to keep our budget down.

The boarding process is extremely smooth and light years away from the bedlam that often typifies rail travel in the UK. There are no ticket barriers or dour conductors – we simply hop on board, find our cabin and make ourselves at home. Some of the longest night trains are around 450m long – almost half a kilometre – which may go some way to explaining why there seems to be plenty of space for everyone. Its impressive size also includes space for vehicles and pets, which are welcome to travel on the service for a very reasonable €8 and who comprise an adorable 7 per cent of passengers. Furry friends and their owners are assigned a dedicated section of the train for travel, with cabins including a drinking bowl and water for maximum comfort.

Our plan upon boarding was to dump our luggage and hit the restaurant car. Previous sleeper train experiences around the world had taught us that this was where the fun was to be had and we were keen to get acquainted with our fellow passengers. Composed of around 25 faux-leather booths with large windows, space in this pleasant section is limited, so it’s worth arriving early if you want to bag a seat.

Finns have an unfair and outdated reputation of being reserved and withdrawn, but we quickly struck up a conversation that took in Brexit, the Premier League and Finnish winters with a senior man who was travelling alone to visit his daughter and grandchildren. As well as ordering food and drinks to eat in the restaurant car, passengers can also request a selection of snacks, dinner and breakfast to be delivered directly to their cabin or seat. Meatballs and mashed potato (€12.90) is the hero dish onboard, however, with more than 80,000 portions served each year.

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Cabins are extremely snug, so it’s worth bearing this in mind and packing an overnight bag with essentials such as a toothbrush and phone charger for easy access while onboard. All cabins have bunk beds, windows with blackout blinds (although it was pitch dark for almost the entirety of our journey), mirror and a sink (cabins without showers have running water). A small hand towel is provided, along with duvets, pillows and sheets. We positioned our large suitcase next to our sink, requiring us to do an elaborate dance everytime we moved around, but large bags and luggage can be stored in a baggage storage space for €5 per item.

With temperatures remaining below 0C for over half the year, it’s no surprise that the Finns have mastered the art of indoor comfort, and the Santa Claus Express is no exception. The entire train remained cosy throughout the journey and the bunks were surprisingly comfortable. Beds feature a plug for your phone and an alarm clock so you don’t miss your stop. We also got an early-morning knock on our door from the conductor.

Our cabin was positioned next to a toilet and shower room. Initial delight at such convenience gave way to some frustration as other passengers comings and goings throughout the night meant we were startled awake by the slamming of the heavy door more than once. While there were no late-night larks in our carriage – the Finns we met seemed to be an incredibly civilised bunch – any traveller worth their salt would do well to pack some decent earplugs for the journey. We skipped an early-morning shower in favour of an extra 30 minutes in bed, but found the toilet to be clean both before bed and first thing.

Peering out the window upon waking, we saw that it was still relatively dark. In our warm and sleepy state, we swiftly began adding layers of clothing ahead of our arrival in Rovaniemi; the early hour and journey of more than 500 miles north meant that the platform was entirely covered in snow upon arrival, making wrapping up warm essential.

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Flights between Helsinki and Rovaniemi may operate regularly, but there’s no denying that this was a significantly more memorable, fun and greener way to travel: a single rail trip between the two cities generates 2.27kg of CO2, compared to a whopping 249.92kg by air. For many travellers, the business of moving between different geographical spaces is largely dictated by time and convenience, which is a shame considering the fun to be had and people to be met when travelling more slowly.

Our return leg, undertaken during the day, provided us with a different but equally enchanting experience, with snow-covered fairytale forest views to gaze upon throughout.

While I may no longer believe in Santa Claus, this rail journey on a train named in his honour, in this magical part of the world, was a welcome reminder of the sense of wonder and adventure that travel can still bring.

For travel between Helsinki and Rovaniemi, passengers can opt for a private cabin with shared toilet and shower facilities (€139 for two people, situated on the lower deck), a private cabin with en-suite facilities (€159, situated on the upper deck) or seat (€23).