Do You Want to Visit Rovaniemi Without Paying Rovaniemi Accommodation Prices?

Rovaniemi is one of the most popular places to visit in Finnish Lapland and during the busiest winter months, accommodation prices can reflect that.

Hotels and apartments in Rovaniemi can become surprisingly expensive, especially around Christmas and New Year. So what if you could visit Rovaniemi during the day, enjoy the attractions and activities, and simply sleep somewhere else? You can.

One option worth looking at is Kemi.

Kemi is located on the Gulf of Bothnia, roughly 120 kilometres from Rovaniemi, and it has something that Rovaniemi often doesn’t during the busiest season: more affordable accommodation. Think of it a little like visiting London but staying in Watford. You are not actually staying in the destination itself, but if the price difference is big enough, the short journey can be well worth it.

Stay in Kemi, visit Rovaniemi for the day

The idea is very simple. Instead of booking accommodation in Rovaniemi for your entire trip, you could:

Stay in Kemi > travel to Rovaniemi in the morning > spend the day in Rovaniemi > return to Kemi in the evening.

This can work particularly well if your main goal is to experience the classic Rovaniemi attractions rather than spend your entire holiday there. Santa Claus Village, for example, can easily be visited as part of a day in Rovaniemi. You could also book activities such as husky rides, reindeer experiences, snowmobile safaris or other winter activities during the day and return to Kemi afterwards.

One of the best things about this option is how easy the public transport connections are at both ends.

Both Kemi and Rovaniemi have their train stations and bus stations in or very close to the city centre. This means you can arrive by train or bus and start exploring almost immediately without having to spend extra money or time getting from a remote station into town.

In Rovaniemi, this is particularly convenient if you want to explore the city centre, have lunch, go shopping or connect to other local transport options. And when your day is over, you can simply make your way back to the station and head to Kemi.

And at the end of the day, instead of paying Rovaniemi’s peak-season accommodation prices, you head back to your cheaper base in Kemi.

Compare Kemi accommodation options here*

Kemi to Rovaniemi by train

The train is probably the easiest option to consider.

The journey between Kemi and Rovaniemi takes around an hour and a half, depending on the service. That makes a day trip quite realistic. You can have breakfast in Kemi, take the train to Rovaniemi in the morning and spend most of the day exploring. Then, after dinner, you can take the train back to Kemi.For many travellers, this is much easier than it might sound when you first look at a map.

Even in Lapland you don’t necessarily have to stay where you spend your day.

• There is trains coming from Kemi to Rovaniemi at 6am, 8:30am and 9:30am (6am & 9:30am during weekends)
• Back to Kemi you can travel at 5pm, 6pm and 9pm (5pm and 9pm during weekends)

Prices are usually around 13€ to 30€ round-trip. (Round-trip are often cheaper than just one-way ticket)

You can book trains from VR.FI (Finnish National railway website)

You can also travel by bus

Another option is travelling between the two cities by bus. Depending on the season and timetable, buses can offer additional departure times or routes that work better with your plans. The important thing is to check the timetable for your exact travel dates before booking accommodation. Winter schedules can vary, and you don’t want to discover that your last connection back to Kemi leaves earlier than expected.

• Busses usually travel from Kemi to Rovaniemi at 06:30am and 09:30am
• From Rovaniemi to Kemi you can travel you can travel at 6pm and 9pm

Prices are usually around 7€/ one-way per person.

Easiest way to find and book all the bus routes in Lapland is Matkahuolto.fi

But how much can you actually save?

This is where the idea becomes interesting.

Kemi isn’t necessarily going to be dramatically cheaper every single night. Prices depend on your dates, the type of accommodation and what is happening in both cities. But during the busiest periods in Rovaniemi, even a relatively small difference per night can add up quickly.

Imagine travelling as a family and staying for five nights. If you can save €50–€100 per night by staying in Kemi, that’s potentially €250–€500 saved on accommodation alone. Even after adding the cost of travelling between Kemi and Rovaniemi, you could still come out ahead. And if the accommodation difference is larger, the savings can become even more significant. That’s why it’s worth comparing the total cost rather than automatically searching only for accommodation in Rovaniemi.

What would a day in Rovaniemi look like?

A simple day could look something like this:

Morning:
Travel from Kemi to Rovaniemi at 9:30am. Arrive to Rovaniemi at 11am.

Late morning:
Head to Santa Claus Village or start your pre-booked activity.

Afternoon:
Enjoy another activity, explore the city or have lunch and coffee.

Evening:
Have dinner in Rovaniemi and take the train or bus back to Kemi at 9pm.

Night:
Arrive to your accommodation in Kemi around 11pm. Sleep in Kemi without paying for a Rovaniemi hotel room.

Of course, this depends on your activities and their locations.

One important thing to remember is that Rovaniemi is larger than just City area and Santa Claus Village. Some activities are outside the city centre, and getting around can take time. So don’t build a schedule where you have a five-minute gap between everything.

Who should consider staying in Kemi?

This option could be particularly interesting if:

• You are travelling on a budget
• You are travelling as a family and accommodation costs add up quickly
• Rovaniemi accommodation prices are unusually high during your dates
• You don’t mind travelling for around 1–1.5 hours each way
• You are mainly interested in visiting Rovaniemi’s major attractions
• You have a rental car or are comfortable using public transport
• You are staying several nights

It can also be a good solution if you are doing a wider Lapland trip and don’t need to be based in Rovaniemi every single day.

What Can You Do IN Kemi?

If you’re already staying in Kemi, why not make the most of it?

Kemi can be more than just a cheaper place to sleep. The city has a few unique experiences of its own, and you could easily combine a Rovaniemi day trip with a day exploring Kemi.

Visit the famous SnowCastle

One of Kemi’s best-known attractions is the SnowCastle, a winter experience built from snow and ice.

The SnowCastle area changes from year to year, but you can typically find impressive snow and ice structures, experiences and other seasonal activities. If you’ve never seen a building made almost entirely from snow and ice, this is definitely something worth adding to your itinerary.

Check SnowCastle experiences and tickets here!*

Step aboard an Icebreaker

One of the most unusual experiences you can have in Finnish Lapland is an icebreaker cruise from Kemi.

The ship makes its way through the frozen Bothnian Bay, breaking through the sea ice as it travels. Depending on the experience you choose, you may also have the opportunity to experience floating in the icy sea while wearing a special flotation suit. It’s a completely different kind of experience from the ones you’ll find around Rovaniemi and one of the reasons Kemi can actually be an interesting destination in its own.

Check Icebreaker experiences and availability here!*

When is staying in Kemi NOT a good idea?

There are some situations where I wouldn’t recommend it.

If your main goal is to chase the Northern Lights, for example, travelling back and forth every evening may become inconvenient. Northern Lights tours can start late and finish after public transport has stopped running. In that situation, staying in Rovaniemi may be much more practical.

The same applies if you have several early-morning activities booked. And if you want to experience Rovaniemi’s restaurants, bars, shops and evening atmosphere every night, staying outside the city naturally makes that more complicated.

You also need to remember that 120 kilometres is still 120 kilometres.

Kemi vs Rovaniemi: which one should you choose?

It really depends on what kind of Lapland holiday you are planning.

Choose Rovaniemi if:
You want to be close to the activities, prefer convenience and want to enjoy the city in the evenings.

Consider Kemi if:
You mainly want to visit Rovaniemi during the day and can save a significant amount on accommodation.

There is no universal winner.

The trick is to look at the total cost and the amount of travelling involved, rather than simply searching for the cheapest hotel.

So, can you visit Rovaniemi without staying in Rovaniemi?

Absolutely.

And this is one of those small travel hacks that can make a surprisingly big difference to your Lapland budget. Rovaniemi is the destination you want to explore. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be the place where you sleep.

So before you book that expensive Rovaniemi hotel, open the map and check Kemi too. You might be surprised by how much you can save.
Just remember to book trains and busses before hand, they might get full during peak winter season!