Do You Need a Car in Lapland? Our Take After Three Winters

Do you need a car in Lapland? We’ve done it both ways. On our first winter trip, we had a rental car for three days and then went without, booking tours with pickups. On the next two, with our son at 10 months and 2 years, we had a car from the first day to the last.

Our take, in short: if you’re staying in central Rovaniemi and your tours pick you up, you can skip the car. If you’re travelling with small children, staying outside the centre, or want to see more than the tour routes, rent one. For a family, a few days’ rental usually costs less than transfers for everyone, and it covers the rest of the trip too. We always compare prices on DiscoverCars before every booking.

Below: how both ways worked for us, what a rental really costs (we priced one for January 2027), what you need to rent one, and nine things to know before you drive on snow.

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Do You Need a Car in Lapland? Our Take

Without a car: our first trip

In January 2023 we stayed in a studio right by Arktikum Park, in the centre of Rovaniemi. For the first three days we had a rental car, which cost us about €100 in total back then (prices have gone up since). We used it for everything outside town: Santa Claus Village, the amethyst mine at Luosto, and getting ourselves to a husky and reindeer safari.

After we gave the car back, we managed fine on foot. Arktikum, Pilke and Korundi are all within walking distance of the centre, and our snowmobile safari with Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park picked us up at the Santa Claus Hotel, about 15 minutes’ walk from the studio. Our host drove us to the frozen waterfalls at Korouoma, which isn’t something you can count on. One day we took a taxi up Ounasvaara because the hike we had booked to see the midday sun was cancelled at the last minute. With a car that day, we’d probably have gone to Kotatieva instead. Otherwise, we didn’t miss anything we really wanted to do.

With a car: our second and third trips

In late November 2024 we came back with our son, who was 10 months old, and stayed at Sandhill Cottage, a 15-minute walk from the centre. In early January we were back at the same cottage, with temperatures down to -32°C (-26°F). Both times we had a rental car for the whole trip, and with a small child, we were glad of it.

The car seat went in once (we rented it with the car), and everything else travelled with us: the stroller, the nappy bag and the winter gear. We could stick to his nap times, warm the car up before getting in, and drive ourselves to Ranua Zoo or the supermarket without waiting for anyone. And at -32°C (-26°F), the car started every morning without any trouble.

👉 Lapland with a toddler: how we made it work: what worked for us with our son, from the car to the -32°C (-26°F) day.

Skip the car, or rent one?

You can skip the car if:

• You’re staying in central Rovaniemi. The centre is small and walkable, with the museums, restaurants, and riverside all on foot. Here’s where to stay in town.
• Your tours pick you up or start from a central hotel you can walk to.
• You don’t mind fitting your days around tour times, with the odd taxi in between.
• You’re happy to join tours for the trips out of town. For Ranua Zoo, for example, there’s a day trip with transfer from Rovaniemi.

Rent one if:

• You’re travelling with a baby or small children. Some tour pickups may have child seats, but don’t count on it: ask when you book. You can also order a taxi with a child seat. With your own car, the seat goes in once.
• You’re staying outside the centre, in a cottage, on Ounasvaara or near Santa Claus Village.
• You want to go beyond the tour routes: Korouoma, Luosto and the amethyst mine, Ranua Zoo, or a dark spot away from town when the aurora forecast looks good.
• You’d rather drive yourselves to a husky or reindeer farm than pay transfers for everyone.

What a Rental Car Costs in Lapland

Prices depend on the season, the car and how early you book. For real numbers, we priced a five-day rental from Rovaniemi airport in mid-January 2027 (checked October 2026):

• Compact SUV (a VW T-Cross or similar): about €350, with unlimited mileage.
• Full Coverage: about €130 for the five days.
• Child seat: about €100 for the whole rental.
• Fuel: at around 100 km a day, you’ll use roughly 35–40 litres. Petrol averaged €2.09 a litre in Finland in August 2026, so budget about €75–85.

That’s about €580 for the car, cover and child seat, plus fuel, or about €480 without the child seat. An economy car such as a Toyota Yaris or VW Polo costs a little less and handles the roads just as well. The SUV simply has more room for a stroller and winter gear.

What Full Coverage does and doesn’t do. DiscoverCars’ Full Coverage doesn’t change anything at the rental desk. The rental company still blocks a deposit on your card (€500 on the offer we checked, but it varies from offer to offer), and if the car gets damaged, they charge you up to the excess. You then claim that money back from DiscoverCars. So bring a physical credit card in the main driver’s name, because debit cards are usually refused for the deposit. Some credit cards already include rental car cover, so check yours before adding more.

Book early for December to February. Prices climb towards Christmas, and cars do sell out.

Compare before you book. DiscoverCars shows Hertz, Europcar, Budget and local Finnish companies side by side, with the full price, insurance options and extras up front, and filters for car type and pickup location.

Choosing a Car and What You Need to Rent One

Small car or SUV? Rental cars in Lapland come with winter tyres, and every one we’ve had or seen up there had studded ones. With those, a small car is enough for the main roads and most side roads. On one trip we had a standard economy car, and it gripped well even on packed snow and light ice. A compact SUV gives you more room for a stroller and winter gear. You don’t need all-wheel drive, though it adds confidence on unploughed side roads if you’re nervous about driving on snow.

Driving licence. EU and EEA licences are valid in Finland, and so are licences from the US, the UK and around 110 other countries, as long as yours clearly shows its categories and expiry date. If it doesn’t, carry an International Driving Permit or an official translation into Finnish, Swedish or English. Rental companies can ask for more, especially if your licence isn’t in the Latin alphabet, so check the supplier’s terms before you book.

Age. Some companies rent from 18, others from 21, and drivers under 25 usually pay a young-driver fee. Most want you to have held your licence for at least a year.

Credit card. You’ll need a physical credit card in the main driver’s name for the deposit.

Child seat. Book it together with the car so it’s waiting for you at pickup. Expect around €100 for a five-day rental.

Driving in Lapland in Winter: 9 Things to Know

Is it safe to drive in Lapland in winter? Yes, and once you’re used to it, it’s fun. The main roads are cleared several times a day, and you’ll mostly be driving on packed snow rather than ice or slush. It is different from driving at home, though, so here are the nine things worth knowing before you set off.

Get all nine tips as a free PDF for your phone. 👇

1. Winter tyres (and why the roads aren’t slushy)

Winter tyres are compulsory in Finland from November to March whenever conditions call for them, and both studded and studless tyres are allowed. Every rental car we’ve had or seen in Lapland had studded tyres, and they grip remarkably well on packed snow and light ice.

🤓 Fun fact: salt draws reindeer onto the roads, and it barely works in deep cold anyway, so the roads up here are mostly gritted rather than salted. Instead of wet slush, expect a fine layer of packed snow, which winter tyres handle well.

2. Watch out for reindeer

There are more reindeer than people in Lapland, and you’ll very likely see them on or beside the road. They’re most active in the twilight hours, which in midwinter cover most of the short day, roughly 9:30 to 3:00. If you see one ahead, brake firmly in a straight line, and don’t swerve. Reindeer panic in headlights and can run in any direction, sometimes alongside your car. Stop and wait. They usually clear the road within moments.

👉 Watch the oncoming cars. Drivers flash their high beams to warn of reindeer or other hazards ahead. It can also mean your own lights are off, and in Finland they have to be on at all times. If you do hit an animal, call 112: any collision with an animal has to be reported to the police.

3. Drive 10 km/h below what feels safe

Once you’ve judged a safe speed for the road, take 10 km/h (about 6 mph) off it: if 80 feels fine, drive at 70. Those extra seconds of reaction time matter if a reindeer steps out or you hit an icy patch. In winter, the 100 km/h main roads drop to 80 and motorways to 100, and most roads without a sign are 80 anyway, so you lose very little.

4. Leave a big gap

Leave far more space than you would at home. Even on cleared main roads, a fine layer of snow stays on the surface, and the car in front kicks it up into a mist. That snow fog can leave you driving almost blind for a few seconds. With a bigger gap, the mist settles before it reaches your windscreen, and you have time to react if the car ahead stops suddenly.

5. Don’t overtake unless it’s completely safe

Overtaking on snow is risky at the best of times, and more so in low light, in a rental car you don’t know, with wildlife about. Our Finnish host gave us simple advice: as a tourist, just don’t overtake. It sounds extreme, but it’s good advice. Most places you’ll visit are within 100 km (about 60 miles) of Rovaniemi, so if you’re stuck behind a slow car, keep your distance, enjoy the view, and either wait for a long, straight, clear stretch or stay behind it. You’ll arrive a few minutes later, and safely.

6. Check Fintraffic before you set off

Before a longer drive, check Fintraffic for road conditions, roadworks and closures. Its traffic map lets you filter what you want to see, including closures up to ten hours ahead, and the road cameras show you the actual road and its surface temperature in real time, which we find fascinating. Don’t rely on Google Maps alone: in winter it can send you down roads that aren’t maintained, or that are technically closed. If in doubt, ask your host or hotel. Most Finns speak excellent English and are happy to help.

7. Driving in the dark

In December and January, the sun is up for only a few hours around midday, so most of your driving will be in twilight or full darkness. Keep your headlights on (it’s the law anyway) and clean the snow and grime off all your lights regularly, rear lights included. Snow reflects your beams back at you, which makes the road edges harder to judge, so drive slower than you normally would. It feels intense at first, but you get used to it quickly.

👉 Bring sunglasses. Yes, really. When the sun does come out, it sits low on the horizon all day and the snow reflects it straight into your eyes.

8. Keep away from the right edge

It can feel safer to stay close to the right edge, especially with oncoming traffic, but it’s a mistake. Ploughs can’t always clear the edges, and the far right often has loose, powdery snow. If your wheels catch it at speed, the car can drift towards the ditch. If that happens, don’t jerk the wheel: ease off the accelerator, brake gently and steer back to the middle of your lane with small, smooth movements. A sudden, sharp turn in that snow will most likely end badly.

9. Fuel and stops

Fill up more often than you think you need to. Petrol stations are few and far between outside the towns, and not all of them are open 24/7, so note where they are on your way out, especially on a round trip.

The stops themselves are a pleasure. Even small petrol stations have clean toilets, many have a play corner for kids, and roadside cafés serve everything from reindeer burgers to cinnamon buns and good coffee. Our favourite, a tiny, characterful café in Luosto, about an hour and 20 minutes’ drive from Rovaniemi, served nothing but reindeer and has sadly closed since. But that’s the kind of place worth stopping for. On a longer drive, plan a break or two, and with children, plan them for sure.

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Final Thoughts: Is a Car Worth It in Lapland?

For us, on most trips, yes. Half a trip without one showed us that central Rovaniemi works fine on foot, as long as your tours pick you up and you don’t mind planning around them. With a baby, or for anything beyond the tour routes, the car made our trips easier, and for a family it’s usually cheaper too. Winter driving takes some getting used to, but with winter tyres, a slower pace and plenty of distance, it’s very doable.

If anything goes wrong on the road, the emergency number in Finland is 112.

FAQ: Renting a Car and Driving in Lapland