Your Ultimate Guide for Driving in Lapland
Are you planning on renting a car in Lapland? Or perhaps driving your own car into Lapland?
Whatever your plans are, driving a car in Lapland is a great way to get around for sightseeing or organising a DIY northern lights trip on your own terms.
While distances can be long, there is generally very little traffic in Lapland. There are 5 different winter resorts within a 2-hour drive from Rovaniemi - some more authentic and some more commercialised - so there is much to see when you go out and about.
Driving on snowy and icy roads can be nerve-wracking - and sometimes rightly so - but with a little preparation, you’ll be driving confidently in no time. This guide includes everything you need to know about driving in Lapland, Finland.
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Finland generally accepts driving licenses issued by other countries, including all EU countries and the UK.
If your driving license is issued by a country not using Latin alphabet, you will need a ratified translation into English or an additional International Driving License issued by your country.
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Driving into Lapland with your own car
If you are planning on driving into Lapland with your own car, there are a few things you need to take into account.
Roads in Lapland are often covered in ice and snow, making them at times very slippery. By law, your car needs to be equipped with specific winter tyres whenever driving in Finland between November 1st and March 31st. If you head out from a country that doesn’t regularly get snow, it can be difficult or impossible to source proper winter tyres. Therefore you will need to consider the option of changing into winter tyres when you cross the border into Finland. Note that snow chains are not a substitute for winter tyres, as they are generally meant for very temporary or off-road use.
Even with winter tyres, braking distances will be much longer than what you’re used to - therefore it’s essential to keep your distance, think ahead and drive defensively. Think of it like playing chess!
It’s also good to prepare yourself and your car for winter driving. Make sure to take warm clothing with you if your car breaks down. It can take hours for a tow truck to reach you, and you’ll get very cold very quickly if you can’t warm up in the car. It’s not unheard of for Finns to carry matches and firewood in their car when driving in rural Lapland, where help can be far away.
Some common car problems during wintertime are a drained battery or a frozen fuel filter. Especially batteries more than a few years old are often ineffective in cold climates, which may make starting the car impossible. The fuel filter, on the other hand, can become blocked due to water accumulating in it and then freezing. It might be a good idea to replace both before heading out.
Another thing to consider is pre-heating your car engine during cold spells. Cars in Finland are nearly always equipped with either a plug-in heater or a fuel-powered heater (eg. Webasto). The purpose of both is to warm up the engine before starting it. When the weather gets to below 0 degrees, it’s a good idea to pre-heat the engine to reduce excessive wear-and-tear on it. When the weather gets to below ca. -20 degrees, the car is unlikely to start without pre-heating.
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Pre-heating your car engine is recommended whenever the temperature is below about 5 degrees - this covers most of the wintertime in Lapland.
If your car is equipped with a plug-in heater (eg. Defa), you should plug the car into a power outlet about 2 hours before you are planning on leaving.
If your car is equipped with a fuel-powered heater (eg. Webasto), you should prepare to run the heater for 15-30 minutes before starting the engine, depending on the weather.
If your car is not equipped with either, it may be best to prepare to keep it in a heated parking garage.
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Get to know your rental car in Lapland
When renting a car in Lapland, it’s essential to get to know your car and its features well before setting off. Even if you are a confident driver, there are often winter-driving specific nuances which you should become familiar with before heading out on the roads.
As a general note, driving in Lapland during the winter is rarely a “sit in and go” type of affair - you will need to prepare the car for every trip.
When picking up a car for the first time, it’s a good idea to get to know the car in the parking lot before heading out to the roads. Here’s a checklist:
Do you know how to turn on the lights and the high beams?
Do you know how the windshield wipers work (and are they free of ice)?
Do you need to separately switch on the driving lights for the rear lights of the car to be turned on, or will they be on whenever the car is running? This behaviour depends on the car - always ensure that both the headlights and the rear lights of your car are on at all times - both night and day.
Never drive with an igloo - make sure you can see AND be seen before heading out! Every rental car will be equipped with a snow brush and ice scraper, which must be used to clear all the snow and ice off the car and all its windows. It is not enough to clear a patch to see through, or just hope for the windows to thaw while driving. You will get rightfully fined for this. Also make sure the headlights, rear lights and indicators are clear of snow before heading off.
Depending on the type of the car, there is a risk that your handbrake might freeze during wintertime. This can be dangerous as it could mean one or both of the car’s rear wheels may become locked, which you may not immediately notice when driving with a front-wheel drive car. If you need to park the car without using the handbrake, take care to ensure it can’t roll away unattended (in an automatic, leave the gear shifter in P - in a manual, leave a gear on and park the car on even terrain).
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Speed limits in Lapland
As you probably already know, cars in Lapland, Finland drive on the right-hand side of the road. If you are used to driving on the left, don’t worry - you’ll get used to the new normal soon enough!
The general speed limit in Finland is 80 kilometers per hour (ca. 50 mph). In built-up areas, the speed limit is often between 30 km/h and 50 km/h. Some parts of the main E75 road in Lapland have a speed limit of 100 km/h.
When driving in Lapland, it’s important to consider both the speed limit and the weather. Blizzards are common, and even in clear weather the visibility can very quickly drop to 0 when meeting a lorry or a bus on a snowy road. If there is a risk of low visibility, make use of the fog lights (especially the rear fog light) in your car to ensure you are seen by other road users.
While speeding is clearly dangerous on icy roads, so is driving too slowly. A situation where an articulated lorry meets a poorly-lit car driving 50 km/h below the speed limit in the dark will quickly become fatal - and usually more so for the smaller car and its occupants. Always try to adjust your speed to match the flow of traffic.
Wildlife on the roads in Lapland
There are two main things to know about wildlife on the roads in Lapland:
One of Lapland’s oldest professions, reindeer herding, is still strong especially in northern Lapland. Reindeer generally roam free in the forests, which means they often tend to end up on the roads, too. Reindeer can be found on the roads everywhere in Lapland, but they are especially common on certain roads (eg. between Rovaniemi and Kemijarvi). When meeting a reindeer, slow down and allow it to move out of the way. You can also steer around it while paying attention to other traffic. Do not stop to take pictures, or you will risk other road users hitting you or your car.
If you hit a reindeer on the roads, you must report the incident by calling the emergency number 112. This must be done even if the reindeer manages to run away. Every reindeer is owned by a reindeer herder, and the emergency dispatch centre will be able to pass on the message so the animal can be found and cared for.
The other, much less common but much more dangerous animal on the roads, is the moose. The danger comes from their sheer size - they are up to 5 times heavier than a reindeer, and they can be up to 6 feet tall. Think of it like a bull on stilts!
Because of its long legs, the moose can run effortlessly even in deep snow, and if you crash into one, the crumple zone in the front of your car is of little use as the animal will come crashing through the roof. Statistically, road traffic accidents involving moose happen more often during twilight hours.
Always ensure you are able to stop the car on the visible part of the road.
All road traffic accidents involving wildlife in Lapland must be reported by calling the general emergency number 112.
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Weather on the roads in Lapland
Depending on the time of the year you visit Lapland, there can be between 0 and 24 hours of daylight affecting your journey on the road. While in the middle of the summer the sun doesn’t set at all, in the winter you might only get a few brighter hours in the middle of the otherwise dark roads.
If visiting in March or April, it’s a good idea to take sunglasses with you to shield your eyes from the glare of the sun reflecting on the snow.
Sometimes the weather is simply too unsafe to drive in. This can happen in heavy blizzards where the visibility becomes extremely low or the level of snow on the roads becomes too deep. Another relatively common case of weather-impossible-to-drive-in is when the roads become skating rinks. This happens when the weather becomes warm enough for rain to come down as water instead of snow, or the top ice layer of the road thaws and then re-freezes.
Check the weather forecast and plan your trip accordingly. Be ready to postpone your departure if the weather does not allow for safe driving. If you are caught in poor weather, stop your car safely in a lay-by and wait for the weather to improve.
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As braking distances are long on Lapland’s icy roads and visibility can often be poor due to darkness and snow, it is never safe to stop on the side of the road - no matter how breathtaking the northern lights are at that minute!
Major roads have lay-bys marked with blue P signs which offer space to safely stop your car. You may also be able to momentarily stop at a bus stop, if you can get your car far enough from the active lane. Be aware that not all lay-bys or bus stops are regularly cleared of snow.
Please note that hazard lights in Finland are only used if you have a genuine emergency - not to highlight potentially bad parking.
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Drinking & driving in Lapland
Finland has a somewhat special relationship with alcohol, which is also evident with the legal limits for how much you can - and cannot - drink whilst driving.
The drink-drive limit in Lapland, Finland is 0.05% which is lower than in many countries, including the UK.
Unlike in the UK where checks are an arguably rare occurence, the drink-drive limit in Lapland is enforced regularly by the police with checkpoints, where every driver is tested on the spot. If caught over the limit, your driving license will be confiscated by the police and you are immediately disqualified from driving. You can also expect a court summons leading to a criminal record, and at the minimum a heavy fine.
Therefore if you are planning on having more than a single refreshing beverage in the sauna or over dinner, your best bet is having a designated driver!
