Renting a Car in Lapland: What You Need to Know
A rental car changes Lapland from a resort experience into an actual trip. Without one, you’re dependent on safari operators for pickup, bus timetables that run once or twice daily, and taxi rides that cost more than the rental itself. With one, you can chase the aurora to a frozen lake at midnight, drive between destinations on your own schedule, and stop when a herd of reindeer decides the road belongs to them. Which it does.
The good news: renting a car in Lapland is . The roads are well-maintained, winter tyres come standard, and you genuinely don’t need a 4WD. The less good news: fleets are small, prices spike in peak season, and the insurance fine print needs your attention. Here’s everything you need to sort it out.
Which Companies Operate in Lapland
The major international chains – Hertz, Europcar, and Avis – all have desks at Lapland’s airports. That’s where most visitors pick up and drop off. Beyond the big names, you’ll occasionally find local or regional operators offering lower headline prices, but they tend to have smaller fleets, less flexible drop-off options, and customer service that may not be in English.
For most visitors, the international chains are the practical choice. They’re at every Lapland airport, their booking systems work in English, and their roadside assistance covers the whole of Finland. If you’re comparing prices across multiple providers, Omio lets you search transport options including car rentals alongside trains and buses.
Lapland has three airports with rental desks:
| Airport | Code | Serves | Rental Desks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rovaniemi | RVN | Rovaniemi, Luosto, Sodankylä | Hertz, Europcar, Avis |
| Kittilä | KTT | Levi (15 km), Muonio, Enontekiö | Hertz, Europcar, Avis |
| Ivalo | IVL | Saariselkä (25 km), Inari (40 km) | Hertz, Europcar, Avis |
Rovaniemi is the largest airport and has the biggest selection of vehicles. Kittilä and Ivalo have adequate fleets in normal times but can sell out completely during peak winter weeks. If you’re flying into one of the smaller airports in December or February, this matters.
What It Costs
Rental prices in Lapland vary significantly by season and how far ahead you book. As of early 2026, expect these ranges:
| Car Type | Per Day (Typical) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy (VW Polo, Toyota Yaris) | 60-90€ | Fine for 2 people with luggage |
| Mid-size (Škoda Octavia, VW Golf estate) | 100-125€ | Better for families or longer trips |
| Off-peak deals | From 37€/day | Autumn and spring shoulder season |
Prices are for the 2025-26 season and change annually – check provider websites or booking platforms for current rates. The cheapest periods are autumn (September-October) and late spring (April-May). The most expensive are the Christmas/New Year weeks and Finnish ski holiday week in late February/early March.
Winter Tyres: What You Need to Know
Finnish law requires winter tyres from November through March (and later if conditions demand it). Every rental car in Lapland comes with winter tyres during this period – you don’t need to request them or pay extra. This is standard, not an upsell.
The real question is whether you’ll get studded tyres (nastarengas) or friction tyres (kitkarengas). Both are legal, both are classified as winter tyres. But they perform differently:
- Studded tyres – metal studs grip bare ice and hard-packed snow. Superior on icy roads. This is what most Finns use in Lapland.
- Friction tyres – softer rubber compound, no studs. Good in snow, adequate on ice, better on cleared motorways. More common in southern Finland.
For Lapland driving, studded tyres are better. Most rental fleets in Lapland use them as standard during winter, but it’s worth confirming at the time of booking. If the rental company says “winter tyres included,” ask specifically whether they’re studded.
Insurance: Read the Excess Carefully
This is where rental companies make their real money, and where you need to pay attention. The base rental rate almost always includes basic collision damage waiver (CDW) and theft protection. What it doesn’t reduce is the excess (deductible) – the amount you’re liable for if the car is damaged.
Finnish rental car excess can be 900€ or more. That means if you slide into a snowbank and dent the bumper, you pay the first 900€ of the repair. In Lapland, where every road has ice and every parking spot has a snow mound, minor damage is more likely than on a summer holiday in Spain.
You have three options for dealing with this:
- Buy the rental company’s excess reduction – typically brings the excess down to zero or close to it. Usually adds 15-30€ per day depending on provider and season. Convenient but expensive on a week-long rental.
- Buy standalone excess insurance – third-party providers sell annual or per-trip policies for a fraction of the rental company’s price. You pay the excess to the rental company, then claim it back. More hassle, much cheaper.
- Check your credit card – some premium credit cards include rental car excess cover. Check the specific terms: many exclude Finland, require you to decline the rental company’s CDW (which can feel nerve-wracking), or won’t cover ice/snow damage.
Whatever you choose, don’t skip this step. Lapland winter conditions make minor scrapes and dents more likely than average. A cracked windscreen from road grit, a scraped bumper from a snow-hidden bollard – these things happen to experienced local drivers too.
What Type of Car to Get
Here’s the question everyone asks: do I need a 4WD or AWD for Lapland? The honest answer is no. Front-wheel drive with studded winter tyres handles Lapland roads perfectly well. This is what most Finns drive year-round, and they live here.
Lapland’s main roads (E75, Route 21, Route 4) are maintained throughout winter – ploughed and gritted regularly. Side roads are narrower and sometimes just compacted snow, but studded tyres grip them fine at sensible speeds. You don’t need ground clearance; you need good tyres and patience.
That said, here’s when to consider a bigger car:
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Couple, short trip, one destination | Economy – perfectly adequate |
| Family with kids + luggage | Mid-size estate – you need boot space for suitcases and thermal gear |
| Multi-destination road trip | Mid-size or larger – comfort matters over long drives |
| Driving to remote cabins on unpaved roads | Mid-size with good ground clearance – an SUV is nice-to-have but not essential |
The main reason to size up isn’t the road conditions – it’s the luggage. Winter clothing is bulky. Thermal suits, boots, layers for a family of four take up serious space. An economy car boot fills up fast.
One-Way Rentals
A one-way rental – picking up at one airport and dropping off at another – is the most logical way to plan a Lapland road trip. Fly into Rovaniemi, drive north through Sodankylä and Saariselkä, drop the car at Ivalo and fly home from there. No backtracking.
The international chains all offer one-way rentals between Lapland airports. There is typically a one-way fee on top of the daily rate. The size of this fee varies by provider, season, and the specific route – it can range from modest to genuinely steep during peak periods.
Some useful driving distances between Lapland destinations:
| Route | Distance | Driving Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rovaniemi → Levi | 170 km | ~2 hours |
| Rovaniemi → Saariselkä | 260 km | ~3 hours |
| Rovaniemi → Inari | 330 km | ~4 hours |
| Levi → Saariselkä | 160 km | ~2 hours |
| Saariselkä → Inari | 35 km | ~30 min |
| Rovaniemi → Kilpisjärvi | 420 km | ~5 hours |
In winter, add 20-30% to these drive times. Roads are well-maintained but snow-covered, speeds are lower, and you’ll want rest stops. Plus the reindeer. They stand in the road. You wait.
Pick-Up and Drop-Off at Airports
All three Lapland airports are small. Genuinely small. Ivalo’s terminal is the size of a large house. This means the rental desks are right there as you walk out of arrivals – no shuttle bus, no terminal maze. You’ll be in your car within 15-20 minutes of collecting your luggage.
A few practical notes:
- Flight delays happen – Lapland airports occasionally close temporarily due to snow or crosswinds. Rental desks at the airports know this and generally hold your booking. But if your flight is rescheduled significantly, call the rental company to confirm.
- After-hours returns – most airport desks close by early evening. If you’re dropping off late, you’ll typically leave the keys in a drop box. Photograph the car’s condition and mileage before you leave it.
- Fuel up before returning – there are petrol stations near all three airports. Return the car with a full tank to avoid the rental company’s refuelling charge, which is always more expensive than filling up yourself.
Book Early – Seriously
This isn’t generic travel advice. Lapland’s rental fleets are physically small. Rovaniemi Airport might have 30-50 cars across all providers. Kittilä and Ivalo even fewer. When a wave of charter flights lands in December, or when Finnish families head north for ski week in late February and March, every car gets booked.
March deserves special mention. This is when Finns take their own Lapland holidays – it’s the best month for snow conditions and daylight. Domestic demand for rental cars is enormous, and most international visitors don’t realise they’re competing for the same small fleet. Book as soon as you have your flights confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a 4WD to drive in Lapland?
No. Front-wheel drive with studded winter tyres handles all main roads and most side roads in Lapland. This is what the majority of Finns drive year-round. AWD or 4WD is a nice-to-have for confidence on steep cabin driveways, but it’s not necessary for normal Lapland driving.
Are winter tyres included in Lapland car rentals?
Yes. Finnish law requires winter tyres from November to March, and all rental companies include them at no extra charge. Most Lapland rental fleets use studded tyres, which perform best on icy roads – confirm this when you book if you want to be certain.
Can I pick up a rental car at one Lapland airport and drop it off at another?
Yes, all major providers (Hertz, Europcar, Avis) offer one-way rentals between Lapland airports. There’s typically an additional fee, which varies by provider and season. This is the most practical way to do a north-south road trip without backtracking.
How much does car rental in Lapland cost?
Economy cars typically cost 60-90€ per day, mid-size cars 100-125€ per day. Off-peak shoulder season deals can go as low as 37€ per day. December and Finnish ski week (late February/March) are the most expensive periods. Add insurance excess reduction if you want it – that’s an extra 15-30€ per day from the rental company, or much less through a third-party provider.
Do I need an international driving licence for Finland?
If your licence is from an EU/EEA country, the UK, the US, Canada, or Australia, your national licence is accepted in Finland. No international driving permit needed. If your licence isn’t in the Latin alphabet, an international driving permit or certified translation is required.
A rental car in Lapland isn’t a luxury – for many itineraries, it’s the most practical and cost-effective way to get around. Just book early, get the insurance sorted before you arrive, and trust the studded tyres. They know what they’re doing, even if you don’t yet.
Best Booking Resources for Lapland
After years of travelling to and around Lapland, these are the booking tools I keep coming back to. They consistently offer the best prices, the most relevant options for northern Finland, and actually work well for Lapland-specific searches — which not all platforms do.
- Skyscanner – The best flight search engine for Lapland routes. It catches the budget airlines and seasonal charters that other search tools miss, and the price alerts are genuinely useful for spotting deals on Helsinki-Rovaniemi or direct UK routes.
- VR Finnish Railways – The only way to book Finland’s overnight trains. The Santa Claus Express from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is an experience in itself — book early for the cabin berths, they sell out weeks ahead in peak season.
- DiscoverCars – Compares all the major rental companies at Lapland airports in one search. Crucially, they show which rentals include studded winter tyres — mandatory in Lapland and a detail other comparison sites bury in the fine print.
- Booking.com – Has the widest selection of Lapland accommodation by far, including cabins, glass igloos, and small family-run guesthouses that don’t list elsewhere. Free cancellation on most properties makes it low-risk for planning ahead.
- GetYourGuide – The largest marketplace for Lapland activities: husky safaris, snowmobile tours, aurora trips, reindeer visits. You can compare operators and prices side by side, and most bookings are cancellable up to 24 hours before.
- SafetyWing – Travel insurance designed for adventurous trips. Covers winter sports, extreme cold activities, and medical evacuation — all relevant when you’re snowmobiling at -25°C. Affordable and the claims process is straightforward.
- Holafly – eSIM that works in Finland from the moment you land. No hunting for local SIM cards at the airport, no roaming surprises. Set it up on your phone before departure and you’re connected in Lapland immediately.
Some of the links above are affiliate links — if you book through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services I genuinely use and trust for Lapland travel.
