Getting to Levi: Kittilä Airport, Transfers and Winter Roads
Finavia puts Kittilä Airport 15 kilometres from Levi, the closest airport to a major ski resort in Finnish Lapland. That figure is the whole argument for flying here. You land, you collect a bag, and the last leg is a short road, not a second journey.
How to get to Levi is otherwise a choice between that hop, a night train to Kolari with an onward bus, or a coach from Rovaniemi or Kittilä. This page walks through each option, what winter driving actually involves, and what arrival day looks like when you book the stay with us.
We drive to Kittilä through the winter, including the nights when a flight comes in hours late. Send the flight number with the booking. The rest is our job.
The Short Answer
Fly to Kittilä Airport, which Finavia puts 15 kilometres from Levi, the closest airport to a major ski resort in Finnish Lapland. From there take a private transfer, the shared airport bus that meets flights, or a hire car. The alternative is the night train to Kolari with an onward bus, or a coach from Rovaniemi or Kittilä.
For almost every visitor, flying to Kittilä is the right answer. The other options exist if you are travelling with your own car, if you want the journey to be part of the holiday, or if you are already moving inside Finland.
Flying to Kittilä
Kittilä Airport is small and built for winter arrivals: people in the wrong shoes, bulky bags, and a short walk from aircraft to terminal.
From Helsinki, flights take about 1 hour 25 to 30 minutes and run several times a day in the winter season, with fewer services in the quieter months. Connecting through Helsinki is straightforward. Allow extra time in winter, because de-icing delays are normal in the north.
Direct seasonal scheduled and charter services also fly into Kittilä from cities in Europe. Routes change from year to year, so check current schedules rather than last season’s article. Timetables and airport information are published by Finavia, which also states that Ylläs is around 35 kilometres from the same terminal.
Three things worth knowing before you book a Helsinki to Levi itinerary:
- Baggage. Winter clothing is bulky. Renting thermal gear here, rather than bringing your own, means less luggage. We can have a rental winter clothing set waiting at the property, so day one is not a shopping trip.
- Arrival times. Many charters land in the evening. That is fine with us. The home is prepared in advance and someone is available late.
- Delays. Winter weather delays flights. Tell us the flight number and we will track it rather than making you call from the aircraft.
A Levi airport transfer is simpler when we already have that number: a collected bag and a known address.
From Kittilä Airport to Levi
Three options, and the right one depends on your group.
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | Families, groups, late arrivals, lots of luggage | Booked in advance, meets you in arrivals, door to door |
| Shared airport bus | Couples and solo travellers, daytime arrivals | Timed to flights, drops at central points |
| Hire car | Trips that leave the village | Confirm winter equipment with the supplier and book early in peak weeks |
| Taxi | Small groups, unplanned arrivals | Available, though supply is limited at peak times |
We arrange private airport transfers in our own cars. That is worth more than it sounds when you are landing with tired children into a dark car park in serious cold. Tell us the flight number when you book and we will be there, adjusted for the delay.
Drivers can also arrange car hire through our booking partner. Confirm with the supplier what is fitted for winter, and book early in the Christmas and February weeks.
The shared airport bus is the lighter option for a couple or a solo traveller arriving in daylight. It is timed to flights and drops at central points in the village. It is not our service. If you land late with children and a lot of luggage, book the private transfer instead.
Arriving by Train or Coach
The train is slower and, for a certain kind of traveller, much better. It is also the way to arrive with your own car without driving the length of Finland.
The nearest railway station to Levi is Kolari. Night trains run from Helsinki, taking most of the night, with sleeper cabins and the option to put your own car on the train. You sleep, and the car arrives with you.
VR’s night train pages are the place that actually names Kolari. Night trains run to Rovaniemi, Kolari and Kemijärvi. From there you continue by bus, taxi or hire car. You can also take your car on the train.
Booking the sleeper is the part people leave too late. If your trip falls in the Christmas or February holiday weeks, check availability before you commit to dates, and check the car spaces separately from the cabins, because they are sold as different things. If the plan depends on having your own car in Levi, book that leg first and fit the rest of the trip around it.
From Kolari, connecting buses and taxis run to Levi. Timetables are seasonal and coordinated with train arrivals, so check current services with VR before relying on a connection. Allow more margin than you would at home. A missed connection in the far north is not a short wait for the next one.
Coaches also run to Levi from Rovaniemi and from Kittilä, and long-distance services connect from further south. This is the slowest option. It is a reasonable choice if you are travelling light and not in a hurry.
Our honest recommendation: fly if the trip is a week or less. Take the night train if you want the journey to be part of the holiday, or if you need your own car here.
Driving in Lapland in Winter
If you drive, and plenty of people do, the roads are better than you fear and the wildlife is more dangerous than you expect. Those two things are not a contradiction. A country that has winter for half the year has organised itself around it, so the surface and the maintenance are rarely the problem. What catches visitors out is the animal standing in the road in poor light.
Roads here are maintained properly. Main routes are ploughed and gritted through the winter, and Finnish drivers are used to snow. The surface is often packed snow rather than tarmac, and that is normal here, not an emergency.
Winter tyres are required in winter conditions under Finnish rules. If you are driving your own car north, check the current rule with Traficom rather than with a travel article, including this one. If you hire a car, confirm with the supplier what is fitted. Do not assume.
Reindeer are the real hazard. They wander onto roads. They are the colour of the roadside in poor light, and they move in groups. Where you see one, expect more. Slow down when you see one, and be ready for a second and a third behind it. If you do hit one, call 112, the emergency number in Finland.
Other practical points:
- Daylight is short in midwinter, so plan longer drives for the middle of the day.
- Keep the fuel tank above half. Filling stations are far apart in Lapland.
- Cars here have engine block heaters, and most parking spaces in the north have posts to plug into. Ask us how yours works.
- Carry warm clothing in the car even for a short drive. If you stop, the car cools quickly.
- Check conditions before setting off. The Finnish Meteorological Institute publishes road weather warnings. That page is for warnings, not for a climate average.
Ylläs is served from the same airport. Finavia puts it around 35 kilometres from Kittilä. We arrange transfers there as well. This article does not publish a Levi to Ylläs drive time, because that figure is not in our fact bank.
Getting Around Once You Are Here
Most visitors need very little transport once they arrive. Levi is compact: slopes, shops, restaurants and most activity meeting points sit inside the same village. Whether you need a car comes down to how far out you are staying.
On foot. If you stay in or near the centre of the village, the slopes, shops, restaurants and many activity meeting points are walkable. In winter, pavements are cleared and people walk everywhere.
Ski bus. A local bus circulates around the village and the slopes in season. It is a Levi Ski Resort service, not ours, and it is not free. Tickets are sold per day or per season. It removes most of the reason for a car if you are staying centrally.
Activity transport. Most guided activities either start at a meeting point in or near the village or include pick-up from an agreed point. You rarely need to drive yourself to a safari.
Taxis. Available, but limited in number at peak times. Book ahead for evenings in the Christmas and February weeks rather than expecting to flag one down.
A car. Useful if you are staying on the lakeside, out towards Utsuvaara, or anywhere further from the centre. Also worth it if you plan day trips, for example to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, which is a full day out rather than an afternoon. Which area suits you is covered in where to stay in Levi.
If the flight is late:
A delayed evening arrival is not a problem for us. We adjust. What goes wrong is the arrival where nobody sent the flight number, and a family is standing in arrivals late at night trying to reach someone. Send the flight details when you book. The rest is our job.
What Your Arrival Day Looks Like with Us
The first two hours set the tone for the week. Arrival day runs in four steps.
- The home is prepared before you land. Beds made. Lights on. Snow cleared. The heating is up, the drive and steps are cleared, and someone from our team has checked the property.
- We meet you at Kittilä, or we send the driving notes. If you have booked a transfer, we track it against your actual arrival time rather than the scheduled one. If you are driving, we tell you where to park and how the engine heater works.
- You let yourself in. Access instructions come in advance, so nobody is waiting in a car park for a key handover at midnight.
- You call if anything is unclear. Contact us and you reach a real person, 24/7. Our AI chat handles quick questions. We are on the fells every day and we can come to you.
A few things we can have waiting if you ask:
- A grocery order delivered to the property, which matters if you land late when the shops are closed. You order it in advance. We do not ask you to shop on arrival night.
- Breakfast or dinner from North Pole Catering, whose chefs Arto Rastas and Teemu Korkalainen cook properly.
- A rental winter clothing set waiting at the cabin, so day one is not spent in a shop.
- Your activity programme already booked in a sensible order by our concierge.
The house is ready, the transfer is tracked, and the first morning does not begin in a supermarket car park.
Send the Flight Number. We Will Handle the Door.
Give us the arrival details and we will handle the transfer, the keys and the first morning. Browse Lapland accommodation if you are choosing.
Guests rate us 4.62 out of 5 from 773 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 60 days before arrival.
Book your stay now! Search the properties at book.aavalevi.fi, add activities if you already know the week, or contact us with the flight number.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Kittilä Airport from Levi?
Finavia puts it at 15 kilometres, the closest airport to a major ski resort in Finnish Lapland. Options from the terminal are a private transfer, the shared airport bus timed to flights, a taxi or a hire car. We arrange private transfers in our own cars for guests, tracked against your actual arrival time rather than the scheduled one.
How do I get from Helsinki to Levi?
Fly to Kittilä, which takes about 1 hour 25 to 30 minutes, then cover the last 15 kilometres by road. The alternative is the night train from Helsinki to Kolari, the nearest station to Levi, with a connecting bus. The train allows you to bring your own car, which is why many Finnish families use it. Seasonal scheduled and charter services also fly straight into Kittilä in winter. Routes change, so check current schedules with the airlines or with Finavia.
How do I get from Kittilä Airport to Levi?
Three ways. A shared airport bus is timed to flight arrivals and drops passengers at central points in the village, which suits couples and solo travellers arriving during the day. A private transfer suits families with luggage and late arrivals, and it should be booked when you book the accommodation, with the flight number, so we track the actual arrival time. A hire car makes sense if you are staying away from the centre.
Do coaches run to Levi?
Yes. Coaches run to Levi from Rovaniemi and from Kittilä, and long-distance services connect from further south. Timetables are seasonal. This is the slowest way to arrive and a reasonable choice if you are travelling light. For a week or less, flying into Kittilä is still the simpler plan.
Do I need a car in Levi?
Not if you stay in or near the village centre, where everything is walkable and a ski bus circulates in season. A car becomes useful if you stay further out, or if you plan day trips such as Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, which is a full day out rather than an afternoon.
Is it safe to drive in Lapland in winter?
Yes, with sensible caution. Main roads are ploughed and gritted, and you should confirm winter equipment with the hire company or with Traficom if you bring your own car. The real hazard is reindeer, which wander onto roads and travel in groups. Slow down when you see one, keep the fuel tank above half and allow more time than a map suggests.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Nothing on your side. Give us the flight number when you book and we track it, adjusting the transfer to your actual arrival. The home will be warm, lit and ready whatever time you get in. Airport facilities are limited outside flight times, as you would expect at a small northern airport, so it is worth asking us for a grocery delivery if you land late and want breakfast in the morning.
Can I get to Ylläs the same way?
Yes. Finavia puts Ylläs around 35 kilometres from Kittilä Airport, against 15 for Levi, and we arrange transfers there as well. Ylläs is quieter than Levi, with strong cross-country skiing and darker skies, and we look after properties on both fells with the same team.
Can you deliver groceries to the cabin?
Yes. We deliver a grocery order to the property. You order it in advance, which is the difference between a late landing and a dark hunt for an open shop. Ask when you send the arrival details. Breakfast and dinner can also be arranged through North Pole Catering.
Can a winter clothing set wait at the property?
Yes. We can have a rental winter clothing set waiting at the cabin when you arrive, so you do not have to collect it from a shop on day one. That pairs well with a late charter into Kittilä. Base layers and socks still travel in your own bag.
About Aavalevi
Aavalevi is a local accommodation provider based in Levi, Finnish Lapland. We offer fully serviced cabins and apartments for travellers who want comfort, quality and ease, without compromising on authenticity. Every home we list is hand-picked by our team. And every guest is looked after like a friend.
Phone: +358 10 200 8150 (24/7)
Email: info@aavalevi.fi
Booking: https://book.aavalevi.fi/
Levi and Ylläs, Finnish Lapland
Sources:
- Finavia, Kittilä Airport for the 15 km and 35 km figures
- VR: night trains for services that name Kolari
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, warnings for road weather warnings
- Aavalevi.fi for transfer, car hire and accommodation services
Read Next
- Levi, Finland: the complete visitor guide
- Where to stay in Levi: cabins, apartments and villas compared
- What to wear in Lapland: a layer-by-layer packing list
- Things to do in Levi, winter and summer
- The best time to visit Lapland, month by month
- Skiing in Levi: season, slopes and ski-in/ski-out stays
- Log cabins in Lapland: how to choose the right one
