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Martin & Tina
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Today - 10:30
Good news for anyone who has ever planned a trip to Lapland. From winter 2026, you can get to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland and the official residence of Santa Claus, from Prague via a direct flight. Until now, this meant a layover in Helsinki or Frankfurt and half a day spent at airports. From December 20, it’s a single flight, just over three hours.
The route is being opened by the German low-cost carrier Eurowings as part of its winter 2026/2027 season, complementing existing connections from Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Hamburg.
When and how it flies
- Route: Prague (PRG) → Rovaniemi (RVN), direct flight
- First departure: December 20, 2026
- Last departure: February 21, 2027
- Frequency: 1× weekly, Sunday
- Flight time: approximately 3 hours 5 minutes
- Flight schedule: Prague → Rovaniemi: 12:50 PM – 4:55 PM (on some dates 10:55 AM – 3:00 PM); Rovaniemi → Prague: 5:55 PM – 7:55 PM (on some dates 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM)
The season covers the classic winter months when Rovaniemi has its best atmosphere—the Christmas one, with the Northern Lights and all the activities that are worth it (dog sledding, snowmobiles, or a sauna by a frozen lake).
How much tickets cost and when to book
Tickets are already on sale, but for now, the prices don’t quite match a low-cost airline. This is a fairly common situation for newly opened routes—the airline is testing how much people are willing to pay before fixing the prices. If Rovaniemi tempts you, expect that it will be more advantageous to book in a few weeks or months. Prices usually drop during the fall.
For reference: existing Eurowings routes to Rovaniemi from German cities range from 70 to 95 EUR one-way depending on the month and booking window. December is usually the most expensive (Christmas peak), while January and February tend to be more affordable. We recommend tracking price developments directly on the Eurowings website.
A welcome update
Until now, Lapland meant flying with a layover. The most common options were Prague → Helsinki → Rovaniemi with Finnair (5–7 hours total travel time), or via Frankfurt with Lufthansa. A direct flight saves 2–3 hours on the journey and, most importantly, the wait at the airport.
Where to stay in Rovaniemi?
Rovaniemi is a relatively large city with great facilities, and thanks to that, there are several hundred accommodation options. From cheaper hostels and apartments to unique glass-roofed igloos in the middle of beautiful nature.
Since you’ll likely have a rental car for your Lapland trip (we can recommend either Green Motion or the DiscoverCars comparison tool), we think it might be slightly better to choose accommodation outside the city center—not just for the chance to see the Northern Lights, but for the overall experience such accommodations offer. On our trip, we chose the well-known Apukka Resort and weren’t disappointed—quite the opposite. Although the Northern Lights outside the window were replaced by clouds and snow, the accommodation is beautiful, and the activities it offers? The snowmobiles, dog sledding, and the location by a frozen lake simply won us over.
What to do in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi isn’t just Santa Claus Village, even though that’s what brings most people to Lapland. You can fit significantly more into one week.
Santa Claus Village
Santa Claus Village is a magical place right on the edge of the Arctic Circle, near Rovaniemi, Finland. For anyone who loves (mostly American) fairy tales, this place must be an absolute dream, whether child or adult. This village, snow-covered throughout the winter, is home to Santa Claus himself. Here you can visit his post office, send cards to your loved ones with the official Santa Claus stamp, or even meet him in person. A walk through the village is like a journey into a fairy tale – the colourful houses, reindeer, elves and the omnipresent Christmas atmosphere will enchant you – and not just at Christmas. We were here at the beginning of March, and even so, the aforementioned atmosphere was breathtaking.
There are plenty of things to experience around the village – whether it’s reindeer or dog sledding, cuddling with the dogs – where they’ll let up to 10 husky puppies into your larger pen, or the aforementioned visit from Santa Claus.
Recommendation: at the Santa Claus Post Office it is possible to send beautiful cards not only with immediate, but also with deferred delivery, where the card can be scheduled for delivery before the next Christmas. We did so in March and the family received the beautiful cards in December.
Show the detail
We definitely recommend heading outside Rovaniemi, ideally by car, and visiting areas like Levi or Ruka. You’ll experience not only beautiful nature but also the chance to see the Northern Lights and enjoy many different activities. These activities are, for us, what truly belongs to Lapland. And even though it’s not the cheapest affair, at least dog sledding or a general visit to a husky farm is a must-do in our book.
You can find more tips and a complete 5-day plan for Lapland in our verified itinerary.
Chasing the Northern Lights in winter Lapland
Show guide
Practical information
A few things before you go:
- Documents – ID card or passport. Rovaniemi is part of the Schengen Area.
- Currency – Euro. Rovaniemi is almost completely cashless—cards work everywhere, including taxis and smaller shops.
- Weather – from December to February, expect temperatures between –5 °C and –25 °C. Layering clothes, thermal underwear, quality winter boots, and gloves are essential.
- Light conditions – in December and January, Rovaniemi experiences the so-called polar night; the sun doesn’t rise at all or only for a few hours. This is also why the Northern Lights are visible. Read more about tracking them in our article.
More travel inspiration for winter and other trips with Retkee+
Lapland isn’t the only destination we cover for winter Northern Lights trips. You can also head with us to Tromsø, Norway or Iceland. With Retkee+, you also have all plans unlocked, now also in our Retkee mobile app.
