I Try The Arctic Sleeper Train - The Lapland Express

I try a sleeper train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle. Which will take over 12 hours!

SUPPORT ME - to help me make more videos

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter - @TimWalkwithme
Facebook - Search Walk With Me Tim

[Strangwood]

“Frostbite is a real thing”. Especially when you’re gloveless when it is MINUS TWENTY.

[gjk]

I love sleeper trains! The things that bother you, i.e., the noise and the motion from the train, are the things that lull me to sleep.

[teppotv]

I took that very same train once. It was surreal, because you go to sleep, and you wake up in a different world. Culture, climate, people, buildings, everything is different. It’s like a secret gateway to Narnia really.

[don-qbxb]

12 hours in those seats with that much leg room seems a lot better than some of my long haul economy flights.

[EL-omkv]

11 hours in those seats look more comfortable than 11 hours on a plane in economy!

[benvaun]

"Can you imagine sitting for 12 hours in one of these seats?" *Looks at my computer chair that I sit in for 8 hours a day and would sit in for 14-16 hours when I was in my 20's playing MMO's* Yeah yeah I can.

[sampoleskela]

I'm a Finn living in the south of Finland. I've done the same route maybe about 50 times on the same sleeper train. It's not ideal, but beats driving up north with little kids every time. Imagine spending 1000 km in a car with three fairly small children... no thanks. Also, with additional cost, you can take your car with you on the train and continue by car from Rovaniemi further up north. That's usually my best choice. A bit pricy, but saves basically one day of travel and your nerves. And you still have a car in Lapland, so you don't have to think about public transportation, which is basically non-existent.

[LadyInTrilby]

As a Lapland resident, I travel semi regularly from Rovaniemi to Helsinki and back, and always enjoy the train journey despite that as a student I often save money and just book a seat. With a good book, 12 hours in a day carriage is doable, but cabin is well worth the price tbh... I love sleeping in those trains, it feels like a cradle, being slowly lulled into sleep by the train swaying and making all those clank-clonk sounds. I'm sorry to hear that your journey didn't go according to plan, but you were travelling during the coldest week there has been for ages, -30 to -40'c in large parts of the country. Finnish railways were in chaos because the frost caused a lot of technical problems for both trains and railway infra - in milder weather Finnish trains are somewhat reliable and mostly in schedule. Cold water and low water pressure were undoubtedly related to frost issues as well. During the busiest tourist season you can sometimes see old sleeper cars being used among the new ones, and you managed to spot one of those! The three-bed cabin with orange basin etc. is one of the so called "blue stock sleepers", first built some 50 years ago! (Renovated several times since, obviously...) Still going strong despite its age, it seems. Other "blue stock" carriages were removed from the regular use in the early 2000's.

[TheDarkFalcon]

"Can you imagine sitting in one of these seats for 12 hours!?!" mate those seats look pretty good, living in New Zealand, flights to almost anywhere other than Australia start at 12 hours. My flight to the USA was 19 hours so.. 12 hours in a large train seat with plenty of space to walk around wouldn't be a problem 😂😂😂

[chasedwards]

In 1998 I traveled from Fort Worth Texas to Seattle Washington on the train. I was 28 years old and had never been on a train. For some reason I thought it was going to be like the Orient express. So I only wore charcoal gray suits. I thought there would be a cigar smoking car LOL and no one told me to get a sleeping room. I found an empty car at the back of the train and finally got some rest on the third night on the floor. I met a boy who let me shower in his parents shower while they were having dinner. I sure was grateful for that kid

[steve-marsh]

'when you're told you can't go, you need to go'. Ain't that the truth! Fantastic video mate

[grantc]

“Frostbite is definitely a thing, especially when it’s cold” 😂. Should put that on some merch

[infamyinfamy]

-20C..Tim where the hell is your hat and gloves?!

[perladupuy]

I went to Rovaniemi in october 2023. The train was wonderful. Not so cold. I could see the lights my first night and went to Santa's Place the other day. Really snowy and with Christmas songs, it was all magic. The train got off in time.❤

[scottishtrainspotter]

Been a railway enthusiast myself, this is definably everybody's bucket list to do as it does look real impresses especially touring the winter times. I could see myself trying it out when I'm in Finland.

[andrewmorris]

Really great video from a real traveller just getting on with things without whining or complaining, despite the setbacks. I look forward to watching other videos.

[SpiritDestiny]

Tim this is incredible.. to think that you began this channel by recording a walk up the road! Your dedication & support from Gabby has taken you so far & it's such an honour & pleasure to see 🥂

[craigodlin]

I was in Rovaniemi last week and it was extraordinarily cold. Minus 32 one day! The owner of the airbnb we stayed in even said that it was unusual to be that cold!

[Boxrz]

In Finland we like to meme about the trains always being late, but actually by European standards they are quite well on time on average. Unfortunate that your trip didn't go exactly as planned, but you seemed to enjoy it well enough. Btw, those armrest buttons used to be for radio, not TV.

[jenniferfriesen]

Glad the pasta was nice and you were able to eat. Being cold and tired is never improved by being hungry.