Getting here

Getting to Kuusamo is easy!

The fastest way to reach us all year round is to fly in from Helsinki. You can also take a train to Oulu, Rovaniemi or Kemijärvi and continue on to Kuusamo by bus or your own car. In the wintertime, there are also direct bus connections available from the Helsinki metropolitan area to Ruka. 

You won’t need your own car when you’re here, because local public transport works well especially in the Ruka area.

Flying to Kuusamo

Finnair flies from Helsinki to Kuusamo all year round. The flight takes approximately one hour, and there are several daily flights available in the winter.

From Europe, during winter there are direct flights by Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Kuusamo once a week on Saturdays as well as two new routes: from Düsseldorf to Kuusamo by Eurowings once a week on Sundays and from Zürich to Kuusamo by Edelweiss Air once a week on Fridays.

The airport bus runs between the airport and Ruka in connection with scheduled flights.

Edelweiss lentää Kuusamoon, kuva Salla Karhumaa
Flying to Rovaniemi or Oulu, by bus to Ruka

Using shuttle bus service, you get to travel directly from Ruka to Rovaniemi Airport. Rovaniemi-Ruka Shuttle Bus is running 2.12.2023-30.3.2024 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

Additionally, there is a similar summer shuttle bus from Oulu to Ruka. Oulu Airport Shuttle Bus is available on Tuesdays during 2.7.-27.8.2024 and on Saturdays during 1.6.-28.9.2024. This connection is especially suitable for Lufthansa flights from Munich to Oulu. 

Ruka-Kuusamo Euroopan kartalla
Driving to Ruka

When setting off from Helsinki, the most direct road to Kuusamo is Finnish national road 5, and the distance to cover is a little over 800 km. The route via Oulu is also favoured by many. You can find great places to take a break and refuel along the way.

Ruka has plenty of parking. There are charging stations for electric cars along the way and all around Kuusamo, see the bottom of this pages as well as page Parking.

Autoillen Ruka-Kuusamoon. Kuva Harri Tarvainen.
Onnibus operates from Helsinki to Ruka during winter season

M5-Ski is available until 28.4.2024, operating from Helsinki to Ruka via Mikkeli, Kuopio and Kajaani. Departure from Helsinki to Ruka is on Fridays at 23.15 and from Ruka to Helsinki on Saturdays at 12.05.

Onnibus talvimaisemassa

Getting to Kuusamo by train and bus

You can take the environmentally friendly train to Oulu and Rovaniemi, from where you can continue on to Kuusamo by bus and then take a local bus to Ruka. And don’t forget the option of a car-carrier train: load your car on the train and get behind the wheel well-rested and refreshed in the morning. 

The night train runs daily from Helsinki to Kemijärvi and there's a bus connection to Ruka. The car-carrier train continues to Kemijärvi three days a week (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays). Vice versa, return departures by car-carrier train from Kemijärvi on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

You can find routes and schedules easily from Matkahuolto's online route guide.

Tickets are easily bought with a mobile phone on Reitit ja liput app (only in Finnish, available in Apple Store and Google Play). Please note: this app only works in mobile phones.

 

Directly from Ruka to Oulu

Onnibus partner Ruka Charter takes you directly from Ruka to Oulu on public holidays 6.12.2023, 10.12.2023, 26.12.2023, 1.1.2024 and 6.-7.1.2024, leaving Ruka at 9.20 and arriving to Oulu at 13.10.Valid and future schedules are available on Ruka Charter website in Finnish, tickets can be purchased in Matkahuolto.fi

Valid schedules and tickets are available on Onnibus website too:

Onnibus schedules

Train + bus: Kemijärvi-Kuusamo

This bus connection is especially suited for guests arriving by night train to Kemijärvi. If the train is late, the bus waits at Kemijärvi for max. 60 minutes. 

This route is operated daily. We reserve the right for changes. 
x = The bus will stop here if needed.

Kemijärvi-Kuusamo Mon-Fri, Sat, Sun
Kemijärvi railway station 9:15
Kemijärvi ABC 9:20
Joutsijärvi x
Hotel Suomutunturi 9:55
Sale Käylä 10:50
Ruka village (Kumpare Shopping Centre roundabout) 11:10
Rukajärvi school x
Holiday Club Kuusamon Tropiikki x
Kuusamo centre (Kelantie) 11:40
Kuusamo - Kemijärvi Mon-Fri, Sat, Sun
Kuusamo centre (Kelantie) 16:20
Holiday Club Kuusamon Tropiikki x
Rukajärvi school x
Ruka village (Kumpare Shopping Centre roundabout) 16:50
Sale Käylä 17:10
Hotel Suomutunturi 18:05
Joutsijärvi x
Kemijärvi ABC 18:40
Kemijärvi railway station 18:45

Detailed schedules and tickets at Matkahuolto.fi: 

Kemijärvi = Kemijärvi railway station
Ruka = Ruka village (roundabout at Shopping Centre Kumpare)
Kuusamo = Kuusamo city centre (Kelantie, Ervastin aukio square)

Kemijärvi - Ruka Info Buy
Kemijärvi - Kuusamo Info Buy
Kuusamo - Kemijärvi Info Buy
Ruka - Kemijärvi Info Buy

Train + Bus: Oulu-Kuusamo

These bus connection are fitted to the timetable of certain trains arriving/leaving via Oulu.

Kuusamo Oulu: Mon-Fri at 4:30-7:30. 
Oulu-Kuusamo: Mon-Fri at 20:30-23:30. 

Please note: The only way to get from Ruka to Kuusamo (an return) is by taxi

From Kajaani to Kuusamo by bus

Bus connection from Kajaani to Kuusamo operates year round. This connection is very useful when travelling from Kuusamo to Hossa during summer. The whole schedule is available on Matkahuolto website and Kuusamo-Hossa on page Buses

By bus via Oulu

A bus runs between Oulu and Kuusamo every day. You can take a bus from Helsinki to Kuusamo if you change buses once in Oulu.

SkiBus from Oulu to Ruka

A skibus runs from Oulu to Ruka and back in January–April every Saturday, additional service available during the weeks of Finnish winter holidays.

Local transportation in Kuusamo

Airport Bus, SkiBus, Karhunkierros Trail Bus, HossaBus... Local transportation services are being developed all the time!
Kuusamo ja kansallispuistot kartalla

Arriving by electric car

Check charging points on map: latauskartta.fi.

When driving from Helsinki to Kuusamo, you can recharge your electric car with a high power charger at Graani’s McDonalds in Mikkeli. When arriving along road number 5, there is a Neste My recharge station in Neste Kontiomäki (Paltamo) with 6 high power chargers as well as a recharge infra four car high power charger in Suomussalmi at Jalonniemi House.

We have listed charging points in Kuusamo on page Parking.

Luggage storage for travelers, e.g. when going hiking or waiting for a late flight

There is a small luggage room in connection with the tourist information point Ruka Info, located in Kauppakeskus Kumpare in Ruka village. The price of the luggage storage is 7 €/day and 10 €/7 days per large bag or a few small bags of the same party. The space cannot accommodate skis or boards. Luggage storage is open according to the opening hours of Ruka Info (note possible exceptions in opening hours). 

Scandic Rukahovi in Ruka village rents storage cages in the hotel's ski storage during the summer for tourists, also other than those staying at the hotel. Price 15 €/storage, payment to the hotel reception and the key to the storage cage can be left in storage at the hotel reception for e.g. during the hike. Ski storage is located behind the reception on the same floor, guidance from the hotel reception.

Transportation service providers: 

Kuusamo International Border Station

Traffic
Pohjolan Matka

Pohjolan Matka Busses

Traffic
Rukabussit

Ruka Buses

Traffic
Ruka Charter   

Ruka Charter

Traffic
Rukan Parkkihalli

Ruka Parking

Traffic

Ruka Taxi Service

Traffic
Ruka Travels

Ruka Travels

Traffic
Sukset Rukalle

Sukset Rukalle - luggage transportation

Traffic
Taksikeskus Otaxi Ruka-Kuusamo

Taxi Centre Otaxi Kuusamo

Traffic

Taxi Centre Otaxi Ruka

Traffic
Ruka Valley - upea kyläkeskus Valtavaaran kupeessa

Village-2-Valley Scenic Gondola

Traffic