Getting to Kuusamo is easy!| Ruka.fi

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.

Getting around

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.

The Pre-Booked Airport Bus runs between the airport and Ruka in connection with scheduled flights.

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. Please keep in mind: the reindeer herding area begins near Kiiminki when arriving via Oulu and in Suomussalmi when coming via Kajaani.

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.

Parking

Poroja tiellä Kuusamossa. Kuva Mikko Santasalo.

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. You can also purchase bus tickets when buying your train tickets in Matkahuolto.fi!

Directly from Ruka to Oulu

Onnibus partner Ruka Charter takes you directly from Ruka to Oulu during winter season. Schedules are available on Ruka Charter website in Finnish, tickets can be purchased in Matkahuolto.fi.

Schedule and tickets are also available on Onnibus website (Ruka Charter Oy R20 - Oulu - Pudasjärvi - Kuusamo - Ruka).

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.

This bus connection is operated by Pohjolan Matka.

Please note: You can purchase bus tickets when buying your train tickets in vr.fi.

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 (and 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 3.6.-29.9.2024. The whole schedule is available on Matkahuolto website and Kuusamo-Hossa on page Buses.

Bus connection from Rovaniemi to Kuusamo

Rukan Taksipalvelu operates this route from Rovaniemi to Kuusamo and return from 7.8.2024 onwards from Monday to Friday. Tickets: matkahuolto.fi.

Rovaniemi - Kuusamo	Mon-Fri
Rovaniemi bus station	13:30
Ranua	14:45
Posio	16:15
Rantalahti (Rovaniementie crossroads)	17:00
Kuusamo centre (Kelantie)	17:10

Kuusamo - Rovaniemi	Mon-Fri
Kuusamo centre (Kelantie)	5:50
Rantalahti (Rovaniementie crossroads)	6:00
Posio	6:45
Ranua	8:15
Rovaniemi bus station	9:30

Book your train trip

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.

matkahuolto.fi

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.

Oulu-Ruka SkiBus

Local transportation in Kuusamo

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

Arriving by electric car

Check charging points on map: latauskartta.fi. 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.