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Rovaniemi truly is the perfect destination to enjoy a true winter wonderland if you’re planning on visiting Lapland at Christmas time.
Just 4 miles south of the Arctic Circle it’s Finland’s second largest city, and is one of the country's most touristic cities.
And of course home to Father Christmas, along with the famous Santa Claus Village!
But if you truly wish to explore the best things in Rovaniemi (or elsewhere in Finland) then a car rental is a great choice.
We’ve been here 3 times now in total, both in our own camper and also our own car rental with our niece.
We’ve found that having a vehicle means everywhere is at your fingertips and you can really enjoy what this unique part of the world has to offer.
Especially in a place like Rovaniemi where many of the best sites are far apart and you don’t want to be reliant on transfers and buses in the cold weather.
To help find the best vehicle for you, we’ve compiled a guide on the best car rental firms in Rovaniemi.
So you can spend less time worrying about your wheels, and more time planning your ultimate Finland road trip!
Let's get into it ...
There’s plenty of choices out there when it comes to car hire in Rovaniemi, so we’ve often found it helpful to use car rental search firms like Discover Cars.
Operating across 150 countries, Discover Cars gives you the chance to browse and compare some of the best car rental companies in the world.
This means you can make the most informed decision without wasting time trawling through different car rental company sites.
Discover Cars is really user friendly. All you need to do is give it your pick up and drop off location, along with your availability and you’ll see all your options.
To make it easier to find your top pick, you can then filter by what’s important to you - fuel policy, mileage, size, price?
And there’s so many other great reasons to use Discover Cars:
We actually picked up our Hertz vehicle from Oulu, a city in central Finland some 220 km south of Rovaniemi. We then dropped it off in Rovaniemi at the end of our trip as this was the best value deal.
We got a really nice car and having it earlier and for longer meant we got more out of our trip!
Pick up and drop off was really smooth, and we had great communication with Hertz before the trip. They were extremely responsive which meant we felt in good hands, and were confident with our booking.
That’s what’s great about using a well established company like Hertz, you know you’re in safe hands and you’re also able to make the most of a vast network of pick up and drop off locations.
Hertz ensures you receive the best guaranteed rate, so if you find the same car for less elsewhere, they’ll match it along with an extra 10%!
Of course Hertz is one of the biggest vehicle rental firms in the world so there’s going to be a huge fleet on offer!
You can filter your search by choosing vehicles that are best for families, best for fun, or you can splash out on their premium fleet.
Hertz also offers one of the largest EV fleets in the world, giving you the option to go fuel free for your Rovaniemi road trip - perfect for eco-conscious travelers.
Like Hertz, Europcar is a big name in the car rental game! One of the best things about Europcar is definitely their loyalty programme which ensures members get the best rates.
The majority of Europcar’s rates are inclusive of mileage and basic protection so you don’t need to worry about racking up the costs as you explore some of the best things to do in Rovaniemi. Just make sure you check exactly what’s included before you book.
Rates can tend to be higher with Europcar so they might not be the best choice if you are looking for budget car rental in Rovaniemi.
Again, there’s a large fleet on offer at Europcar. There are smaller vehicles on offer like the VW Up which seats only 4, all the way up to larger people carriers with capacity for 7 and 9 people.
There’s a choice of both manual and automatic vehicles. The description of each vehicle also states the CO2 consumption of the vehicle.
Green Motion is undoubtedly a brand leader when it comes to eco-friendly car rental in Rovaniemi.
They have a fantastic ethos in place to ensure that their green policy doesn’t stop at the cars. All their depots operate as sustainably as possible, using reusable energy, recycling as much as possible and using sensor lighting.
You'll find this company throughout Europe, with them also offering car rentals in Scotland and Iceland among other destinations!
There’s different types of vehicles on offer at Green Motion including small, medium, MPVs, vans and estate, all of which have low CO2 emissions.
There’s four different rental packages to choose from at Green Motion which include different benefits and amenities. Check these out before you book so you can see which best suits your needs and your budget.
Auto Union have been renting cars for over 30 years, and now have over 1000 locations worldwide.
They offer a variety of services to improve rental experience for customers including online check in, free cancellation service if the rental is canceled within 24 hours of pick up, and hotel deliveries where the vehicle is dropped off at your accommodation!
Auto Union offers 2 different rental rates - the flex and comfort rate.
Both rates are inclusive of unlimited mileage. The comfort rate is inclusive of a damage waiver, but ensure you read the small print of both to see exactly what you get for your money, and which is best for you.
Auto Union’s cars are grouped by size, so the type of cars on offer will depend on which size category you select. You can have anything from a Kia Picanto, up to a 9-seater Peugeot traveler.
Keddy is run by Europcar and aims to offer simplified car hire at fair prices for all customers. In fact, this company offers some of the cheapest car rentals in Rovaniemi.
As a ‘cousin’ of Europcar, Keddy gives you access to the extensive Europcar network so you can use all of their pick up and drop off locations.
For future reference, this company also offers rentals in Germany and Croatia, among other destinations.
As Keddy uses Europcar’s fleet there’s lots of vehicles on offer. Cars have capacity for 4 all the way up to 8.
The huge variety from Keddy means you’re guaranteed to find something just right for your Finland road trip.
Keddy also gives you the chance to read reviews about specific vehicles so you can make the best choice on which rental is just right for you.
Sixt is another well established vehicle rental firm with over 2000 car rental locations spanning across 105 countries, so they’re well deserving of this spot on the list of car rental firms in Rovaniemi.
The Sixt app is designed to make rental pick up and drop off as quick and seamless as possible, so you can jump straight on the road.
They’re also a great choice for one way rentals and long term car hire in Rovaniemi.
Some of the top picks for rental in Rovaniemi from Sixt’s fleet are saloons, SUVs, estates and mini buses.
There’s a mixture of both automatic and manual vehicles on the fleet. The full fleet is available to those who are 30 and over, with less vehicles available to younger drivers. Filter by age to see which vehicles are available.
Alamo is a well established car rental firm, having been in the business since 1974.
They aim to offer lower price rental rates, which include a damage waiver and extended protection.
You must be at least 25 to rent from Alamo.
Most cars on the Alamo fleet have capacity for 5 people, but there are some larger vehicles available that can seat up to 9.
There’s different categories of vehicle to choose from including mini, compact, economy intermediate and SUV.
Popular choices of vehicle include Ford Fiesta, VW Tiguan, Volvo V90 and VW Polo.
FinnRent is a local Finnish firm which has been renting vehicles since 1988. They’ve garnered plenty of regular customers over the last 3 decades.
FinnRent aims to always offer customers the perfect car rental solution. Even in an emergency, or when a specific car is unavailable, Finn Rent goes above and beyond to find an alternative option, so any Finland road trip can go ahead exactly as planned.
Finn Rent also offers deals on long term rentals, with leasing services available all the way up to 24 months.
Finn Rent aims to provide the highest quality, and safest vehicles in order to keep their client base loyal.
On the Finn Rent fleet there’s anything from passenger cars, SUVs and executive cars, to mini-buses, pick-ups, vans and even a few trucks!
They’ve also recently branched out to include electric cars in their fleet.
Thrifty aims to offer really affordable car rental in Rovaniemi. Unlimited free kms are included in all rates, so there are no hidden fees, making them even more affordable and accessible for all travelers.
Although Thrifty’s fleet might not be as complex, there are still lots of great options to choose from including standard size, economy, premium and SUV vehicles.
Cars at Thrifty are generally grouped by size. There are both manual and automatic on offer.
Avis are a great choice for Rovaniemi car rental as they are such a well established name in European vehicle rental.
With many years of industry experience they’re a well trusted brand with plenty of experience.
Most rentals come with unlimited mileage to make budgeting on the road in Rovaniemi easier.
As such a big name in car rental it won’t come as a shock that Avis has a huge and extensive fleet.
The fleet is split into categories including compact, mini, economy, elite, intermediate, standard, premium and SUV.
On average the cheapest car hire in Rovaniemi can start at around £26/day for an economy car, and increase up to £117/day for a premium SUV.
Of course the cost will depend on the type of car you rent whether that’s a compact, intermediate, SUV or estate.
In order to get the best out of your time in northern Finland and enjoy all the best things to do in Rovaniemi you’ll want a car. This ensures you aren’t reliant on public transport and can go wherever you want, whenever you want.
You’ll have to be at least 20 years old to rent a car in Rovaniemi. The minimum age can vary between vehicle types though. Drivers under 25 may incur a young driver fee.
You’ll need to have held your license for at least 1 year.
Check to see whether you need an International Driving Permit before you travel. This will depend on which country your driving license is from.
If you are including Rovaniemi as part of a larger journey exploring the best things to do in Finland, then getting here is pretty easy as there’s plenty of main roads heading up here.
As it’s the capital of Lapland it’s hardly off the beaten track so is easily accessible.
If you are wondering where to stay in Rovaniemi, it may be worth checking out a glass igloo. These offer a totally unique stay, and are also a fantastic way to experience the northern lights!
Now over to you …
Which rental choice will you go for?
Or perhaps you have a rental experience you’d like to share from Rovaniemi?
Let me know in the comments below.
Here are some other car rental guides that you may find helpful:
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