Day 4, From Rovaniemi to Inari

We had a bus to catch to Inari in the North scheduled for 11:45, so the plan was to see the museum in town - Arktikum - It focuses on Arctic areas and Finnish Lapland’s history and modern day life, as well as a multimedia show about the Northern Lights, exhibitions on the Sami culture and the wild life in the area. Open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00. Cost 12Euro for an adult. It is clearly marked on the city map that the hotel reception supplies, and is within walking distance. However, we got up slowly and instead walked up and down the pedestrian street, visited the most Northerly McDonald's, and the town mall where the Lordi restaurant is. If you remember they are a rock band that won the Eurovision a few years back, and they all dress up like some kind of fantasy monster like creatures. The restaurant is decorated accordingly. Opposite the restaurant is a supermarket, and an Aloco - the outlet where you can buy alcohol in Finland. So we stocked up and then went back to the hotel and caught a taxi to the central bus station. This I admit is a flaw in my planning - the bus to Inari leaves from the central bus station which is a walkable distance but not with luggage, so this adds extra cost - Taxi fare 10Euro.
The bus left promptly at 11:45. It is a very comfortable bus with a toilet, and one are at the back with a table and 4 chairs around it, so try and catch this space for your trip. The ride to Inari takes 5 hours, it costs 93Euro per person one way, and makes several stops. There are about 3 stops just for a cigarette and to use the toilet, and then there is a slightly longer stop(30 min) in Ivalo.
Ivalo is one of the options for staying in the North, but once I had seen it I was glad we chose Inari. Ivalo, although small, is about 3 times the size of Inari, which is very small, and the main road is very wide and long, so getting around on foot would have been more challenging. Although if your purpose is just to have a place to lay your head and then go out every day on excursions, Ivalo would be fine. There is also the cute Hotel Kultahippu which has a warm wood paneled, lobby, which features a bar, slot machines and a fireplace.
The bus delivers the post/mail to all the small villages along the way, and the bus trip gives you the opportunity to see the wide open spaces of Finland, with trees, trees, more trees and ice covered lakes and rivers. Extremely beautiful.
We arrived in Inari. Basically a one street village, where everyone is friendly, and they all know each other. The bus drops you off right outside your hotel, whether you stay at the Inari Hotel of the Kultahovi, where we stayed. There is also a camping ground with cabins a little out of town, and a relatively new Bed and Breakfast, Villa Lanca, opposite the Inari Hotel. How to choose where to stay: Inari Hotel is in the "centre" of town, and has an active bar and pub scene on weekends. The B&B is also central, clean and new, but quieter and more personal. The pro of camping is the price, the con is the distance from town, although they offer all the trips and excursions. The Kultahovi, my choice and favorite: small enough to be intimate, a 5 minute walk from the "centre", and if you get a room like ours you will be very satisfied. Ask for a room in the new wing - the river hotel I think they call it, with a sauna in your bathroom and a sliding door leading on to your own porch, which faces the river and forest. They too provide all the trips and excursions, as well as having a classy restaurant, and a small library. There is also a computer you can use paying by the time you use.