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From Sweden to Finland through Haparanda-Tornio

  • 5 November 2021
  • 11 replies
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Hi everyone!

In a few days I would like to cross the border between Sweden and Finland through Haparanda-Tornio. I have read on the Interrail website that this cannot be done by train therefore there is a bus connection included in the pass. I don't know if this is due to covid but it seems there is no bus crossing the border for the moment.

On Maps it seems like the distance between Haparanda and Tornio train stations is about 1 hour walking distance. I don't mind doing that but I would like to be sure it is possible and my only option to join Finland up north.

Has anyone done that recently and could help? :)

Thanks in advance!

Laura

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Best answer by rvdborgt 5 November 2021, 20:48

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There are 2 train stations in Tornio, Tornio and Tornio-Itäinen, and only the latter has train service on only 4 days/week: the night train between Kolari and Helsinki.

So unless you want to use the one train that stops at Tornio-Itäinen, you'll need a bus to Kemi, which leaves from the HaparandaTornio bus station, which is almost at the border.

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As @rvdborgt  said :)

The buses meet in the Bus station of the TwinTowns Tornio & Happaranda (directly on the border near a Shopping mall and Ikea :) )  Lulea - Tornio/Haparanda change for a Bus to Kemi :)

From Kemi several rail connections :)

Tornio-Itänien is a small platform in the middle of the woods (I used back in 2019 a Cab to cover the distance and the driver asked me if iam sure that there is a train today :D  ) only few days per week one Nighttrain to Helsinki

I recommend to cover the Route by bus :)

Thanks for your answers!

Indeed I downloaded all the bus apps and found out it is much easier by bus, even if it doesn't cross the border anymore. Plus, for a few minutes walking I will get to step on the border, not so bad :))

Thanks again, have a nice weekend!

Laura

Good evening to everyone! Could you please share the site/ app used to see the time schedule of the bus from Tornio to Kemi? I have already found from Lulea to Haparanta. I am planning to do the same trip in the next few weeks! Many thanks for your help! Andrea

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Good evening to everyone! Could you please share the site/ app used to see the time schedule of the bus from Tornio to Kemi?

https://www.matkahuolto.fi/

Don't forget that Finland is one hour ahead of Sweden.

Many thanks! Do you know if it's included with the interrail pass?

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Many thanks! Do you know if it's included with the interrail pass?

The buses run by Net-matkat are included but there are also others. So it depends.

See:

https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/pass-benefits/benefits-sweden

Many thanks! Do you know if it's included with the interrail pass?

The buses run by Net-matkat are included but there are also others. So it depends.

See:

https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/pass-benefits/benefits-sweden

Thanks! Have a nice evening!

I did this in the other direction on the first octobre weekend.

The plan was to take the train from Rovaniemi to Kemi and then the bus to Tornio.

On the next day from Haparanda to Umea by train.

 

The train from Rovaniemi was about 40 minutes late in Kemi and just when I was walking to the bus-stop at the traninstation the bus was leaving (at around 11:30).

It was a saturday and there was sign at the bus stop that there would be another bus 2 hours later. I then also went to the bus-station (about 5 minutes walk away from the trainstation), but there were no buses going from this other company on Saturday and Sunday to Tornio.


When I went back to the train-station and waited for the next bus as adviced on the stopsign, police came by and asked me whether there was a problem. They checked the internet and confirmed that no more buses were running to Tornio on this day.
 

As I had hotel reservations and did want to stay in Kemi, I ended up talking a cab to Tornio. This was a one hour drive and did cost 60€.

I spent a very nice stay in Tornio/Haparanda and the train from Haparanda did then leave as planed on sunday.

You can walk between Tornio and Haparanda and the trainstation in Haparanda is also near the centre of Haparanda.

 

Maybe the situation is now again better and the buses are hopefully running again more often.

 

Good luck and enjoy this nice boarder-area.

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NO, perhaps due to covid=far fewer travellers, perhaps due to other reasons, but just a day or 2 ago I read in a german-railway-enthusiast forum (dso=drehscheibe-online, the '’ausland'’ branch) an item about the currently quite bad situation re this buslink. In general in FI traffic is indeed very sparse to non-existent on sat afternoon and sunday all day-they do like their weekend off.

Matkahuolta used to be the editor of the monthly all FI timetable for all train+bus and has gone all to online a few years ago. it simply means like '’travelplanner'’.

same-same in NO: there its called rutebok.

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From monday to saturday, it would be quite easy to go from Kemi to Haparanda (of-course from Rovaniemi, to call a bigger city in this area).


take the train at 09:22, which will arrive at 10:38 in Kemi.

Take after the train the bus of 11:40 (on monday and saturday at 11:05) and 30-35 minutes later, you’ll be next to IKEA of Haparanda. From there it takes 2,1 km (25-30 minutes) to walk to the railway-station of Haparanda. From which the train of 14:28 could be reached very easily.

 

Be aware that not all the buses are driven by Net-makat Bus, so for this option, you have to buy a ticket. From Kemi to Haparanda it will cost € 7,80. On Matkahuolto you can see which company drives at that moment.

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