Highway 4: route guide

Highway 4 (Valtatie 4 / Riksväg 4) is Finland's longest numbered road, running 1,295 km from Helsinki in the south to Utsjoki on the northern border. It is also the Finnish section of European route E75, which continues from Vardø in Norway down to Sitia in Greece.

The route runs roughly south to north through the middle of the country: Helsinki – Lahti – Jyväskylä – Oulu – Kemi – Rovaniemi – Ivalo – Utsjoki. South of Jyväskylä it is mostly motorway or good two-lane road; north of Rovaniemi the distances between towns get long and the road narrows.

The line has shifted over the decades. The original 1938 route went straight north from Helsinki via Hyvinkää and along the west bank of Lake Päijänne; since 1996 it runs east of the lake via Lahti. The northern terminus moved from Petsamo (now Pechenga, Russia) to Karigasniemi after the Second World War, and to Utsjoki in 1993.

Treat the drive as a series of legs rather than one push. The southern legs are short and fast; the northern legs are long and empty, and that is where you need to plan fuel, food and sleep.

A comfortable 4-day split: Helsinki to Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä to Oulu, Oulu to Ivalo, Ivalo to Utsjoki. Add a day if you want Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle properly rather than as a lunch stop.

Summer (June to early September) is the straightforward window: midnight sun in the north, all services open, no snow on the road. Early September brings autumn colours in Lapland and fewer people, but some seasonal businesses close.

Winter changes everything. In southern Finland slippery roads are a risk from November to March; in the far north, from as early as September to as late as May. If you drive north to south in winter, the low sun sits in your eyes for most of the day — bring sunglasses and make sure your windscreen and wipers are in good shape.

Wildlife is a real hazard, not a footnote. Moose, white-tailed deer and roe deer are common in the south; north of Kemi, reindeer on or near the road are far more likely. Slow down at dusk and dawn.

Hotels and other accommodation are generally available in cities and bigger towns, and sometimes in smaller ones. Book ahead in July and during the northern season, when Lapland fills up.

Cottages (mökki) are a good alternative, but they are rarely right on the road and often not rented for a single night — check and book in advance rather than turning up.

Campsites sit along the route, and wilderness camping is an option in rural areas under Finland's right to roam (jokamiehenoikeus). That right comes with rules: camp away from houses and cultivated land, leave no trace, and do not light fires without permission.

You need a car. There is no practical way to do the full route by public transport in one go, though buses and trains cover the southern legs and there are bus connections further north.

Rent at Helsinki Airport if you are flying in. If you want to drive mainland Finland truly end to end, start in Hanko, about 130 km south-west of Helsinki, rather than in the capital.

At the northern end, Utsjoki has no airport. The closest Finnish airport is Ivalo; on the Norwegian side there are small airports at Kirkenes, Vadsø, Lakselv and Alta. You can also arrive by Hurtigruten ferry along the Norwegian coast.

Fuel up when you can north of Rovaniemi, carry water and food for the empty stretches, and check your rental agreement covers unlimited kilometres — this is a long drive.