You can reach the most places in Lapland by car, but traffic even on main roads is sparse and distances are great. Driving in Arctic conditions can be hazardous in winter. Winter tires (M+S) are mandatory from 1 December through the end of February. The most dangerous weather is in fact when the temperature is around freezing, when slippery but near-invisible black ice forms on the roads.
Stay very alert, particularly at dawn and dusk, for wild animals. Reindeer are a common cause of accidents, while collisions with much larger moose are rarer but very often lethal. If you hit a reindeer, you always must inform the locals, even if the animal seems to be unharmed, as they will in turn inform the owner of the deer. (You won't be charged with anything unless you were drunk or speeding.) Bring emergency supplies in case of a collision or breakdown, especially in winter. Locals will help if they can, but you may be in for a long, very cold wait.
Unlike moose which usually runs to the road suddenly and alone, the reindeers hang around peacefully in groups and collisions are usually easy to avoid when slowing down at once when first reindeers appear in sight.
Liikenneturva, the Finnish road safety agency, maintains a Tips for winter driving page in English..
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Finnish Lapland
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Finnish Lapland - updated May 2024
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Finnish Lapland Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
