Comment on I caught the overnight Santa Claus Express from Helsinki to Lapland. St. Nick didn't show up, but the $73 train was full of surp

I rode the Santa Claus Express on a trip to Finland.Eibhlis Gale-ColemanI took an overnight train from Helsinki to Lapland that's called the Santa Claus Express.I paid $73 for my seat and the one next to me, so I was able to stretch out on the ride.Santa didn't appear on the 12-hour ride, but I found the journey exciting and festive anyway.This month, I embarked on the overnight rail experience of a lifetime: Finland's Santa Claus Express.The 12-hour train rides from the Finnish capital of Helsinki to Rovaniemi in Lapland — the "official home of Santa Claus," known for its Santa Claus Village.For 70 euros, or about $73, I journeyed from the southernmost point of the country into the Arctic Circle.My trip was a real adventure, but there are a few things I wish I'd known beforehand.Some Helsinki hotels offer special checkout packages for guests catching late-night trains.My train left late at night.Eibhlis Gale-ColemanMy train left at 11:13 p.m., so after checking out of my hotel at midday, I went and found a place to store my luggage in the city.I also had hours to kill before boarding, so I visited the Senate Square Christmas Market, Temppeliaukio Church, and the Allas Sea Pool — working up a sweat in saunas then jumping in freezing water.However, I later learned that many of Helsinki's hotels offer a late-night checkout package for these late-night trains.