Travel in Sweden & (mostly) Finland, including Sleepers

[orpine]

Does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to travel in Finland by train price-wise?
Two people, one with a general university student id (but both aged over 25). Can we buy student a ticket? (below prices are for two Adults)

Planning something like:
Malmo -> Stockholm sleeper - this is showing 1290 SEK (~£136) for us in a couchette. (https://www.sj.se/en/home.html) - any way to get it cheaper?

Then at least one sleeper within Finland as well as some general train travel around Finland scattered over probably a week or so as we slowly work our way back south.
The sleeper will probably be Helsinki -> Rovaniemi. I'm seeing prices for just €77.80 for this for seats, but it rockets to €231 if I go for a 2-person compartment (there don't seem to be couchettes). Everywhere we've read shows that the sleeper shouldn't be this expensive, am I missing something? Using www.vr.fi.

Also, is it worth getting something like an inter-rail for Finland?
Thanks!

 

[rf_ioliver]

Does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to travel in Finland by train price-wise?

Then at least one sleeper within Finland as well as some general train travel around Finland scattered over probably a week or so as we slowly work our way back south.

The sleeper will probably be Helsinki -> Rovaniemi. I'm seeing prices for just €77.80 for this for seats, but it rockets to €231 if I go for a 2-person compartment (there don't seem to be couchettes). Everywhere we've read shows that the sleeper shouldn't be this expensive, am I missing something? Using www.vr.fi.

Also, is it worth getting something like an inter-rail for Finland?
Thanks!

VR uses demand based pricing, so... I'm seeing prices around 112eur for seats on the Helsinki-Rovaniemi services at the moment. Refreshing the page just gave me 160eur ... advice: turn cookies off

At the moment I can't seem to get sleeper compartments via the web site. Could you send me the dates you're looking at? NB: there are no couchettes, just sleeper compartments (with showers in first class).

Student cards should be accepted - not sure about Interrail at all sorry. There is a service called Veturi (finnish for locomotive) https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/veturi_in_a_nutshell through which you can get discounts - YMMV etc.

From the north back there are two main routes - both via Oulu then either via Seinäjoki/Tampere or via Kuopio - the far eastern route via Joensuu no longer has connecting passenger traffic. To get into Finland from Sweden you'll either need a bus via Tornio to Kemi/Oulu or ferry via Helsinki, Turku or Vaasa - or try island hopping through Åland.

PM me your dates of travel and I'll see what I can find

t.

Ian

 

[dutchflyer]

Both in SE and in FI ONLY students who actually study THERE-and have thus a local student-card, are eligible for any discount fares. i just happened to search for any junior/student fares in Scandinavia.
SJ very much and to a degree now also VR have airline-style pricing without any fixed base-fares anymore.
IR is in a global form-for -nearly-all of EUR and as 1country (called EuroDomino long time ago)see prices on any interrail site. In sept. there is usually the last yrs a 15% discount for low-season on only the global passes and as you do not mention if any other travel is needed (fly into?). Usually its best to first see what passes etc to your pocket are vaialble and then plan according to what they offer- for IR its a min of 5 days, so re-think and make the best out of that. Its in general NOT possible to just reserve a bed without the full ticket on any online site-do that locally and then note that as labour is so expensive (or rather-well paid), that most old-style ticket-offices have been closed and those remaining very short work-hours (not eves/suns etc.)