Trip to Lapland

moneybunny123

Apologies if this is in the wrong section but I thought it's as good a place as any to start.

I want to book a trip for my husband and my two young sons to go to Lapland this time next year. I did a quick google but like everything, it's a minefield and I don't even know where to start.

Just a one night stay would suffice (it's hard for hubby to get time off work), but anything will do so long as the price is right.

Can anybody recommend any travel companies who perhaps do a package deal? Have you had a good/bad experience or can offer any advice/recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

moneybunny123

Thank you so much, Len5, that's really useful.

poe.tuesday

first you need to work out how long you want to go for - personally I dont recommend the day trips, they are rushed and expensive

you can go on a short trip (2 nights and over) and have all the santa stuff included, companies like thompsons, espirit, activities abroad do these trips - be careful of transun, they do not have a good reputation

if you want just a few nights, then think about the resorts - if you are going early on in dec then snow can be poor in the southern part so go as far north as you can - saariselka is the most northerly, then as you come south, you have levi, yllas and then going over to the east you have ruka - they are all different from each other so somewhere like levi is more of a small town with shops and stuff where as yllas is a very sleepy village (still very magical though)

the other option is to go for a week long stay (which is what I have done many times) going with one of the ski companies such as inghams or crystalski - just because they are a ski company does not mean you have to go skiing with them btw - then you can pick if you want to stay in self catering, a log cabin etc and you can book your trips with them too (they offer all the trips like husky rides) or you can book them locally, crystalski also offer a week package that includes all the activities, they tend to go to ruka - also, if you can go out of season (in jan) then the price is soooo much cheaper for the same experience, santa etc is still there

its an expensive trips so make sure you do your research - TA has a forum that can help you

Seanymph

we went with canterbury travel and I can't recommend them highly enough.

Many people went with other companies, and for day trips, and were severely disappointed. REALLY disappointed.

http://www.santa-holidays.com/

We went for four days I think from memory - but it was amazing, and Luosto is superb - other shorter trips went to the nearest town to the airport, and visited 'santa' in a grotto in a shop - you may as well go to Debehams to be honest...

Ours was in a wooden house deep in the forest - we went down amethyst mines, saw the northern lights, rode skidoos, saw Santa fly - it was amazing.

van22663

Canterbury Travel are excellent. Thomson/First Choice/ Cosmos all offer very similar trips. Depending on when you want to travel, if it is late November or early December, I would go up to Enontekio airport, Kittila area , Roveneimi is one of the lower airports and on odd occasions, have not had much snow in early December. Most of the trips are very similar with just one main attraction that is different IE one may do Santas post office & another may do the Ice Castle. Not sure ho old your kids will be, mine were 4 & 7 when I took them, perfect, anything below 3 may be a little wasted on them ...just my opinion of course, but the parents I saw with toddlers were having real problems with the cold. I am a travel agent and personally have not had any issues with Transun. Good luck, trip of a lifetime.

andysdad_2

Another seconding Canterbury Travel

counting_down_the_days...

Thank you for your help. I know this wasn't my post, but did a search before posting myself!

I want to book up for this Christmas, 2014. It will be a one off holiday, so within reason, I don't mind how much it costs just want the kiddies to have a magical experience.

Will start my research with the info above, cheers!

counting_down_the_days...

Transun seems to be the only company that flies from Scotland I really object to flying South to then fly back up North!