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Original poster

Lapland trip

11 replies

Kangaroo9880 · 23/12/2015 17:28

Has anyone ever taken a day trip to Lapland? Can anyone offer any advice with who to book through and the best times to go?
Thank you

OP posts:
NicoleWatterson · 23/12/2015 17:49

I did a three day trip last year that first day was tiring, really tiring. I wouldn't do a day, if at all possible I'd rather put it off a few years and save for longer as that first day your up at 3am for flights, the kids are too excited to sleep the night before. So everyone's tired, everyone's ratty. It's the most magical, amazing experience. Honestly it's incredible, but a day is hard hard going.
It's genuinely one of the most amazing things I've ever done, but even the 9 year olds were dozing off by dinner at 5 on the first day. the next few days, full on snow fun all day. Not much grumpiness (I've gotttt snowwwwww in my gloves), and just everyone making the most of it.

Groovee · 23/12/2015 20:03

We went in 2009. Told the kids the day before. It was a very long day but our two were 9 & 6. We loved it.

Booked through first choice. Flew on a Thomson Reindeer plane.

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 23/12/2015 20:05

We did a day trip with Canterbury travel. I wouldn't want to have gone for any longer it was magical. CT have their own place so the only people there were the ones on our plane. It wasn't crowded at all and not commercialised in the slightest. It really felt like we went to his village. At the airport on arrival we were kitted out with the clothes- it was unbearably cold the day we went. We were taken by sleds to the village (abt 20 mins thru fields/woods) we were given a time to come back to see fc. We had the rest of the time to sledge/husky ride/skidoo/ice house/reindeers etc. When it was our time we were taken in a sledge abt 5 mins away where we walked upto see fc in his cabin. We then had a bit more time for activities and back to airport.

One day was tiring but so exciting. It's hard to explain but I wanted it to be that special day when we went to see fc. The longer trips have time for skiing but we could do that anytime. It was totally in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it which I loved.

Original poster
Kangaroo9880 · 23/12/2015 20:31

Thank you for the feedback, it has to be a one day as I teach and can't get any time off.
I've looked at a few but will carry on researching, nothing like forward planning to 2016!

OP posts:
4yoniD · 23/12/2015 20:53

I'm planning too, looking at a 3night with Thompson in Saariselka. Santa's lapland do 2 nights - are there no 2 or 3 night holidays which start after school breaks up?

I am desperately hoping to see the Northern Lights!

TotalConfucius · 23/12/2015 21:08

I did a day trip with DS, I think 2002, it was a nightmare.
Then I did a 3 day to Saariselka with Esprit in 2005 with DS and DD who by then was 4, we stayed at the Hotel Reikonlinna and it was very good indeed. The flights can be a bit stressful as they are very full of, you guessed it, excited children. And of course, there is salad at breakfast time which really rather disturbed me but I realise now that it's quite common in other parts of Europe too.

defineme · 23/12/2015 21:08

We did a day trip in the first week in December and it was exactly as mareseatoats decribed it...so magical, tbh i would have given santa a miss and just done the husky sledding through enormous dark forests and over frozen lakes. But my kids were too young-grandparents wanted to treat us before they (grandparents) were too old and my kids really enjoyed(particularly skidoos) it but we had flight delay on way home due to snow and arriving back at 2am ( after 6am start) with 4 year old twins and six year old was grim, very grim! Much better with less children or slightly older ones.

NicoleWatterson · 23/12/2015 21:47

total I did santas Lapland to saariselka at the hotel reikonlinna too! I was a bit confused by gerkins for breakfast too.
We got ours for the day the kids broke up.
Thompson share the hotel (they call it snowflake), their reps seem a bit more butlins whilst esprit /santas Lapland leave you to it a bit more. The thompsons Father Christmas experience is meant to be very different and a bit rushed, whilst esprit have an entire centre you go to, with reindeers, husky sledging etc.

NicoleWatterson · 23/12/2015 21:50

Oh do book early especially for the straight after school one

TotalConfucius · 23/12/2015 23:17

Yes, Esprit take you to their own outdoor place where there are several different activities, a warm-up cabin, food etc, Then at some point during the day (pre-arranged between the elves and the adults) you are 'surprised' by the elves and invited to hop into their sleigh to be taken to see Santa. You are the only family there, so it is a bit individual at least.
On the day trip I do recall standing in a line for absolutely everything.

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 23/12/2015 23:50

Just to say on our day trip we had no waiting in line for anything and every family had an individual trip to see Santa. It is so much money so really do your research into what you are looking for out of it.

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