Lapland dilemma

[tiredchocoholic]

Hi, we have children aged 8, 6 and 1 - youngest will be 2 in November. We would like to go to Lapland this December and I have done quite a bit if research. We are reluctant to leave youngest at home (and childcare is a major issue anyway) so we are trying to find the best option to suit the whole family. We originally thought that a 1 day trip would be best as it meant that 2yo would not have so long in the cold, but having spoken to the tour operator & travel agent, their advice is that a 2-3 day trip would be better all round as we could be based at the hotel and therefore go indoors whenever we felt like it. Makes sense in a way....or are they just attempting to up-sell?!?! A 2-3 day trip is more expensive, but better value....but also means the eldest two losing time from school. We are having a real dilemma and would appreciate any words of wisdom from anyone who has been, or looked into going. Thanks.

We've been to lapland twice. We went for 4 nights/5 days each time. Tbh when we went it was almost the same price for this as it was a daytrip! On one of our days we had a daytrip visit to the place the daytrippers go. It really made us appreciate the fact that we'd booked for a few days. If the daytrip was all you know then you'd be very happy. But because we'd seen both sides the daytrip definitely seemed a lot less/inferior.
Our youngest was 3.5 the first time we went and was absolutely fine. The cold is actually nothing like our cold. You are provided with excellent snowsuits and socks etc. Every day we wore a thermal top and bottoms, joggers, micro fibre ski style top, a t-shirt, then all in one ski suit. We took our own hats, gloves and ski socks but still used their gloves over ours and their socks over ours at times. Because you are wrapped up so appropriately and so prepared for the weather, you are absolutely fine. First time round we didn't feel cold at all. Second time round they had the same freak winter that we had a couple of years ago, the temperature was -20 to -35 every day! We did feel the cold at times then but just kept going indoors. But this was not the usual weather for them. First time we were literally out all day!
As your 2 year old will be able to walk to keep warm I think it will be ok. Obviously there will be times when he will get tired and will either want to go indoors or just be pulled on a sledge.
I'll keep posting if I remember major things

Thanks so much for feedback! Much appreciated.