Lapland With Youngsters: A Magical Journey

Our household simply returned from a brief journey to Rovaniemi, Finland, in an space often called Lapland. When you’ve by no means heard of it earlier than, you’re not the one one, because it was fairly new to me too. Between the snow-covered forests, crossing into the Arctic Circle, seeing Santa along with his elves and reindeer, and the prospect to chase the northern lights, it looks like a spot pulled straight out of a vacation storybook. It’s simple to see why it’s been popping up on extra household travellers’ radars currently.

Whereas Lapland is technically a year-round vacation spot, its biggest enchantment (particularly with younger children in tow) is through the winter months when the Christmas spirit is in full swing. That mentioned, peak season additionally means peak costs, from lodging to excursions, as everybody vies for that White Christmas expertise. So in spite of everything that hype, and paying peak-season charges… was it value it? Let’s dive in.

Lapland, the Vacation spot

Lapland is an enormous geographical and cultural area in Northern Europe that it spans the northern elements of 4 nations Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Straddling the Arctic Circle, it’s outlined by rolling forests, frozen lakes, and open wilderness, and serves because the ancestral homeland of the Indigenous Sámi individuals, who name their territory Sápmi.

On the Finnish aspect, the place most travellers go to town of Rovaniemi, Lapland has constructed a popularity round Arctic experiences like reindeer encounters, husky safaris, and northern lights viewing, paired with the family-friendly draw of being marketed because the official dwelling of Santa Claus.

It’s a vacation spot the place tradition, out of doors journey, and a little bit of vacation magic all come collectively, making it not like wherever else in Europe.

Attending to Rovaniemi

Sadly, there are not any direct flights to Rovaniemi from Canada. As a substitute, you’ll have to e book a connecting flight via Europe. Fortunately, there are fairly quite a lot of choices. On the time of writing, British Airways, Finnair, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Austrian, Turkish Airways, and LOT Polish Airways all present flights from their respective European hubs to Rovaniemi (RVN), which means you’ll be able to e book flights with Avios, Aeroplan factors, and Flying Blue miles.

We determined to e book on Air France from Toronto to Rovaniemi via Paris utilizing our Flying Blue miles. As a result of it was an in a single day flight, I booked us into enterprise class (throne seats too) for the next charges:

• 2 x adults for 60,000 Flying Blue miles + $385 taxes and costs per individual
• 2 x youngsters for 45,000 Flying Blue miles + $385 taxes and costs per individual

Sadly, our dates have been fairly rigid, and we couldn’t discover a return flight from Rovaniemi again to Toronto with just one stopover for an honest redemption. As a substitute, we flew Finnair from Rovaniemi to Helsinki utilizing Avios, after which KLM from Helsinki to Toronto via Amsterdam utilizing our Flying Blue miles as properly. As a result of it was a daytime flight, I opted for financial system class and booked on the following charges:

• 5 x passengers for six,500 Finnair Avios + $50 taxes and costs per individual
• 2 x adults for 25,000 Flying Blue miles + $185 taxes and costs per individual
• 2 x youngsters for 18,750 Flying Blue miles + $185 taxes and costs per individual

To accumulate Flying Blue miles, you’ll be able to switch Canadian Amex Membership Rewards at a price of 1:0.75 Flying Blue miles, or via a wide range of US reward packages at a price of 1:1. I’ve additionally earned quite a lot of Flying Blue miles from my Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®. Award fares for kids aged 2 to 11 are additionally priced at a 25% low cost which was the promoting level for us.

You’ll discover that the majority bookings have been made for 4 passengers. My son initially confirmed no considering becoming a member of us, nevertheless later modified his thoughts. By the point he determined to hitch, the award redemptions weren’t pricing out favourably anymore, so we ended up buying an financial system money fare for him for $810 CAD, which was fairly first rate. On the airport, we have been additionally given the choice to improve him to enterprise class for $1,000 CAD a technique.

When you plan your flights into Helsinki, there’s additionally an in a single day Santa Claus Specific Night time Practice that may be taken to Rovaniemi which will be enjoyable and distinctive expertise to journey. Sadly, we have been brief on time for this journey so opted to skip this.

Points of interest in Rovaniemi

There are a lot of winter and Christmas-themed sights in Rovaniemi. When you had per week, you possibly can most likely do all of them, however we solely had just a few days and selected to stay to at least one to 2 actions per day. Right here’s an inventory of the primary family-friendly ones to hit, relying on how a lot time you could have:

• Santa Claus Village: A family-friendly Christmas-themed park the place you’ll be able to meet Santa, cross the Arctic Circle, and go to festive retailers and actions year-round. Husky rides, reindeer sleigh rides, horseback driving, ice karting, snowmobile park, meet and greets with elves and Mrs. Claus, participating in an Elf Academy, and extra are all out there onsite.

• SieriPoro Safaris Reindeer Farm: One in all many conventional reindeer farms in and round Rovaniemi the place you’ll be able to meet native herders, find out about Sámi tradition, and luxuriate in a peaceable reindeer sleigh trip. We booked direct with the farms themselves for a greater tour price and opted for the longer 30-40 minute sleigh trip.

• Snowmobiling and Ice Fishing Tour: My husband and son went on an adventurous outing that mixed high-speed snowmobiling with the prospect to drill a gap in a frozen lake and check out your hand at ice fishing.

• Snowman World: A playful winter park that includes ice slides, snow sculptures, and a snow maze, excellent for households with younger youngsters.

• Santa’s Secret Forest: An immersive Christmas expertise set in a quiet, wooded space the place youngsters can meet elves, prepare to be an elf, go to the toy store or Santa’s command centre, bake gingerbread, and share a personal go to with Santa. We booked the workshop expertise and didn’t suppose the expertise was definitely worth the worth we paid. Except you’re keen to splurge on the full-day expertise, I’d skip this.

• SantaPark: An indoor Christmas theme park providing elf-themed actions, crafts, reveals, and an opportunity to go to Santa. This expertise was nice if you wish to keep heat whereas having fun with some Christmas experiences. The reveals have been distinctive to this attraction and fairly entertaining.

• Ranua Zoo: A wildlife park dwelling to Arctic animals like polar bears, lynx, and wolves, set alongside a straightforward forested strolling path.

• Arktikum: A museum and science heart that explores Arctic historical past, nature, and tradition via interactive reveals and a putting glass structure, and value a fast 1-2 hour go to.

• Pilke Science Centre: A small hands-on science museum targeted on forests, sustainability, and northern nature, nice for youthful children and curious adults.

• Northern Lights Tour: Take a guided northern lights tour that brings you removed from town lights and into areas with clearer skies for the most effective likelihood of seeing the aurora borealis. Many firms supply a viewing assure and report success charges of round 97%. We opted for a extra reasonably priced bus tour over a personal tour. These excursions can final 4 to six hours and usually depart round 8 pm, so pack snacks, drinks, and one thing to maintain children entertained. We booked via Viator, which ended up being about 30% cheaper than reserving immediately with the tour operator, and we earned some cashback via a buying portal.

Transportation inside Rovaniemi

Automotive leases are costly. Except you propose on driving to areas exterior of Rovaniemi, most travellers received’t want one. You may merely use Uber or Meneva, the native Finnish electrical taxi service that permits you to e book fixed-price rides via their app. Keep away from hailing random taxis as they typically will attempt to overcharge you.

To offer you a tough concept of value, we paid 21€ to journey from the airport to town centre in an UberXL (roughly 15-minute trip).

For getting round regionally or travelling to and from the airport, the AirPort Specific or Santa Specific are handy choices for a nominal charge. Most tour firms embody transportation to and from town centre and Santa Claus Village with their excursions, so a automotive actually isn’t mandatory.

Lodging

Sadly there are not any huge North American chain lodges in Rovaniemi. As a substitute there are a few smaller European lodge chains, standalone lodges, and residence leases. Through the low season, charges are affordable, however as soon as you progress into December, they skyrocket.

You’ll have to determine whether or not to remain round Santa’s Village or inside the metropolis itself. Staying inside the Santa Claus Village space is for probably the most half dearer than staying inside the metropolis. We stayed in each areas to stability out comfort with value.

Staying within the metropolis has the benefit of being near extra buying and eating choices. Arktikum and the Pilke Science Centre are situated within the metropolis. Most tour firms even have their places of work within the metropolis centre. Because the metropolis is sort of small, you’ll be able to stroll to most locations from just about wherever you select to remain.

Staying round Santa Claus Village could also be value the additional value when you’ve got younger children and worth comfort, in case your essential objective is to expertise the Village’s sights, or should you’re considering a extra distinctive lodging possibility like an ice lodge or an igloo-style hut with panoramic glass ceilings.

When it comes to value, anticipate to pay round $500 and as much as keep inside the metropolis, and roughly $600–$1,500 or extra to remain close to Santa’s Village for a household of 4 through the vacation season. Outdoors the vacation season pricing will probably be cheaper.

As a household of 5, we stayed in a two-bedroom panoramic penthouse residence at Nordica Design Residence Rovaniemi within the metropolis for $760 an evening which supplied an apartment-style rental that offered all of the conveniences of a house, together with a eating space, lounge space, kitchen, in-room laundry home equipment, and even a sauna!

The laundry was nice in permitting us to dry the youngsters’ gloves and snow pants after enjoying round within the snow. There isn’t any check-in desk or reception, however as a substitute, an e-mail with keypad codes and directions to enter your suite are two days previous to arrival.

The placement was preferrred, simply minutes from the tour firm places of work that function assembly factors for many excursions, with an organization that gives baggage storage and winter gear leases in the identical constructing advanced. Groceries have been additionally out there inside a 10-minute stroll.

The baggage storage was particularly helpful once we had an early morning tour and wouldn’t be again earlier than check-out, permitting us to discover town afterward with out carrying our baggage. Do you have to need to pack gentle, you’ll be able to hire all of your winter clothes and boots for 35€ per day or 85€ per week. There are different firms that present this service as properly, so store round for greatest pricing.

For the rest of our keep, we splurged on the Nova Skyland Lodge in a luxurious nordic cottage. The lodge is a part of the Santa Claus Village advanced and takes only some minutes to stroll to the village itself.

The cottage was immaculately clear and designed in a easy Scandinavian model. It was spacious, with a loft, two bogs, two bedrooms, and sufficient beds for as much as eight friends. It supplied a really comfy keep, with a eating space, lounge, kitchenette, and even a sauna.

There’s additionally an onsite restaurant open for breakfast and dinner, and a buffet breakfast is included together with your keep. When you’d slightly prepare dinner your individual meals, Santa Claus Village has a grocery market the place you should buy every thing you want.

When you’re travelling to Rovaniemi between October and December and are fascinated by reserving lodging with skylights for northern lights viewing, it’s not value it. Cloud cowl is often too heavy throughout these months to see something. As a substitute, save the cash and e book a northern lights tour, which can take you exterior of Rovaniemi to areas with clearer skies. In any other case, take into account visiting in February or March when situations are usually higher.

Eating

There are a selection of eating choices in Rovaniemi. For probably the most half, the eating expertise inside Santa Claus Village wasn’t something spectacular. There are cafes, fast seize and go choices, informal sit down choices and barely extra upscale choices. The perfect meals we had have been at Restaurant Stella Nova at Nova Skyland Lodge and Restaurant Gallis on the Glass Resort. These choices have been a bit pricier than different eating places within the space, however their meals was spectacular.

Within the metropolis, you’ll discover a wider vary of eating choices, together with varied worldwide cuisines and even a Japanese/Pan-Asian buffet. For informal meals, we particularly loved Pure Burger & Pizza and Café & Bar 21. We didn’t get an opportunity to strive it ourselves, however Taiga additionally got here really helpful for conventional Lappish dishes.

Conclusion

Lapland is undeniably costly, particularly in peak winter, but it surely gives a degree of festive magic and Arctic journey that’s arduous to match. From assembly Santa to husky and reindeer rides, snowmobiling, ice karting, and northern lights chases, it’s filled with memorable experiences for households keen to finances for it.

My youngest beloved the Santa experiences, whereas my teen loved the out of doors adventures, however my center baby, who’s previous the Santa part, struggled to seek out her place. That’s why Lapland really shines for households with youthful children who nonetheless consider in Santa. In case your youngsters are at that age, Rovaniemi will be definitely worth the splurge; in any other case, that finances could also be higher saved for one more vacation spot.