Hints & Tips for Lapland!
I hope you find them useful and please get in touch if you would like more information or to plan your prefect Lapland adventure!
1 – Invest in snow boots for the children – these can be purchased cheaply on amazon or Sports Direct and are so much warmer than wellies. Most children on the flight had snow boots
2 – Pack and wear layers, lots of thin layers. Think thermals, fleeces and hoodies. A winter coat is good for your arrival and if you’re doing the walk to the restaurant for breakfast/ evening meal without getting your full thermal suit on. Don’t put too many layers of socks on as this will really hurt your feet, they need to breathe and air to circulate. The socks and boots provided are more than adequate, don’t panic layer
3 – For children I recommend a fleece balaclava or a hat that ties up under the chin. For adults a snood and winter hat
4 - Take plenty of snacks for the flight and even lunch if possible. The day starts very early and only snacks and drinks are served on the 3.5-hour flight. You won’t arrive until after lunch (Finland are 2 hours ahead of us) and by the time you are checked in and kitted out you’ll be really hungry
5 – Invest in gloves that allow you to use your mobile phone! You’ll want to capture every moment and your fingers will feel like dropping off if you are having to take off your gloves to activate your phone. Mittens are great for children and it is worth investing in a quality pair.
6 – Take it in turns taking pictures. It is such a magical holiday and if you have two adults both trying to capture the moments, you might miss the little details and children can get fed up having to pose over and over. It also helps to stop the freezing fingers!
6 – If you like a glass of wine on an evening take a bottle or 2 in your hold luggage, alcohol is very expensive, and the children are exhausted after long days. Its nice to relax in the comfort of your own cabin/room.
7 – Take something to watch a movie on, on an evening. As above, children can be tired after a long day so it is nice to snuggle down and maybe watch a Christmas favourite!
8 – Allow plenty of time to get dressed in your kit! Layering up and getting the suits on is very time consuming, do not under estimate how long
9 – Pack and take plenty of snacks on your search for Santa day (if this is applicable on your trip). There are biscuits and hot drinks but they are not always to children’s taste. A favourite chocolate bar is always welcome when the children start flagging and I recommend taking snacks that can be eaten with gloves/mittens on. I also recommend taking some snacks for your room as well, pit noodles are handy for a quick pick me up as you have a kettle you can use as well as cup a soups etc.
10 – Do not put pressure on yourselves to see and do everything on the search for Santa day, keeping warm and enjoying the experience is much more important. I recommend a visit to the warming huts after every experience. Queues tend to be longer to meet Santa at the end of the day so doing it early means you can relax and enjoy everything else.
10 – If you are travelling as a family/group and you do find yourself in a queue take it in turns to stand in line and let the little ones stay warm until it’s your families turn (mobile phone is a must)
11 – Invest in hand/feet warmers – the temperature really does drop once it starts to get dark and these are life savers to cold and weary little people. These are very cheap in Sports Direct/Halfords, Amazon etc.
12 – Do not worry about packing anything “posh” for the evenings. They are a very casual affair and Christmas jumpers are a popular choice on the Gala night.
13 – Take a bag for life that you can collect all gloves, hats, scarves in once entering the breakfast/ dinner room. They’re taken off, decarded and end up being left everywhere. Also pack spares just in case....
14 – Take enough spending money for the fabulous souvenirs and allow the children time in resort to simply enjoy the snow.
Enjoy the experience!