Lapland for Xmas?
Discussion
Evening all,
Lapland and the arctic circle have always been on the list of places to see visit and now would be the perfect age with the kids 4 & 6. So thinking for 4 nights over xmas, with the added bonus of possibly seeing the northern lights. Been looking into it and the cost of travel and hotel is surprisingly cheap with a few "last minute" offers, but holly s**t any activities are horrendously expensive, €192 pp for a 3.5 hours snowmobile and reindeer trip - http://www.laplandsafaris.com/en/
My questions are:
- Is there the opportunity to do the same experiences, but further from Rovaniemi? Got to be significantly cheaper?
- or booking direct once there, cut out the tour companies?
- How is eating out price wise? Don't want to feel like we're being taken advantage as tourists.
- Is there enough to do over xmas there? Looks like most things are open?
- Anyone stayed at the Hotel Sokos Vaakuna? How is it location wise?
Any other information or advice gratefully received.
Cheers
Graeme
Lapland and the arctic circle have always been on the list of places to see visit and now would be the perfect age with the kids 4 & 6. So thinking for 4 nights over xmas, with the added bonus of possibly seeing the northern lights. Been looking into it and the cost of travel and hotel is surprisingly cheap with a few "last minute" offers, but holly s**t any activities are horrendously expensive, €192 pp for a 3.5 hours snowmobile and reindeer trip - http://www.laplandsafaris.com/en/
My questions are:
- Is there the opportunity to do the same experiences, but further from Rovaniemi? Got to be significantly cheaper?
- or booking direct once there, cut out the tour companies?
- How is eating out price wise? Don't want to feel like we're being taken advantage as tourists.
- Is there enough to do over xmas there? Looks like most things are open?
- Anyone stayed at the Hotel Sokos Vaakuna? How is it location wise?
Any other information or advice gratefully received.
Cheers
Graeme
Edited by scz4 on Friday 2nd December 20:38
Its cold, really really really cold.... It hit minus 32 when I was there, are you sure about having such young kids in that...?
The first thing you feel when you go outside is your nostril hair freezing. Then you have to peel your frozen scarf off your face...
Cant help on the other stuff, I was in a cabin in the middle of nowhere
edit, food and particularly drinks were seriously expensive
The first thing you feel when you go outside is your nostril hair freezing. Then you have to peel your frozen scarf off your face...
Cant help on the other stuff, I was in a cabin in the middle of nowhere
edit, food and particularly drinks were seriously expensive
I would go to Levi,loads to do,more touristy and good skiing.Trips are cheaper to book on the ground when you arrive.Snowmobiles are alot cheaper if you book by the day,shop around prices vary alot,go in person to see people.
We have been 3 times first time to Saariselka,coldest day was -48,been to Levi twice,last time was 3 years ago coldest day -4.Our kids were about the same age as your when we went first time.
Have a look at www.levi.fi
We have been 3 times first time to Saariselka,coldest day was -48,been to Levi twice,last time was 3 years ago coldest day -4.Our kids were about the same age as your when we went first time.
Have a look at www.levi.fi
Edited by smifffymoto on Friday 2nd December 22:00
I lived in Helsinki for a bit and the cost of activities in Lapland put me off ever going there.
Eating out can be very expensive. I suggest to look for a hotel with some meals included.
If you want a reality check on food prices check http://www.pizzahut.fi/ and look at the menu.
A large (so not that big) pizza costs 30 euros.
Eating out can be very expensive. I suggest to look for a hotel with some meals included.
If you want a reality check on food prices check http://www.pizzahut.fi/ and look at the menu.
A large (so not that big) pizza costs 30 euros.
I've spent lots of time there for work (over the xmas tourist time).
Got to Levi, much nicer. If you imagine a 60's UK new town centre with snow & a frozen river, you've got Rovaniemi. If it doesn't snow it's properly grim.
Levi is how you imagine Lapland. Rovaniemi isn't. You can ski at Levi too.
If you must go to Rovaniemi & stay in that hotel, I can tell you that:
It has just about the only restaurant that will serve you after 9. Food's good & not all reindeer!
It has a reasonably lively bar.
It has a "nightclub" downstairs, which IIRC has karaoke every night (everywhere has karaoke - the locals take it very seriously, do not laugh at them.....).
The bogs in the bar look like there's been a flood every night.
It's right in the middle of town, where all the bars are (there's not that many).
Don't go to Rovaniemi.
Don't laugh at karaoke (or join in).
Don't keep your jacket on when you go into a bar/ restaurant, or put it on your chair - it's considered rude. Hang it up/ give it to the cloakroom attendant.
Take lots of cash.
Don't expect decent beer.
Got to Levi, much nicer. If you imagine a 60's UK new town centre with snow & a frozen river, you've got Rovaniemi. If it doesn't snow it's properly grim.
Levi is how you imagine Lapland. Rovaniemi isn't. You can ski at Levi too.
If you must go to Rovaniemi & stay in that hotel, I can tell you that:
It has just about the only restaurant that will serve you after 9. Food's good & not all reindeer!
It has a reasonably lively bar.
It has a "nightclub" downstairs, which IIRC has karaoke every night (everywhere has karaoke - the locals take it very seriously, do not laugh at them.....).
The bogs in the bar look like there's been a flood every night.
It's right in the middle of town, where all the bars are (there's not that many).
Don't go to Rovaniemi.
Don't laugh at karaoke (or join in).
Don't keep your jacket on when you go into a bar/ restaurant, or put it on your chair - it's considered rude. Hang it up/ give it to the cloakroom attendant.
Take lots of cash.
Don't expect decent beer.
Leadfoot said:
I've spent lots of time there for work (over the xmas tourist time).
Got to Levi, much nicer. If you imagine a 60's UK new town centre with snow & a frozen river, you've got Rovaniemi. If it doesn't snow it's properly grim.
Levi is how you imagine Lapland. Rovaniemi isn't. You can ski at Levi too.
If you must go to Rovaniemi & stay in that hotel, I can tell you that:
It has just about the only restaurant that will serve you after 9. Food's good & not all reindeer!
It has a reasonably lively bar.
It has a "nightclub" downstairs, which IIRC has karaoke every night (everywhere has karaoke - the locals take it very seriously, do not laugh at them.....).
The bogs in the bar look like there's been a flood every night.
It's right in the middle of town, where all the bars are (there's not that many).
Don't go to Rovaniemi.
Don't laugh at karaoke (or join in).
Don't keep your jacket on when you go into a bar/ restaurant, or put it on your chair - it's considered rude. Hang it up/ give it to the cloakroom attendant.
Take lots of cash.
Don't expect decent beer.
Not been to Levi, we usually end up in Saariselka.Got to Levi, much nicer. If you imagine a 60's UK new town centre with snow & a frozen river, you've got Rovaniemi. If it doesn't snow it's properly grim.
Levi is how you imagine Lapland. Rovaniemi isn't. You can ski at Levi too.
If you must go to Rovaniemi & stay in that hotel, I can tell you that:
It has just about the only restaurant that will serve you after 9. Food's good & not all reindeer!
It has a reasonably lively bar.
It has a "nightclub" downstairs, which IIRC has karaoke every night (everywhere has karaoke - the locals take it very seriously, do not laugh at them.....).
The bogs in the bar look like there's been a flood every night.
It's right in the middle of town, where all the bars are (there's not that many).
Don't go to Rovaniemi.
Don't laugh at karaoke (or join in).
Don't keep your jacket on when you go into a bar/ restaurant, or put it on your chair - it's considered rude. Hang it up/ give it to the cloakroom attendant.
Take lots of cash.
Don't expect decent beer.
We go through Rovaniemi as the overnight train from Tempere stops there (very cheap considering), we unload the car and drive north (3 hours) and stop off at the sanata village (for S&G) in Romaniemi, the family have a villa up in Saariselka that we use:
http://kaunisvilla.com/
Saariselka was fun, we traveled to the gold mining areas, did the snowmobile run (get several pairs of thick wooly socks... trust me), lots of eating out, saw the northern lights, lots of sauna. Didnt go on the sled rides, but did amuse ourselves by throwing ourselves down the hill (no mountains in Finland) on plastic trays.
Prices not too bad, but then we did go to the supermarket quite a bit for beer, etc.
-22 most of the time, you could stay out for circa 30 mins in thermal and jeans before the cold got a little too much.
HotJambalaya said:
Its cold, really really really cold.... It hit minus 32 when I was there, are you sure about having such young kids in that...?
The first thing you feel when you go outside is your nostril hair freezing. Then you have to peel your frozen scarf off your face...
food and particularly drinks were seriously expensive
All correct (bar the kids - The travel co provided seriously warm clothing for all, boots 'n all). The nostril hair experience is particularly weird. When I took my daughter we just did the day trip - Left LGW @7am, flew to Rovaniemi and had a day jetskiing, reindeer rides, husky sled, seeing "the real Santa", barbecue in a tepee. Back to LGW at 11pm. A very full day but I suspect not much else to do so wouldn't be staying there for any length of time with kids.The first thing you feel when you go outside is your nostril hair freezing. Then you have to peel your frozen scarf off your face...
food and particularly drinks were seriously expensive
We did a week in Levi. Booked the snowmobile/dog sledding/raindeer sleighs when we got there.
Also hired the one piece thermal suit when we arrived, there's no need to go with a tour operator.
Hire skis for three days too, it's ok although it is ice rather than powdery snow.
It's almost the same cost to do a week independently as it is three days with a tour operator. We prefer being independent anyway, and just doing the wandering around tourist thing.
Cold? Oh yes, it's cold. It warmed up to -1 one day, it was positively sweltering.
Also hired the one piece thermal suit when we arrived, there's no need to go with a tour operator.
Hire skis for three days too, it's ok although it is ice rather than powdery snow.
It's almost the same cost to do a week independently as it is three days with a tour operator. We prefer being independent anyway, and just doing the wandering around tourist thing.
Cold? Oh yes, it's cold. It warmed up to -1 one day, it was positively sweltering.
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