If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)

Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

How to do LAPLAND on a budget!

Stonebabies · 2016-10-06 09:49:53

Fly to Helsinki use Skyscanner to get the best deals, then get the overnight train to Rovaniemi (Lapland). Get an Airbnb for sheckles. You can visit the exact same places that tour companies visit. Santa Village is free to visit but you have to pay for each activity like husky/Reindeer sleigh rides. This is where they have…

06-10-2016 10:49AM

#1
Stonebabies

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 50 ✭✭

Join Date: November 2011

Posts: 47
Fly to Helsinki use Skyscanner to get the best deals, then get the overnight train to Rovaniemi (Lapland).
Get an Airbnb for sheckles.
You can visit the exact same places that tour companies visit. Santa Village is free to visit but you have to pay for each activity like husky/Reindeer sleigh rides. This is where they have the exact Santa from Portable North Pole!

Santa Park is just up the road from Santa Village, you pay to enter here €27 kids, €33 adults tickets are valid for 2 days. It's all underground in caves. Santa's post office,themed play room, visit Santa, view ice sculptures lots more to do covered in the price of admission.

The cheapest I found with a tour company was €4,046 for 1 day trip for our family of 2 adults & 5 children. I've booked it all myself for 7 nights for 7 of us including all transport, accommodation, baggage, taxes & fees for €1,826. This also includes 2 nights in Lapland, three nights in Helsinki to see the Christmas markets and a day trip across the Baltic sea to Tallinn in Estonia.

Tagged:

bargain

budget

travel

lapland

kids activities

191

Comments

#2 06-10-2016 11:05AM

Don Imac2

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 97 ✭✭

Join Date: February 2013

Posts: 93

Stonebabies wrote: »

Fly to Helsinki use Skyscanner to get the best deals, then get the overnight train to Rovaniemi (Lapland).
Get an Airbnb for sheckles.
You can visit the exact same places that tour companies visit. Santa Village is free to visit but you have to pay for each activity like husky/Reindeer sleigh rides. This is where they have the exact Santa from Portable North Pole!

Santa Park is just up the road from Santa Village, you pay to enter here €27 kids, €33 adults tickets are valid for 2 days. It's all underground in caves. Santa's post office,themed play room, visit Santa, view ice sculptures lots more to do covered in the price of admission.

The cheapest I found with a tour company was €4,046 for 1 day trip for our family of 2 adults & 5 children. I've booked it all myself for 7 nights for 7 of us including all transport, accommodation, baggage, taxes & fees for €1,826. This also includes 2 nights in Lapland, three nights in Helsinki to see the Christmas markets and a day trip across the Baltic sea to Tallinn in Estonia.

Impressive!

0
#3 06-10-2016 12:07PM

eurokev

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 975 ✭✭✭

Join Date: April 2008

Posts: 917

thanks op, well done

0
#4 06-10-2016 12:30PM

v638sg7k1a92bx

Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭

Join Date: August 2012

Posts: 2567

What dates are you travelling?

0
#5 06-10-2016 12:32PM

testicles

Closed Accounts Posts: 1,198 ✭✭✭

Join Date: April 2016

Posts: 1167

This post has been deleted.

0
#6 06-10-2016 12:47PM

mik_da_man

Hosted Moderators Posts: 10,036 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: December 2004

Posts: 9776

Great Deal.

I'd nearly stay a night in Tallinn, I did a day trip and felt it was a wee bit rushed.
it's a beautiful spot and well worth a visit.

0
Advertisement
#7 06-10-2016 12:55PM

Easterly Beasterly

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 209 ✭✭

Join Date: January 2015

Posts: 197

We have just booked a trip for 2 of us to Lapland from November 18-21st.

We did it more or less the same way except we are flying from Dublin - Helsinki with Norwegian and then getting a flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi with Finnair. There is a 3 hour layover in Helsinki but we don't mind that. The train trip is 15 hours AFAIK and can be expensive.

We are staying 3 nights in the 4 star Lapland Hotel Ounasvaara Chalets and got it all in for less than €400 per person. I couldn't believe the value when I went digging. It does get more expensive as you get closer to Christmas but the weekend of November 18th - 21st is a great weekend to go they do an official opening of The Christmas Season at The Santa Village and Santa Park. It's also a good time to see the Northern Lights.

We have no kids and we can hardly contain our excitement!!

0
#8 06-10-2016 01:34PM

spongbob

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 667 ✭✭✭

Join Date: December 2006

Posts: 598

Resession is officially over, let's everybody go to lapland to see santy

Even if we don't hav children

0
#9 06-10-2016 01:37PM

Dodge

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,470 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: March 2003

Posts: 10347

spongbob wrote: »

Resession is officially over, let's everybody go to lapland to see santy

Even if we don't hav children

merry christmas to you too scrooge

0
#10 06-10-2016 01:41PM

nhunter100

Closed Accounts Posts: 4,990 ✭✭✭

Join Date: October 2011

Posts: 4964

spongbob wrote:

Resession is officially over, let's everybody go to lapland to see santy

It's dreadful people choosing to spend their hard earned money how they wish. Better call Joe on the whine line.

0
#11 06-10-2016 01:46PM

racso1975

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,273 ✭✭✭

Join Date: November 2005

Posts: 4857

You can also get flights direct to Rovaniemi with norwegian air from gatwick flying the 5th dec to 9th worked out at 380.

0
Advertisement
#12 06-10-2016 02:10PM

frash

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,610 ✭✭✭

Join Date: March 2006

Posts: 2308

Looks like the OP will be this week's winner!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057654798

0
#13 06-10-2016 02:19PM

bored_newbie

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 836 ✭✭✭

Join Date: July 2006

Posts: 815

racso1975 wrote: »

You can also get flights direct to Rovaniemi with norwegian air from gatwick flying the 5th dec to 9th worked out at 380.

Good idea. Or...
December 9th (Fri) to December 12th (Mon) is €149

0
#14 06-10-2016 02:22PM

deiseindublin

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,265 ✭✭✭

Join Date: February 2008

Posts: 2191

Would love to book this! Is it only from Nov 18 that the village and events are open/bookable.

What's the best website to look at booking events?

0
#15 06-10-2016 02:40PM

Absoluvely

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭

Join Date: April 2010

Posts: 1252

When I went to Finland it worked out cheaper to buy Interrail one country passes instead of train tickets from the national rail company.

0
#16 06-10-2016 02:43PM

Trev De rev

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 218 ✭✭

Join Date: February 2013

Posts: 215

frash wrote: »

Looks like the OP will be this week's winner!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057654798

No think scrooge will win that prize. Locking his doors staying inside. No heating or electricity on. Doesn't cost him a cent. And he probably will get Joe Duffy to ring him back to

0
#17 06-10-2016 03:45PM

forgodssake

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 790 ✭✭✭

Join Date: February 2012

Posts: 773

Great work OP well done !

0
#18 06-10-2016 06:03PM

uck51js9zml2yt

Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: September 2010

Posts: 17353

Would look at a overnight in Tallinn. I've done it in a day. It's a very long day. Early start with a late return.

0
#19 06-10-2016 07:03PM

JCX BXC

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,487 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: August 2013

Posts: 18240

Shannon-Rovaniemi for 4 is €3606 from Shannon with Sunway for one night!

Probably more than you'd spend on Christmas presents for years on a child!

0
#20 06-10-2016 07:06PM

deadanonymau5

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,875 ✭✭✭

Join Date: December 2010

Posts: 2645

frash wrote: »

Looks like the OP will be this week's winner!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057654798

I liked the OPs post in light of this post!

0
#21 06-10-2016 07:45PM

Quackster

Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,968 Mod ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: July 2010

Posts: 5904

Great thinking OP! Especially spending a few days in Helsiki - you won't be disappointed.

Have to agree though with the other posters that Tallinn is worth so much more than a day trip. But sure that'll just be an excuse to go back again in the summer when there are direct flights from Dublin.

0
Advertisement
#22 06-10-2016 07:59PM

spongbob

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 667 ✭✭✭

Join Date: December 2006

Posts: 598

Trev De rev wrote: »

No think scrooge will win that prize. Locking his doors staying inside. No heating or electricity on. Doesn't cost him a cent. And he probably will get Joe Duffy to ring him back to

:D:D

I spent over a grand last year on outdoor lights and LEDs..
On top of the previous years stuff.

I just don't think I'll spend 4k on a trip to santy tho , each to their own in all that

0
#23 07-10-2016 09:46AM

SarahS2013

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 348 ✭✭

Join Date: August 2013

Posts: 330

spongbob wrote: »

santy

Santa

1
#24 07-10-2016 12:07PM

Dickerty

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,872 ✭✭✭

Join Date: November 2008

Posts: 7812

SarahS2013 wrote: »

Santa

Santii in Finland, surely?

0
#25 07-10-2016 07:34PM

Trev De rev

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 218 ✭✭

Join Date: February 2013

Posts: 215

SarahS2013 wrote: »

Santa

Father Christmas?

0
#26 07-10-2016 10:41PM

JCX BXC

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,487 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: August 2013

Posts: 18240

Dublin-Rovaniemi has appeared in Ryanairs search engine. Nothing bookable yet though.

0
#27 08-10-2016 08:53AM

ImARebel

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 793 ✭✭✭

Join Date: January 2009

Posts: 764

Eh it's Santy end of...

:-D

0
#28 08-10-2016 08:13PM

spongbob

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 667 ✭✭✭

Join Date: December 2006

Posts: 598

ImARebel wrote: »

Eh it's Santy end of...

:-D

Thank you :pac:

0
#29 08-10-2016 09:13PM

ted1

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: December 2005

Posts: 23930

spongbob wrote: »

:D:D

I spent over a grand last year on outdoor lights and LEDs..
On top of the previous years stuff.

I just don't think I'll spend 4k on a trip to santy tho , each to their own in all that

Any pictures of your lights ?

0
#30 10-10-2016 09:45AM

Boards.ie: Mark

Boards.ie Employee, Boards Employee 2, Boards Employee 3 Posts: 5,461 ✭✭✭✭✭

Boards.ie Employee

Join Date: September 2016

Posts: 4877

Stonebabies wrote: »

Fly to Helsinki use Skyscanner to get the best deals, then get the overnight train to Rovaniemi (Lapland).
Get an Airbnb for sheckles.
You can visit the exact same places that tour companies visit. Santa Village is free to visit but you have to pay for each activity like husky/Reindeer sleigh rides. This is where they have the exact Santa from Portable North Pole!

Santa Park is just up the road from Santa Village, you pay to enter here €27 kids, €33 adults tickets are valid for 2 days. It's all underground in caves. Santa's post office,themed play room, visit Santa, view ice sculptures lots more to do covered in the price of admission.

The cheapest I found with a tour company was €4,046 for 1 day trip for our family of 2 adults & 5 children. I've booked it all myself for 7 nights for 7 of us including all transport, accommodation, baggage, taxes & fees for €1,826. This also includes 2 nights in Lapland, three nights in Helsinki to see the Christmas markets and a day trip across the Baltic sea to Tallinn in Estonia.

Congratulations Stonebabies who is the first winner of a €50 One4All Voucher for finding the best bargain of the week! You've filled the forum with Christmas cheer

How can I? User's guide to some features on the new site

0
Advertisement
#31 10-10-2016 06:09PM

Stonebabies

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 50 ✭✭

Join Date: November 2011

Posts: 47

Willie Quick Human wrote: »

What dates are you travelling?

December 12th -19th ðŸ˜†

0