short break to lapland

I have posted this in the main Finland forum but think I should of posted it here as I might get a better response

We are thinking of taking our 2 children aged 6 %26amp; 4 to Lapland mid Dec.

We have looked at a few companies who arrange these trips and would like advice on which is the best resort to go to, The selections is Levi, Rovaniemi, Yllas and Saariselka.

We would prefer to be in a village where there are some shops, stalls etc so a central hotel is a must as we don%26#39;t want to worry about getting taxi%26#39;s.

One suggestion so far has been the santa claus hotel in Rovaniemi.

Any help on this subject would be most appreicated

thanks.

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Santa Claus hotel in Rovaniemi is of a good standard and extremely centrally located. However Rovaniemi is not a village, it is an university town of ca. 35000 people, so if you expect something villagey, you might be disappointed.

Saariselkä might be a good choice for you - the resort is planned so that all amenities should be within walking distance.

http://www.saariselka.fi/index.php?la=en

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I would second saariselka - it%26#39;s a lovely small town with everything within walking distance - however - I am not sure how many companies are doing shorter breaks there but inghmas do week long stays and you will find them much cheaper (even with all the santa stuff/trips) than the shorted organized trips

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Levi is brilliant def our favourite. Great kids area with free sledges, bum boards etc for them to play with - very close to main ski area. Lots of places to venture to around the slopes %26amp; the frequent ski bus gets you there. The villiage is really nice %26amp; we preferred this to Saariselka%26#39;s villiage but why don%26#39;t you look at all the websites %26amp; see what tales your fancy:

www.levi.fi

www.yllas.fi

www.saariselka.fi

www.rovaniemi.fi

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Hi there,

I have been to lapland twice and am about to go a third time this December. Lapland is a simply beautiful place and a chance to be a child again (if you want). Santa really is here!

Our first visit was to Rovaniemi which was lovely with the arcitic circle crossing and nearby santa village and santa park. Your kids will love that! They can post their letters to santa at his very own post office.

Our last visit was to yllas as I fell in love with it there as it was out in the sticks and more rugged. Reindeers wandered around the snowy covered roads. I preferred Yllas as I liked the winter wonderland look which i felt we got here more than Rovaniemi. We stayed at the Snow princess hotel which was great and cosy. catered for everything we needed. As your kids are quite young i would suggest you taking a look at First Choices offers to the snowy wilderness hotel in Pallas as it is all inclusive and includes carol singing around a camp fire, all your drinks and much more for kids.

This year we ate returning to the Snow princess which I hasten to add is a great hotel (all be it basic) and they have santa academy for your kids!

other possible places to look for trops could be

bath travel

canterbury travel (seem very expensive compared to first choice!)

Cosmos

Emagine

and many more!

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Thanks for all your reply%26#39;s. I think we are going to opt for Levi as this seems to have the christmasy thing going on and also sledging etc.

I have looked at some reviews of hotels on here but are quite mixed. Does anyone know what the crazy reindeer is like? we would like to be central in the village and would prefer to stay at a hotel rather than a lodge.

Thanks in advance.

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Hi Poppy I stayed at the crazy reindeer hotel last year with a five year old, it%26#39;s in a great location with a small selection of shops, cafes and of course kids land all within easy walking distance. The general standard of the hotelwas very good, the room we stayed in was a bit %26#39;tired looking%26#39; but the whole hotel and rooms were clean and very comfortable. The hotel staff were friendly and helpfull, have decided to have a change this year but I wouldn%26#39;t hesitate to stay at the Crazy Reindeer again. If you read the reviews I think most of them are positive.

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We still haven%26#39;t decided which resort to go to i%26#39;m swaying back to Rovaniemi Santa claus hotel, not sure if this is good or bad.

We probably will book the 4 night stay now as the flights go on a wednesday so my children only miss 3 days of school. If we get the flight on the Sunday it doesn%26#39;t come back till late Wednesday night so the children would probably need the Thursday of school and the school get funny about taking time off. I know it%26#39;s a one off and I don%26#39;t usually pull them out of school but I think it will be worth it to see their little faces light up.

Any thoughts on Santa claus hotel would be gladly accepted

thanks

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There has been a lack of snow in Rov some years - the further north you go the better the snow conditions -

No point going all that way and you panicing about the conditions before hand,

Shell

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Yes Shell- The one thing you need SNOW !! You are correct and I know some people who went to Roveneimi and there was not enough snow - the sleds for huskis had wheels! If I was paying a lot of money I would travel further north and make sure there was snow-

I remember that year,as it was our first time to Lapland I expected no snow! only to find it waist deep in Yllas!

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Thanks for your replies I hadn%26#39;t really thought about the snow I was thinking more of the amenties but really without snow then the amenties might not be very good especially Husky%26#39;s with no sledge.

So would Levi be a better option?

Thanks