Laplandand Northern Finland |
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Holidays in Lapland & Northern Finland - general information
For one of the most comprehensive choices of Lapland holiday options to, and within, Finnish Lapland look no further than Emagine’s Lapland holidays.
To whet your appetite we have on our Lapland holiday web pages highlighted a selection of the exciting and varied Lapland holiday possibilities we have to offer.
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Why choose Emagine?
Emagine is an independent direct sell specialist tour operator and being direct sell means that you speak and communicate directly with us. It also means better value, as you do not have to pay an additional amount in the selling price for having an intermediary involved. The reputation of Emagine is well established in this part of the world and is built on service, quality, customer satisfaction and value for money. We operate year round to Finland and have a wealth of experience; our Managing Director first visited Lapland in 1972 and has been arranging visits since 1981. This gives us an intimate knowledge of the resorts we feature and the expertise required to offer the holidays featured in this brochure. We are happy to be able to offer a personal and knowledgeable service that only comes from being a specialist and from having first hand experience. We encourage you to contact our reservations team to discuss your travel plans at length so they can make recommendations to ensure you have the ideal itinerary.
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Currency
Finland’s currency is the Euro. It is possible exchange currency at banks and certain UK bank cards also allow you to withdraw currency from ATM machines throughout the country. Credit cards are widely accepted, even in taxis, throughout Finland.
Getting to Finland
Finnair services operate daily from London Heathrow and Manchester to Helsinki. Blue 1 operates daily from London Heathrow, and SAS offers connections from various UK airports via Copenhagen or Stockholm to Helsinki and Finnish Lapland.
Both Finnair and Blue 1 operate from Helsinki to airports in Finnish Lapland.
Emagine operates its own non-stop charter programme from London Gatwick during December which also includes the air services for New Year.
Break your journey in Helsinki whatever the season
If considering one of our packages to Lapland or Northern Finland why not also have a few days in Finland’s beautiful capital, Helsinki. We will be delighted to help you to break your outbound or return journey for a day or two, for further details please go to our Helsinki page.
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Emagine activity ratings
Throughout Lapland and northern Finland an amazing range of activities is on offer whatever time of year you choose to visit. To help you when choosing a destination we have graded each location activity by activity with marks out of five. Please note that the activities are graded based on the personal experience and opinion of the team at Emagine, it is not an official grading.
Safaris
Safari organisers hold the driver of a snowmobile responsible in case of any damage to the vehicle for the first €505 - €550. We would advise that extra care should be taken by the driver.
Please note that in Finland the same drink and driving regulations that apply to cars also apply to snowmobiles. It is an exact limit of 0.5% alcohol in the blood. Please be aware that at times police do stop and breathalyse snowmobilers and penalties do apply.
You may be asked to present a valid driving licence before heading out on a snowmobile safari.
Children will be seated in snowmobile pulled sleighs, driven by the safari guides and teens can sit on the back of an adults snowmobile. Similar guidelines will also apply to the handling of a husky team.
Passports and Visas
British visitors to Finland require a valid 10 year passport but do not require visas for a stay of up to 3 months.
Seasons and daylight hours
Part of the appeal of Finland is its exotic climate, especially winter and its extreme daylight hours.
Finland has a very short spring and autumn. The parks in Helsinki start to turn green in May with the north of the country almost a month behind that, often having snow on the ground well into May.
Nature quickly catches up thanks to the amazing long days with the sun above the horizon for 19-20 hours in Helsinki and not setting at all for days on end in the north. Autumn arriving in September is short but very sweet, an ideal time for hiking. True winter arrives in November and with it, certainly in the north, snow. Days shorten dramatically by December to 6 hours daylight in Helsinki and 4 hours in the north only to immediately start to draw out again at up to an amazing 7 minutes a day in Lapland.
Climate
Finland’s dry climate means whatever the season it always feels warmer than indicated on the thermometer. As with most locations in Northern Europe from Spring to Autumn you should pack layers of clothing and go prepared for all types of weather to make the most of your visit. In summer (Jun – Aug) Helsinki and even the north can enjoy temperatures of approximately 20ºC with a relatively low rainfall. Winter brings a dramatic change with average temperatures of –3ºC in Helsinki in January and –10ºC and below in Lapland.
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Amazing Activities
Husky Safaris
This is one of the most exhilarating ways to experience this winter wonderland, there is just nothing to compare it to in the UK. At all of our locations we can arrange a husky safari for you, you just have to decide the duration. We offer everything from an hour to a week. Whatever distance you choose you will be left with a memory of a life time. For those seeking long husky adventures look at Harriniva and Finn Jann.
Snowmobiling Safaris
For many of the locals snowmobiles are a necessity allowing them to check on reindeer, get deep into the forest for logging and to reach isolated cabins during the long winters. For visitors, following instruction, they are an exciting way to explore with a guide kilometres of trails through the snow covered forests, along frozen rivers and to the top of the highest fells. Snowmobiles carry up to two adults comfortably and children travel in sleighs pulled by the guides snowmobile.
An excellent way to go in search of the Northern Lights is by taking an evening snowmobile safari.
Reindeer Safaris
While travelling around the region you often see reindeer that are free to roam and feed but to learn more about them and to see them up close we suggest a visit to a reindeer farm. Reindeer herders and their families usually run the reindeer farms, some are Sami, the indigenous Lapland inhabitants who still rely on reindeer for their livelihood and income. You will be invited to take a short reindeer ride, longer rides can be arranged, and have a hot drink while hearing more about reindeer husbandry and history of the local people.
Skiing Holidays
There is an amazing network of cross-country trails through out Northern Finland and Lapland to meet the needs of the Finns who just love to ski. Where ever you go you will find in excess of 200km of marked trails, stretches nearer the resorts are often illuminated so you can still have fun on even the shortest days. Along the trails you will find wilderness huts and cafes to enjoy a warming drink and to rest.
Downhill skiing is available on the gentle fells all over the region. While they are maybe not enough of a challenge to make skiing the main focus for experienced skiers they are ideal for beginners and for those wanting to take a few hours out of a multi activity break. Snowboarding is extremely popular in Finland with many of the resorts offering excellent snowboard facilities. Iso-Syöte, Luosto, Saariselkä and Harriniva all have slopes close by.
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