A bucket list holiday to Lapland!

This was a bucket list thing and I saved all year for it, so it wasn't cheap. I will go through what me and my best friend did. This was all arranged for us by Gnome and Away Travel - they can sort the whole thing out for you - flights, transfers, trains the lot. I am aware that I could have arranged all the pieces myself, but I didn't want the hassle, and wanted it so we could just go and not worry about this and that!

We started by flying from Heathrow to Helsinki - arriving there around 13:00 - a quick train to the city centre and that gave us plenty of time to explore. I was not enamoured by Helsinki - but it was cold and I wasn't feeling a lot of walking, so we had a look around the shopping centre and spent some time in a pub on the side streets near the station.

Our overnight train, The Santa Claus Express, was due to leave about 19:30. We were at the station in plenty of time to catch the train. We got on, found our cabin - and dropped our bags and headed straight to the restaurant car - this is a wise idea as it gets busy in there! We chose to eat in the restaurant - meatballs, mash, salad and gravy - and of course - lingenberry jam!

Back to the room for sleep - and I needed it! The train was smooth but a little noisy - especially when people walk down the corridors talking loudly at night We had a room that had just a sink - there was a toilet close by and a shower as well that everyone on the lower decks used. The upper deck rooms had their own showers and toilets in their rooms.

We arrived in the morning about 07:15 and it was freezing! About -16 degrees c. We had some time to pass so wandered in to the town of Rovaniemi - we ended up in a coffee shop for some food and warmth.

Our transfer was from the airport, so we caught a bus to the airport from the station - it cost €8 each and went via Santa Claus Village. We got to the airport quite early and just sat and read for a couple of hours.

Our transfer arrived, and there were about 10 of us of the minibus - the transfer time was about 1 hour 45 minutes but the amazing countryside zooming past - trees thick in snow and ice, frozen lakes. And one thing caught me eye - a road sign with places in Russia on it! We arrived at the Northern Lights Village and checked in - it was very quick and the staff were excellent there. Everything was done for us - everything was booked that we were doing and they gave us a schedule! Our package included all food (apart from A La Carte items) which was from the buffet and it had a wide variety of items that would suit most tastes - but not if you are a super fussy eater. It is a more expensive place so the food reflects that!

The Igloo we stayed in was out of this world amazing. I have never stayed in such a place before, it was super warm, the beds were super comfortable. There was a large shower in the bathroom, a sauna, a separate toilet, under floor heating. A "fake" fire which acted as a heater, a separate air con unit which heats well. There was a fridge with some drinks and snack in - pricey be warned!

The star of the show, as you will see from the photos, is the HUGE window above the beds which look up at the sky. I was slightly worried about privacy - but when you are in bed, no one could see you in bed from outside. And if you were looking out the windows standing up, you couldn't see in to anybody else's windows. The first night we didn't see any northern lights, but we did the second night, they were feint but we still saw them.

The middle day we were there we had the whole day to do things. We were booked on the Huskies in the morning, and the reindeer in the afternoon.

Breakfast in the main eatery was amazing, there was something for everyone - cold meats, cheeses, bread, croissants, yogurts, fruit, fruit salads, scrambled eggs, sausages, baked beans etc etc. Plenty of drinks too - tea/coffee/fruit juices etc etc. And it is all you can eat as well.

We were booked on to the Husky tour and they took us down the road to the place. An extremely well run place where the dogs were all loved by their owners and extremely well looked after. And they were so excited to be pulling the sledge too! They give you instructions on how to control the sled and the dogs, and you can take it in turns with whoever you have gone with to ride in the sled or drive the sled controlling the dogs. It was very simple! 20 minutes each me and my friend got and it was absolutely 100% worth going - it was amazing!

After getting back to the Igloo place, there was plenty of time for a buffet lunch (but I had eaten so much for breakfast, I couldn't eat anything!) before the afternoon activity - the reindeer! We met at the activities hub again, and met our guide who walked us to the reindeer enclosure. This was a different pace to the huskies - much more laid back and relaxing - but still so amazing. The guide walked in front and the reindeer followed. One sleigh each in tandem - I had the reindeer that was towing the sleigh behind right next to my head most the time and it was magical!

Back to the Igloos for a warm up, then there was time for a walk to no-where in particular. There was time to do another activity, but I hadn't booked anything - all kinds of things such as cross country skiing, snowmobiles, guided walks - the list goes on. I just sat and read for a while, we had dinner and readied ourselves for the journey home.

We had a transfer booked to the airport the following morning at 08:00 which would take us to the airport at Rovaniemi. Originally, we were booked to go back to Helsinki on the overnight train again, but a change of plan at the last minute meant I had to fly back from Rovaniemi. I was kind of pleased that I did as well, as it prolongs the journey home, and the best bit by far was over so I just wanted to get back!

Now, costs...well there is little point putting what I paid as this won't be the same for everyone.

Accommodation: This was at the Northern Lights Village, Pyha. Each Igloo includes proper winter wear for everyone for free, and the package we had also included the Huskies and Reindeer. Food was included too, but not a la carte or drinks. There are so many activities you can book in addition to what you get with the package we had. The 2 night package we had is not cheap, but I PROMISE you it is worth it 100%. I would recommend staying longer than 2 nights - I found that one extra day would have been perfect.

So, it took me a year to save up for this, but it was so worth it. I had to make a last minute alteration and Gnome and Away sorted it with no problem. Do it at least once - it is something you will never forget and the memories will stay with you forever.

Michael Cracknell, founder, Extreme Day Trips, A Few Days Away... Facebook groups.