HOW TO VISIT FINNISH LAPLAND ON A BUDGET
A vast expanse of forests, lakes and fells blanketed in snow and ice for around half the year, Finnish Lapland boasts some of Europe’s wildest and most beautiful landscapes. Whether you fancy hurtling across the pristine Arctic wilderness on a snowmobile, gliding through it by husky sled or venturing out in search of the Northern Lights (typically visible several times every week from September through to early April), the opportunities for adventure are boundless. In summer, it transforms into a paradise for hiking, swimming and kayaking in the great outdoors, bathed in sunlight for 24 hours a day.
Much like its Nordic cousins, however, Finland has a reputation for being a relatively expensive country to visit. To an extent, it’s true – the cost of flights, accommodation, food, drinks and activities for a trip to Lapland can really pile up. It needn’t necessarily put you off visiting, though. With some careful planning and a willingness to travel independently, it’s quite possible to visit and have an amazing time without spending an eye watering amount.
Read on for our selection of handy tips on visiting Finnish Lapland on a budget.
1
Consider self-catered accommodation
There’s no getting away from the fact that eating out in Finland is generally pretty pricey, so one of the best ways to cut your costs is to book accommodation equipped with a kitchen and cook for yourself. Even if you dine in on just a couple of evenings, it’ll save you a huge amount versus eating out in restaurants every night, where a meal for one without any alcohol is likely to set you back at least €20-25 in most places.
If you’re willing to compromise on luxury and don’t mind missing out on glitzy glass igloo resorts, you’ll be able to find perfectly comfortable, self-catered apartments in the main Lappish towns from around £100 per night during winter season, and around half that in summer.
2
Use public transport
Depending on where you decide to stay, hiring a car in Lapland can certainly be useful – and it gives you maximum freedom to go as far as is necessary to hunt the Northern Lights away from the light pollution of urban centres. However, if you’re staying in (or close to) one of the main towns, such as Rovaniemi, it’s entirely possible to get around using only public transport.
Buses are extremely good value (around €2-3 per single journey), highly regular and almost always run on schedule. Rovaniemi, Kolari, Kemijärvi, Tornio and Kemi all have train stations too, which is another great alternative if you fancy travelling between different parts of the region rather than basing yourself in one place for your entire trip.
3
Buy your alcohol in supermarkets
Depending on where you decide to stay, hiring a car in Lapland can certainly be useful – and it gives you maximum freedom to go as far as is necessary to hunt the Northern Lights away from the light pollution of urban centres. However, if you’re staying in (or close to) one of the main towns, such as Rovaniemi, it’s entirely possible to get around using only public transport.
Buses are extremely good value (around €2-3 per single journey), highly regular and almost always run on schedule. Rovaniemi, Kolari, Kemijärvi, Tornio and Kemi all have train stations too, which is another great alternative if you fancy travelling between different parts of the region rather than basing yourself in one place for your entire trip.
4
Take advantage of pub happy hours
Supermarkets might be the cheapest place to buy alcohol in Finland, but for many people, part of the joy of travelling is soaking up the atmosphere in local bars and pubs. In Finland, and in other Nordic countries, many places run happy hours during which you can take advantage of half-price (or significantly discounted) drinks. I.e. only €3-4 for a beer, which becomes far more palatable than buying one at full price. These usually run from late afternoon until early evening, but specific times vary between different establishments.
5
Visit outside of peak season
Unsurprisingly, the most popular time of the year to visit Finnish Lapland is around Christmas time, as large crowds flock to experience the festive atmosphere and families with young children head to Santa Claus Village, just outside Rovaniemi. There’s obviously major appeal in visiting Lapland in December, but this is also when hotel and flight prices are at their highest – and January tends to be fairly expensive too. However, visit outside of peak season and you’ll find drastically more affordable deals on offer.
March is a particularly good month to go, as you’ll still be guaranteed loads of snow, but with more daylight hours than in the depths of winter and less bitter temperatures. Early spring is also one of the best times of the year to see the Northern Lights, with clearer skies on average and regular spikes in geomagnetic creating prime conditions for dazzling aurora displays.
6
Book your activities independently
Most Lapland resorts offer all-inclusive packages which include meals and activities alongside accommodation – and for some travellers, this is ideal in terms of minimising the need for planning. You simply turn up and pretty much everything is taken care of for the duration of your trip. The issue is, such deals aren’t cheap. A far more affordable alternative is to pick the activities you specifically want to do, and book them directly through a reputable tour operator.
In Rovaniemi and other popular towns in the region, there’s no shortage of options to choose from. Nordic Odyssey and Wild About Lapland are among the best, especially for chasing the Northern Lights, as they’ll pick you up from your accommodation, assess the weather conditions, drive you as far as is necessary and take great pictures with a professional camera. Aggregators such as Get Your Guide and Viator are also handy tools to compare prices and customer reviews between different operators.
7
Download the free Aurora Alert app
Joining a dedicated Northern Lights tour is the best way to maximise your chances of seeing the aurora borealis, but you’re probably not going to want to book one for every night of your trip, as they tend to cost in the region of £70-100 per night. So, if you want to try and see the Northern Lights without the guidance of an expert, make sure you download the Aurora Alert app. It’s free to use, and gives you real time data on the likelihood of an aurora display in your area, as well as detailed forecasts of predicted conditions. Turn the notifications on and you’ll automatically receive an alert to your phone when the Northern Lights are visible, so you can head outside and prepare to be dazzled.
8
Don’t dismiss indirect flights
Although it’s possible to fly directly to Rovaniemi from London Gatwick and various European destinations including Paris, Milan, Barcelona and Istanbul during peak season, it’s worth checking out indirect routes, as these can often work out significantly cheaper. There are multiple internal flights every day from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, as well as other Lapland airports such as Kittilä and Kemi/Tornio, which only take around an hour and 20 minutes. So, if you don’t mind a short layover en route, this could be your best option. Or, if budget and time allows, why not spend a night or two in the Finnish capital and add a short city break on to your Lapland adventure?
