Summer scenery in the fells

Prices: from £724 per person
Period:  1 June to 30 September 2010
7 overnights and 8 days

The sun never sets at night during summer at or above the Arctic Circle. There is almost constant daylight for some two and a half months. Towards the late July, the sun starts dipping just below the horizon for a few minutes at first and then for a couple of hours before the ‘white’ nights begin to turn darker from mid August onwards.

Lapland is a safe, stress-free place to take your holiday. Motoring in Lapland has many exotic features. In summer, you may find a herd of reindeer standing in the middle of the road. Chance exotic events apart, motoring is safe in Lapland. The roads are kept in good condition and are well marked.

Our Lapland Fly & Drive package includes accommodation with Lapland Hotels and a rented car. You can plan and book your Lapland route and accommodation before your journey or decide your route upon arrival to Rovaniemi, capital of Lapland. This package offers a lot flexibility – you can be just like the reindeer – roam free wherever you feel like; just marvel at the nightless sky, fish, hike or relax as long as you wish.

Hotel accommodation is provided all over Lapland and the daily driving distances need not be long. You can easily visit Norway, take a daytrip to Nordkapp, the northern end of Europe or to Tromsö, the Paris of the North, before returning back to Finnish Lapland for overnight. You can also take part in excursions such as a visit to a reindeer farm, go salmon fishing in the nightless night, or take a quad bike safari.

Lapland Hotels in Finland:
Levi, Ylläs, Rovaniemi, Olos, Pallas, Saariselkä, Kilpisjärvi and Hetta

Package prices

Car Cat A / VW Polo:

£724 Adult sharing a twin room
£1128 Adult in single room
£339 Child 4-14 sharing room / extra bed
£229 Child 2-3 sharing room / extra bed

Car Cat C / Golf Variant:

£829 Adult sharing a twin room
£1339 Adult in single room
£339 Child 4-14 sharing room / extra bed
£229 Child 2-3 sharing room / extra bed

Cat H / Minibus:

£1104 Adult sharing a twin room
£339 Child 4-14 sharing room / extra bed
£229 Child 2-3 sharing room / extra bed

Please note that you can purchase this package also without flights, or with flights to Helsinki and a night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Please ask for a pricelist!

What is included in the price?

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Rovaniemi
• 7 nights accommodation with breakfast in double room
• Riverboat cruise in Rovaniemi
• Car rental for 7 days (7 x 24 hours)
• All departure taxes and fees
• Road Map of Finland

Car rental includes

• Unlimited mileage
• Insurance with 950 Euros excess / minibus 1250 Euros
• 24 hour road assistance
• Deliver and pick up service in downtown area
• Airport service fee
• Value added tax 22%
• CDW Collision Damage Waiver
• THW Theft Waiver

Car rental does not include

• Petrol
• Additional driver fee 24.40 Euros per driver
• Navigation system 14.64 Euros per day
• Child seat 30.50 Euros per rental period

Please note that the minimum age is 18 years (for minibus 20 years). The driver must present a valid driving licence at the rental desk and the driving licence must have been valid for at least one year.

Delightful Karelia

Prices from £895 per person
Period: June, July, August

What would be a better way to get to know this land and its people than by driving through woods and villages, staying at farmhouses and participating in the everyday life of the host family? The tour program is also ideal for families with children!

Example itinerary

Day 1 – Helsinki
Arrive at Helsinki-Vantaa airport and make your way to the city centre. Check into your hotel and explore the summer in Helsinki.

Day 2 – Helsinki – Joensuu ( train journey 4-5 hours) – Polvijärvi
In the morning, make your way to Helsinki train station. During the very comfortable train journey you can watch the beautiful lakeland Finland going by. Families with children – do not fear the length of the journey as the Finnish Intercity trains provide playrooms for children! When arriving in Joensuu, you will pick up your hired car. In Joensuu, you can visit Carelicum right in the centre of Joensuu, next to the colourful open-air market. While the children roam around in the “Kids Street” in the Carelicum, the grown-ups will get acquainted with the exhibition of Karelia – the crossroads between East and West.

Continue to Polvijärvi, a short drive (app. 25 miles / 40 km) northwest of Joensuu.
The village is located on the shores of Lake Höytiäinen, excellent for fishing and boating. The typical Karelian landscape of rolling hills amidst the lake scenery could tell its story of habitation from the Stone Age.

Welcome dinner – a delicious home-cooked dinner – at Saarila Farmhouse. Accommodation in the main building’s guestrooms or in storehouses turned into cosy rooms.

Day 3 – Polvijärvi
After a hearty farmhouse breakfast you can participate in the everyday life on the farm, get acquainted with the house animals, try angling from a rowing boat or just enjoy the peace and tranquillity.

Suggestion for the day: Outokumpu copper mines and Valamo Monastery (app.130 km)
In Outokumpu, you can visit to the old copper mines and for children there is an adventure park. Continue to Heinävesi and see the 100-year-old Varistaipale Canal. Valamo Monastery is an active centre for the Orthodox spiritual life and culture. You are free to attend all the daily church services, look around the churches and examine their icons, and it is also possible to view the treasuresof the Orthdox Church in the monastery’s own permanent and seasonal exhibitions. The monastery even has its own berry wine which can be bought in the monastery shop. Other shopping in Heinävesi include Kermansavi – high quality ceramic pots and platters for your kitchen, local handicrafts and locally grown herbs.

Dinner and accommodation at Saarila Farmhouse.

Day 4 – Polvijärvi – Koli – Lake Pielinen – Lieksa -Vuonislahti (app. 50 miles/80 km + 1h 40min car ferry)
Koli is considered as essential part of the Finnish National Heritage, truly a national landscape. For more than 100 years, the travellers have admired the majestic scenery that opens up from the tops of Ukko-Koli and Akka-Koli hills over Lake Pielinen. Writers and painters used to come here for inspiration; the famous composer Jean Sibelius visited Lake Pielinen area during his honeymoon. In the Heritage Centre Ukko, next to Hotel Koli, one can learn about the geological history of Koli as well as stories about the famous visitors. There are also explanations about the unique nature of Koli National Park, which has numerous hiking paths.

The small Koli Village at the foot of the hill has an Arts and Crafts House with a museum of local old tools and handicraft.

In late afternoon, move across Lake Pielinen onboard the car-ferry M/F Pielinen from Koli dock to Lieksa. There is a restaurant onboard as well as panorama decks.

Accommodation is in Vuonislahti village (30 km from Lieksa harbour) at traditional Herranniemi Country Inn (rooms in main building or lofts), where dinner is served as well.

Day 5 – Vuonislahti
In Vuonislahti village, visitors get warm and sincere welcome from the locals. You can either relax, hire a rowing boat or be more active.

Suggested program for the day
The fascinating world of woodcarving can be seen in Paateri, in the atelier-studio of Eva Ryynänen (1915-2001), whose wooden sculptures have motives of children and animals, of farmers in their everyday work and of nature. Her major and most beautiful work is the unique wooden church of Paateri. Families can visit PikkuKili (”KidGoat”) Farm which hosts more than 200 domestic and wild animals in the well-kept yards of the farm.

Dinner and accommodation at Herranniemi Country Inn.

Day 6 – Vuonislahti – Ruunaa – Vuonislahti (app. 100 km driving + 4 hours white water rafting)
The 31-km long Lieksa waterway in Ruunaa has five wild rapids. The best way to get for an unforgettable adventure is to participate in a white-water rafting excursion in a traditional wooden riverboat, which is always accompanied by an experienced wilderness guide. A picnic with Karelian delicacies around a campfire in the middle of the untouched nature is part of the program.

Accommodation at Herranniemi Country Inn.

Day 7 – Lieksa – Ilomantsi – Joensuu ( app. 200 km) – Helsinki (train journey)
Follow the Eastern route close to theRussian border towards Ilomantsi over Hattuvaara , the easternmost village in Finland – and in the European Union.

In Ilomantsi the Karelian lifestyle is at its best, and the runes of Kalevala – the Finnish national epic – are still alive. In the Rune Singe’rs Cottage you will find an exhibition about Kalevala and you might even hear a recital of “kantele” players or rune singers.

Ilomantsi has the largest wooden Orthodox Church in Finland, St Elias Church (1891) which stands next to the old Lutheran church (1796). Mantsin Makie is a factory shop where one can purchase marmalades and jams made from local wild berries. You might also be tempted to try another local product: liqueurs of PeltoHermanni. Local handicrafts and textiles with traditional motives, as well as delicious traditional pies and cakes can be can be found in local shops.

From Ilomantsi return to Joensuu. Leave your hired car and board the train back to Helsinki. Check into hotel.

Day 8 – Helsinki
If you are not taking the early return flight you will have the opportunity to further explore the delights of Helsinki. Please note that additional nights in Helsinki are available.

Package prices

From London Heathrow:
£895 /adult (sharing a twin room)
£389 /child (when travelling with two adults)
£619 /child (when travelling with one adult)

Child prices are for children from 2 to 12 years old.

What is included in the price?

• Accommodation (7 nights) at farmhouses, double rooms or family rooms. In eastern Finland, the rooms do not have private facilities.
• Scheduled Blue 1 return flight between London Heathrow and Helsinki
• Second class train tickets Helsinki – Joensuu – Helsinki with seat reservation
• Car hire (Group B Ford Fiesta or similar)
• Half board from day 2 to day 7 (breakfast and lunch or dinner)
• Use of Finnish sauna at the farmhouses
• Entrance to Carelicum in Joensuu, Heritage Center Ukko in Koli and Rune singers house in Ilomantsi.
• Car ferry from Koli to Lieksa
• White water rafting and wilderness lunch at Ruunaa
• Road map and detailed route description