ESN Lund & ESN Malmö Trip TO NORTHERN LAPLAND

Transcription

1 ESN Lund & ESN Malmö Trip TO NORTHERN LAPLAND Discover the magical Lapland in the Northernmost skiresort in Europe- Saariselkä, Finland. Experience the Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi, a reindeer farm hosted by saami people, the beautiful Arctic landscape and if you are lucky, the Northern lights! There is a variety of winter sports you can try snowshoes, skiing, husky sledding, snowmobile driving, ice karting, swimming in the Arctic ocean and all this with student discounted prices! The group will accommodate in athmospheric cottages on the slope of the Kaunispää-mountain. This is one of the most popular student trips in Finland, so do hurry to sign-up! BUS TRIPS TO LAPLAND Priced from (students) Prices from (adults) Trips to Lapland, destination Saariselkä With default accomm. With default accomm. From Helsinki (student price) 275 / p.p. 295 / p.p. From Copenhagen (with flight ticket + 2 pieces of luggage of max 20 kg per piece per person) 435 / p.p. 455 / p.p. Including: A round trip by bus to Rovaniemi & Saariselkä from the departure place Accommodation 8-10 person cabins 4 nights (see page 3) Visiting the Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi Visit of the reindeer farm + a short reindeer safari Visit of the Ranua Wildlife Park Guide-services in Lapland For extra: Catering, meals, breakfasts Extra activities as described in the default itinerary See the route in Google maps here >>>>

2 PRELIMINARY ITINERARY PRICES FOR THE OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES ARE ON PAGE 3 DAY 1 DEPARTURE Tuesday :30 Check-in at the Kastrup airport (CPH). Everyone will be sent personal booking code 2 pieces of luggage of max 20 kg per piece per person is included in the price! 20:30 Norwegian flight DY3160 leaves to Helsinki (arrival in Helsinki-Vantaa airport at local time) Departure from Helsinki Train Station charter bus departure from Mikonkatu 17, direction Hesinki Airport! 23:30 Bus departure from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Lapland (as soon as the whole group is together) There will be gas station stops every 2-3 hours. Gas stations are big, have several bathrooms, stores and restaurants. Please notice that only euros and credit cards are accepted. DAY 2 Wednesday ARRIVAL IN LAPLAND 08:00 A coffee break in a gas station, time for breakfast 10:00 Meeting the Polar Bear and other animals at Ranua Wildlife Park 12:30 Departure from Ranua Wildlife Park to shopping trip 13:30 Buying your groceries for the week during shopping trip to the Citymarket Mall in Rovaniemi 15:00 20:00 Meeting with Santa at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. Arrival in Saariselkä. Briefing and lodging in cabins. Free time for sauna DAY 3 OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES HUSKY AND SNOWMOBILE SAFARIS, DOWNHILL SKIING 09:30 Meeting at the cabins, transportation to the Husky and Snowmobile activity 10:00 Husky Safari (65 ), over all duration with briefing, kennel tour etc. 1,5 hour. after this transportation back to cottages or to snow mobile 12:00 Snowmobile Safari 69. Duration about 1 h. 13:30 End of activities. Free time for example for DOWNHILL SKIING 3 hrs (2 hour ticket+gear 30, 3 hour 40, 5 hour 50 ) Paid to skiresort. In order to get this discounted price, please say Aikamatkat when paying for the ski pass and the gear. Slopes open daily ! 19:00 You can relax the rest of the evening in the Saariselkä SPA, which contains several pools, yacuzzis and different saunas. SPA is open daily DAY 4 OPTIONAL ACTIVITY -TOUR OF THE ARCTIC OCEAN 07:00 Departure from the cottages Crossing the border to Norway. Near ocean coast we continue to village Bugoynes (60 min break, possibility to swim in the ocean). A soup lunch inclusive in a local cafeteria. Back to Finland, last break in Näätämö village (shopping). 20:00 Arrival back to Saariselkä. Free time. DAY 5 REINDEER FARM - OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES - SPORTS DAY & ICE KARTING 10:00 Departure from the cottages by bus to the starting point. The program includes a two hour trek by skiing and snow-shoeing + a soup lunch. End of the program by Transportation back to cottages 14:30 Departure from the cottages to ICE KARTING :00 Reindeer farm visit and BBQ on open fire. During this program we will visit the reindeer farm and learn more about the saami culture. You will have possibility to grill sausages on open fire and you can also bring your own goods for barbecue. (Normal sausages are inclusive) 20:00 End of the program, free time. 23:00 Get-together party in Tunturihotel Night club (until 3.00). Free entrance, cloak room 3. DAY 6 SUNDAY DEPARTURE HOME 11:00 Check-out. You must clean the cabins and wash the dishes! 11:30 Check-out from the cabins, bus transportation to the Saariselkä center 12:00-17:00 Free time for own activities, you can go shopping, dining, sledding, SPA, downhill skiing. No structured activies. 18:00 Departure from the Holiday Club for home journey. Gas station stop at in Rovaniemi for 45 minutes. DAY 7 MONDAY Arrival at Helsinki (around 5.30am) Flight HKI-CPH DY3161 Departure time 07.00am (arrival 7.40am)

3 ACTIVITIES DURING THE TRIP SAARISELKÄ SKIRESORT & DOWNHILL SKIING or TELEMARK or SNOW BOARD (35 / 2h, 45 / 3h) The Saariselkä village locates beside the Saariselkä fell region and Urho Kekkonen national park. It's one of the most popular and exotic ski resorts of Finland. There are six slopes for downhill skiing / telemark or snowboarding but there are several other activities to be chosen from (husky and snowmobile safari).the landscapes, they are simply breathtaking! Timetravels students will get discounted rates, by mentioning Aikamatkat at the entrance of the ski resort. 2 hour gear rental and ski resort ticket is 35 / 3 hour 45. THE BEST PLACE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Saariselkä locates in the polar zone, where Aurora Borealis is most active in Scandinavia. According to the statistics, it's visible 200 days during the active season, from September to April. This means at least a 80 % possibility for their appearance. Only thing which can prevent you from seeing the Northern lights is cloudy weather. However, during the week a possibility of a cloudless night is pretty good. If you want to see a forecast for polar lights, check The Space Weather Prediction Center websites. THE SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE (inclusive) Have you ever dreamt of meeting the REAL Santa, who actually lives in Rovaniemi? It's possible in Santa's village, Joulupukin pajakylä,right on the crossing point of the arctic circle. In the Village you can take pictures with the SANTA, cross the magical Arctic circle, visit the restaurants, buy souvenirs, send post cards from the Santa s official post office and have a lunch (we recommend SHELL gas station across the street).duration 2h. THE SPORTS DAY (65 ) Wilderness guides will teach you the basics of cross country skiing, and hiking on snow shoes in the beautiful fell area. Overall duration of the program is 4-5 hours. The program includes a lunch. TOUR OF THE ARCTIC OCEAN (47,50 ) During this guided day bus tour you will learn more about the arctic nature, three sámi cultures and Finnish kven culture located in the Bygoenes village on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. In addition, you will see breathtaking landscapes, have a chance to walk on the shore of the Arctic ocean and even swim there. You have also a possibility to taste a salmon sandwich in local restaurant. The tour is about 550 km in total and takes about 8 hrs.

4 THE REINDEER FARM (inclusive) There's a reindeer farm hosted by saami people on the other side of the mountain. During the excursion you will learn more about reindeers and also feed them. Afterwards you can have a ride on a reindeer sleigh. Finally, you will have a pleasant coffee break in a Lappish hut. THE SNOWMOBILE SAFARI 1 h (69 ) You do not need a driver's licence for this, but previous driving experience is recommended. The price is given for a shared snowmobile (2 persons), each can drive about 30 minutes. The route takes you to the top of the fell through beautiful landscapes. Please mind that the self risk (deductible*) is 600 if the snowmobile is damaged during the excursion. (*The part of the damage, which is not compensated by the insurance company and has to be paid by the client). THE HUSKY SAFARI 1,5 hrs (65 ) Siberian huskies and cheerful and strong dogs those really like to pull the sledge! After a short instruction lesson the huskies will take you for a tour through the snowy landscapes. The sledge is shared for two people, each can drive about 20 min. After the safari you will enjoy a warm snack and tea in the base camp. ICE KARTING (35 ) Ice karting is fun and suits everyone. You can either drive at your own pace or take part in a playful contest. The high-performance cars with studded tyres ensure that even the most daring of drivers can test their limits and see how hard the snowbanks are. HUSKY TRIP +SNOW MOBILE +SPORTS DAY ALL IN ON DEAL 165 Want to choose the highlights of this trip? If you book husky, snowmobile and sports day program in one package you will get it in deal price 165 (norm. price save up to 30!) RANUA WILDLIFE PARK (inclusive) In Ranua Wildlife Park you can observe the arctic animals throughout the year, in an as authentic environment for the animals as possible. In the winter, the wildlife park is an entirely special experience. For many of the animals, the arctic winter is the time when they are in their most natural element, and they can be easily observed in the snowy nature. The park consists of approximately 50 wild animal species and 200 individuals.

5 ACCOMMODATION OPTION # 1-LOG CABINS Two bed rooms, living room with fire place, sauna, shower, bathroom, tv, radio, cd-player, kitchenette, coffee machine, microwave oven, dishwasher. Wood for the fireplace is inclusive. PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COTTAGE DISH WASHER Please see, that the tap is switched on, otherwise the dishwasher will not start the program SAUNA In order to heat the sauna, please notice that the white numbers start sauna heating immediately. You can choose how long the sauna is on (1-4 hrs). You can also program the sauna to be heated by using numbers the dark numbers (1-10 hrs). The other switch must be set to maximum in order to get the sauna hot! NEXT PAGE ACCOMMODATION #2 HOT WATER BOILER There is a hot water boiler, which can heat up 200 liter water at once. Do not take too long showers using all the water at once, or else the rest will have to wait about 1 h for hot water. LOCKED YOURSELF OUT? You can get a new key from the PANIMO reception, which is open until 2 AM. Panimo locates opposite to the Holiday Club SPA. NORTHERN LIGHT GAZING The Northern lights have been visible many nights just above the cottages. However, if you want to take a walk to the hill, walk left (up) from the bus parking place and walk as long as there will be a pedestrian path traffic sign. Eventually you will arrive to the top of the hill.

6 ACCOMMODATION OPTION #2 (COTTAGES VUORSA, HIRVAS & KERMIKKÄ ETC) High quality wooden cottages on the Southern Slope of Mountain Kaunispää, 1 km from the Saariselkä centre, close to Panimo log cabins. Kitchen, living room, two bed rooms, upstairs, bathroom and sauna. Equipment Dishes for 8-16 people Dish washer Fridge and freezer Stove NEXT PAGE GENERAL INFORMATION Microwave oven Microwave oven, foffee machine and toaster Washing machine and drying closet TV, Radio, Cd-player Fire place and wood For lost keys, problems with cottages etc. please call to your tour guide OR contact the maintenance:

7 NEXT PAGE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GENERAL INFORMATION GROCERIES For grocery shopping we recommend Tarmo (9-20) or K- market Kuukkeli (9-21). Prices are the same like elsewhere in Finland, but assortment contains a lot of Lappish specialities. CROSS -COUNTRY SKIING SPA, RESTAURANT, ANGRY BIRDS THEME CLUB AND NIGHT CLUB PUB SLEDDING SOUVENIRS EATING OUT SKI RESORT DOCTOR AND EMERGENCY You can rent cross-country skis (and other equipment e.g. snow shoes) in RIEKONLINNA HOTEL, Lapin Safarit shop. ( ) Holiday club offers services for leisure gym, spa, saunas, restaurants and night club RAIKU. SPA is open daily until end of November and from from December, restaurant until If you want to meet the locals, we can recommend you the local pubs PANIMO (open 10-02) and TEERENPESÄ ( ) Sledding is fun and doesn t cost anything. Get free toboggans from Holiday Club SPA and enjoy the Europe s longest sledding hill (1,3 km) You can find interesting souvenirs at affordable pricee in Hippupuoti -shop located in Siula.( ) Reindeer dishes are probably the most traditional Lappish food. Stewed reindeer comes with smashed potatoes and lingonberry jam it costs /portion depending on the place. For lunch we recommend K- market kuukkeli (around 8 ) with student card 10 % discount. Ski resort is opened at After this it is open daily until Could be closed if it gets too cold (-30 degrees) or when the wind is too strong. For gear rental use password Timetravels/ Aikamatkat in order to get student discounted rates! Nearest health centre is located in village IVALO, 30 km away from Saariselkä. Few times a week doctor is available in Saariselkä too. Timetravels staff will help you with the transportation and arranging doctor s appointment. Costs for treatment are usually to be covered by the client or client s personal insurance card, unless it is due to accident during an activity (insurances of service providers covers these cases in most of the case). In case of sickness, accident etc. please call ANY

8 TIME your guide or Timetravels hotline In very urgent cases call 112 ( emergency number) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q: Are there any meals included? A: In order to get the trip price as low as possible, we stay in cottages with selfcatering. Lunches or breakfasts are not inclusive. There are good kitchen facilities in every cabin and groceries are not more expensive than in Southern Finland. Good way to save in costs is to buy everything together with the people you are a sharing your cabin with. Activities such as Artic Ocean tour and Sports day include a warm lunch. Q: We are a group of 8 people, can we stay in the same cabin? Should we book the trip together? A: All rooming wishes will be taken into consideration during the bus trip. You are given the room list in the bus, where you can put your name. If you want to do the activities together, you must be in the same cabin and bus. Q: I would like to make changes to my booking (add excursions). Should I do it now our is it possible to add them during the trip? A: All the activities should be purchased online and later bookings cannot be guaranteed. Q: Would it not be possible to do all the activities together? Why do we have to split up in groups? A: In order to give you best guidance and smooth service, you need to be divided in groups maximum 25 people. Otherwise the programs will mean more waiting, which is quite inconvenient if there is -25 C outside! Q: What should I bring with me? A: At least the following: Warm clothes Bedlinen or sleeping bag Swimming suit + towel (unless you want to do it the Finnish way) Anything else you may need during the trip, money, medicine etc. Student card for discounts Cash or credit card for program payments

9 Q: What if there is no snow? A: The reason why we use Saariselkä and Inari as our main destinations, is the fact that with high possibility there is plenty of snow there starting from the beginning of November. However, we cannot take responsibility for the weather conditions. If the snow depth will not allow to perform some activity, we will offer a substitute or possibility to have full refund for it. Q: Should I go to Lapland in fall or spring semester? A: Spring semester is of course more enjoyable towards spring there will be more snow and more sunlight. All activities take place 100 %. Due to its popularity, the spring semester is slightly more expensive but not much. If you can choose, we recommend travelling in February, March or early April. During fall semester there is a small risk of having not enough snow and the short period of daylight makes it own restrictions to the program. Q: What if the flight company cancels my flight prior to departure? If you have booked your flight tickets via Timetravels and the flight is cancelled or rescheduled so, that the delay with the replacing flight would be more than 5 hours, we are responsible to: 1. Refund the cost of the flight ticket +the trip if you would like to cancel your reservation 2. Alternatively, offer replacing trip with the next flight (if available), depending on the rescheduling possibilities of the flight company we have used. 3. Ask flight company to arrange hotel accommodation if the trip is postponed by one day 4. If the flight company cancels the flight without a proper force-majeure reason, such as terrorist attack, strike or weather conditions etc. you are entitled to seek for compensation directly from the flight company (250 ) using EU aviation authorities. If you have booked the flight ticket on your own, Timetravels is not responsible for refunding costs for cancelled flight, a missed package tour or covering costs for postponing, rescheduling or any other possible costs. Q: What if I want to cancel my trip? Please read the cancellation terms from the following link: p_tours.html

10 Special terms regarding weather conditions in Lapland Saariselkä is the most snow secure of Finnish ski resorts thanks to its Northern location on high terrain. Quite often the first snow falls already in October. Snow conditions and global climate change are unfortunately beyond our power, and that is why we cannot give 100 % snow guarantee. Complete lack of snow is highly unlikely to happen, (has not happened yet) but in case of poor snow depth, some activities may not be able to be performed. In this case those activities will be refunded in full or you will have possibility to book a replacing activity. Whatever the snow situation will be, Lapland is always worth travelling! Snow depth does not affect following activities: 1. Trip to the Arctic Ocean and Norway 2. Visiting Santa Claus village 3. Visiting Arktikum museum 4. Cross country skiing (there is a ski track of 2,5 km since October) 5. Visiting the Reindeer farm (it may be not possible to ride on reindeer sleigh, but this will be replaced with soup lunch and the informational part of the tour will be more extensive) 6. Seeing the Northern lights. Should there be clear nights according to the forecast, chances seeing the Northern lights are really high. (Please remember that this cannot be promised). Inadequate snow depth may cancel following activities: 1. Husky safari (should this happen, you get your money back for this activity) Husky safari does not need that much snow in order to be organized. For huskies it is also possible to pull sleighs with wheels. If there is not so much snow, the route for the husky ride may be simplified or shortened. 2. Snowmobile safari. For safety reasons this activity needs a lot of snow. However, this activity can be replaced with AVT:s. 3. Ice Karting may not be possible, unless it will get cold enough to freeze the track. Snow depth and weather conditions is not a proper reason for tour cancellation or date change. Snow depth can be followed from the Finnish Meteorological institute