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With the festivities in full swing, parents across the nation are busy planning trips with the kids to visit Lapland UK, but one mum booked the real deal in Finland and saved £500

Lapland in Finland is one of the magical destinations during this time of year, offering visitors the chance to meet Father Christmas, witness the Northern Lights, and feed reindeer among the enchanting snow-covered landscape.

One parent has booked a trip to Finland for an extra touch of jolly merriment and managed to save a whopping £500 – making it cheaper than a visit to Lapland UK.

Ahead of the festivities, Jen Carr, 36, from Nottinghamshire, was originally planning a trip to the UK-based winter wonderland with her six-year-old son, her friend and their son, having previously visited Finland with her family. However, as she was looking into prices, she discovered that a trip to the UK destination in either Ascot or Manchester could set them back a whopping £1,100.

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Jen told the Mirror: “I was asking on my socials how much people were spending on Lapland UK because I know it can be quite competitive to get certain tickets, and the prices get ridiculous. A few families told me that they’d spent over £1,000 on Lapland UK, just for the day ticket and a hotel.”

Determined not to let the expense ruin their Christmas plans, Jen thought: “Surely you can go to the real Lapland for that?” This led the mum-of-two to research cheap flights on Skyscanner to Lapland, Finland, from various locations in the UK and for different dates in December.

Jen discovered that the cheapest airports to fly from were Birmingham and London Stansted. She booked direct, return flights from Stansted to Finland, departing on Monday, 15 December, for £103 per person (£412 in total), with hand luggage only.

While the group of four will need to drive two and a half hours to the airport from Nottinghamshire, they’ve managed to find a hack to save even more money. “We found somebody’s drive that we can park on rather than having to pay for airport parking, and they’re going to drop us off at the airport,” Jen explained.

With the flights booked, Jen looked into accommodation options for a two-night stay. “As we’re booking late, a lot of the accommodation in the little city, Rovaniemi, where everybody stays, was pretty much booked up, so it’s really, really expensive,” she explained.

“But we were able to find a room at a reindeer farm, which is about an hour’s drive from Rovaniemi, and it was super cheap.” The room cost £187 for two adults and two children, for a two-night stay.

“Whereas in this little city that everybody goes to, it was around £2,000 for two nights, like really insane prices,” Jen added. As they are staying an hour away from the main Lapland area, they looked into a car hire and booked one for £147. This will also see them drive from the Finland airport to the reindeer farm.

“We thought, it’s in the middle of nowhere, so it’s going to be forestry and snowy. There are going to be reindeer there, and we might even see the northern lights because it’s in the middle of nowhere. We thought that, actually, a lot of it would be free, and we could go sledging as they have sledges there. So we’re not going to have to spend a huge amount.” Jen added that the four of them will be sharing one room, which also features a small kitchenette where they can cook their own meals, and there will be a shared bathroom.

“Most people will just look into staying in Rovaniemi, but looking further out, it’s probably going to be quite nice. It won’t be as busy or touristy.”

In terms of what they’ll get up to during their stay, Jen explained that they’ll arrive quite late in the day.

“So we have the full day, and then we have a morning before we fly home in the afternoon. W’re going to see what there is to do around where we’re staying, do some sledging and feed the reindeer. Then I think we’ll drive to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi,” she continued.

“I’ve been before, so I’m familiar with the area. It’s free to go in, you can go sledging, there are some playgrounds, and it’s quite cheap with lots of little activities. You can see Santa Claus for free there, which we’ll do in Santa Claus Village.”

To keep the costs even lower, they’re going to do a little supermarket shop for their meals, making sandwiches or noodles for lunch and pasta in the evenings. The savvy mum added. “We’re also taking our own marshmallows to toast because there are lots of open fires where you can toast marshmallows, but they’re really expensive to buy there.

“Hot chocolates are also really expensive there, so we’re going to take some flasks and our own hot chocolate to make before we go out. Then we can just sit around a little fire with some hot chocolate and marshmallows, and it won’t cost us anything.”

The saving hacks allowed them to pay just £149 per person, including flights and two nights’ accommodation, which is cheaper than many Lapland UK day out tickets. During their winter getaway to Lapland, their only other costs are expected to be petrol for the hire car, their supermarket shop and a few activities.

Offering advice to others looking to save on their next getaway, Jen shared: “It’s research and being a bit flexible, being willing to step out of the box a little bit and go a bit further afield. Maybe travel from an airport that isn’t the closest one to you and try to travel without luggage, because once you add checked-in luggage, you’re adding hundreds of pounds onto the trip. Then just think about the little costs that would add up, like the hot chocolate and the marshmallows, or take a packet of noodles or two. It’s all the little bits that you can save on.”

Jen Carr, family travel expert and founder of The Travel Mum, shares the best affordable holiday deals for families throughout the week on her website. You can also read Jen’s e-book.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email [email protected]

In a social media world where fights between players in the handshake line, fights among fans in the bleachers and fights in the locker room always seem to receive the most clicks and attention, let’s hope a simple act of sportsmanship and kindness from Saturday’s South Gate-Dorsey football playoff game goes viral.

After South Gate won the City Section Division I semifinal 28-20, several Dorsey players were distraught.

The winning quarterback, junior Michael Gonzalez, heard a strange sound while shaking hands.

“I heard someone crying,” he said. “I looked to my right and saw two players, one I knew and one I didn’t.”

He went over to console both. The player he didn’t know, William Smith of Dorsey, was resting on one knee, head down, helmet off.

Gonzalez said he told him, “There’s more to life than just football. You got college. Keep your head up. It was a good game.”

Losing a semifinal game is tough. But winning and acting with class and respect also can be tough.

Asked where he learned about sportsmanship, Gonzalez said, “It’s what I was taught by my mom and coaches. Be a good person no matter what.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

A travel enthusiast shared the simple hack she uses to avoid paying for extra luggage on flights

Nobody wants to pay for extra luggage on a flight, and yet passengers often find themselves forking out when they overpack their bags. For many holidaymakers, it’s all too easy to overload a suitcase, especially if you’re travelling in winter, when you need to pack many layers.

From knitted jumpers to padded coats, winter packing involves lots of bulky items. Fortunately, a frequent flyer has shared a ‘simple’ suitcase hack that ‘will change the way you travel’ in winter. Posting on TikTok under the username @ourhappypassports, travel lovers Aishani and Bhavya often post about their holidays, and the couple recently revealed a packing hack ideal for winter.

In a video shared this week, the couple demonstrated how they pack multiple ‘fluffy winter jackets’ in their luggage without paying extra. The caption said: “This simple packing hack will change the way you travel this winter.

“No more sitting on your suitcase, no more paying for extra luggage — just a smart trick that lets you carry multiple jackets without the bulk. Perfect for those chilly Europe or mountain trips where you want options — without dragging another bag.”

In the clip, @ourhappypassports revealed they use a ‘simple’ packing method to compress their coats and save space in their luggage. To use the method, simply roll the bottom of your coat inside out, then tuck the sleeves and hood inside the pouch and fold the rest of the jacket inside as well.

As seen in the video, the folded jacket only takes up half the space you’d otherwise use inside your suitcase. The tip proved popular with social media users. The video racked up over 50k views.

Reacting to the video, one commenter said: “I fold them into the hood or the pocket.” @ourhappypassports replied: “I do that too, but some are too fluffy for that!!” Someone else asked: “Have you tried the compression bags and if so what are your thoughts on it?”

The reply read: “Yup, they crease the jackets too much!!” Nonetheless, compression bags are popular with many travellers. Using packing cubes, storage bags, and similar items can help passengers reduce the size of their luggage, whether they are used for storing jackets or other clothing items.

For travel enthusiasts seeking options, most budget retailers offer a selection of travel accessories. For instance, Home Bargains stocks a £4.99 TravelShop Travel Cubes Pack Of 3.

The product description states: “These travel cubes are rectangular-shaped fabric containers that help keep clothes and other travel essentials neatly packed and easily accessible during trips.

“The pack of 3 contains three individual travel cubes. Each cube comes in a different size, allowing you to separate and organise different types of items within your suitcase or travel bag.”

A frequent traveller has shared his top tips for anyone heading off on a city break – and it’s all about the luggage you use

When you’re jetting off on an autumn city break, there’s one crucial travel hack you absolutely must know about. If you’re not a regular flyer, you might assume the smartest way to pack is with a suitcase – but you’d be completely wrong.

Actually, one seasoned traveller is encouraging everyone to abandon their suitcases in favour of backpacks. Netflights chatted with Karl Loudon from PR firm Rise at Seven about his essential travel advice.

Karl jets off at least twice monthly for business and knows airports like the back of his hand, reports the Express.

His number one suggestion was that anyone embarking on a city adventure should opt for a backpack instead of a suitcase.

He said: “A wheelie trolley case always feels like a clever idea, but they end up being a pain when travelling in cities.

“Travelling with a backpack that complies with the airline’s luggage allowance allows you to pack plenty inside it, and it is much more practical to travel with.

“Find backpacks online titled ‘MLC’ (maximum legal carry on), which are the best luggage to use.”

For those with both hand luggage and checked baggage, Karl also suggests always stashing an extra T-shirt in your carry-on.

Aircraft seats can be tight, accidents occur and you don’t want to arrive at your destination looking dishevelled and feeling uncomfortable.

If you’re jetting off for work, don’t forget that your laptop can double up as a power bank, saving you precious luggage space.

Karl said: “When travelling, organise your cables prior to flying. Remember, you might not need a power bank when travelling, as your laptop is one giant power bank, which many travellers forget about.”

Resist the urge to flop onto your hotel bed as soon as you arrive at your destination. Instead, stretch your legs with a brisk walk to shake off the travel fatigue and get your bearings.

If you’ve been on a long-haul flight, this simple trick can help alleviate jetlag and reduce your risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Frequent flyers should be aware of the risk of deep vein thrombosis, but regular stretching and exercise can help keep it at bay.