October 2015

As a travel expert at Activities Abroad, i’m often asked for holiday inspiration... Here are some great ideas for family winter holidays.

For younger families there may only be one chance to meet the ‘real’ Father Christmas in Lapland.

Credit: Marko Junttila & Hotel Gulo Gulo

Our Father Christmas and Arctic Animal Encounters ensures a memorable and magical experience for both children and adults alike. The focus of the holiday is of course the Santa visit......Travelling as a family by snowmobile pulled sleigh through the snowy Lappish Forest, the trail leads to a cosy cabin where you will be welcomed by Father Christmas himself. If you like the idea of a private Santa Claus experience, this is perfect, with the children getting around 20 minutes to talk with him about his most important of jobs!

We have secured a limited number of additional rooms on our best-selling short break in Gozo.

Dont miss out on one of our very favourite holidays this summer!

Find out more about our family activity holidays in the mountains 

Meet Arctic wildlife on our family holidays to Ranua!

During my time with Activities Abroad I have visited Nellim twice.

My first experience at this wonderful place was in September, during the Finnish ‘Ruska’ – a time when the trees are a palette of orange and gold and the forest floors are carpeted with mushrooms and berries.

My second time was in the depths of winter, a time when the region comes alive and showcases the most incredible winter scenery. The drive here takes you down quiet winding roads, lined only with trees and the odd wooden cabin. Located on the banks of the frozen Lake Inari, Nellim Wilderness Hotel is warmly welcoming, a charming home-from-home set idyllically in the snow which endlessly covers everything. At this time of year, the sun rises just barely over the horizon, keeping daylight hours to a minimum and bathing the region in unique blue polar light.

Any light that there is however reflects off the snow so it is much lighter than you would think!

Holidays with altitude and attitude

Mountain landscapes are awe-inspiring places where you can gain a real sense of escape. For families they are often popular for skiing in the winter however, during the summer months, they really are true activity playgrounds!

Our mountain bases are wonderful, authentic villages, far away from the large concrete jungle resorts that are ski hubs in the winter. In our destinations you experience the real people, place and most importantly some thrilling family adventures.

We’ll show you the delights of the stunning mountains that the Lake District have to offer.

You can also enjoy the peaks of Montenegro and explore the forests of this ‘Black Mountain’ nation.

On our holidays the hills are alive with the sound of families having some serious fun!

Seeing beyond the beach

Our coastal holidays offer families the chance to enjoy sun, sea and sand in a totally new way, taking in their stunning surroundings as they go.

We take you all well beyond the beach and, whilst we do of course allow for some downtime to relax if you wish, we show your family that there is so much more to be gained from exploring than there is from sunbathing.

Our coastal destinations have been handpicked by our family experts and we take advantage of the climate and crystal seas in every way we can. We get you away from the madding crowds of the large resorts and make sure you experience our regions, their people and landscapes in an exceptionally fun way.

Father Christmas and the delights of Lapland

There’s genuine magic in that crisp Lapland air.

Imagine the 'crunch, crunch' of tightly packed snow underfoot as you walk excitedly through a winter-white landscape towards a small cottage nestled in the forest or on the shore of a frozen lake. Inside a childhood dream awaits in the form of a large and jovial bearded man regaled in the white-trimmed red robe we all recognise so readily.

There is nothing in the world quite so exciting for children and parents alike as the anticipation of a meeting with Father Christmas in his “North Pole” home grows. For families with younger children, an intimate Santa Claus experience should be an integral part of any December trip to Lapland. However, we also like to give some thought to Mum, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and anybody else along for this reindeer ride. These family holidays are just that……family holidays for everybody to enjoy, not just the youngsters.

Hence, on our trips, while there will be an enchanting meeting with Father Christmas, there will also be an emphasis on other activities which are popular north of the Arctic Circle. In our opinion, you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced dog sledding, met reindeer in Lapland, or explored the winter wonderland that is a snow-laden forest.

Family summer activity holidays

We’ve been operating summer family activity holidays since 2002. Using our expertise and our own families’ experiences, we have crafted an unparalleled range of amazing, active adventures all over the world!

Our holidays are about shared family experiences and getting the most out of your precious family holiday time. We make sure you get away from it all and can really enjoy each other’s company whilst taking part in some unforgettable activities in some spectacular destinations. Our holidays are enriching and fulfilling but, most importantly, they are great fun!

Snow Business!

In our family holiday destinations across Swedish Lapland, Northern Norway and Finnish Lapland, the arrival of snow doesn’t mean traffic chaos on the school run, but the chance to enjoy some amazing family activities in a winter playground. From husky sledding and snowmobiling to reindeer sleigh rides, log cabins and meeting Father Christmas himself, when we talk snow, we mean business!

Forget the slushy wet stuff found in the UK or the groomed piste of a ski resort, we’re talking a thick layer of stunning, untouched white powder, coating a wild Lappish landscape of fells, forests and frozen lakes – all ready and waiting for your unforgettable winter family holiday.

Our holidays are for the whole family to experience together - we can even offer multi-generational travel so that Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles cane come along too!