Fancy a Christmas trip to visit Santa Claus?

Budget airline Ryanair is promoting winter trips to Lapland as part of its winter schedule for travellers wanting to visit the home of Santa Claus.

Ryanair has unveiled its winter 2025-26 Lapland-Rovaniemi schedule with return flights across three new routes: Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.

Lapland is the largest and northernmost region of Finland and is known for its cold temperatures. 

It is promoted as "a winter wonderland" with tourism offerings including reindeer and huskie sleigh rides through snow-covered forests.

The Arctic Circle crosses Lapland, so polar phenomena such as the midnight sun can be viewed in the region. 

Rovaniemi has staked a claim as Santa's "official hometown" and developed the Santa Claus Village to encourage tourism.

“Christmas has come early for our UK customers with the launch of the Lapland schedule across three new routes, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester,” Ryanair’s director of communications Jade Kirwan said.

“It’s never too early to start Christmas planning.”

Rovaniemi is the main regional centre of Lapland, and the Rovaniemi Airport is the second busiest airport in Finland.

The clean air here is “unbelievable” says a GOTR regular who has visited multiple times. 

The winter Lapland-Rovaniemi flights are available to book now at ryanair.com.

Images: Visit Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village

Tourist destination wants visitors to try a digital detox

Ever wished you could be somewhere that is really switched off? 

Finland has just introduced the world's first phone-free tourist island with visitors to Ulko-Tammio island being encouraged to stay offline this summer. 

Anyone travelling to the island, located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, will be asked to keep their phones in their pockets this summer. 

The aim is to encourage holidaymakers to switch off their smart devices, take a break from social media and enjoy nature. 

Ulko-Tammio is promoting itself as "the world's first phone-free tourist island" - although it is not clear how, or if, the ban will be enforced. 

The Eastern Gulf of Finland is known for its rugged islands and charming coastal villages adjacent to the Baltic Sea.

“The island of Ulko-Tammio, which is located off the coast of Hamina, will be a phone-free area this summer," says Mats Selin from Visit Kotka-Hamina. 

"We want to urge holidaymakers to switch off their smart devices and to stop and genuinely enjoy the islands.”

For more info see https://visitkotkahamina.fi/en/archipelago