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Is it like visiting an amusement park?
Most Certainly not!! If you are seeking commercialisation, lots of artificial electrical lighting, these are not the tours for you. We try to keep everything natural. Lighting, for example, is by fire and candle, and activity programmes where possible are not at touristic centres, and we try to provide a total lack of commercialisation providing the opportunity for fantasy to merge with reality.
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Is the trip suitable for disabled or severely ill children?
We know for many ill and disabled children that a visit to the real Santa is a dream often beyond reality. Since commencement of this tour programme many years ago we have carried numerous children suffering from cancer, blindness, paraplegia, cystic fibrosis and most other disabilities. Our only promise to you
is that we care enough to try and ensure that their every expectancy and dream is fulfilled. Please note
that in respect of disabled parties we do not provide special assistants, specially adapted vehicles, sleighs, disabled harnesses etc within the normal tour cost. If additional services are required these should
be requested and quotation obtained. Within the normal tour cost our local staff will be pleased to help
and assist but they are not trained either in the technical style of paraplegic lifting or specific
disabled assistance.
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Do they speak English?
Surprisingly the answer is yes!! For overnight tours most staff at Olos speak good English. Similarly our day tour personnel are equally conversant in English.
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Will it be cold?
Naturally you are visiting an environment where temperatures regularly fall to -15°C and have been known to reach as low as -45°C. However on all our tours Canterbury Travel provide warm all-in-one suit and boots on loan. Whilst variations in Arctic weather conditions make it totally impossible to provide a guideline to temperatures on any given day, as a general guideline we would say that it tends to be warmer at the beginning of December than later in December. Therefore you may wish to take this into account when considering your date of travel. This is purely based on personal experience of the area being visited and should not be taken as an implied guarantee to temperatures that will be encountered.
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Will we find Santa Claus?
We all know that the real Santa Claus is compassionate, loves children and is full of kindness. By tradition he always has presents for all children (up to 11 years inclusive for day tours, up to 13 yrs for overnight
tours) visiting him here in his Lapland Home. Yes therefore for sure, we know we will find him, but when and where that is the question.
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What are the Passport & Health requirements?
For British/Irish citizens a full 10 year passport for entry into Finland (3/5 year passport for children, when not included in accompanying parent's passport). Other passport holders should seek advice from the nearest Finnish Embassy. Passport should be valid for at least 6 months following the return date from Finland. There are no vaccination requirements imposed by the authorities, but nevertheless when travelling overseas it is prudent to advise your doctor of your destination and secure the latest professional advice as to any precautions that may be necessary.
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What is the food like?
Not much different from home really. For participants on tours involving overnight accommodation,
a Finnish buffet breakfast is provided, lunch by the very nature of being supplied outside is warming
but simple in nature, and dinners are of course more substantial catering to Irish taste. All dinners are buffet style, with special children's choices, like hamburgers, chips etc. if children choose not to eat the adult menu. For our day tours please refer to the particular brochure page where a sample menu will
be specified. For our day tours food is served on a continuous basis throughout the stay at your
activity venue. As non commercialised venues are used for our day tours and food service is continuous throughout the day it is not planned or anticipated that the entire flight will eat at the one sitting. Indeed the size of the Kotas cabins etc. would simply not permit this.
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What is the local currency?
Euro is the currency used in Finnish Lapland. This currency can be ordered from your bank, building society etc. There are no banking facilities at Kittila or Enontekio airports, and only limited facilities
at Rovaniemi.
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Are our tours suitable for Adults on their own?
Of course is the simple answer. Adults very much enjoy snowmobiles, reindeer and huskies and the romance of the location.
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How safe is it?
Perfectly, provided you follow the instructions of our arctic guides. You will appreciate that you are visiting an area where arctic conditions prevail. Provided you are sensible and accept guidance when given no problems will arise. We do stress that parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision of their own children and those within their own party for the duration of the tour. At all times your guides will alter the scheduled tour content in the interest of safety.
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Will it be dark during our stay?
An average Lapland day will provide 4.5 hours of what is termed Graylight (generally between 10.00hrs and 14.30hrs daily Finnish time, although this will vary up to one hour based on location). When the sky is clear this can be clear blue skies with the most amazing colours. Outside of these times it will be as night-time in Ireland, with the exception that as the area is covered in snow, there is a good level of reflection making it possible to see where you are walking. Venues for our day visits to Lapland are accordingly lit naturally using roaring fires and Lappish outdoor candles providing an attractive setting for the events taking place. Indeed if you are particularly lucky you may see the Northern Lights (Aura Borealis) which appear as if a storm in the sky with white red or green lights dancing through the atmosphere.
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and finally...
Are you seeking for yourself and or your children a holiday to remember? Should the setting be really magical? Is the visit to Santa really important? Read carefully the contents and standards of each tour and we know you should choose Canterbury Tales Ireland's In Search of Father Christmas. Need more convincing? Ring us!! Let us explain from our hearts the special qualities of our tour and why Canterbury Tales Ireland can be the only choice!!
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