Having trouble communicating with Father Christmas? If so, it could be because the bearded one has just too many fixed abodes. At the last count, you could write to him care of our very own Royal Mail (in which case the letter ends up in Belfast sorting office); Greenland (though your wishlist might not get any closer than Denmark); Canada (the mail HQ in Winnipeg, which is actually further south than Luxembourg) and Alaska, where the trail ends at a suburb of Fairbanks called Santa Claus. But as we all know, Father Christmas resides in Lapland. And this winter you can get there yourself - thanks to the gift of air travel (corny but true).
Where is it?
Lapland, or Lappland to use its proper spelling (after the Lapps, who live there) is spread across four countries. To visualise the area it covers, imagine the Arctic Circle lopping the top off Scandinavia. Everything north of this line can be described as Lap(p)land, which covers an area divided between Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland. It's the traditional territory of the Lapps, or Sami as they're confusingly also known, who have lived in the area for at least 16 centuries.
Would you believe that all these countries put in a claim to be the home of Santa? In the travel industry, though, it's generally reckoned that the versions in the first three countries are impostors. If you go to the local travel agent and ask for a trip to Father Christmas's grotto, that's where you'll be sent. The Santa industry is in gear, which makes a winter trip there easy.
Day tripping
Plenty of people go for the day. There's an international airport at Rovaniemi, which lies just outside the Arctic Circle. The standard day-trip involves an early start from the UK on the three-hour flight to Finland. You're met with coaches that take you around this extraordinary city: the streets are arranged in the shape of reindeer antlers, though you're only really aware of this if you happen to be in a flying one-horse open sleigh.
Most visitors are whisked straight to the Santa Claus Village, almost on the Arctic Circle. This is basically a big log cabin where the big man lives. While you're waiting for an appointment, visit his red-nosed reindeer outside or take a trip to Santa Park - a modest amusement park built into a cavern.
How much?
For the day trip, you'll pay around £380 for each adult and about £350 for a child. Be warned also that 'activities are subject to local weather conditions', so you may miss out on some of the fun. If you spend longer you'll be able to go snow-mobiling, husky-sledging and searching for Santa along a candlelit forest trail. For more options check out www.santadays.co.uk
Without wishing to be a Christmas humbug, though, I'd urge you to consider postponing the winter trip by six months; Lapland in midsummer is one of the most beautiful places on earth, with endless sunshine and lower prices than in midwinter. You can also visit Lapland University - and enjoy all those reindeer in soups and stews. Sorry, Rudolph!
