A mum has shared how her family had a “Hollywood Christmas movie” experience in Lapland on a budget of £1.7k, saving an estimated £19k by only taking hand luggage and eating at McDonald’s.
Emily McColgan-Upfold, 31, was inspired by other families she saw online visiting the festive region and wondered if she could do it for less. She spent £1.7k on a three-day trip, a significant reduction from the typical cost of £20k for a family-of-three. After allocating most of the budget to flights, Emily spent £422 on activities, accommodation and food for herself, her husband Stephen, 32, a business development director, and their five year old son Finn.
By packing light, bringing snacks and opting for McDonald’s for evening meals, she managed to save money. Despite the tight budget, the family still got to see reindeer, meet Santa Claus and play in the “crisp, white” snow. Emily, a phonics teacher from Bangor, Northern Ireland, said: “It was really nice to make memories as a family – and this goes to show you don’t need to spend £20k to do it.
“Lapland just kept coming up on my [TikTok] ‘for you’ page – it looked awe-inspiring. My son is also at the age where he’s really starting to believe in Santa. I booked it so last-minute, I had a very tight budget of £2,000.”
Emily decided to book the holiday in October 2023, after hearing about Stephen’s friends going, and getting “FOMO” [fear of missing out]. She arranged the flights, accommodation, and itinerary for the family adventure next month. Bargain flights from Dublin to Rovaniemi in frosty Finland came at £900 all-in.
To beat the baggage fees, they donned nearly all their winter wardrobe for the trek to the airport. “We paid for our seats, which included hand luggage, and travel insurance,” she explained. The layers piled on—ski pants, thick socks, hefty snow boots—all for the sake of squeezing everything into that carry-on allowance. .
Having touched down in Santa’s supposed hometown by midday Saturday, the family wasted no time diving into Rovaniemi’s delights. They marvelled at a cost-free light spectacle and revelled in carnival antics at a budget-friendly “mini Winter Wonderland” where the fun clocked in under a tenner.
McDonald’s curiosity seized the boys—Stephen and Finn. The final fast food bill came to a modest £37. “They really wanted to try the northernmost McDonald’s,” Emily recalled. Mingling with the cheap eats, she sampled Finland’s take on mulled wine, known locally as glögi.
Their adventure continued to Santa’s Village, opting out of heftier-priced jaunts such as snow safaris or Arctic hikes. There was no skimping on the Christmas magic though—they encountered Saint Nick himself, gratis. Emily shared, “It was free to see Santa – we didn’t pay £40 to get a photo.”
The encounter left them spellbound, the authenticity unquestioned, even by adults. “That was really amazing – even I was like ‘is this real? Their son Finn savoured a heartwarming moment, personally handing Santa his Christmas letter.
Emily and her family had a magical, budget-friendly Christmas experience in Lapland, taking the kids to a husky park for £110. They enjoyed feeding the dogs, with young Finn making friends with a canine named Batman.
The adventure continued as they visited an ‘elf’s farmyard’ to pet reindeer, learned festive dances at a snow school, and even stopped by ‘Mrs Claus’ House’. Emily recounted, “We sat in teepees at the elf’s farmyard,” and shared, “It felt proper outdoorsy – toasting s’mores and sitting among the reindeer.”
She added, “Finn met Mrs Claus – then posted four cards back home, from ‘Santa’s post office’.” Delighting in “really sweet activities,” the family also relished their free time engaging in winter fun.
Emily described, “A lot of our time was spent experiencing the beauty of the snow,” and noted, “It’s not like snow back home – it’s like a movie scene.”
Constructing snowmen and engaging in snowball fights were all part of their snowy escapades. Emphasising frugality, Emily said, “It depends what you value,” pointing out that expensive excursions will have a higher cost but saving is possible with compromises like casual dinners, second-hand clothing, and bringing snacks along.
She encouraged, “If you’re happy just eating McDonald’s for dinner, buying second-hand clothes and bringing snacks, you can do it. We sat in teepees at the elf’s farmyard. It felt proper outdoorsy – toasting s’mores and sitting among the reindeer. Finn met Mrs Claus – then posted four cards back home, from ‘Santa’s post office’,” Emily said.
“They were really sweet activities. A lot of our time was spent experiencing the beauty of the snow. It’s not like snow back home – it’s like a movie scene. We built snowmounds, snowmen and made snow angels. It depends what you value. If you want to do the big, long excursions – you’ll have to pay for that.
What it cost
- Flights from Dublin Airport: £900.
- Accommodation, including breakfast for two nights: £371.
- McDonald’s meals: £37.
- Angry Birds theme park: £100.
- Meeting Santa: Free.
- Husky park: £110 for three people.
- The elf’s farmyard: £50 for three people.
- Lunch: £30 in total.
- Snow school: £106 for three people.
- Meeting Mrs Claus: £5 per person.
- Four letters posted from Santa’s Post Office: £11.
- Total: £1,720.
