142 Visiting Santa and his Reindeer in Finnish Lapland

Now that it is fall, we are turning our attention toward winter getaways. If you have ever dreamed of visiting Santa Claus, taking a reindeer safari, and sleeping under the Northern Lights, tune in to hear about Finnish Lapland. Kevin Wagar from the Wandering Wagars shares his family's experience in Finland during the winter and all the things there are to do in Santa's wonderland. ON THE PODCAST 00:35 - Sponsor - Allianz Travel 01:13 - Talking with Kevin Wagar 04:16 - When to go to Finland 09:30 - How long to spend in Helsinki 14:30 - Where to go in Finland 18:53 - How to split up your days 22:20 - Driving around 24:10 - Santa Park/Village 27:30 - Where to stay 29:35 - Prices in Finland 30:40 - Kevin’s favorite travel gear 32:00 - Coming up for Kevin and his family 33:10 - What’s coming for Vacation Mavens ABOUT ALLIANZ TRAVEL We all travel for different reasons. Some to get closer as a family and some to get away from it all. Some to discover new sounds, new tastes, and others to discover themselves. No matter your reason, Allianz Travel Insurance is the ultimate wingman—having your back while helping you make the most of every moment. True experts providing protection for all the reasons you travel.  Visit allianztravelinsurance.com, and see what award-winning travel insurance can do for your next trip. Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Plan(s) underwritten by Jefferson Insurance Company or BCS Insurance Company. AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans. ABOUT KEVIN WAGAR Kevin Wagar is a professional photographer and adventure and family travel writer who makes his home near Toronto, Ontario. When he isn’t traveling the world with his wife and two boys, Kevin in sharing stories and inspiring parents to look beyond the standard family vacation. He focuses on exploring the world in a way that makes travel fun, adventurous, and educational for the whole family. When Kevin isn’t writing for publishers such as Explore Magazine, and Intrepid Travel, he is creating content for his website Wandering Wagars – Adventure Family Travel. There he shares guides and inspirational stories of family adventure travel. Follow Kevin on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. TIPS FOR VISITING FINLAND You may think that Finland is going to be extra cold compared to the United States or Canada, but you will find that the coldest temperatures will be between 9 to 17 ºF (-8 to -12 ºC). Keep in mind that if you are going to Finland around Christmas time, you will only have 2 - 4 hours of daylight. But this also means that the Christmas lights will come on sooner making everything pretty and magical. Most visitors will probably choose to fly into Helsinki Airport, and if you do you should definitely spend a day or two there and explore. Saariselkä and Levi are resort towns and ideal if you are planning to do a lot of skiing and outdoor activities. The Pilke Museum it is fantastic for kids --basically and giant indoor play area. If you are a nervous driver, you may want to think about taking a hired car, public transport or bus tours. Otherwise the roads are good and decent to navigate. The cost to go and visit Finland is actually better than other Scandinavian countries. FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR Kevin loves his Merrel shoes and pairing them with his Columbia tear away pants. MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Christmas Lapland Finland Things to do in Rovaniemi Finland Winter Santa Park Finland Things to do Inari Finland Santa Claus Village Finland Things to do in Helsinki Pilke Museum Santa Park Santa Claus Village Glass Igloos FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!