Frequently Asked Questions

If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to ABTA to use ABTA’s simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on their website. You can also access the European Commission Online Dispute (ODR) Resolution platform. This ODR platform is a means of registering your complaint with us; it will not determine how your complaint should be resolved.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Information Department offer advice on travel related subjects and can verify ABTA membership details. Calls are charged at 50p per minute between 9am and 5.30pm: 0901 201 50 50 (UK Callers Only). ABTA’s main aims are to maintain high standards of trading practice for the benefit of its Members, the travel industry at large, and the consumers that they serve.

If you have booked through a travel agent, please contact them directly to add any extras you might need.

If you have booked with us directly, you can add extras to your booking by logging into My Booking and selecting “Holiday Extras for You”. Alternatively you can call us to discuss your extras further on 01483 791122.

We would advise you to book your extras as early as possible to secure the best deals, as many offers are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time. Most extras can be added up until 4 days before departure.

You will not receive any vouchers before your holiday, these will be given to you on your transfer by our representatives or be waiting for you at your accommodation.

There are a number of ways to book your holiday, you can contact your travel agent, call one of the team on 01483 79 11 11, order one of our brochures or search for a holiday and book on our website.

You can call our Guest Services team on 01483 79 11 44

Please contact your travel agent, or our Pre-Departure Guest Services team on 01483 79 11 22 if you booked with us directly, as soon as possible if you wish to change any part of your holiday. We will then check if any charges apply from our suppliers and the availability of your new request. An admin fee of £25 per person may apply, as well as any additional costs from our suppliers. No significant changes can be made within 70 days of your departure.

Unfortunately, we are not able to add insurance to your booking after you have booked. However, you can purchase Inghams insurance direct with FOGG, by contacting them on 01623 631331. Alternatively, you are able to book online at www.fogginsure.co.uk/Inghams.

It is possible to add extras to your booking up to 7 days prior to travel. Please either call our Administration team on 01483 79 11 22; email admin@inghams.co.uk or contact your travel agent.

Depending on your flight, you will be charged £25 to make a name change. Please be aware that some scheduled flights will incur a much higher fee from the airline on top of the £25. Re-ticketing charges by scheduled/low cost airlines in respect of name changes will incur cancellation charges on a scale of £100 upwards. Some scheduled airlines may not permit flight or name changes.

Changing all names on the booking will classify as cancellation and incur the relevant fees at the time.

Please contact your travel agent if you booked through one, or if you booked directly, contact our Pre-Departure Guest Services team for details – 01483 79 11 22

If you have booked via a travel agent, you must notify them of any changes or amendments you wish to make. Your contract is with your travel agent so we are unable to make any changes directly.

If you need to make a change to your holiday booking, please contact our Administration team on 01483 79 11 22 or email admin@inghams.co.uk.

We understand that everyone’s circumstances can change after you have confirmed a booking. We will always do our best to accommodate any changes that you need to make, but please be aware that there may be costs involved.

If you have booked through a travel agent, please contact them to make any changes. If you have booked directly, please contact our Guest Services Pre-departure Team on 01483 79 11 22 or email them at beforeyoutravel@inghams.co.uk. Where we can meet your request to make a change to your booking, we will send you a revised confirmation invoice to confirm this within 24 hours.

Yes, we do make a charge for making any amendments to your booking within 10 weeks of departure.

If your date of birth is incorrect on your confirmation invoice, we will need to amend this, and there may be an admin charge of £25 as a result. Please be aware that changing your date of birth may affect the cost of your holiday, or any extras that you may have pre-booked, due to child and senior discounts.

If your title (Mr, Mrs, Miss, Mstr, Ms, Dr) is incorrect on our paperwork, this will not affect your travel, as titles do not appear on passports. If you wish however for us to change your title please contact your travel agent, or our Pre-Departure Guest Services team on 01483 79 11 22 if you booked with us directly. Please note an admin fee will be charged to update your paperwork and any systems.

Please see below for a list of airlines used by Inghams. Specific details can also be found in the "Transport - Additional Info" box on your attached "Your Travel Itinerary & E-Ticket" document.

Air Canada enter API on https://www.aircanada.com/uk/en/aco/home/plan/travel-requirements/advance-passenger-information.html

Austrian Airlines enter API on https://www.inghams.co.uk/apis

British Airways enter API on www.ba.com/manage my booking

Easyjet enter API on www.easyjet.com via the 'Check-in online' link on the right hand side

Flybe please see letter enclosed with your tickets

Jet 2 please see letter enclosed with your tickets

Swiss Airlines please enter API on https://booking.swiss.com/web/api.htm

Thomson Airways please enter API on https://www.inghams.co.uk/apis

Titan Airways please enter API on https://www.inghams.co.uk/apis

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Know Before You Go’ (KBYG) is an ongoing campaign to ensure travellers are adequately prepared in all ways before travelling. For more information, see our Travel Advice.

Commonly referred to as API - is the term given to details required by airlines prior to travel. These details are taken from your official travel document, usually the machine readable page of your passport, and will be sent to the government authorities of the country you are arriving into. As part of tightened security procedures, all airlines are required to submit API in advance of travel to specific destinations in the EU and around the world. This allows the authorities to make routine identity checks on passengers before arrival.

If you wish to be kept updated during periods of travel delay, we would strongly recommend that you provide your mobile number, so that we may communicate up-to-date information to you via our Text Alert system. If you have booked through a Travel Agent and they provide their own contact details, they then assume responsibility for passing on any text information received to you.

You can supply these details as soon as you receive these Inghams' travel documents. For bookings made between 14 to 7 days of departure you will still be able to add your API details up to 7 days before departure. If you are travelling within 7 days of making your booking, please provide your API at check-in.

Check-in desks are open approximately 2-3 hours prior to departure and we recommend you check-in at least 2 hours before, and no later than 90 minutes before departure.

Generally there are representatives present at our UK departure airports.

You need to make yourself known to the staff at the Check-In desk for your flight. They will then arrange all the necessary assistance needed.

If the UK airport you are flying from has more than one terminal, your Travel Itinerary and E-Ticket will show you which one you will be flying from. If you have booked car parking with us, your parking will be allocated to a car park near your departure terminal.

In all cases, you will need to contact the airline directly to add on any additional items, except in the instance of ski carriage.

This will be at the airlines discretion and charges may apply.

Luggage allowance varies from airline to airline on both checked and cabin baggage. This is displayed clearly on your travel Itinerary and E-Ticket.

It is possible to take pushchairs on holiday with you. You will have the option of checking in your pushchair at check-in with your luggage, or you can check it in before you board the aircraft. Your pushchair will then be collected with the rest of your luggage in the arrivals baggage hall at your arrival airport.

Skis and snowboards can be taken to your ski resort, although the number allowed on charter flights is strictly limited. If you have your own equipment, you should pre-book ski/snowboard carriage when you confirm your booking to ensure that space is reserved. A charge will apply for each set of items. On scheduled flights, charges apply to carry sports equipment. This can often be considerably more than that of a charter flight.

You will receive two sets of documentation when you book with us. After you have made or updated a booking you will receive a Holiday Invoice. Your Invoice will be sent to you either by email (where an email address is provided) or by post. If you have booked through one of our Travel Agent Partners they will forward a copy of the Inghams invoice as well as their Invoice. In both cases (booking direct with us or through a Travel Agent) a copy of our booking conditions will be sent to you. We always ask that as soon as you receive your holiday invoice you check it to ensure all details are correct and as agreed.

10 days before your holiday you will be sent your holiday documents which are titled ‘Your Travel Itinerary & E-Ticket'. This is the documentation you will need to check in for your holiday (along with your passport and applicable visa, of course). For all Customers, except those travelling to Switzerland or on a Tour, your holiday documents will be sent to you by email (where an email address has been provided). Customers travelling to Switzerland and on Tours will receive documents by post, as Swiss rail tickets will need to be posted to you. Please note these documents will not outline specific room aspects or transfer arrangements, you need to refer to your holiday invoice for these.

We will need to post these to you (or your Travel Agent) as they are documents issued by the Swiss Rail System and are accountable documents. You can expect to receive these around 10 days before you depart. There will be detailed instructions on how to use the ‘Fly rail luggage labels’ with your documentation.

Where your holiday utilises the Swiss rail network system we will need to post your rail transfer tickets to you (or your Travel Agent). These are validated at your departure rail station and will not have specific routes or dates on them. With your rail transfer tickets and holiday documents will be detailed instructions on rail journey.

This is on your transfer ticket ( at the top left ) which doubles as your half price rail card. When you are buying additional journeys you will need to present this to qualify for the applicable discounts.

As most of holiday documents are sent electronically we are unable to send out luggage labels, however at airports where we have Inghams representatives luggage labels will be available at the check in desk

We aim to send this out to you as soon as possible, but this may not be at time of booking or payment of your final balance.

You will receive all your pre-booked items when you arrive in resort, in your welcome pack or at your welcome meeting.

Our holidays are priced using the 'best priced' flight on our programme which is at a zero supplement as the cost for this is factored into the base price. Where it costs more to fly from certain airports, over and above the zero supplement flight, a flight supplement is applied.

Scheduled and low cost airlines price their seats in such a way that there are a number of fare classes, this simply means that economy seats are broken out into different price brackets. As seats sell, availability moves into the next pricing bracket and the cost of that seat increases (although still in economy). As these seats are available publicly, not just to Inghams customers we have no control over the prices and / or the availability. You will be advised of the exact, additional cost of flights at the time of booking.

Our prices are always based on a certain type of room, if you choose a different room, for example a Junior suite because the cost of that room is more that the; standard room' a 'Room supplement' will apply. This is because the room is more expensive than the 'standard' one we base our prices on.

Similarly to room supplements, the base price is calculated on a certain room type / category. Where your chosen room has different / enhanced facilities, such as; a Balcony or lake view, or a bath or seating area, a facility supplement will apply as these rooms are more expensive.

Some rooms or apartments are costed based on a total number of people in that room. The base price is achieved by filling the room to the advised total occupancy. If you are under this maximum, supplements will apply to cover the cost of the room / apartment.

When you book within 14 days of departure you will be charged a late booking fee of £30

As our Inghams plus offers are provided by our hotel partners, specific details will not appear on your documentation.This will still be provided as per our website, on your holiday.

Yes, but in line with our booking conditions. In many cases admin fees and charges will apply. Within 10 weeks of departure, cancellation charges will come into effect. Holidays utilising scheduled and low cost flights will usually attract additional change and/or cancellation fees.

Once your holiday is confirmed either online or over the phone you will be given a reference number and shortly after you will receive an email with a holiday invoice and a copy of our terms and conditions.

You will need to contact the airline with regards to extra baggage as we are unable to add this to your booking.

We are able to book extra legroom on some flights, please contact us on 01483 79 11 22 or contact your travel agent for more information. You can also enquire at check-in.

No, but on selected charter flights you can guarantee you will be seated together. Some schedule and low cost airlines allow you to select seats, please contact us on 01483 79 11 22 or contact your travel agent for more information.

All our airlines offer a 'buy on board' service which means you can buy light snacks and food when on the plane.

The majority of our holidays are packages and include: transportation, accommodation and transfers to/from resort. You should check carefully that the holiday you intend to book includes the items you want. If you book online, a breakdown of what is included is displayed when booking online and you will be advised of what your holiday includes when you book over the phone. If, when you book, you are not given a flight option, no flights or transfers will be included. Your invoice will only outline what is included, not detail what is not included.

There are a number of holidays which can only be booked over the phone. These include: Group bookings over 9 passengers, Tours, Multi Centres and Rail bookings. Please call our team on 01483 79 11 11 to make these types of bookings.

Possibly, if the hotel offers (for example) balcony rooms and you book a room with a without a balcony but request one, there is a chance that the hotel will charge you for a balcony on arrival. We recommend that if you do want a balcony or lake view (or other aspect) you book that before you travel.

Any request you make will be passed to the hotel but cannot be guaranteed.

You can book with us online or call our dedicated team on 01483 79 11 11. Our brochures are also available at most local travel agents.

Your holiday will be based on one of the following board basis for your meals

Room Only / Self-Catering - No meals will be included in the price of your holiday.

Bed and Breakfast - Breakfast only will be included in the price of your holiday.

Catered Chalet - Daily continental breakfast, afternoon tea/coffee & cake, 3 course set menu evening meal including a special regional menu on one night (6 nights a week) with a Prosecco apéritif before dinner, choice of complimentary quality wines. Vegetarian meals available (request at time of booking).

Catered Chalet Hotel - Daily buffet breakfast, afternoon tea/coffee & cake, 4 or 5 course evening meals (6 nights a week) with an apéritif, choice of complimentary quality wines, tea/coffee & chocolates.

Half Board - Your breakfast and evening meal will be included in the price of your holiday. In some cases you can choose to have lunch instead of dinner but the hotel will confirm this upon your arrival.

Half Board Plus - Enhanced meal arrangements, with breakfast, packed lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner with wine included.

Full Board - Your breakfast, lunch and evening meal will be included in the price of your holiday.

Some of our hotels may also offer an "All-Inclusive" package exclusive to the Inghams' Programme. There is no universal definition of "all-inclusive" so it is important that you check over all the details that are included before booking this type of service.

If booking a package, then yes. Inghams hold both ATOL and ABTA licences meaning that all holidays purchased, either direct with us or through one of our agents, are 100% financially protected.

At this point the price is an indication of the final price and does not include any room or flight supplements. The price is based on the lowest available flight route with the lowest possible room.

Outside 10 weeks of departure, a deposit of £150 per person plus any insurance premiums. Inside of 10 weeks of departure - the full amount will be due.

For more on details see on Paying for your holiday below.

No - we also offer flight or accommodation only bookings. Please note, no transfers are included with any of these options.

If you book online you will be able to tell us about any special request you may have. These are only requests and may not be seen by us before you travel - Requests cannot be guaranteed. If there are things that are paramount to your holiday, such as (but not limited to): Wheelchair assistance, walk in shower, adaptive room etc you must make contact with us before you book on 01483 79 11 11 so we can send out the appropriate forms and make the appropriate arrangements for you.

After you have collected your luggage, once you have arrived you should speak to an Inghams Rep who will take you to your private transfer.

Unfortunately not, there is no way to choose specific seats on your transfer coach.

You will be advised of the arrangements for your transfer to your second centre by your rep, towards the end of your first centre stay.

Unfortunately not yet, all your holiday details will be available on your confirmation email which will be emailed to you just after you have made your booking.

Prices and holiday availability for all holidays are updated every day. The price you pay is the amount shown when you confirm your holiday. You will only be liable for this cost (as confirmed on your payment screen) once you have confirmed your booking and payment details.

We really hope that you don’t have reason to cancel your holiday arrangements with us, but if you do, we ask that you let us, or your travel agent know immediately.

If you have booked directly with Inghams, please contact us by choosing one of the following options. Please note that if you have booked via a travel agency, you must cancel with them directly.

Email:beforeyoutravel@inghams.co.uk

Phone : 01483 791122

Post ; Pre-Departure Guest Services, Mountain House, Station Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1EX.

Cancellation charges are levied in all cases, and it will be at the discretion of your individual insurer as to whether your travel policy will cover any losses in this situation.

Your holiday deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel prior to the scheduled date of departure, you will be liable to pay the cancellation charges set out in the table on our Terms and Conditions section 4, bracket B. The term “total holiday cost” in the table means the total holiday cost for all persons cancelling and shown on our invoice and includes extras.

Click here for Terms and conditions

Please be aware that if one member of your party wishes to cancel, this may mean that the accommodation booked is under-occupied and result in the other members of the party having to pay any additional applicable supplements or child discount changes to retain the booking.

A cancellation invoice will be sent to you within 7 days.

Cancellation of pre-booked items may incur an administration fee of £25 per person or even 100% loss – please contact your travel agent, or our Pre-Departure Guest Services team to check on 01483 79 11 22 if you booked with us directly. Please note that you cannot cancel extras online.

The deposit amount you pay to secure your holiday is usually £150 per person (but may be higher if any non-refundable elements are added at the time of booking).

We accept payment using the following cards - American Express, MasterCard and Visa debit & credit cards.

We accept electronic transfers into our Barclays bank account;

Account name – Hotelplan Ltd Client Account

Account number – 93117413

Sort code - 20-65-82

Please ensure that your booking reference is clearly stated in the payment reference field.

We also accept cheque payments made payable to Hotelplan Ltd, but please note your booking reference on the reverse of the cheque so we can apply the payment to the correct booking.

No, there are no charges for using credit or debit cards.

Yes you can view your booking online and make a payment by heading to our ‘manage my booking’ page, you will need your booking reference, lead passenger surname and departure date to log in: https://my.inghams.co.uk/login

If you have booked through a travel agent please refer to them directly to pay for your holiday.

Your final balance will be due 10 weeks before departure if you have booked directly with us. If you have booked with a travel agent, it may be due before then, and you should contact them to find out.

A payment will be required at the end of the booking process. If you are booking a holiday more than 10 weeks prior to travel, you will only pay a deposit of £150 per person to confirm the booking while the full balance will be due 10 weeks before departure (plus any additional non-refundable elements that may be added during booking) If you are booking within 10 weeks of your holiday departure date, full payment is required at the time of booking.

You can pay your final balance through the ‘manage my booking’ page. You will need your booking reference, lead passenger surname and departure date to log in: https://my.inghams.co.uk/login or you can call our payments team on 01483 791961.

If you have booked through a travel agent, please contact them directly to make payment.

Yes, an email reminder will be sent out approximately 12 weeks before departure. We strongly recommend you do not rely on this service and you note down when your final balance is due.

We do offer a service that you can opt into, where the remainder of your holiday balance is automatically debited from the payment card initially used, please let us know if this a service you would like to use.

Please note that Inghams do not store your card details. These card details are retained by a separate financial company, regulated by the Financial Services Authority who ensure stringent data protection controls are in place.

If for any reason you do not make a payment on time, you may, as per the terms and conditions be charged up to £15 per person per day. Should you have an issue with payment and need to speak to someone, please call our Credit Control team on 01483 79 11 66 Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:30.

You must have a FULL and VALID passport to visit the destinations we feature and you should also have 6 months left on the validity of your passport. Please ensure that the names and initials on your flight tickets are the same as shown on your passport.

If you hold an EU or British passport you will NOT require a visa for Canada. However you must hold a return or onward ticket.

Please contact our Helpdesk on 01483 79 11 11

All of our flights are either to Geneva or Zurich, which both have railway stations within the airport terminals. The train stations are well signposted from the arrivals hall, have lift access and are reached in less than 5 minutes’ walk from the arrivals hall. The platform required for your connection is specified on the rail itinerary we send to you with your rail tickets before you leave the UK.

If you are arriving into Geneva or Zurich airports on a Saturday, you’ll be met by an Inghams’ representative, who will direct you to the train station and be happy to help should you have any queries.

Our team of Inghams’ representatives will meet you on your arrival in resort wherever possible and according to the train connections advised on your rail itinerary. Just look out for an Inghams’ sign. Very occasionally your rep will not be available to greet you. If your hotel is not within walking distance of the resort train/bus station we will organise a hotel pick-up for you.

Skis are allowed on all Swiss trains as part of your personal luggage. On the mountain trains you may even see some skiers already heading out to the slopes!

All of our Swiss Ski Short Breaks include return second class rail transfers. Second class carriages are marked in red, so you can easily identify them on the platform. There is an option of upgrading to first class when you book. You will find first class in the yellow carriages.

You will receive a detailed rail itinerary for you entire journey – from the airport to your hotel. This will be sent with your rail transfer tickets approximately 3 weeks before your departure.

If you hotel is less than 5 minutes’ walk, your rail itinerary will give directions on how to get there. Contact details for your hotel and your Inghams resort rep are also provided in your rail itinerary. If your hotel is not within walking distance an Inghams’ representative or hotel pick-up will meet you on arrival into resort.

Swiss Rail offers a luggage transfer service to most resorts. The ‘Express Fly Luggage’ will send your bags directly from your UK departure airport all the way to your hotel, depending on your arrival time into Switzerland. A supplement applies to the service, so please call our Before You Travel team on 01483 79 11 22 for more information.

Rail tickets are sent by post to the lead passenger on your booking approximately 3 weeks before departure. If you have and difficulties with your tickets please contact us on 01483 79 11 22 or email us at ticketing@inghams.co.uk.

You will receive detailed instructions in your rail itinerary on how to complete your documentation and validate your tickets before your journey. Keep your ticket safe during your holiday – it is a return ticket and cannot be replaced.

If you have any queries about your booking or journey before departing the UK, please contact our Before You Travel team on 01483 79 11 22. If you have any issues on your journey to Switzerland, a contact number for your resort rep and our overseas operating office are both provided for you on your rail itinerary.

20 kilos per person, plus 5 kilos per person hand-luggage. There is no luggage allowance for infants (children without a seat and are sat on an adults lap.

It is a condition of booking with us that you and your party take our suitable Wintersports Insurance from a reputable provider. Please note that a standard travel insurance policy, including many ‘free’ bank and credit card policies, will not cover many of the winter activities involved in your holiday such as skiing, husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris and we ask you to please check with your insurance policy provider that you have adequate cover for any of these additional, optional activities you plan to participate in.

Please also note that an exclusion regarding damage to the actual snowmobile applies and if the snowmobile is damaged, a compulsory excess of €500-€800 will be payable direct to the excursion provider.

Flying out to Lapland could not be easier with our convenient non-stop flights from London Gatwick, Manchester, East Midlands, Newcastle and Bristol to Kittilä.  Our flights are exclusive to Inghams. Flying time to Lapland is approx. 3½ hours.

In-flight catering: all our flights, both outbound and return, include a buy-on–board service with drinks and snacks etc. All flight details and timings are provisional and subject to change until confirmed with your e-tickets

The resorts of Levi and Ylläs are both a short and easy transfer away – Levi is just 15 minutes and Ylläs approx. 50 minutes by coach. You will be welcomed at Kittilä Airport by your team of Inghams Santa Breaks Representatives who will accompany you to your accommodation with your luggage.

A collapsible pushchair/buggy can normally be kept with you until you board the flight. It will then be stowed in the hold and retrieved with your other checked-in baggage on arrival.

So that all families are seated as close together as possible, we pre-allocate seats on all of our flights in advance. So there is no need for you to pay us or the airline for this service to ensure parents and children are sat together. If you have specific medical requirements, please contact our Reservations Support team on 01483 79 11 22. Guests travelling from Manchester on Jet 2 may pre-book specific seat numbers at a small charge.  Please contact the number above to add this to your booking.

Through our partnership with winners of the prestigious ‘British Travel Awards’ Airport Parking & Hotels – APH we are able to offer up to 35% discount to all of our Inghams Santa Breaks customers at Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, East Midlands and Bristol. With our Lapland flights all departing early in the morning, to maximise your time visiting the Arctic, why not take advantage of some of the great ‘Airport Hotel and Parking’ packages and stay at an airport hotel the night before you fly. This takes the stress out of getting to the airport in the morning on time and finding the car park, and allows you to wake up fully refreshed ready to head to the North Pole and to meet the big man himself. If an overnight stay is not for you then the ‘Meet & Greet’ Valet Parking is the perfect way of dropping your car off. ‘Meet & Greet’ Valet Parking saves you time, hassle free and so convenient. Simply drive to the airport terminal, where an APH chauffeur meets you and takes your car to their nearby secure car-park. On your return, your car is then delivered back to you directly at the terminal, for you to drive straight off home!

Visit https://www.inghams.co.uk/travel-advice/airport-parking-hotels-lounges for more information and to book your Airport Parking for your holiday.

Santa Breaks are not recommended for very small infants under 2 years of age. Toddlers 2-3 years generally love the excitement and magic of it all including the Santa’s Workshop. Although children under 4yrs old are not able to join any snowmobile safaris, they are welcome to join the husky & reindeer safari excursion free of charge. A small charge applies for the transportation to the excursion location, payable locally.

Yes, absolutely! Many multi-generation families travel with us every year and enjoy the activities just as much as the children, not to mention the simple joy of being with the grandchildren in such a magically special place!

As we know that the weather is an important factor on our Santa Breaks holidays, we’re always keeping an eye on the forecast and speaking with our local suppliers. If we have any cause for concern about the weather conditions, we will endeavour to contact you 7 days before your departure to let you know.

If we and our suppliers believe that there’s not enough snow to run the activities included in your Santa Breaks package, we will contact you again 72 hours before travel with an update and advice on the options available to you, which may include cancellation.

Our Snow Guarantee- In the event that we decide that there is insufficient snow you will have the following choices: you can amend your travel dates to any of our other Santa Breaks dates that are available in the same season and at no cost, provided that the elements of the holiday (accommodation, room type, duration and party composition) remain the same. If you change any of the holiday elements, you’ll need to pay the difference in price if it is more expensive, or if the new arrangements are cheaper, you will receive a refund of the difference. If you decide not to travel at all, you can cancel with a full refund of all monies paid to Santa Breaks for the trip.

Please note: Snow Guarantee is only valid on 3/4 night Santa Breaks.

We aim to send out your pre-departure information pack 4-6 weeks before travel. Included in the information pack will be an informative “Santa Breaks” booklet with more information about Lapland and what will happen when you are in resort. The pack will also include luggage labels and blank letters for the children to write on, so they can hand them to Santa at the Santa’s workshop activity morning / afternoon.

Your e-ticket will follow by email approx. 2 weeks before travel. Please ensure that the names on the travel documentation match your passports exactly and call us for advice if there are any differences. All times shown on your e-ticket are local. Don’t forget your airline and airport’s websites for the most up-to-date information.

If you have booked via a travel agent, all information will be sent via your agent. Please contact them if you have queries.

Further information including a more detailed itinerary will be provided on arrival at Kittilä Airport.

If you need assistance at the airport, an Inghams Representative will be on hand to help near the check-in area. Further information will be included on your e-ticket. If you require wheelchair or special assistance, please call us in advance so we can advise the airport before you travel.  If you require special or wheelchair assistance at the airport, please contact us on 01483 791 122 prior to travel so we can advise the airport of your requirements.

Yes. All families will have a private meeting with Santa at his enchanting workshop. Children will be able to deliver their letters to Santa personally. Families will be able to meet Santa again at the gala dinner on the last evening of your holiday, when every child will receive a small gift and a certificate.  We endeavour to make the experience as magical as possible for every child and in order to make sure that all children have the same experience with Santa, every child will receive the same gift at the gala dinner. We are not able to allow any additional gifts to be given to children at the workshop or at the gala dinner.

So children have time to reflect on what they would like to say to Santa and their wish list, we will send each child a letter to complete in your pre-departure information. This is sent out to all families approx. 6 weeks before travel. Further instructions will be sent to parents as part of the pre-departure information.

As a trip to Santa’s Workshop is included for all guests, there is no need for a voucher as all the information is passed directly on to the workshop helpers in advance. For guests who have pre-booked one of our other exciting activities – the Combined Husky & Reindeer Safari, Ski Taster (4-night holidays only) or a Snowmobiling Adventure – vouchers for these will be issued in your welcome information pack provided on arrival at Kittilä Airport.

Visit Santa Breaks for more information about our optional excursions. These activities are also available to book locally, subject to availability, but we recommend you pre-book in advance to guarantee your place.

Yes, guests on our 4-night Santa Breaks to both Levi and Ylläs have an opportunity to go downhill skiing. Complete beginners can pre-book a great value ‘Ski Taster’ package, which includes 1.5hrs tuition, equipment hire and free use of the beginner lifts for the full day so they can practise their newly learnt skills. These packages are bookable for both adult and children aged 5 and above, but please note that adults and child tuition takes place in different groups.  More experienced skiers can book equipment and lift pass for the slopes from a half-day upwards locally.

Our Combined Husky & Reindeer Safari and Snowmobiling Excursion operate at different times throughout the morning or afternoon. Usually, there are also additional activities available to book locally. Although we cannot advise your exact excursions days or times in advance, we guarantee that we will organise your itinerary to allow you to do all the activities you wish to do to make your holiday as memorable as possible. 

Pre-booking your activities in the UK makes this easier for us and is also cheaper for you as activities booked locally are paid for in the local currency. Please call us on 01483 791 122 if you would like to add any activities to your booking.

Thermal suits and boots are included in our prices for all Inghams Santa Breaks holidays for guests aged 3yrs and over.  In both Levi and Ylläs, guests will be asked to collect their thermal suits and boots from our partner shop in the resort centre on arrival. For guests staying in the Ylläs Log Cabins, we usually make a stop on the way from the airport before dropping you off at your cabin, depending on how far your cabin is from the resort centre.

For children under 0-2yrs, parents must bring their own thermal clothing as this is not included in the holiday price and availability locally cannot be guaranteed.

No problem, we can cater for all sizes – but please mention this when you book so we can advise our partner shop in advance to make sure they have a suit available for you on arrival.

Gloves, hats and socks are not included as part of the standard thermal suit and boot package. These are provided for any snowmobile excursions, but please make sure you pack all of these essentials to bring with you from the UK, especially for the little ones, as these can be expensive to purchase once in Lapland.

Both Levi and Ylläs are above the Arctic Circle, so it is essential to bring the right clothing to make sure that you and your children are kept warm and happy throughout your visit. All guests will receive thermal suits and boots free of charge, but please make sure you bring cosy woollen socks, gloves, thermal underclothes, hats and a scarf or balaclava to cover your face if necessary with you!

We also recommend you also bring some additional mittens or gloves (ideally waterproof ones for children’s snow play) to be worn next to the skin.

Layers are the key to keeping warm here and are far more effective than one or two thick items, so the thermals, a shirt or roll-neck fleece and a jacket/anorak under your suit when outdoors is recommended.

Yes of course! There will be many magical memories to capture and bring home to share with friends and family. However, extreme cold can adversely affect some cameras, so do check the manufacturers’ guidelines. Camera batteries also discharge very quickly in the cold, so bring plenty of spares! Also be aware of the ‘twilight’ times, when flash photography is necessary. The same goes for mobile phone batteries, so it is a good idea to bring a portable charger if you are planning to use the camera on your smart phone.

Yes – you can see on the itineraries that there is plenty of free ‘fun-time’. Both Levi and Ylläs have small souvenir shops and a supermarket for purchasing traditional Lappish goods, and Kittilä Airport also has a small selection of shops. Shops in resort are generally open from 10:00 – 19:00hrs but this may change.

During December it is normally between -5°C and -12°C, but can reach as low as -30°. These temperatures are perfectly manageable however with the thermal suits and boots provided and our resort staff and activity providers are well experienced in operating in these conditions, although they reserve the right to amend itineraries if weather conditions dictate.

Not at all! As you can imagine, we want you to experience the true, traditional spirit of Christmas, set in the magical winter wonderland that is Lapland. Each family’s private meeting with Santa at his workshop is much less commercialised for example than a department-store ‘grotto’ in the UK. You will also meet Santa’s elves and make gingerbread in the enchanting forest at the workshop location.

Yes, most people in Levi and Ylläs speak English extremely well and there is plenty of information provided in English. Your Santa Breaks reps are also on hand throughout your stay to answer any questions and help make your stay as enjoyable as possible.

At the end of November and throughout December, there are approx. 5hrs of daylight. This period is known as ‘Kaamos’ by Finnish locals, when the sun barely rises above the horizon.

The currency in Finland is the Euro. There are cash machines in Levi and Ylläs. If these are out of order however, there is nowhere else, so ensure you bring enough Euros with you! Major credit cards (except Amex) are accepted in hotels, most restaurants and for booking any of our excursions locally.

All our hotel partners serve an extensive buffet breakfast with both hot and cold options. Dinner in the hotels is also buffet-style, and mostly offers a choice of international cuisine, some Lappish specialities and standard children’s options. There is always a vegetarian option available for evening meals. Guests staying in cabins or apartments can choose between self-catering or optional half board, pre-booked at a supplement and taken in a nearby hotel. Lunch is not included in our prices but the hotels also offer lunch buffets, which guests may pay for locally.

Yes, both Levi and Ylläs have well-stocked supermarkets. For guests staying on a self-catering basis in Ylläs, the supermarket is open until 8pm on Sunday and 9pm Monday – Saturday. In Levi, the supermarket is open until 9pm daily. Inghams Santa Breaks guests staying at the Ylläs Log Cabins and Villa Armas Cabins receive a food starter pack on arrival if staying on a self-catering basis (not applicable to guests who have opted to pre-book half board).

All guests are invited to ‘Dinner with Santa’ on the last night of their stay free of charge, where a traditional Christmas dinner with Lappish specialities will be served as well as party games and another chance to meet Santa.

The ‘Aurora Borealis’, more commonly known as the Northern Lights, is a natural phenomenon caused by solar particles colliding with the earth’s magnetic field. As a natural event, no one can predict or guarantee their appearance during your stay.

However, being above the Arctic Circle, Levi and Ylläs are both ideal locations to see them and it is possible for them to appear as soon as the sky turns dark so keep an eye out!  Although the best chances to see them is to head to a remote spot, they can also regularly be spotted from the resort centres or your accommodation, particularly if you are in one of the Ylläs Log Cabins.

Yes, there are swimming pools in Levi Hotel Spa in Levi and Akas Hotel in Ylläs.

The Levi Hotel ‘Spa Water World’ has extensive facilities including 17 indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, children’s pool & slide and steam room. Entrance is free for guests staying at the hotel and payable for guests staying in other properties.

Akas Hotel in Ylläs has an indoor pool with whirlpool plus sauna. Entrance is free for guests staying at the Akas Hotel and the Akas Alp Apartments, and offers a special reduced rate, payable locally for guests staying in other accommodation.

Lapland is 2 hours ahead of UK time in December (i.e. GMT+2).

On Sunday 11^th December a national paper covered a story about another ski tour operator surcharging guests post-booking. 

Furthermore a trade association was quoted as saying ‘other ski operators’ may follow suit, we wish to confirm our categoric and clear position on this subject. This refers to Hotelplan’s brands which include Esprit, Santa's Lapland, Ski Total and Inghams.

We will definitely not be surcharging as we guarantee no surcharges.

Guests can confirm their bookings with our ski brands, safe in the knowledge that we will NOT recontact them to spend more on a confirmed booking.

We stand full square behind this important message, especially after the market turbulence following the EU referendum. We want to offer our guests surety and confidence. We seek to be trusted, open and honest. We are pleased to be able to do this because our Foreign Exchange (FX) teams in the UK and at our parent company in Zurich are fastidiously working on best rates at all times. We know how important the ‘no surcharges’ message is to skiers attempting to plan holiday budgets.

We have updated our communications to remind everyone that we do not surcharge, with reassurance messages on our websites.

Our travel agent partners have also been reassured that we will not surcharge. This has been welcomed with open arms. Award-winning agent Helen Furlong, Personal Travel Agents at Midcounties Co-operative Travel, said: ‘Now that’s worth shouting about.. been talking about it this morning!'

If you have a disability or medical condition or any special assistance either for the flight or accommodation then please call our Tailor Made team on 01483 791 111 before you book your holiday.

The Swiss Half-Fare Travel Card is included in our prices for all guests staying Switzerland with us, including guests travelling to resort by car, rail from the UK or just booking accommodation only with us. The card gives you up to 50% discount on individual 1st and 2nd class fares on most of the superb Swiss Transport Network, so you can explore as much as you like at up to half the cost.

If you are looking to use the local transport or walking lifts extensively when you are on holiday, we also recommend pre-booking a regional travel pass, which are usually available from 3 – 6 days depending on resort and in combination with your included half-fare travel card which gives you a discount (included in our prices), are a great value to explore the local area.

If you book a package with us which includes flights or rail from the UK, return 2nd class transfers to resort are included in the price of your holiday. Your rail tickets along with instructions on how to complete the documentation will be sent to you in the post approx. 3 weeks’ before you are due to travel. If you are visiting more than one resort, your transfers in between resorts are also included.

Yes, you can upgrade to 1st class for all your rail transfers from just £33 per person return for single-centre holidays. Please request at time of booking.

Children up to 15yrs incl. travel for free on the Switzerland Transport Network when accompanied by a parent. If you have children on your booking, you will be sent a ‘Family Card’ with your rail transfer tickets before travel. Children up 15yrs incl. travelling with a grandparent travel for free with the purchase of a grandparents’ card (approx. Sfr30 per card) – these can be purchased on arrival into Zurich or Geneva at the respective railway stations.

All of our flights are to either Geneva or Zurich, which both have railway stations within the airport terminals. The train stations are well signposted from the arrivals hall, have lift access and are reached in less than 5 minutes’ walk from arrivals. The platform required for your connection is specified on the rail itinerary sent to you with your rail tickets before departing the UK , but please do double check this when there as timetables are subject to change.

You’ll also be met by an Inghams’ representative, who will direct you to the train station, which are located within the terminal buildings in both Geneva and Zurich. They will confirm your train transfer times and be happy to help should you have any queries.

Our team of Inghams’ representatives will meet you on arrival in resort wherever possible according to the train connections advised on your rail itinerary. If your hotel is not within walking distance from the hotel/bus station, a pick-up will be arranged for you to take you to your hotel with your luggage. Very occasionally the representative will not be available to greet you, but the hotel pick-up is organised for all guests. Just look out for an Inghams sign.

All of our ‘Lakes and Mountains’ holidays to Switzerland booked with return flights, include return 2nd class rail transfers. 2nd class carriages are marked in red, so you can easily identify them from the platform. If you decide to take the optional upgrade to travel in 1st class at time of booking, look out for the yellow carriages. The same class applies for your whole journey from the airport to last point in resort, for any subsequent journeys between resort if you are staying in more than one of our featured destinations, and of course for your return journey to the airport on departure day.

You will have received a detailed rail itinerary for your entire journey airport to hotel with your rail transfer tickets, sent out approx. 3 weeks’ before departure. Please refer to your itinerary.

On arrival, you will be met from either your Inghams representative or by taxi if your hotel is not within walking distance from the train/bus station. If your hotel is less than 5 minutes’ walk, your rail itinerary will give directions on how to get there. Contact details for your hotel and Inghams resort rep are also provided – please refer to your rail itinerary for details.

If you need help with your bags, the Swiss Railways offer a luggage transfer service to most resorts. The ‘Fly-luggage’ service allows you to send your bags from your UK departure airport all the way to your hotel at a cost of from £14 per item per way. This may be booked with us before departure. There are 2 levels of service – ‘Standard’ and ‘Express’:

- On the ‘Standard’ service, luggage may not arrive in resort until the morning 2 days after you arrive, so we do not recommend sending any essentials on this service to make sure you can make the most of your time in resort!
- The ‘Express’ service is available from £25 per item per way for guests landing into Switzerland before 11:30am. For flights landing after 11:30am, only the ‘Standard’ service is available.

Please click here for more info:

If you do decide to use the service, you will be sent the relevant documentation and instructions with your rail transfer tickets and rail itinerary.

An alternative service to transfer your luggage is via our partner ‘Luggage Mule’, who pick-up your luggage from your home a few days before you are due to travel and courier them to your end destination so they are waiting for you when you arrive. Prices start from approx. £69 per item per way, and Inghams receive a 5% discount. This must be booked directly with Luggage Mule. Please call 01618702364 for more details and to book.

Transfer rail tickets and any fly-luggage tickets, if booked, are sent out to the lead passenger on your booking approximately 3 weeks before departure. If you do not receive your tickets and you are travelling in the next 10 days, please contact us on 01483 79 11 22 or email us on ticketing@inghams.co.uk. Any seat reservations for the scenic routes included on our independent multi-centre rail holidays ‘ Glorious Glacier Express’, ‘Undiscovered Switzerland’ and ‘Lake to lake UNESCO’ will be issued to you locally by your Inghams resort representative.

Any pre-booked regional travel passes will be issued locally, so you can choose which day to start exploring.

Your transfer tickets are sent to you before departure. You will have also received instructions on how to complete your documentation to validate it before your journey. Your ticket is a return ticket so please keep them safe during your holiday as they cannot be replaced.

If you have any queries about your booking or journey before departing the UK, please contact our pre-departures services team on 01483 791 122. Should you have any issues whilst travelling in Switzerland, a contact number for your resort rep and our overseas operating office are both provided on your rail itinerary

Swiss Passes gives you unlimited travel on the entire Swiss travel network included for 4, 8 or 15 consecutive days, and are available to pre-book at a supplement from £169 2nd class. These are a great option for guest wishing to explore outside the region they are staying in, to see more of Switzerland. If you are looking to stay within the region, we recommend pre-booking a regional pass if available – see individual resort pages for information.

When booking a Swiss Pass, the transfer ticket (incl. Half-Fare Travel Card) is still issued to cover your journeys to/from the airport.

Please always check you have put your green labels on your bags supplied to you by Inghams so the baggage handlers can quicker identify your luggage on the carousel.

Please locate the Inghams Airport Representative in this case and they will endeavour to have it moved to the train station for the onward journey to your hotel. If you decide to take you luggage off the carousel yourself, you should take the bags to SBB at the airport train station and hand them over to the railway staff, you will need your documentation with you. Please note that by doing this you may miss the cut off for Express Service for that day.

This is for the Standard Service and is the terms and conditions that SBB has stipulated. However, we have noticed this summer the standard baggage service is working well and bags have been arriving by the evening after arrival to Switzerland. There may be instances where bags do not arrive within this timeframe, usually due to reasons listed above.

You will receive your documentation from us before you depart for Switzerland. Please keep the claim form safe and on your person. If the form has been misplaced, please see your Inghams Representative who will speak to the train station staff to get the bags back. It also helps to ensure the blue Inghams branded luggage labels are on your bags to easily identify them.

Luggage labels are sometimes stuffed behind the guests travel cards/ half fare cards so please double check here first. If the ticket is missing, please contact your Inghams Representative who will have the information resent from the UK.

The tickets have changed this year so please double check as tickets can be used for multiple items of baggage, for example a ticket may say 2 Gepäck which means you can send two pieces of baggage with that one ticket.

You can pay to upgrade to the Express Service locally with your Inghams Representative (where the service is available). It costs Sfr30 to upgrade which is a one-off fee per booking for any number of bags. For guests who would like to book this service in resort who haven’t already pre-booked the Standard Service, you will need to also pay the initial fee which we charge of CHF22 – CHF32 (varies by resort) for the cost of the baggage transfer from your hotel to the train station in resort.

Standard Swiss Fly-Rail luggage may not arrive until the morning two days after your arrival into resort depending of your flight. We recommend you take an overnight bag to cover your first two night in resort. For relevant information to your specific flight, please contact our pre departure team on 01483 79 11 22.

Express Swiss Fly-Rail can only be booked for flights departing before 11:45am and luggage should arrive in resort the same evening.

This is rare but should this happen, it is usually the fault of the airport handling agents rather than the railway. You should go to the train station as soon as the damage is noticed to fill out a damage form, ensure the railway staff take photos of the damage and we recommend you do too. Please also check your travel insurance to see if you can make a claim.

In the unlikely event your luggage does not arrive in resort by the advertised time, you can claim for expenses and claim under SBB terms and conditions. Please see your Inghams Representative who will keep in contact with the resort train station, airport train station and airport baggage handling agents to locate your bags.

In order to travel with Inghams, it is essential that every person who books with us has arranged suitable insurance from a reputable provider. Your policy should cover you from when you book, up until the day after your return to ensure that you have full coverage (including cover for cancellation before your planned holiday). Depending on your holiday plans, you should also make sure you are covered for any relevant activities you are going to take part in.

Snow sports are great fun but do come with their own risks. Make sure that when you purchase your insurance you consider what activities you will be taking part in. Make sure to think about elements such as;

Off Piste – with or without a guide

Mountain Rescue – Inc. helicopter

Personal Liability – Injuring others

24-hour Emergency Assistance

Other Activities – Tobogganing, local ski racing, snow parks, climbing etc.

Here at Inghams we have partnered up with MPI brokers who offer a substantial insurance policy, should anything go wrong. If you plan to arrange your own insurance, that’s fine but don’t forget to read the small print.

For more information on MPI, please visit our wintersports insurance page.

There are many activities available across the wide range of countries and resorts we offer. You should research activities in the area before you travel but your insurance should cover activities such as, but not limited to;

Walking, cycling, white-water rafting, boat trips, waterparks, city visits, horse riding. For more information on MPI, please visit our insurance page.

If you have a problem or accident on your holiday you should be able to find your representative’s contact number in your welcome pack. If you have an Inghams welcome board or book in your accommodation, your representative’s contact number will also be available here. Alternatively, if you can’t get hold of your rep you can speak to your chalet or hotel staff who should be able to contact the representative for you. Our experienced team in your resort are there to ensure you have an enjoyable holiday with us so please don’t hesitate to contact them should you need anything. As a last resort please call the emergency contact number +44 1483 79 11 78. This will take you through to a member of staff based in the UK who will endeavour to find the best person from our overseas team who can assist you.

There is no such thing as being overdressed whilst on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Guests are encouraged to dress up for the occasion and really indulge in the luxurious atmosphere on board. Guests should dress smartly for dinner, many choosing to wear black tie. The daytime the dress-code is smart causal (Jeans should not be worn on board)

The train operates a no smoking policy throughout.

French, English and Italian are spoken by most stewards on board the continental train.

Up to 174 guests are accommodated in 92 beautifully furnished cabins. The train offers three grand suites with ensuite bathrooms, 83 twin cabins and two single cabins.

Carriages contain nine twin cabins with a shared bathroom on either side.

Each cabin has a wash basin housed within a small vanity unit. The only cabins that have showers are the three suites.

The bathrooms can be located on either side of each carriage.

There is WiFi on board the train.  

Prices are quoted in euros on board the train, guests can pay with cash or card. The exchange rate on board is displayed in the bar car.

The most popular route is from London to Venice or from Venice to London. This journey takes two days with one night on board the Venice Simplon Orient Express.

Guests travelling from London will begin their journey on the Belmond British Pullman, setting off from London Victoria to Folkstone. Once you reach Folkston the train staff will transfer your luggage to a luxury coach to cross the channel. You’ll be assisted on board. The coach has tables, toilets and a drink and light snack will be provided on board. At Calais the Venice Simplon Orient Express will be waiting a five minute drive away from the port.

Luggage space within the cabin is limited, so it is recommended that guests pack a small hand luggage size overnight bag that can be placed on the luggage rack within your cabin. One larger suitcase per passenger can be stored in the luggage car, but this will not be accessible until you reach your destination.

Cabins have their own adjustable temperature gauge with heating and air-conditioning as well as large pull down windows. 

Each cabin has European two pin electric sockets (230 volts).

There are two dinner sittings when on board the train. The chief steward will come to you cabin to note your preference.

Other than changing from train to coach to cross the channel the train will only stop briefly at the boarders of each country as it crosses through Europe.