Visit Santas grotto in Lapland this Christmas

OK, you could take the kids down to the local shopping mall to see Santa in his grotto, but everyone knows he's not the Real Deal. If you really want to be the World's Best Parents, you need to take them to Lapland, which of course is where Santa lives.

Granted, a family trip to Lapland is more expensive than a bus ride to Debenhams, but some good last minute offers mean it's not quite as pricey as you might imagine.

Esprit holidays (www.esprit-holidays.co.uk) has a three-night trip for a family of four from £1,399, departing on December 23. The price includes flights, transfers, a husky dog sled ride, reindeer sleigh ride and a private meeting with the big man himself, travelling by sleigh.

If that seems a bit too much for a chance for your little ones to see Santa, remember that this is more than just a trip to a grotto.

Lapland is a fascinating family destination in itself, with a Narnia-like snowy landscape and a range of family activities from ice fishing to tobogganing rides on snowmobiles as well as the chance to go dog sledding or riding on a reindeer-drawn sleigh.

Other tour operators selling Christmas trips to Lapland include First Choice (www.firstchoice.co.uk/lapland), Canterbury Travel (www.santa-holidays.com) and Emagine Travel (www.emagine-travel.co.uk/santa-claus-in-lapland).

Day trips are also an option, either to Santa's underground grotto in Rovaniemi or to his home in the forest near Ivalo, both in Finnish Lapland.

It will be cold so remember to pack warm weather gear, though most tour operators provide thermal outfits for outdoor activities.

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