There was once a time that flights north were limited to charter flights and limited indirect services from London, however, budget airline travel has made some locations accessible with both direct and connecting indirect flights.
There's something great about Nordic airports - perhaps it's just a case of being smaller and the knowledge you are arriving in a wonderful place - but they seem to be so much more welcoming, relaxed and child friendly than the UK.
Iceland - Keflavik
A quick look on Skyscanner indicates there are the following direct options from the UK - if you are flexible and don't need to travel in peak times, flights can start at around £20 per person:
London - Gatwick and Luton
Bristol
Edinburgh
Manchester
Liverpool
Use Skyscanner to check budget options such as Easyjet, Wizzair and Play. Sign up for each airline's e-newsletter to make sure you are kept up to date with new schedules being released as flights are usually cheapest when they are released.
Services from Bristol and Liverpool usually reduce over the summer period, which is the peak time for visitors in Iceland (and a wonderful time to drive the ring road around the island in near 24-hour daylight!)
Off-peak seasons are September to November (although some flights do not commence until November) and from January to May (again, some regional flights may conclude by March).
Finland - Rovaniemi
Direct services to Rovaniemi are usually available over the winter period (but may be concentrated from late November to early December, with some services operating from
November until March), with the additional option of a connecting flight in Helsinki. In the last year there have been direct options from:
Gatwick - EasyJet
Manchester - EasyJet
Bristol - EasyJet
Stansted - Ryanair
Norwegian previously flew directly to Rovaniemi but currently only offer indirect flights via Helsinki (we hope these return as Norwegian's service is good value, offers wifi and was always a positive experience). Finnair also provide an indirect connecting service but can sometimes be more expensive.
For peak time flights, keep a careful eye on release dates as prices rise quickly and can easily reach £300-400 each way. As an example, EasyJet released flights from Bristol for late November to early January in early June with very little announcement, with Ryanair doing something similar for a new route from Stansted.
Off peak flights may provide some exceptional value options, with one-way prices as low as £20 in early 2023.
Baggage options
With budget airlines reducing hand luggage options, buying hold luggage is usually best done early as prices typically increase over time.
Check airline policies for children - with options to take car seats, buggies and baby carriers in the hold for free, investing in buggy and car seat carry bags can help protect your items and give you extra space for a few additional items.
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