FAQs

Finland Cross Country Ski Tour

Travel

  • Flights are not included in our packages.

    Our recommended flights are different - both airports and timings - for our February and March trips.

    February: TUI Airlines to Kuusamo

    March: Ryanair or Easyjet to Rovaniemi

    We have one timed transfer on arrival and departure - these vary by date.

    Please make sure you are looking at the information relating to the dates you have booked!

    Whilst we want to give you as much information as possible to make this a simple and stress-free process, you are responsible for your travel arrangements to Kusaamo (January) / Rovaniemi (March), where we will collect you and take you to the first night's accommodation.

    We've put together some information for you, but please do the research for your own peace of mind too. Gutsy Girls are responsible for you once you reach us and not before.

  • Our recommended flights are direct to Kuusamo with TUI from either London Gatwick, Birmingham or Manchester, and our airport transfers are designed to meet these flights. Kuusamo is approximately a 1 hour journey to our base cabin.

    We will do one transfer on arrival and departure at the following times:

    Arrival transfer: 1:00 pm pick up from Kuusamo airport
    Departure transfer: Drop off at Kuusamo airport at 10:45 am

    Our recommended flights are charter flights with TUI from London Gatwick (LGW), Birmingham (BHX) or Manchester (MAN) to Kuusamo (KAO) as follows:

    London

    Outbound: TUI

    Depart LGW at 06:00
    Arrive KAO at 11:35

    Return: TUI

    Depart KAO at 12:45
    Arrive LGW at 14:35

    Birmingham

    Outbound: TUI

    Depart BHX at 06:30
    Arrive KAO at 11:50

    Return: TUI

    Depart KAO at 13:00
    Arrive BHX at 14:25

    Manchester

    Outbound: TUI

    Depart MAN at 07:05
    Arrive KAO at 12:30

    Return: TUI

    Depart KAO at 13:40
    Arrive MAN at 15:05

    You can book these directly on the TUI website. We recommend booking your flights as soon as we have confirmed your trip is running as there are not many alternative flight options!

    Alternatives

    You could also fly outbound with Finnair and spend a night in Helsinki on Saturday before the trip begins; the transfer time can usually accommodate a morning Finnair flight to Kuusamo from Helsinki. If you are flying back to the UK with Finnair, you may need to spend another night in Helsinki on the way home.

    General

    You can get to Kuusamo however you like, as long as you are at the airport in time to meet our transfers. You may want to spend a night exploring Helsinki at the beginning or end of your trip.

    Other airlines which fly direct from the UK to Helsinki are Norwegian and Ryanair.

    Please note we can only do one transfer on arrival and departure. Due to long distances, private transfers are expensive to arrange.

  • There are no direct flights to Kuusamo (the closest airport) in March.

    Our recommended flights to Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is approximately a 3.5 - 4 hour journey to our base cabin.

    We can do one transfer on arrival and departure at the following times:

    Arrival transfer: 12:30 pm pick up from Rovaniemi airport

    Departure transfer: Drop off at Rovaniemi airport at 09:45 am

    We have three recommended flights to Rovaniemi:

    • Ryanair from London Stansted

    • Easyjet from London Gatwick

    • Ryanair from Liverpool

    London Gatwick - Easyjet

    Outbound: EZY8847 Easyjet

    Depart London Gatwick (LGW) 06:25

    Arrive Rovaniemi (RVN) 11:55

    Return: EZY8848 Easyjet

    Depart Rovaniemi (RVN) 12:45

    Arrive London Gatwick (LGW) 14:35

    London Stansted- Ryanair

    Outbound: FR9828 Ryanair

    Depart London Stansted (STN) 06:30

    Arrive Rovaniemi (RVN) 11:50

    Return: FR9829 Ryanair

    Depart Rovaniemi (RVN) 12:25

    Arrive London Stansted (STN) 13:55

    Liverpool - Ryanair

    Outbound: FR9984 Ryanair

    Depart Liverpool (LPL) 05:45

    Arrive Rovaniemi (RVN) 11:00

    Return: FR9985 Ryanair

    Depart Rovaniemi (RVN) 11:35

    Arrive Liverpool (LPL) 13:00

    Our airport transfer timings are designed to meet these flights.

    There are no other direct flights to Rovaniemi from on these dates.

    General

    You can get to Rovaniemi however you like, as long as you are at the airport in time to meet our transfers. You may want to spend a night exploring Helsinki at the beginning or end of your trip.

    Finnair, Norwegian and Ryanair fly direct to Helsinki from the UK.

    Finnair and Norwegian fly from Helsinki to Rovaniemi.

    Please note we can only do one transfer on arrival and departure. Due to long distances, private transfers are expensive to arrange.

  • We will collect you from Kuusamo airport at the arranged transfer time on the day of arrival.

    You will then be driven to the first log cabin of your trip, on the shores of Lake Jatkonjarvi, in Hossa National Park. This will take about an hour.

  • You will be transferred to the airport this morning after breakfast. The journey will take about 2 hours.

  • We will collect you from Rovaniemi airport at the arranged transfer time on the day of arrival.

    You will then be driven to the first to the first guest house of your trip . This will take about 4 hours.

  • You will be transferred to the airport early this morning after a simple breakfast. The journey will take about 3.5 hours.

  • We will connect you with others on the trip via WhatsApp, so you may be able to arrange to travel together. 

  • Other flights to Kuusamo:

    There are indirect flights to Kuusamo with Finnair via Helsinki from Edinburgh, Manchester and London Heathrow. In order to fit in with our transfer times, you might need to fly the day before the trip begins and and the day after it ends, and then spend a night in Helsinki before/after the flight to Kuusamo.

    Other airlines which fly direct from the UK to Helsinki are Norwegian and Ryanair, if you wanted to spend time in Helsinki and travel to/from Kuusamo on a different day with Finnair.

    If you arrive on an earlier flight, you will have to wait for the transfer at the airport (or in the town and make your way back to the airport by pick up time). If you fly out later, we can probably drop you off in the town centre at prior request.

    Flight to Oulu & Bus to Kuusamo:

    In some cases a flight from Helsinki to Oulu and a bus from Oulu to Kuusamo is a cheaper option as there are more daily flights to Oulu.

    You will need to get from Oulu airport to the bus station in Oulu either by taxi for about €40 or by public bus lines 8 or 9 for about €6. Journey time approx 30 minutes.

    For the bus from Oulu bus station to Kuusamo, check schedules at www.matkahuolto.fi. The bus takes about 3 hours. Prices from 28 €/one-way.

    Train from Helsinki to Oulu and bus from Oulu to Kuusamo

    It is possible to take a train from Helsinki airport railway station to Oulu (about 6 hours) and then a bus from Oulu to Kuusamo. Please see schedules and prices for trains at www.vr.fi.

    For the bus from Oulu station to Kuusamo, check schedules at www.matkahuolto.fi. The bus takes about 3 hours. Prices from 28 €/one-way.

    If you miss the scheduled group transfer on arrival and an extra transfer has to be arranged, the costs must be covered by you.

  • Other flights to Rovaniemi:

    There are indirect flights to Rovaniemi with Finnair via Helsinki. In order to fit in with our transfer times, you might need to fly the day before the trip begins and and the day after it ends, and then spend a night in Helsinki before/after the flight to Rovaniemi.

    Other airlines which fly direct from the UK to Helsinki are Norwegian and Ryanair, if you wanted to spend time in Helsinki and travel to/from Rovaniemi on a different day with Finnair.

    If you arrive on an earlier flight, you will have to wait for the transfer at the airport (or in the town and make your way back to the airport by pick up time).

    Train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi

    It is possible to take an overnight train from Helsinki Rovaniemi. Please see schedules and prices for trains at www.vr.fi.

    If you miss the scheduled group transfer on arrival and an extra transfer has to be arranged, the costs must be covered by you.

Accommodation

  • The accommodation on this trip is in small, family run guesthouses, and we'll be experiencing Finnish traditions, culture and food first hand.

    The rooms are shared twin, triple and occasionally quadruple rooms with shared bathroom facilities. There are saunas available daily except for the night of arrival.

    Please note that the bathroom facilities are shared throughout the trip and that single rooms are not available.

  • We will provide:

    • bath towels (if you want to have a separate hand towel, please bring your own)

    • bed linen

    • ski waxes and other material needed for ski waxing

    Hairdryers are not provided!

  • No - you could bring some soap flakes / travel wash to wash your base layers if you think this will be necessary!

  • The traditional Finnish sauna is available every evening during the tour except on arrival night. Finnish people traditionally go to the sauna in single sex groups without wearing swimming costumes. The sauna is considered to be a holy place where both body and soul are washed.

    Modern saunas have separate bathrooms with showers. In older saunas you can wash yourself in the sauna – there is hot water, buckets and scoops available.

    The sauna at the first two nights' accommodation is located on a lake and there’s a possibility for ice-swimming (dipping into the hole in the ice) here.

Food

  • All your meals are provided.

    • Breakfast is served at the accomodation (bread, cheese, ham, porridge, muesli, yoghurt, coffee, tea).

    • Lunch is served on an outdoor fireplace on the route and it consists of warm soup, sandwiches, (sausages) and coffee and tea with chocolate / biscuits.

    • Dinner is usually a buffet and includes typical Finnish dishes. The dinner consists of a main course (meat/fish, potatoes/rice), fresh salad/warm vegetables etc and dessert.

    Finnish products are always our first choice. In winter all fruit is imported into Finland, so fruit may not be served very often, if at all.

    Breakfast is usually around 8–9 am, lunch at 12–1 pm and dinner at 7–8 pm.

    Please bring your own snacks (energy / muesli bars, nuts, raisins etc) if you might need these during the week.

    Tap water is drinkable in Finland. At the wilderness cabins where tap water is not available, water is brought in large cans (you can fill your own water bottle from these). Bottled water is not available.

    We can cater for most dietary requirements. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements at the time of booking.

  • We can cater for most dietary requirements and we will request information prior to your arrival. 

Activities

  • Yes! This trip does not include technical tuition. To join this tour, you must have spent several days on cross-country skis prior to joining. You must have good basic technique, be confident in moving efficiently in and out of tracks and be able to stop on downhills. You should be fit and have good balance.

  • Each day we will ski up to 7 hours including a lunch break (1 hour) and several shorter breaks. Daily distances are from 17 to 23 km.

    The terrain is fairly easy and there are no big hills en route, however there are some ups and downs especially during the first day. The route goes through forests and crosses lakes and swamps in the eastern wilderness area.

    You can ski daily stages at your own speed, with the fastest skiers following the track and the guide staying with the slower ones. Lunch is usually prepared and enjoyed outdoors around an open fire. If necessary, faster skiers can start a bit later in the morning so that the whole group arrives together at the lunch spot.

  • This cross country skiing trip does have downhill and uphill sections. You need to be confident at controlling your speed on the downhills, and fit enough to get up the uphills. If you do not like the sensation of going downhill from previous skiing experiences, then this trip may not be for you.

    Fitness

    Cross country skiing is a physically demanding sport! It does get described as ‘running with skis on’. In as far as cardio fitness goes, this is true - it can be hard work! We do recommend you have a good base fitness level to get the most out of the experience. Each day we will have up to 7 hours skiing.

    If you do physical activity that gets your heart rate up a minimum of 3 times a week for at least 45 minutes, you’ll have a great time!

    We encourage you to be kind to yourself when deciding if this is the trip for you and if you have enough skiing experience. If not, check out our cross country skiing trips in Norway which include technical tuition.

  • We will be skiing for up to 7 hours each day. We ask that you are realistic in assessing your fitness for this trip. Many people of all ages enjoy cross country skiing. If you lead an active life and perhaps take some time to prepare yourself (see "How can I improve my fitness for cross country skiing?"), you will have a great time. You do not need to be an olympic athlete! If you exercise at high intensity (gym, swim, run, spin etc) 2-3 times a week you’ll be good to go for this adventure!

  • Working on your cardiovascular fitness will help you with endurance and stamina. Walking at a good pace (where you feel slightly out of breath) is really useful, or of course, running or cycling or performing other higher intensity exercise.

    Improving your strength, core stability and balance really helps with cross country skiing too. Good balance is essential for weight transfer from one ski to the next. We will be balancing on one ski as it glides – so if standing one one leg is a challenge then practising will help!  You could stand on one leg every time you clean your teeth! Activities and sports that challenge our balance can help us develop our balance in a progressive way, including Pilates, yoga and dancing.

  • Please see our blog about cross country ski clothing here.

    In a nutshell, when we are cross country skiing we are very active and generating heat while out in the cold. While moving we get hot (and sweaty!) but then when we stop in the cold, we cool down quickly. The mistake people often make is overdressing, getting too hot and sweaty whilst moving and then cooling off quickly and then feeling cold and damp at every stop. In addition, when we’re skiing with a group we may stop more frequently or for longer than you would if you were alone. Cross country skiing does NOT require the same sort of clothing as downhill skiing because the warm, padded clothing for downhill skiing takes into account long stretches sitting still on chairlifts at the mercy of the weather - not needed whilst cross country skiing! 

    We recommend a variety of wool or synthetic base layers, topped by a lightweight, windproof, breathable waterproof hiking jacket (shell) with a hood, with a warm, insulated jacket in a backpack to put on at rest stops. On your legs, we recommend windproof, water repellent, breathable soft shell type fitted trousers or leggings.

    We recommend avoiding cotton clothing as it gets wet and cold and doesn't dry fast.

    Other vital items are warm socks, sunglasses, sunscreen, waterproof and insulated gloves, a buff and hat.

  • Yes!

    The trip price includes the hire of skis, poles and boots.

  • Yes! On this tour we use classical (not skate) technique. The track is made by a snowmobile. Your skis need to be compatible with the classic style.

    The skis we tend to use are classic nordic cross-country skis with a width of 44mm. Skis can be waxable or non-waxable. Backcountry skis or similar with steel edges are not suitable for this tour. Ski poles with a larger basket are ideal (not racing poles with tiny baskets).

    Glide and grip waxes, wax removal liquid and other material needed for waxing (eg. iron for applying glide wax and a heat gun for wax removing) are provided. A waxing bench will be available too.

  • Yes! You can find it here.

  • Yes! Ensure you bring a daypack with you that has plenty of space for a water bottle, snacks and layers that you need to peel off and put away. We recommend a backpack of about 25 litres. 

    It is a good idea to carry a warm, insulated jacket in your bag that you can put on at rest stops to stop you from getting cold, and a spare pair of gloves because wet gloves are the worst! Make sure there is some space in your bag before you begin as you are likely to need to put layers away as you warm up.

    It is a really good idea to carry a couple of smaller, lightweight dry bags to keep the clothes in your backpack from getting wet.

  • No! Your luggage is transported to the guest houses for you. Space is a bit limited so please limit your luggage to one bag.

Other

  • Of course we cannot predict the weather on any given week, but temperatures normally vary between -5 and -20 ° C, and we may sometimes have temperatures of more like -30°C or even above zero. For most of the winter in Finland it is a “dry” cold which tends to feel less cold than “damp” cold (which we have in the UK!).

    The weather can be cloudy or sunny and we can also see wind and snowfalls.

    The ten day weather forecast can be found here: www.foreca.com/Finland/Suomussalmi

  • This tour is certainly suitable for Northern Lights spotting! We will be in the wilderness where artificial light pollution will not interfere, so if the Northern Lights do appear it will be easy to observe them from any of our accommodation spots. However, just like the weather, the Northern Lights are completely unpredictable and their appearance can never be forecast with certainty, so we can never guarantee this!

  • The tour price includes full board but you may want some cash for drinks or snacks. Shopping possibilities are limited but there is a small souvenir shop at Hossa information centre which also accepts credit cards.

    There will be the opportunity to buy beer and wine in the evenings, at €2 for a can of beer and €12 for a bottle of wine. This is payable in cash, so if you want to buy some, bring some small denominations with you. They’ll have some change but big notes will be tricky.

    The Finnish currency unit is the euro (EUR).

    ATMs are not available during the tour.