Our actual visit with Santa was great, party of about 8 families was held in fire warmed hut and fed pancakes and hot drinks whilst families were taken off one by one to see santa and each sworn to secrecy on their return - I think you got unlucky there lbc.

ggg - we didn't tell the kids until we got to the airport makes for a great surprise (and stops them being hyper beforehand!).

dont put me off, i have booked it now!!! we are only going cos i got some inheritance money after my Nan died and i thought it would be a lovely thing to do and something the kids would remember

Do NOT do a Day Trip with Transun, ew went a few years ago now, and it was a total waste of miney and time. I real disapointment.

Dd2 & me went on a day trip with Canterbury Travel last year - it was arranged by a charity and dd2 travelled free and my ticket was heavily subsidised.
We had a great day and it was all very magical and scenic, although we did have to queue for ages to see Santa too and then we had a complete nightmare trip back home - stuck on runway for 4 hours due to plane needing de-icing, then flight diverted to a city 2 hours away - not too good with a planeload full of very tired small children, and apparently that does happen quite frequently.
It was without a doubt a lovely, special day. But would I have spent nearly £1K on it myself? No. Santa was lovely though and really took his time with dd2, and she went on the husky sleigh ride about 5 times . The food was extremely basic but nice enough and warming, and there was a very Christmassy, unspoilt atmosphere over the whole place. I can't believe just how much these trips cost though...

Dadinstead was very helpful last year when Canterbury, despite me paying 50% deposit in March suddenly cancelled my 5 day lapland trip at short notice (due to lack of plane seat/airline closing).

Emagine were really helpful on the phone, but didn't have spaces when my DH was in the country. In the end we paid a large bribe to encourage anothe family to change weeks, we couldn't as DH works in USA/singapore/Oz and was only here for 7 days.

If I am 100% honest? It was a bit of a letdown at the end, a fab holiday but the going to see Santa bit? Seriously naff and very poorly managed/planned. We all hung around a very normal looking house with nothing to do but snowball fights and drink hot juice. There were a whole coach load of families - maybe 12 or more - each family went in individually whilst the others waited. I have a (then 4) DS with severe SN and we were the 10/11th family to go in, after a 90 minute wait. DS was cold and bored and the children of the second family came out and informed all the other children that FC was in the house.

Also the extra trips - eyewateringly expensive!

thanks! i was trying to decide between a day trip or a 1 nighter cos we cant afford a 2 nighter. have booked a 1 night trip this morning with canterbury travel and i'm very very excited!!!! havent told the kids yet!!!

overnight - one night the first and two the second, to be honest preferred the two we didn't do much extra but it was less rushed. There was so much pressure to fit everything in on the one night.

did you do the day trip or an overnight one? when i have been looking into it, there seems to be good and bad things about both.

I fyou have any specific questions happy to answer

thanks all. anyone else?