Family travel,without the brochure voice.

Nine days in Finnish Lapland gave our family a rare mix of big Arctic experiences and simple time in the snow. We used Rovaniemi as one base for Santa Claus Village, reindeer and husky rides, then drove farther for an icebreaker cruise, Oulanka National Park and Ranua Wildlife Park. It was expensive, but leaving space between bookings made the trip work well with our four-year-old.

Seventeen days across Seoul and Busan with our three-year-old, including the route we followed, our £7,000 family total, the toddler logistics that caught us out, vegetarian-food challenges, favourite days and what we would plan differently.