Becky Wright woke up at 3.30am to fly to Sweden for the day to meet Father Christmas and see the Northern Lights
Becky flew to Sweden for the day from East Midlands Airport to get home in time for a cuppa in bed by 11pm(Image: SWNS/Becky Wright)
A woman awoke at the crack of dawn, flew to Sweden to see the Northern Lights and meet Santa, and was home in time for a cup of tea in bed by 11pm. Becky Wright, 53, decided to treat herself to a solo trip Pajala, Sweden.
The payroll manager, from Nottingham, who claims to be “husky obsessed”, paid £679 for the all-inclusive trip, which included flights, an airport transfer, food and drink, and a whole host of activities such as a sleigh ride and meeting Santa. To top off the end of a magical day, Becky saw the Northern Lights and was in bed with a cup of tea by 11pm.
Becky said: “I’ve had huskies for 12 years, and I’ve always loved winter sports, so when this trip popped up, it looked perfect. They really look after you on the plane going out there, singing and playing bingo, it was all very joyful. The place was amazing, there was huskies, reindeer, snowmobiles, we even got to see Santa!
Becky even got to see the Northern Lights during her day trip to Sweden(Image: Becky Wright© SWNS)
“The staff thought it was amazing that I went on my own, as I don’t think they get many solo travellers. I still got to see Santa, even though I didn’t have any kids with me! It was beautiful. They’d had lots of snow over the last few days, and there were clear blue skies, which meant a brilliant Northern Light show. It was a perfect way to top off the day.
“Despite getting up so early, I didn’t feel tired throughout the day, as I was running on adrenaline. I would definitely do a trip like that again, and I would urge anyone who is thinking of doing the same to just book it.”
Becky booked the all-inclusive day trip with Gnome and Away Travel back in January. Despite the day excursion not being cheaper than a weekend trip, the quick visit was perfect so she didn’t have to pack anything and could get home to her own pet huskies.
This is Becky’s third extreme day trip, having visited Dublin with her daughter last year, and taking a solo trip to Alicante earlier in 2025. Her previous extreme day trips were organised by Becky herself, so she loved the ease of having all of her transport, food and activities sorted for her on this trip.
“I didn’t have to pay for anything when I got there, which I absolutely loved”, she said.
On the day of Becky’s trip, she awoke at 3.30am, and travelled to East Midlands Airport for her flight at 6.15am, which took two hours to transport her and the rest of the group to Pajala.
Becky paid £679 for the all-inclusive trip, which included flights, an airport transfer, food and drink, and a whole host of activities such as a sleigh ride and meeting Santa(Image: Becky Wright© SWNS)
She said: “We were the only plane coming into Pajala that day, so everybody was doing the same thing. After we landed we got straight on a bus, and then it was only a seven minute drive to the Lapland village. “
Despite the trip being very family orientated, Becky said she absolutely loved all of the activities on offer. However, she said that there was only about 90 minutes of daylight during the day.
She said: “The sun was just coming up as we landed, and by the time we’d had our lunch, it has already gone dark again. I had to quickly race around to get all of the photos I wanted to take in the daylight.”
For lunch, the group had Swedish meatballs and sausages, and Becky was delighted to find that they had separate vegetarian options on offer for her. And to top off a magical day, Becky and the group saw the Northern Lights at around 3pm, when Pajala was already pitch black.
Becky enjoyed just seven hours in Sweden, and returned to the airport for her flight home at 5.30pm. On the way back, Becky’s flight was an hour delayed so the plane couldbe de-iced, meaning they didn’t set off until 7.30pm. The flight landed at 10pm, and by 10.30pm, Becky was at home having a cup of tea in bed.
Becky’s day in Lapland
Becky even got to meet Father Christmas(Image: Becky Wright© SWNS)
6.15am – Flight to Pajala
10.40am – arrive in Pajala
11.30am – arrive at Santa’s village
12pm – Reindeer ride
12.15pm – lunch
1pm – lantern trail to find Santa
1.30pm husky ride
2pm – snowmobiling
3pm – watch Northern Lights
4.15pm – head back to airport
5.30pm – get on plane home
7.15pm – delayed plane set off from Pajala
10pm – arrived at East Midlands airport
10.30pm – tucked up in bed with a tea
