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It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas, especially if you want to escape somewhere a little more festive than the UK.

And TikTokers are raving about a spot that’s been dubbed the perfect ‘Lapland alternative’ for people who don’t want to shell out thousands on a festive break, with Brits sharing snippets of their travels to the ‘winter wonderland’ which looks nothing short of magical.

One traveller by the name of @pialessing shared some of the festive activities on offer at the European city (which is currently offering flights for just £66) and we already feel warm and fuzzy inside.

In the video, the social media influencer lists ‘chasing the Northern Lights’, ‘visiting a reindeer farm’, and ‘swimming in the arctic’ as the best activities to do there.

Followers rushed to express their excitement in the comments. One wrote, “So many cool things to do!!! Added them to my bucket list.”

Another panicked about the secret getting out, as they wrote: “Stop giving away Tromso to the world. Let’s keep it a secret.”

A third added: “I miss Tromso! Would recommend going husky sledding too.” OK, that’s going on the list too.

What to do in Tromso at Christmas

In the build-up to Christmas, Tromso in Norway comes to life. Decked in twinkly festive lights with real life snow, there’s no better place in the world to feel festive – even if you’re the biggest Scrooge in town.

Getty/Juan Maria Coy Vergara

There are plenty of activities to book, from once-in-a-lifetime whale-watching tours and reindeer farms to traditional Christmas markets.

The biggest draw? It’s also a opportunity to see the Northern Lights – we know it’s on your bucket list.

In fact, Tromso is situated above the Arctic Circle and is further north than the Finnish Lapland, so it’s an even better chance to see the natural light show in all its glory.

How to visit the Lapland alternative for £66 return

The place dubbed the ‘Lapland alternative’ is Tromso in Norway and you can travel there from the UK for just £66 return via booking.com. Yes, Christmas has indeed come early.

The flight departs from London’s Luton Airport on November 9 at 2.15pm and returns on November 16 at 7.25pm with Wizz Air – plenty of time to tick off reindeer feeds, go husky sledding, and sup as much mulled wine as you possibly can.

The flight time is around 3.5 hours but you’ll need to hurry, flights are sure to sell out before you even have time to put the Christmas tree up.

Alternatively, there are flights from Manchester starting at around £90 return.

Book your bargain Christmas city break now.

A Florida resident has strapped his entire house down as Hurricane Milton continues to tear through the state, with multiple deaths confirmed.

Pedro Casares, from Orlando, US, appears to have taken some extreme precautions ahead of Hurricane Milton pounds the city with 100mph winds.

The Category 5 storm has taken the lives of two people, a spokesperson for the St Lucie Fire District told NBC.

More than three million homes and businesses have been left without power (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has since confirmed that there has been 19 confirmed tornados statewide.

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld closed their theme parks on Wednesday, and are expect to also be closed on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Pedro has attached six massive yellow straps to the ground and up over the roof of his one-storey home.

Spectrum Bay News 9 took a photo of the house and shared it on X, as one viewer called it ‘the most Florida thing ever’.

A Florida man strapped his entire house down (Spectrum News 9)

A second person wrote: “Everyone is laughing now, but this man will be a legend when all the other houses are floating down the road and he’s sitting in his new living room swimming pool watching TV powered by a Starlink terminal.”

As a third added: “He’s thinking outside the box, need more folks like him…”

As chilling footage of the storm circulates online, the Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor has told residents that they need to stay indoors.

She said at a press conference: “Please, please stay inside until we can get out there with our teams to assess the damage and make sure it’s safe for you to go back out into your community or to re-enter your neighbourhood.

“One of the blessings for us is that we didn’t see that predicted storm surge, that saved a lot.

“But it’s not over… when high tide comes in rivers are going to flood.”

Residents have been urged to stay indoors (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The US National Hurricane Center added: “People in the midst of a hurricane are often amazed at how the incredibly fierce winds and rain can suddenly stop and [how] the sky clears when the eye comes over them.

“Then, just as quickly, the winds and rain begin again, but this time from the opposite direction.”

While holidaymakers remain stranded, a report from Forbes has suggested that the Walt Disney World park closures could mean a loss of between $150 million and $200 million (£114 million to £152 million) to Disney, this financial quarter.

The outlet said Investment bank Goldman Sachs has predicted that visitors will drop by six percent due to the weather.

LADbible Group has contacted Disney for comment.

A man in the Sunshine State known as ‘Lieutenant Dan’ has given his reasoning behind staying on his boat instead of seeking shelter, ahead of the impending landfall of Hurricane Milton later today (9 October).

An initial video of the Florida man, who seems set on staying on his modest boat, went viral with millions of views after he claimed that the boat would ‘float’, even if flooding rose to the predicted level of 15 feet (4.5 metres).

TikToker @terrenceconcannon has been documenting the man’s journey, who has nicknamed Lieutenant Dan as he lost his leg when he was younger, similar to the Forrest Gump character of the same name.

Thousands of Florida residents have been urged to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Hurricane Milton will hit the west coast of Florida, US, this evening, particularly hitting the city of Tampa Bay hard, which is where Lieutenant Dan (real name Joe) is located on his relatively small boat.

The cyclone has been classed as a category five storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, meaning that winds can reach 157 mph or higher, while homes are set to be destroyed with power outages affecting the area for weeks or month, according to the National Weather Service.

Social media user Terrence has made several videos with Lieutenant Dan – the first being last month when the state was hit by Hurricane Helene – asking him several times if he can put him in a hotel or if he can evacuate, as this is what the state and authorities advised. But the sailor has stood firm.

He even joked that ‘the only thing’ he’d give the boat up for is a female companion.

Terrence asked Dan to explain why he wants to live through the most devastating Florida hurricane in over 100 years on a ’20ft sailboat’, to which he replied: “God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat.”

“And everything that he’s been telling me over the last two days is I’m doing the right thing,” he claimed, comparative to the story of Noah’s Ark.

“He’s got my back. I’m in good shape, I ain’t sweating it. We’re gonna ride this one out.”

He said that ‘we know what we’re doing’ with the storm, ‘as long as the water keeps rising’.

When asked if he would be wearing a life jacket, Dan stated: “Hell no,” before adding that he will be able to swim ‘in circles’ if need be, due to his sole leg.

He claimed that God told him to head to sea (TikTok/@terrenceconcannon)

Dan went on to explain that the water will rise when it comes in, lifting the boat, while those on land are actually at risk of drowning, even if the boat goes ‘100 feet in the air’.

“So it’s really the safest place in the world to be is on my boat, and I got room for one more female,” he joked.

Views of the hurricane both on the ground and in space have been chilling, revealing the sheer scale of the disaster headed for the southeastern state.

Mayor of Tampa Bay Jane Castor also warned residents on Monday (7 October), saying: “This is the real deal here with Milton. If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 percent of the time.”

She then chillingly told residents that if they don’t evacuate, ‘you are going to die’.

A ‘scared’ Brit that has been trapped in Florida with the impending landfall of Hurricane Milton expected this evening (9 October) has exclusively shared what precautions she has had to take for tonight.

Kathryn Bateman, better known as @scouseblu on social media, has been posting videos, updating followers on her experience in the Sunshine State as the category five storm roars her way.

Taking primarily to TikTok to reveal the desperation around her in Orlando, videos show just how desperate Americans and tourists were, stocking up on food items, water and toilet paper – flashbacks to the pandemic, anyone?

Bateman previously explained that she and her partner had to visit multiple stores in their search for water and things such as torches, of which there were only two left when she got to Home Depot, which she described as ‘absolutely manic’.

She noticed locals buying wood in bulk to protect their doors and windows before returning to their holiday home, where a letter from the hotel told them they were left to their own devices, as she summarised: “The hotel basically said keep the patio furniture inside, you’re self-catering, you’re on you’re own.”

While other hotels were giving guests free water and toilet paper, she said it was ‘shocking’ that her family were given next to no assistance.

But since these updates, she revealed to LADbible that she has been given some advice ahead of tonight.

The Brit has revealed what officials have told her to do ahead of tonight (Kathryn Bateman)

Bateman, originally from Liverpool, went to Orlando for a holiday and hopes to ‘return safely’ on 15 October, after the cyclone is past.

She revealed: “In all honesty, we have been told from local officials to stock up on supplies, stay away from windows, and to not go outside during Wednesday and Thursday evening.”

Mentioning the letter from the hotel again, she said they were left ‘upset’ by their lack of help, though added that officials told them to have a ‘bag ready in case’ they need to ‘evacuate’ to a nearby shelter for protection.

“(We’ve) charged all our power banks in case the power cuts out and we have filled baths up,” she shared, also adding that her, alongside her partner and family, are checking daily updates for flights so that they can leave as soon as it is safe.

Bateman and her family are waiting for their first chance to head home (Kathryn Bateman)

Bateman then admitted: “We feel scared, as we never have experienced this before. We tried to get flights home, but they said there was none available.

“The priority was families with small children, which we fully understand, they are a priority. Our vacation rep said we have to stock up and stay in.

“We all pray for everyone who will be effect severely by Milton.”