Aurora borealis trip

Slideways

Hi, anyone here ever done this trip. I'm thinking of 3 or 4 days in Norway possibly.

I'd like some recommendations if anyone has any.

Will be back in Ireland for 3 weeks from mid November and plan to do it then.

Thanks in advance

coylemj

Search this forum for 'Northern Lights', you'll find plenty of posts.

MRG77

Head to Iceland. I did it last year. Great people and nowhere near as expensive as Norway.

Slideways

Having read the other thread I found I'm thinking that a trip based on just seeing the lights is a bit daft.

The Iceland idea looks like a good idea and as you said is a lot cheaper. Can I ask who you flew with and what route you took?

Rawr

I live in Norway (Irish ex-pat), and from what I have learned Iceland is probably your better option.

On the whole the place is cheaper and you have a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights, even in Reykjavik city. I'm a fan of Iceland in general, they are friendly folk there and Iceland on it's own is a fascinating place. It's almost like visiting the moon!

Getting there:
Icelandair once ran direct a flight to Dublin, but unfortunately I think that stopped (or is limited to charter). They run their intercontinental 757 aircraft on every single route, making for a very comfy ride. You'd probably need to transfer in the UK but they are a good option.

SAS also offer connecting flights from Dublin to Reykjavik.

========
As for Norway:
I do live here, and as a place & people Norway and the Norwegians are very nice indeed. Certainly worth the trip.

But beware. Norway is by far one the most expensive countries on the planet. If you have a hefty travel budget and really want to see Norway, by all means check it out.

Northern Lights are visible from Nord Kapp (way in the arctic) all the way down to the hills just north of Oslo at certain times of year. Do some homework and pick a location that is good for viewing northern lights. Some arctic locations are better than others, and some locations can be pretty rubbish (Just a slight green haze I'm told)

Keep in mind that the Northern half of Norway has continuous night during winter and continuous day during the summer. Thus don't go during the summer unless you want to see the 'Midnight Sun'.

Getting there:
SAS and Norwegian offer direct flights from Dublin the Oslo Gardermoen, from which both airlines offer connecting domestic flights to Northern Norway.

Ryanair offer flights from Dublin to 'Oslo' Rygge. Rygge is one hour away from Oslo city and about 2 hours from Oslo Gardermoen (the main airport). No domestic flights to Northern Norway are available at Rygge, meaning that you will need to transfer to Oslo Gardermoen to fly further. Bus and train connections are possible from Rygge to Gardermoen. The Train connection will require a change at Oslo Central Station.

You could be paying upwards of 80 - 100 euro for that connection, thus I recommend booking with Norwegian if you are seeking to reduce costs.
SAS can sometimes also be cheap, particularly for the domestic leg in Norway.

====

I hope that helped

MRG77

I got a return ticket to Glasgow with Aer Lingus and a return ticket from Glasgow to Keflavik with Icelandair.

roro2

I've been to both Iceland and Norway - saw the lights in Norway, didn't see them in Iceland. Both trips were great though.

If you do some research and head north in Norway, past the Arctic Circle, you should have a better chance of seeing them than in Iceland which is further south than northern Norway. We took an internal flight from Oslo to Tromso and had a great couple of days in the 24-hour darkness in Tromso.

On the downside, it's hard to overstate the cost of everything in Norway, although Iceland isn't a low-cost destination either. And Iceland has some other really interesting features in a more compact area.

Slideways

I've booked flights from Gatwick to there with wow airlines.

Coming from Western Australia I don't think the prices will frighten me too much.

If I don't see the lights so be it. I think the fact there is other things to do will make up for it. I've 4.5 days there so will rent a 4x4 and make the most if it.

If anyone has a "must see" please post it.