I’ve messed up with the holiday I’ve booked

I think that will be absolutely fine!

Just make sure you have good thermal layers and warm socks and plan some indoor activities.

Museums are likely to have lockers or similar where you can leave all your outdoor gear while you look round. They might make you wear shoes protectors indoors if it’s snowy outside.

If you are planning walking outdoors for long before or after it gets dark, make sure to get thick mittens to go over your normal gloves, and aluminium insoles, that won’t cost much but will make a difference.

If you have a limited budget, prioritise your boots, make sure you get insulated waterproof ones. If your feet are toasty warm and dry, it makes a big difference to the rest of your body ime.

I went to Oslo a few years ago in February and it was nowhere near that cold. I guess it's like any other weather risk - you go somewhere, it might pour with rain all week or be unusually hot. Try to plan your wardrobe, and have a list of indoor attractions up your sleeve (Oslo has fantastic museums, not been to Copenhagen).

Have a great holiday. I love the nordic counties!

Why would be stuck in a hotel room if it's cold? That makes zero sense. Get warm clothes on and enjoy your holiday 🤨

I love the idea of curling up with hot chocolate and fur lined books!

I also don't think you need to worry about it being too dark. At that time of year they have around 10 hours a day of daylight, roughly the same as London.

Walking shoes will be fine but layer up on socks, one thin thermal and a heavier pair over the top. You can also get fleece lined walking trousers which are really warm over some thermal leggings. Two pair of gloves too - just layer up.

I live in Stockholm but am from the north of Sweden and I can cope fine with minus 20, but at minus 30 people don't really spend a lot of time outdoors. I used to live in the UK and because it's so humid there it feels a lot colder at much lower temperatures. I remember it being minus 10 in the UK and it felt colder than minus 20 in Sweden.

The coldest temperature measured in Oslo is minus 29 and that was in 1841, a more normal winter temperature is somewhere between minus 5 and minus 10. I don't think you need to worry.

Uniqlo do thin down jackets and gilets you can wear under your coat. I have actually been to northern china in winter where it was very cold. -30 at night and -17 during the day was the coldest I think it got. I’d recommend a snood to keep your face warm if it’s windy but yes what you’re suggesting sounds fine. Layers is key! When you’re walking around you will feel fine.

I used to camp at -23°C after riding out to the mountains on a motorbike in my wild youth with no heating equipment.

Being in a city with ambient outdoor temps of -30°C going from heated cafe to heated restaurant to heated museum to heated taxi requires nothing more than a decent coat, thin base layer, hat and gloves. You'll be toasty.

I went to Copenhagen February 2025, it was no colder than the UK

As I said I can’t speak for Oslo but I didn’t buy anything special for going to Copenhagen. Just dressed warmly like you would do here it it was really cold. I just wore my Uniqlo puffer jacket and my usual boots with warm socks and a long sleeved top under my jumper. It was just very normal - I even bumped into a colleague I used to work with in Glasgow who was also just wearing a coat and scarf. It’ll be fine!

I've been in -24C cold in Canada, and yes it was bitter but people still got out & about. At that temperature, the air is very dry, so you don't get the damp chill of -3 or -4 which we all know so well. It's actually quite bracing - the air gets very clear and the stars go all bright.

But that level of cold was uncommon. You might get lucky. Check the weather forecast before you go, and if there's a cold snap, make sure you have thermal tights to wear under your trousers.

Boots are something you could look into renting while you're there? I doubt UK ones would be warm enough.

Sounds fine, the museams and food will be inside and the sauna should be warm enough! Just bring warm clothes.

Dress for the weather and sell on after your trip

I got a didkiksons coat on vinted for about £40

I went to Helsinki in January when it was close to those temperatures and had a brilliant time. I had a wooly (actual wool) hat, a decent insulated coat, merino thermals under my hiking trousers, and woolen layers. Also wool gloves and a merino buff so I wasn't breathing the cold air directly.

This year I was in oslo in early March and there was still a lot of snow. It made Ekeberg park a bit of a trek. We had Yak trax on our boots and hiking poles.

Much more fun than staying in the hotel though. The galleries and museums are brilliant. The one slightly scary thing was walking down from the opera house roof as it thawed and froze into black ice, so maybe don't do that. Do have a look to see what's on at the opera though- it's a gorgeous opera house.

Also a coat. I would recommend a warm coat.

Get on vinted for thermals, ski-jacket and fur lined books. Buy decent hat and gloves. Enjoy it.

Well I don’t know about Oslo but we went to Copenhagen one February because we were there for my DPs birthday. It was cold sure but nothing a hat/scarf/warm boots didn’t solve. Copenhagen was busy with tourists and also people going about their business from what I recall.

Why on earth would you need to sit in your hotel room the whole time?

Can it really be that cold?? I went to Iceland in January and it wasn't that cold - it was fucking cold though at -11 but it was lovely and totally manageable with thermal layers outdoors and lots of lovely heating inside.