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

£420 for a week in Scandinavia? Surely not.

Not one bit of ops post makes sense.
They talk about splitting between Osllo and Helsinki. Have they even got a map to see how far away it is and how much it costs to get there. Thats a huge part of the budget gone there. Plus how long it takes!
Transport costs to and from Torp are going to be between £30 and £50 depending when you book.
Hotels aren't cheap, heck even hostels cost a bit.
Food and drink is expensive in both countries.
All that and op is quibbling about paying 20quid for a decent coat on Vinted!

Op could have had plenty of change from her budget by having a week in Malaga out of season and it would have been warm enough not to take a big coat!

Long waterproof insulated coat on vinted… £30. That would do you

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7329589134-black-trespass-audrey-coat-medium-size-14

I wore a combo of a lightweight down jacket and waterproof shell jacket skiing last year (with suitable base layers and a fleece) and was absolutely fine. Admittedly it’s a top quality down jacket (probably the most expensive item of clothing I own) which makes a difference but I have Uniqlo down jacket too and it’s not at all bad.

No you won’t. It’s a dry cold. You bundle up warm stroll in and out of shops and cafes and museums etc. It’s great.

£420 for a week in Scandinavia? Surely not.

Finally got round to looking at temps. For Feb, Oslo, average daily high 1 degree C. Average daily low (when you're asleep) 5 degrees C. Oops edited to correct 5 to minus 5.

Honestly I think you would be fine layering up a down jacket and raincoat if that what you’ve got although I have found having a long, water resistant puffer a game changer (bye bye cold legs!), so do have a look at what you can get on vinted. From a quick look £50 would get you something acceptable if you don’t go for fancy brands and you’ll be able to sell it on for much the same as you paid for it (if you’re lucky you can even make a profit!).

My other strong recommendation is a pair of silky thermal sock liners to wear under regular socks - make a huge difference and they dry really quickly so you rinse in the hotel sink before bed and wear again the next day.

Other than that regular winter clothes sjhould be fine, just layer up.

*Bearbookagainandagain · Today 18:47

Look at Vinted, I'm sure you can find ski jacket/clothing for cheap to layer up

This has been said repeatedly on this thread but the op is going on about not affording £900 skiing gear!

because flights are £60 each way, I had avoid to use and hotels were about £420 all in. I’ve ended up paying less than £500.
Where are you flying from?

Nearly all the airports currently have return flights to Spain and Portugal less than £50 return. Using booking.com you could easy get accommodation that would have bought you in on budget.

On top of that everything would be significantly cheaper, including your transfer to the city from the airport, which is going to cost around £25 each way if you don't book in advance (im assuming your flying into Torp) your meals , drinks etc.
I don't think you have thought this through but you would be wise to listen to people who have been several times in winter and know what its actually like.

You need good quality ski gear for freestyle skiing and it's not because its warmer, its expensive because it has to breathe, otherwise one would get very hot very quickly (and it's not £900 unless you go for Arcterix and thermals for Ice Breaker or something like that).

But any mid-quality ski gear is way enough for a normal ski trip and so it is for an activity that doesn't involve sitting or rolling in the snow, or descending a slope like a maniac.

You're going to Sweden, not on top of K2.
People live there.

Edit: Norway not Sweden sorry Norway sorry Sweden

There are inserts for shoes and gloves that heat up. Get some.

A hat, a soft warm wool scarf, and a hood on your jacket. Get them.

Waterproof comfortable hiking shoes with good support and tread. Get some.

Have a ball.

Yes, that's a stupid idea as a raincoat has barely any warmth, so a "thin light" coat underneath won't be warm enough. You need something really, really thick - look at North Face.

I would wear tights or leggings under trousers (possibly even both) and a pair of walking socks on top. On my top half I'd wear a vest, a thermal layer, a wool jumper, a fleece and then a coat. Plus hat, scarf, gloves. I'm listing this as I don't ski so it's just a combination of everyday clothes I'd wear in the UK, not specialist stuff.

I've been to Copenhagen in December and it was pretty chilly.

Look at Vinted, I'm sure you can find ski jacket/clothing for cheap to layer up.

I found decathlon to be good value when I went to Iceland in February, it was definitely in the minus range and we were travelling in a van.

I used to work in Oslo and Stockholm. It was very cold, provided you layer up you’ll be ok.

Uniqlo heat tec is a great range, cami vest under long sleeve tee under jumper and a good coat, lined hat and gloves.

Primarni do furry lined tights that go on under jeans.

I wore all these as base layers in Lapland and was bug snug.

Scandi is a dry cold IME. If I have to be cold I’d rather do it there than here when it’s warmer but damp.

You maybe didn't have much choice about when to go, but you had pretty much the entire world to choose from in terms of where to go!

Anyway, I would just make sure you have very, very warm clothes. Presumably some things you're interested in seeing (museums, galleries, restaurants) won't involve being outside too much.

In your shoes I would go to TK Max and buy a ski jacket and nice boots, n both could be used again.,I went to Canada and it was -20. Cold countries - unlike UK are really set up for the cold. Also buy a fleece balaclava and decent gloves. Enjoy! I’m envious
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/sports/hiking/womens-walking-boots?pdt-highlight=82472bac-bc04-44d4-afb4-e2f5e4884f3a&utm_term=8cc78f23-cde6-4852-ba36-e8890cd983a4%2C_n-mp-generic_ts-pro_spd-msp_spu-msp_sp-msp_pt-mkp_l-en_ZZ%3A+Boost+Products&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=gb_t-partbra_ct-shopp_n-mp-generic_ts-pro_f-cv_o-roas_spd-msp_spu-msp_sp-msp_pt-mkp_pnl-mkp_l-en_pp-gads_bm-roa_pr-cpc_&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15105506866&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjL3HBhCgARIsAPUg7a6CevEl5dOi-asZIBVGkBTP8a2DyBM-mahZLq1CwnfUBgAUreraWO0aAryhEALw_wcB

Oh, that's very helpful!

Your walking shoes will be absolutely fine. Yes, lots of layers, a down jacket, and carry your raincoat in case it rains. The only thing is that you'll then go indoors and have to peel off several layers, inconvenient. If you can possibly afford a good ski jacket it will be an investment. You can then dress lightly under it and just take off jacket each time you go inside. As for legs, I recommend Patra silk and cotton mix longjohns, available online. They'll make jeans warm enough. As others have said, best not to get jeans wet, but you can simply buy the cheapest waterproof trousers you can find, and carry them with you. As alternative to longjohns, you could get outdoor trousers. More expensive. Some might be cheaper, but you would then need longjohns. I have Rohan Winterbags. No longer available but worth looking for secondhand pair. Above all, relax and enjoy looking forward to your holiday. Immediately after booking, I've frequently had heebie geebies about wrong choice and have always had a good time. Your doubts might just be down to having been bounced into a decision. If it hadn't been weather it might have been sonething else. Good Luck.

Op you sound incredibly stupid. Should you be left unsupervised?

How on earth was a week in Oslo and Copenhagen cheaper than a one person holiday somewhere warm?

Because it’s not decent advice? “Spend minimum £900 on a jacket and trousers you’ll wear once and look ugly in”

any good quality ski gear is incredibly expensive.

Frig me! Youv'e got be trolling us !
You are not going skiing. You are going to a few museums!
I ski and ive never paid any where near that for trousers+jacket+ gloves etc!

Im out!

Ive tried to give you good advice but i think you're taking the piss out of everyone that's tried to help.

It won’t be minus 30, you need a really good warm waterproof coat and good footwear.

This is ridiculous. You don't like any of the suggestions. You are prone to overexaggerating. The "ugly" coat and trousers won't cost 900 quid and Oslo was not -30 at any point in winter 2025, or at any point since temperatures have been recorded for that matter and it won't be next year either.

You could look at this:
https://www.extremeweatherwatch.com/cities/oslo/lowest-temperatures

The lowest ever recorded temperature in Oslo was -26 on January 19th 1941. And on that list I've linked to you can see that with the exception of -23.1 °C on
January 6, 2024, the rest of the lowest recorded temperatures are decades ago.

Why are you also ignoring the nu.ber of posters saying -30 is highly unlikely. The -5 you were anticipating is far more likely and you'll likely be in and out of museums and cafes etc so you don't need to be dressed for an Arctic hike.