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

A rain coat? You,k be cold, it’s February, not june

Wikipedia shows the mean daily high (mid-day temperature) as +1.1°C in February and +5.3°C in March. It's right by the sea so it can't get super-cold. I was there in late April a couple of years ago and it hit 20°C. Basically it will be like a colder-than-usual winter's day in England.

You don’t have to go all inclusive, I go to the canaries twice a year, room only. There’s loads of lovely places to eat which are very well priced. A bottle of wine from the supermarket is about 3 euros!

The extreme temps you've seen online is apparently one inaccurate post on reddit? Surely you balance that against the actual usual daily temperature (which lots of people have posted). Of course it's POSSIBLE that it will be a freak cold snap, but equally it could be a freak warm snap...

It's more about layering up though, so good thermal vest and t-shirt etc under a "normal" coats will be much more efficient than a big ridiculous coat. Also, you want to be able to peal off the layers once you get to a warm pub. Also that time of year, you might be lucky and see northern lights? Food and drinks are suuuuper expensive in that part of the world, jutlst FYI.

Iceland is warmed by the jet stream. It’s warmer than other points on that latitude.

Been to Oslo in Feb, and it was amazing. Freezing cold but absolutely beautiful! Get really good coats, shoes, etc. and you'll be fine. There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing and all that. Have fun!

@SoEasyToFallInLovei ageee with this too, plus the other pp who said about her husband in Oslo. If it’s still and it’s not raining it really does make a difference. And if there’s still snow on the ground (likely), or it might snow a bit, if you do wear jeans and they get wet they’re so slow to dry and will chill you right through, hence why really not ideal.

Oh and don’t moisturise (face) within 30 minutes of going outside if it’s below freezing.

Yes, thermals as a base layer, but jeans just wouldn’t cut it. I went somewhere else in Europe in the middle of winter once, for a week. Just took hand luggage (don’t know how I managed it, as I can’t even do that on a summer/uk holiday!), I wore my big coat over a few layers (in the airport, carried coat most of the time) to keep the packing down It was on average -10 that week, with wind chill, particularly on higher ground, down to -30. It was also very snowy. I can’t stand the cold, and there was one day when we were out all day, and would also be out all night, that I started to feel really miserable, but I’d taken an extra long sleeve, thin layer top to put under my other tops later in the day so I’d be warmer that night and that actually helped. You want a good warm hood, obviously scarves and gloves etc, and lots of thinner layer. Also yes to a thinner pair of socks underneath your thicker socks for the hiking boots. If you’re mainly walking from building to building you really won’t be as cold as if you were walking up a hill/mountain (we did that, it was windy and -30, don’t think I’ll make that mistake again 😄), and you’ll be glad of the layers so that you can take some off when you’re inside somewhere. A long down coat (M&S? I’ve had a couple of longer ones from there). Just to add I think the coat I took with me was a short jacket which had originally been bought for a skiing holiday and I mostly found that warm enough with the layers.

I've not RTFT but my DH went to Oslo in January a few years ago and it was -24, but because the air was so still and dry he was fine and didn't need the thermals he'd packed. However coming back to the UK he said it felt a lot colder because of the wind chill!

You need to upgrade the quality of your jacket and then you'll be just fine. UK high street brands are not going to cut it in a Scandinavian winter. Didriksons, 66* North, Patagonia, Archteryx, the North Face, etc. I'd go into a good outdoor store, try on the warmest jackets they have, and then start looking on Vinted for a used version of the one you think you want. There are loads on there. If you always have a hat on before you walk outside, and pair that with a good pair of waterproof gloves or mittens, you'll be dandy.

No such thing a bad weather just poor clothing...
I never agree with this cliche. Theres no clothing suitable for tornados, hurricanes, floods extrene heatwaves etc.

Hopefully op is reassured it isnt going to be bad and she had imagined the worse and got wrong information

I used to spend a lot of time in Sweden and found that once it’s below freezing it’s just cold and it doesn’t actually feel that different if it’s minus 5 or 15. I actually think it’s much nicer than that horrible damp sideways rain type winter you get here.

It's bollocks. It wasn't -30 in Oslo last winter.
https://www.extremeweatherwatch.com/cities/oslo/year-2025
Lowest temperature was -14.2 and that was in January.
People love exaggerating and talking shit.

I go to Norway every winter. You will be fine. Make sure you have decent thermal underwear, a warm jumper, a windproof coat of some description, hat and gloves.

Anyway, you'll be in the museums most of the time. The Norwegian Resistance Museum at the Akershus fortress is great. Fram and Kontiki museums are also brilliant. The Viking Ship Museum is closed until 2027.
Munch museum is a must see too.

We went to Inari in Finland and it was minus 20. Get some good cold weather gear and layer up.

No such thing a bad weather just poor clothing...

I've visited Oslo in March and loved it. Yes it's cold but rarely rained. It's a beautiful place to explore although it's very expensive so bring plenty of snacks and maybe even cuppa soups/pastas if you need to save money.

You’re just going to wear a lightweight down coat and a raincoat??

I’d wear thermals /merino, top, fleece/ woolen sweater, and super warm down layer, with gloves scarf and hat. I dont have a super warm down layer so eg Belgium in Feb I wear my lightweight down jacket under my larger longer down coat.

It is I agree, but unfortunately it won't be open when the OP is visiting. It is closed from early January until Spring (next year it opens from 27th March).

https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons

I've been to Oslo in early March, it was cold but not unbearably so. Wrap up warm and you'll be fine. I would recommend a good pair of walking boots though. I took trainers and had a couple of slips on the ice in less well populated areas.

It's a gorgeous city, lots of nice cosy coffee shops to get out of the cold. And the Viking musuem was particularly interesting. You'll be fine. Enjoy.

I went to Oslo in February and it was beautiful. We did the Norwegian museum just outside Oslo where they have loads of architecture, it was amazing to see it and read how they managed to move it all to that location. The royal family are in the winter residence and you can see it from the bus and visit the summer palace with the soldiers etc. We went out on the ffjord which was frozen for a few days but last day we got out there. Stunning scenery and views. We went out to the ski jump and watched the skiers. Gustav Vigelands work is often on display and you can go to his brother Emmanuel's church he painted and see that. Lots of churches to explore and galleries. The area around the water was great. I think there was an ice bar too the year we went. Yes it was cold but it wasn't miserable. It was lovely. Nordic countries don't grind to a halt like the UK when it snows. The trams run, the buses run. People get the tram out to the skiing places after work, the city is a great place to be. We still sat outside with glasses of wine in the sun, bundled up, scarves on and heaters but it's a different culture. The whole point of travelling.

You can do all that, it's just a matter of having the right clothing and footwear. The locals don't hibernate all winter!

Take little notice of ‘averages’ but pack accordingly. We went to Chicago in February. Packed for the arctic, wore t shirts and shorts one day, the next day it bloody snowed! Likewise Seattle, packed jumpers, wore t shirts. Cab driver said it was the warmest September for a decade. Finally went to Disney in Florida in Feb, hoped it would be warmish, first snow in 30 years. You simply can’t tell so pack everything.
I realised all the examples were the US. Perhaps it a them problem!