Northern Lights

[HirplesWithHaggis]

DH has a fascination for the Northern Lights, and I'd like to give him the opportunity to see them in real life. In February 2024 he will be 65, and we will (probably!) be celebrating our 40th anniversary November the same year. Both fall in peak aurora season, whoopee! I'm not a high earner, but with four years to save should be able to squirrel away a couple of thousand.

Anybody here done this? There are a number of organised tours, one including a night in a "bubble" (www.buubble.com/) which look tempting and I like the thought of visiting Iceland. I haven't organised foreign travel since our honeymoon, do I book well in advance and pay it up, wait for a last minute deal?

Should say I'm probably looking at flights from Glasgow to Reykjavik.

Just come back from Iceland, saw them in Tuesday, they were amazing. Our trip was all organised by a travel agent including trips but its easy enough to do by yourself, lots of companies and you can join through tourist information or hotel, eating and dri king is expensive though.

Although seeing them is not guaranteed so please be aware of that.

We have been twice in February and failed to see them due to bad weather.

We are going in December instead this year so fingers crossed it won't be quite so snowy.

Thank you. I know nothing is guaranteed, but maybe I'll price up a 3 night trip in February and try again in November if unsuccessful. Hmm. That clanking is my brain getting into gear.

They were good all this week apoarentky

Your plan to go in 4/5 years is good, because the sun is relatively inactive right now (solar minimum) but it should be more active in a few years.

I would suggest considering Arctic Norway (Tromsø) or Sweden (Kiruna/Abisko) more than Iceland.

Remember that there's a big element of luck involved in seeing the northern lights when you're just visiting. They don't happen every night, even during solar maximum, and even if they're happening, you won't see them through clouds. So to give yourself the best chance, aim to be in a Norway/Sweden for a week or so. Book a (cancellable) tour that will take you out of town and can go where the clouds might break. And plan other things too, so you're not too disappointed if you don't see them.

We have just returned from a cruise to the Arctic and saw the lights when we stopped in Tromsø.
We did not use the very expensive trips offered by the cruise line, but booked with a company called Chasing Lights, the Big Bus.
It was great value, and they have the flexibility to decide on the exact route depending on weather reports from their office. We drove 155Kms into Finland but it was amazing.
The trip guides took loads of photos and videos which they sent to participants the next morning,
I couldn’t download the video, here are a couple of stills. They do not do the fantastic sight justice.

one of the cruise ships does a see the lights or get a free rebook thing, that might be worth looking at

Having said that I live near Dundee and have seen them, and often people see them further south....Dunbar and Northumberland....you have to get out there in the dark when the conditions are right!

Where abouts are you?

Thanks again, everyone. It was actually the "guaranteed" cruise I saw on FB that started me thinking, but the offer applies to 12+ night cruises, which might be a bit expensive for me. Trying in February and again in November for free if we didn't see them first time appeals, though.

Am in Ayrshire, no chance seeing them here. I have seen some gorgeous photos from Callanish but maybe chancey.

Just got back last week, didn't see them. One thing to be aware of is the airport 'Reykjavík' is actually in Keflavik which is about 40 mins drive from the city of Reykjavík.. so you may need a transfer! We stayed here and it was LOVELY, on a lake with mountains and I thought very reasonably priced but we did have to get a taxi there from Reykjavík

hotel-kriunes.business.site

Saw them from Leeds in 2003

following, as this is my big dream too

DH would absolutely love this cruise, he's fascinated by the night skies. But £1710 pp... maybe take on a few extra hours, cut back on the odd takeaway.

February isn't a great month in Iceland to see them, November would be better

I've been eyeing up this tour as I often watch their live broadcast of aurora.
I think there's flights to Helsinki from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

tours.aurora-service.eu/?fbclid=IwAR3c00eQM1mLd2ZesNGE2OJFjTF_Xu4VrUqc-5eBM8b_bqaXB2Mx4vzqHM4

Discover the World do specialist holidays to see the northern lights, including more affordable short breaks. We spent 3 nights at the Icehotel in Kiruna 3 years ago and saw them 2/3 nights. They were probably out the first night too, but we were a bit clueless and our kids were complaining about the cold (-25c!). One of their Icehotel breaks includes a night in Abisko national park/Abisko Sky Station, which is the most reliable place to see them due to the terrain and the lower likelihood of cloud cover. Iceland can be hit & miss due cloud cover & being below the Arctic Circle. North Sweden & Finland (arctic circle) are more reliable.

That link is brilliant, ratspeaker, thanks. Off to explore...

Thanks again to everyone.

Please be aware that photos aren't what the lights look like in real life - it's because of the camera exposure. I'd plan to go somewhere you want to and see the lights as a bonus - there is no guarantee.

This year the northern lights have been shite, the solar activity has not really happened on a cloudless night. And when it has it's not been that good. I'm in Shetland but you can see them in Orkney, Caithness and Sutherland.

There's plenty of Scottish fb pages that you could follow to get an idea of solar activity and help you plan?

Sounds like we were really lucky then.

We were in Iceland in January. Weather was cloudy so no northern lights but an amazing country and well worth seeing. Some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met too

We recently went on a Northern Lights cruise with Hurtigruten. It wasn't too expensive and wasn't a luxury cruise ship so suited us working class folk! We saw the lights 3 nights in a row and it was AMAZING. So worth eating dinner through a force 12 gale! The Norwegian villages were lovely and it was an experience crossing into the Arctic Circle. Go for it.

I'm going to spend the next four years swithering madly...

We went to Iceland for a week in early September and saw the northern lights 4 times, it is luck though as we have been in February and not seen them