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

[SoEasyToFallInLove]

I had a week of annual leave to use before April. I did some research and booked a week to be split between Oslo and Copenhagen at the end of February/beginning of March. Everything I had found said that temperatures at this time were around -5° to 2°C. I figured I could cope with that.

I’ve now found a lot of discussion online that says that last year it was regularly -30° in Oslo in February. It’s a bit luck of the draw but apparently it can stay below freezing until the end of March.

What do I do? I’ve paid for everything and it’s non refundable but if it’s that cold I’ll literally just be sat in a hotel room all day. Do I go and hope for the best or just cancel and use my leave another way?

Of course you had a choice how about the Canary Islands?

Just wrap up really warm with thermals, a decent coat, cute jumpers, hats and gloves. I’m sure it will be fine. I went skiing one year when the temperature was -32 on the mountain. Obviously people get warm actually skiing, but you have to sit still on long chair lifts in that temperature with wind and snow swirling around you. I was absolutely fine as I was all layered up to the max. I’m sure you’ll be perfectly ok too walking around a city.

Jeans aren’t great because they don’t hold heat. Depending on how cold - and how much you feel the cold - it is thermals under jeans may not do much. I spent years walking in the Scottish hills where temperatures easily get under -10 and really thermals and a warm layer on top (fleece lined trousers, thick leggings) were a godsend. Of course I also had wind to factor in but jeans in very cold weather isn’t great.

I was in Gothenburg in December 23 & it was during a cold snap when there was a lot of snow & ice which is not that typical there i believe.

I was there for work & had go get out for meetings every day

I was fine with a duck down COS puffa jacket, cashmere knit hat & gloves & layers under my jumpers

I wore normal trousers / cords without leggings/ thermals underneath & black leather laced ankle boots with decent socks. I was totally fine

I was also in Berlin in very early January & it was RAW but I was fine wearing petty much same as already described. In fact I bought the puffa & hat & gloves for that trip & they were perfect.

They've turned out to be very handy as i've worn them since on December/ jan trips to Riga (so cold!), Berlin again & Ljubljana. For me it makes sense to keep a coat like that in the wardrobe.

I was in Copenhagen last year in September & its a fabulous city. You'll have a great time!

I lived in Norway for 18 months as a kid. Of course things to do, get some proper winter clothes! Whatever you think of buying, go warmer because it can be biting, I lived in salopettes in the winter and snow boots.

It can be absolutely stunning in the winter months, you're going to get some beautiful photos if nothing else!

I couldn’t afford an all inclusive etc. by not much choice I meant the timing. I did research and based on that I booked it but then it turns out that research was wrong!

-30 in Oslo - surely that would be utterly freak weather?

Oslo is on the same line of latitude as the Sheltand Islands. I mean, yes it's north, but it's not the North Pole!!!

Oslo is lovely in winter. It is dark and people light candles outside shop doorways and light up cafes and shops. Because of the coats each cafe has a coat stand to put your outerwear on. You can often still sit outside and there will be patio heaters and blankets. The snow falls in October and is often on the ground until March but pavements and roads are cleared (the snow is taken to snow dumps). Hot chocolate and pancakes with jam or brown cheese is a wonderful warming snack.

It is not likely to be -30oC in Oslo. That is pretty rare!! I once experienced that temperature but it was Finland in January.

Download the app for using tubes, busses and trams. Dress up warm - layers, coats, hats, scarves and gloves and enjoy yourself! You can iceskate on the little lake in the middle of town. You can take a tube up to Frognersetteren and have hot chocolate and appel cake in a wonderful log cabin on the snowy mountain.

I lived in Oslo for a year and worked all over Scandinavia for many years. I didn't need any specific specialist clothing - just warm layers.

I’m going to Tromso in March. I love cold and snow.

Lots of thermals, lots of layers, lots of fleece, proper cold weather coat, salopettes, hats and gloves.

Have a look in Mountain Warehouse, they usually have really good sales and most of their stuff has temperature ratings on them. Stick it all on Vinted when you’re back.

I’ve been to Oslo in March and Iceland in January - it was fucking freezing, but everywhere is well set up for it.

I’ve seen in some places you can rent cold weather gear to save buying it all and then carting it all on a plane - I’m looking at it for when we go to Tromso - is there anything like that where you’re going?

I went to Norway in February as a teenager. We wore lots of layers. It was fine.

I'd absolutely still go

You really don't need all of that. I just wear a wool coat, boots, jeans, knitted hat and knitted gloves and I'm out for hours every day in the same type of temperature that Oslo gets. The -30 degrees you have seen is very,. very unlikely to happen in Oslo. Whilst it was -30 north of the Oslo region in January this year, the coldest Oslo city got was -23 and that was unusually cold. End of Feb-early March is warmer than January.

I'll go! It sounds like an awesome trip.

I've been to Oslo in winter a few times. It's fine, remember they're equipped for it as it always gets cold in winter, these aren't unusual temperatures for them.

I just wore thermals, wool and fleece, leather or wool gloves, a thermal or wool hat or earmuffs, and my Royal Mail walking shoes with spikeys (crampons) in my bag in case it was slippy (it rarely was). People suggesting you go in full ski gear are being a bit ridiculous, you're mostly going to be in heated buildings if you're there for the museums and the food, and it really doesn't feel as cold outside as you'd expect.

Take sunscreen and lots and lots of moisturiser, hand cream and lip balm.

But there must have been choices beyond all inclusive surely? I would've thought the Canaries or Southern Spain would have been reasonable in February and certainly cheaper in terms of spending money than Scandinavia. And not -20 degrees either!

I'm a Swede. It might be -30 in February, but my guess is not, and not for a long time if so. Found a chart that says average lowest temperature in Oslo in February is -7.2, which sounds more like it. That includes nights, obviously. For Copenhagen -1.

You'll be out and about and in and out of places, which is a bigger challenge to dressing tbh because you overheat indoors if you can't shed layers. So my tentative suggestion is to avoid tight thermals under jeans, because when you go indoors you'll want to claw your skin off. Generally speaking we use our central heating in Scandinavia ;) so indoors will be warm.

We've had several mild winters here (I'm in mid Sweden, not far from Stockholm) and I've managed fine with my almost ankle length down coat to cover my legs a bit, and I always wear wool socks and sometimes knee socks for extra gap protection. Plugging the gaps is the most important thing, like someone said! Windproof and layers.

You'll definitely get an authentic cultural experience that time of year! Enjoy yourself!

Where are you looking to get that temperature. I thought you must have been getting °c and °f mixed up.

Sure it'll be cold, probably around 0° but everytime ive been in February and March, its been cold but plenty to do. I cant speak too much about Helsinki as I've only been once in February and that was a half term holiday but seriously you are definitely overthinking it. Sure, wrap up but layers are going to be better,especially if you are in and out of buildings.
If you won't need to buy specific clothes if you have winter clothes already.

I wear tights under jeans when it's cold, it works remarkably well.
If it's really cold, tights and long johns under my jeans.

Get some snow boots. Snood, ski gloves. Basically look at ski wear
If op is on a city break this is not needed.
I just wear my normal winter clothes.

She will look mad going round oslo as if she has just come of the piste!

I went to Copenhagen a few years ago in Feb and had a great time! It wasn’t that cold just the same as the UK and Tivoli Gardens was certainly open and still had all the winter/christmas decs - it was great!

Sounds an amazing trip! As others have said, the coldest temperatures are taken in the middle of the night, at say 3am. The day temperatures will be warmer.

We went to New York and it was —6 in the day. Thermals will be your friend! Both longjohn type and vests! Then just layers and hat, scarf, gloves. We also bought the pocket warmers so you open the packet and it really warms up, we always had those in our pockets and they kept warm for a good few hours.

Take some books with you and enjoy relaxing and the sights!

If you need things that you won’t use again can you buy and then sell again on Vinted?

Food will be expensive

Last year there was a freak weather incident that caused a temperature drop for a specific short period. It’s certainly not normal and not average. You are likely to get -5 to +5 as an average while you are there. Also likely to get clear skies with bright sun. It’ll be beautiful!
Yes to a thermal layer under your clothing, and top layers that can be removed when you go inside, somewhere like a museum will be warm and you’ll want to easily unlayer. You’ll need decent footwear to avoid wet feet in the snow.
Dont cancel, and don’t stay in your room, you’ll have a wonderful time in two of the most amazing places!

I've been to Oslo several times mid winter - it's beautiful. The layering as you suggest will be fine. The National Museum is worth a visit - and it's fairly close to the Munch museum - these are right by the fjord so great views. Public transport in Oslo is good - lots of trams, buses and underground options - download the app Ruter to get routes and tickets. There are saunas by the fjord too. You will have a great time!

Not been to Oslo. As it seems the least appealing Scandi capital and is super expensive but Copenhagen is amazing and is probably my favourite city full stop. If we were still in the eu and I had the money id seriously think about moving there! I'm sure you'll have a fab time in Oslo too though. There's loads of musuems there, so you can keep warm going in and out of them, along with coffee shops(The scandis love their coffee).