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?

What about putting a message on facebook and seeing if you have any friends that could lend you a coat or similar?

Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. You won't be tramping across the arctic tundra. You'll be nipping from building to building, and it will probably be similar temps to a cold winter day in the UK.

Thermal leggings or long johns under trousers/joggers is fine denim gets cold as a material .. but dh was ok with thermal leggings underneath...in Iceland i wore under normal walking trousers... I did buy a pair of winterlined walking trousers i think in mountain warehouse sale ... And they were very cosy..
Other than that warm hat and socks made the most difference
I have a didrikson coat with thermal lining anyway for winter here... Took a uniqlo gilet but didn't need it with my other layers (i have for camping)
Dh wore Uniqlo lightdown jacket under regatta/decathlon waterproof.. heat tech is great but think my leggings were lidl..

My best investment was a cashmere v neck jumper so warm so light ... Also felt nice enough to wear on its own... I waited til the sales and think it was house of bruar... Didn't like the Uniqlo cashmere as much ..

I think it sounds like a fabulous trip. If you're wanting to spend a lot of time walking, your walking boots will be fine but go to a proper hiking shop (not mountain warehouse) and get one or two pairs of real mountaineering socks. They allowed me to manage -25 in bad weather in Kilimanjaro. Do not do what I did when my then new boyfriend took me to New York for New Year when it was -10 and I wanted to look stylish so wore high heeled boots, a tailored wool coat and leather gloves. I have never been so cold. Go for proper technical gear.

OP you'll be fine! I spent some months in Russia in winter, similar temperatures. I had a great winter parka, think it was stuffed with goose feathers (borrowed off my mum, I was a student) and that thick lining was detachable. If you find something similar, you could use it easily in the UK.

Lots of us students were out there at the time, you just want to wear lots of layers. I used to do tights under my jeans, socks over the top, some alpaca wool socks over those and boots. Two tops, two jumpers and one scarf round my neck, one round my head and face under my parka, gloves. Then I'd take most of the layers off once I got inside somewhere.

It's actually not horrible cold in those temperatures and layers because it was dry cold. Once you're bundled up, you don't feel it. I actually preferred it to the horrible wet cold we have in winter in the UK.

I have a friend who lives in Copenhagen and I have been to visit many, many times at all times of year. Yes, it’s cold in the winter but it’s lovely. Take a warm coat, hat and snuggly scarf and you’ll be fine. You don’t need to sit in your hotel! What do you think people who live there do in the winter?! When you’re walking around outside you’ll soon warm up, and all the buildings are so warm inside.

I've been to Oslo in late February 2019 - there was still snow on the hills around the city, but none within the city itself. The fountains on the main street were still frozen and you could rent ice skates. It was possible to alpine and cross country ski near Holmenkollen, but the snow was very mashed potato as it was in a melt during the day/freeze overnight cycle.

The temperatures were at worst -10 overnight, and in the lovely sunshine days I had, it was up to above freezing during the day. I remember being too warm at times in the sunshine. I was wearing a 'normal' winter coat (one of those 2 layer waterproof/fleece things) and had gloves/hat etc for wandering round on an evening.

The average for Oslo in Feb is 0 to –7. It's not going to be –30. Are you sure you weren't reading something in Fahrenheit?

Jeans are not great if they get wet. Wear thermal long johns and thick tights under winterweight trousers. Add extra socks on your feet. Two pairs of gloves or mittens and a woollen hat under a hooded coat.

-30 was a freakishly cold snap in 2024. The norm is more likely to be around -5 which is perfectly manageable if you wrap up!

im looking around for a coat but obviously don’t want something I can’t use again in the UK!
Whacoat do you normally where in winter?

The thing is, that type of cold is not wet, and the streets of Copenhagen and Oslo are not going to be like wading through deep snow. She isn't likely to get wet at all. We wore jeans in the winters of Western Canada and were fine.

I’ve got a big puffer jacket but it’s not overly warm. Good for a walk to work for ten minutes but not really good for a day in a proper winter!

It’s from a Reddit page where they said it was -30°. It was definitely C not F

You’d be very unlucky to get temperatures well below -5. Anyway, just wrap up warm. I loved the Viking museum at Oslo (requires a lovely ferry ride - or at least it used to). I didn’t like the food there but if you love seafood and meat you will love it. It’s a very expensive city so take your credit card!

I’ve got a big puffer jacket but it’s not overly warm. Good for a walk to work for ten minutes but not really good for a day in a proper winter!
It probably will be with a couple of thin layers on, espionage you are going from building to building.
I made the mistake one year if going to Sweden in January and thinking the same a you and got thermal tights, 3 in 1 coat, hat, gloves , everything and I struggled to walk round as I was over heating.
I soon learned to par it down!

I’m not overly keen on travelling with it because it’s so big! I’m looking at the Uniqlo Parker’s

Very unlikely that it will be -30 and as many others have said, the cold in Scandinavia is very different from here, it's a more drier kind of cold so it is actually quite easy to dress for the weather. Another factor is that anywhere indoors is WARM, they know how to heat properly and you don't have drafty horribly cold places. Hope you have a great stay. I am off to Scandinavia in November, absolutely the worst time to go but no choice

I’m not overly keen on travelling with it because it’s so big! I’m looking at the Uniqlo Parker’s
I had a thigh length puffer from primark and I looked like Mr Blobby. It had to go!
Uniqlo have some really nice stuff but have a look for 'parkas" on Vinted. Theres some good deals to be had.

https://www.predictwind.com/weather/norway/oslo/oslo/february

Reddit pages are rubbish for weather. The above is the weather in Oslo for February of this year and it was not as cold as reddit says it was.

Make sure you have good clothes (wool and down), good shoes, and even spikes in case of ice And you will be fine.
I lived in Oslo for more than a decade and now lives in the UK, and I’m usually colder here.
The buildings are better insulated in Oslo and the heat will be on inside. I’ve never had to wear a coat inside in Norway. Hopefully it won’t be -30.

Why will you be sat in a hotel room?! Just get appropriate clothing and enjoy the holiday.
saying this as someone who went to Finland in January, it was -26 when I arrived. I stayed for 6 months. The country doesn’t stop during the winter months, everything is still as completely normal.

I grew up in a place where -30 is not uncommon. I didn't own a pair of thermals, just normal (ideally wool or similar) tights under trousers. -30 is unlikely to last for more than a couple of days, chances are it will be a lot warmer than that. If it does drop that low, you wouldn't want to spend the entire day outdoors- it's far too uncomfortable, you basically just move from place to place where it's warm indoors - so you wouldn't get too cold. If you want to invest into anything - warm boots, gloves, scarf and a hat are a good idea. The rest - just layers up your normal clothes. Wool, fleece, down work the best for layering.

I’ve now found a lot of discussion online that says that last year it was regularly -30° in Oslo in February.

This simply isn't true, though. According to extremeweatherwatch.com, "The coldest temperature in Oslo, Norway history is -26.0 °C which has happened twice, most recently on Sunday January 19, 1941." You can check day by day here for 2024 and here for 2025. (You may get a day where the low hits around -13 to -15 but that's typically going to be sometime after midnight and before dawn.)

I think you'll definitely need to take the big coat - it's Scandinavia in deep winter - but you'll be wearing it all the time (even on the UK travel side) so other than on the plane it's no stress. Reddit will be an anecdote - neither an official reading nor anything more than a one off. It won't be that cold.

I've been to Oslo in December and was cold but the city has lots of museums and restaurants and shops and things to see up the ski slopes etc. so if you dress well you'll be fine!