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?

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.

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

@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.

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!

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

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.

I’m hopeful for the northern lights but also know it’s unlikely.

I think the extreme temps I’ve seen online have just really freaked me out. My plan was long rain coat but shorter down puffer but now I don’t know

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...

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!

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.

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

For -30 get a ski coat

I cannot emphasise that enough. I went skiing in -29 wearing base layers and my friends THICK down jacket, with gloves and sallopettes and it is the only time I’ve ever felt the cold. While my body was ok, my extremities were freezing, even in my usual ski gloves.

The ski coats are designed to keep that cold air out and your own heat in. Even though they don’t look any thicker, they work.

Waterproof walking shoes are fine with thick socks. You don’t need posh expensive base layers, Aldi and Lidl do them. Grab one of those fleece jumpers as well, then a ski coat on top. Have up to 3 base layers for under your fleece layer, you may not need them all. Get salopettes just in case. I only use one legging base layer under those. You can even get the thermal leggings and tops from Primark, they work fine.

Oh my gosh we were in Chicago in late March and it was bitterly cold, positively arctic! Just goes to show as you say you have to be prepared for a range of possibilities!

(I’ve also been in Norway in late March sitting outside eating ice cream in the sunshine!)

I used to live in Oslo. You'll be fine, just bring a good coat.

I don’t think you’ve messed up, it will be cold but you can do/see all that.

As I said, LAYERED

Get ski style stuff, we went to finalnd in Feb and it got down to -30 but it was unusually cold, I doubt you'll actually get that cold. We were out in it all day enjoying activities. You need;
Thermal Base layer (polyester or merino wool)
Mid layer - fleeces, fleece lined leggings or joggers, wooly jumpers etc
Outer layer - get a ski coat and some thermal soft shell trousers
Ski socks
Gloves
Snood
Hat
Hand warmers
Thermal boots
Break the day up with lots of coffee shops And inside museums it'll be heated anyway.
Enjoy the holiday! You might get some beautiful snow etc.

Go and enjoy it. Embrace it. Dress appropriately and you will have the most amazing time. They are both fabulous cities. What an opportunity.

This is silly. It would also have been silly if it was -5. Temperatures are always going to be colder there than in the UK. Get a proper coat on Vinted and sell it again afterwards if you’re not going to wear it in the UK. Get some thermal underwear and warm shoes /boots.

i can’t afford to spend silly money on a coat that I then have to sell on at a loss.

Leave the raincoat at home. Get a thick down jacket, or thick ski jacket.
also, just wear ski trousers over your thermals. More comfortable (and warmer) than wearing jeans.

i can’t afford to spend silly money on a coat that I then have to sell on at a loss.
I honestly think you are getting yourself worked up and making it a bigger deal than you need to.
Sure its going to be cold,but Ive had colder winter here than I have in Norway in February seriously.
Your puffer coat will be fine its you putting a block on that by saying it makes you look big. It may well do but so what, it'll keep you warm without having to buy another one.
The only time ive been so cold in the winter months when I've been abroad was in Serville!

Ive been fine in my Montane soft shell and a bob hat in Norway, I didnt need gloves.

Anyway have you looked on Vinted, I swear you can get a winter coat on there cheaper than a cocktail at the Hard Rock cafe in Oslo!

Honestly, buying appropriate cloths should be part of your holiday budget.
If you were going on a sunny holiday you’d buy a bikini and sunscreen. Some women are so heavy chested that they have to buy an expensive bikini. A thick ski coat on Vinted can be sold on again for a similar price.

Are you aware that food and drink is very expensive there? Do you have money for that? It sounds like you just didn’t think about your budget for the rest of the holiday after your flights and accomodation when you booked it.

They’ll look incredibly ugly and bulky