Northern Lights advice please

[LazyDoll]

Hi,
I'm planning a family trip for Autumn/Winter 2017 and truly don't know where to start!
It's a special celebration holiday for myself DH and 3 DS's who will be 6, 8, 10.
The main aim is to see the NL as has been on mine and DH's bucket list for years and now a dream of at least my eldest son.
But where to start?!
I have been left some money so budget is negotiable.
Looking at non term time although this may be negotiable?! If long weekend etc. No experience of this so don't really know.
Not THAT fixed on going at Christmas - more bothered about going when the likelihood of seeing the lights is highest.
Guessing we're best going somewhere outside of a city as increases likelihood of sightings.
Also keen to partake in cold weather activities although not too fussed about ski ing as none of us have skied before.
Requisite if DH to spend 1 night minimum in ice hotel.
Looking at 4 nights minimum to make the ravelling with kids worthwhile.
Can anyone help me narrow down my search at all please?!
Thanks in advance.

I posted on this thread about our fabulous holiday to Northern Finland.

We found that going at February half term meant that we got 8 hours of daylight and could actually see the area we were staying in. If you go at Christmas it is crowded with families with small children on a Santa visit. Also you get 24 hours of darkness, plus it is much, much colder. We had temperatures of about -7. At Christmas it was -37.

You do need to be away from light pollution to see the Northern Lights, and the place we stayed at was about 100km from the nearest town.

It truly was an experience of a lifetime.

Northern Finland, Northern Norway or Iceland would be the best places to go. Ice hotels I believe can be found in Sweden (the original), Finland and Norway so that narrows down your search. The worry with going with the primary reason of seeing the northern lights is that if the weather is bad you will be highly disappointed.

Thanks to you both.
We intend to fully make the most of everything else on offer wherever we go and appreciate we might not get to see the lights....just want to maximise our chances. If all else fails I'm sure we'll have a fab time anyway!

You will have an amazing time, I have been to Iceland and Norway and loved both. :-)