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Holidays

Northern lights (with a 11yo)

36 replies

kookievee · 29/12/2021 22:18

I have a big birthday coming up in 2 years and I'd love to go on a trip to see the Northern lights.

It would be me, DH and our DS who will be 11.

Where is best to go that won't break the bank? I could leave DS with his aunty but I'd rather take him.

I'm looking at this as a world without Covid as I hope things will have calmed down by then.

Thanks.

OP posts:
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PuffinShop · 04/01/2022 18:17

My point is it doesn't make much difference what time of year it is as long as it is not the period when it never gets completely dark. Any time outside that period isn't 'a bit too early' or too late. They also happen in summer, you just can't see them. Deepest darkest winter gives you more hours of darkness which would increase your odds, but also typically worse weather which will decrease your odds.

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PissedOffNeighbour22 · 03/01/2022 23:11

We went to Iceland a couple of years ago. We saw the lights every night. We booked multiple trips out to see them as everyone we knew who had been had never seen them. Still can't believe how lucky we were.
Was a very reasonable cost as used Iceland air and booked everything through them when they had a deal on. I think it was February we went.

Also went to Finland but didn't see the lights there (late November).

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SophieKat1982 · 03/01/2022 22:53

Seen many times in northern Finland. Yllas and Levi. Good luck.

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TizerorFizz · 03/01/2022 22:43

It was dark! Just cloudy! I do know they can appear in September but we didn’t expect to see them. We didn’t expect gales and a blizzard of sleet either! But that’s Iceland!

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PuffinShop · 03/01/2022 22:09

It's not been the whole night swirling in coloured lights but it's been the aurora all the same.

It never is the whole night. A display might last several hours getting stronger and weaker or be on and off, but it's most common for the good bit to last under an hour ime.

We went to Iceland in September, which is a bit too early for northern lights.

It isn't at all. Some of the best I've ever seen have been in late August and September. It just has to be fully dark.

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TizerorFizz · 03/01/2022 16:42

Specialist guide not needed. It’s a natural phenomenon. A guide cannot find them! Being away from other light sources in the far north of the northern hemisphere and having a clear sky is what’s needed!

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GiantKitten · 03/01/2022 16:15

Friends went to Lapland over Christmas and saw these Shock (with a specialist guide). The whole trip, with a teenager and two primary-aged kids, was fantastic.
These images are all from the same night, though they did see them less spectacularly on one other night too.

m.facebook.com/aurorahuntinglapland/

Northern lights (with a 11yo)
Northern lights (with a 11yo)
Northern lights (with a 11yo)
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Alaimo · 03/01/2022 16:01

As others have said, there's never any guarantees. I have been to mid/northern Sweden four times in winter/spring and never seen the northern lights - almost every time the sky has been covered in cloud.

But personally, I'd try Tromso. Further North than Iceland, and whale watching season in Tromso is from November to January/February, so that would be a fun thing to do, even if you don't get to see the lights. Just be prepared for near 24-hr darkness.

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HaroldMeeker · 03/01/2022 10:24

Western Isles - Lewis, Harris, etc. I'm in Central Scotland and it happens here too, just less frequently.

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Starlightstarbright1 · 03/01/2022 10:23

We saw them in Iceland,January...

We picked Iceland as we had loads of other things to do so if we didn't see them then still had a great time.

It was our last holiday we saw them. People had been there a week and not seen them

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Frazzled2207 · 03/01/2022 10:21

miL went to Finland to see them but despite having a nice time didn’t because of the cloud cover.

If you’re fixated on seeing them I believe there are charter flights that go above the clouds but even then not guaranteed as they don’t appear every night!

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TizerorFizz · 03/01/2022 10:20

Plus I wouldn’t subject an 11 year old to a freezing cold boat trip in Iceland in the winter. It’s a fun summer trip.

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TizerorFizz · 03/01/2022 10:18

Orcas can be seen. Most of the trips won’t see whales. Where we have seen whales you would expect more than 2. Look at the whale logs and you will see they migrate.

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Nanasueathome · 03/01/2022 09:33

My son went in a whale trip in Iceland, early December, saw 2 whales

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TizerorFizz · 02/01/2022 18:00

@kookievee
I would certainly recommend you plan the holiday around other activities snd sights. We saw the northern lights. From an aircraft flying out of Sweden in October a few years ago.

We went to Iceland in September, which is a bit too early for northern lights. It was cloudy a lot of the time at night and during the day the weather was very mixed. Lovely sunshine to gale force winds and sleet!

I would caution against expecting to see whales in the far northern hemisphere in anything other than the summer months. We knew there wouldn’t be any to see in Iceland in September. They migrate south in July/August. They’ve gone. So work out what you want to see and plan the trip accordingly. Is it Northern Scandinavia, Arctic circle, Iceland? Do you want to see Whales, walrus, sea birds, reindeer, sledges, snow hotel, culture, geographical wonders, food, etc. Once you know what you really want, you can research where to go, and when, that has most of what would be special for you.

We had an amazing day in Iceland on a superjeep. Utterly brilliant! So was our trip on an expedition ship to the arctic circle. Both very different but both utterly memorable.

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RampantIvy · 01/01/2022 22:56

We went to Northern Finland 7 years ago during February half term. We went with Transun and did loads of snowy activities, and were lucky enough to see the aurora one night. The advantage of going in February was that we had 8 hours of daylight and could actually see the place properly.

Apparently the best time to go is when there is no moon.

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MrsFezziwig · 31/12/2021 21:55

I’d definitely plan a holiday with other activities (although I appreciate it’s your treat not DS’s!). If the lights turn out to be underwhelming or non-existent it won’t be much fun for him otherwise.

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JamMakingWannaBe · 31/12/2021 21:43

Post on the Scotsnet threads. Folk there might give you some more pointers.

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JamMakingWannaBe · 31/12/2021 21:42

I've seen them more times living in South East Scotland than I ever did when I lived in Aberdeenshire. It's just luck - and the aurora app.

It's not been the whole night swirling in coloured lights but it's been the aurora all the same.

I'd book a holiday cottage on the Moray coast. Much cheaper than a trip to the Arctic circle.

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sonjadog · 31/12/2021 21:32

You could try Tromsø. There are bus trips at night that drive around looking for the lights. They have radio contact with people all over the area so know where they are when they are. They can drive several hours away from Tromsø, I believe. Also from Tromsø there are other activities available such as visiting a Sámi camp and feeding reindeer. You can fly on regular flights to Tromsø and book accomodation in whatever price range you choose, so you may be able to do it cheaper than a package tour.

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LyndaLaHughes · 31/12/2021 21:30

You can see them in Lapland so could combine a pre-Christmas trip with it. Lapland is a once in a lifetime amazing trip!

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LampHat · 31/12/2021 21:29

We spent 8 expensive days in northern Sweden once, doing arctic things like the ice hotel, huskies etc but no sign of the lights (even at the Sky Station). We then went to Tromso in Norway one October and saw them 4 nights in a row. Wasn’t too expensive at that time of year either! We went out on a tour chasing them one night and got an incredible display, and every other night saw them from our hotel room overlooking the harbour. It’s just luck I think, so def best to plan other things. In November I think there are whale watching tours from there which would be amazing! Smile

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LadyLazarus40 · 31/12/2021 21:28

We went to Iceland in a Feb half term when my children were in years 6 & 8. We stayed in the middle of nowhere on the start of golden circle route (nearest town Selfoss). Hired a car and did loads.

Didn’t see Northern Lights but both children (now 16 & 18) still rank it as one of their best holidays and somewhere they would love to go back to.

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Nanasueathome · 31/12/2021 21:25

My son went to Iceland early December, this year
Trip planned fir northern lights was postponed on first night and rescheduled for 2 nights later
He went on the trip but it was too cloudy to see anything
I think it’s really hit and miss

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cptartapp · 31/12/2021 21:22

We went to Iceland in January, they hadn't been seen for weeks apparently.
Still a great trip though.

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