Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Northern lights (with a 11yo)
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.
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!
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
HaroldMeeker · 03/01/2022 10:24
Western Isles - Lewis, Harris, etc. I'm in Central Scotland and it happens here too, just less frequently.
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.
GiantKitten · 03/01/2022 16:15
Friends went to Lapland over Christmas and saw these 
(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/
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!
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.
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!
SophieKat1982 · 03/01/2022 22:53
Seen many times in northern Finland. Yllas and Levi. Good luck.
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).
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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