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 trip
ThisIsNotThePostYourLookingFor · 12/03/2022 15:37
Can anyone recommend a company that does good northern lights trips? We are thinking of Iceland and I know you generally need to go between December and March but any personal recommendations would be welcome
MrsBellamy · 12/03/2022 21:54
I think the recommendation is to go between October and March.
I went to Iceland in January 2020 and it was so stormy that the flight had to turn back on the first attempt and we lost a day of our trip.
I would suggest going in November or feb/March. To try and avoid the wind/storms that I experienced. I didn't get to see the northern lights on that trip either 
HundredMilesAnHour · 13/03/2022 00:09
A friend went last week and saw the lights on his very first night. Lucky him! His guide said that Sept is one of the best times to see them.
I know other people who have been and despite multiple attempts, seen nothing. They had more success in Norway.
tiredbetty · 13/03/2022 12:38
I went in Feb half term with Tui on a 4 night break a few years ago and it was amazing. Saw the Northern Lights. A Northern lights tour and day trip to Gulfoss, National Park and geysir was included. We were lucky with the weather and was a fantastic trip. Not cheap though!
iklboo · 13/03/2022 12:44
A bit off topic but apparently we're going to be hit by a solar storm on Thursday with a good chance of more of the U.K. seeing the aurora than usual.
OnceAgainWithFeeling · 13/03/2022 12:47
We chased the lights over new year a few years back. Missed them every time.
Couldn’t move for them at the end of August a few years later.
There are no guarantees with these things.
TheDaydreamBelievers · 13/03/2022 12:59
Don't go JUST to see the lights. If you're really keen for lights only go to that mega expensive resort in very Northern Finland. Go to Iceland cause it's awesome and if you see them, great!
We went to Iceland in October I'm v clear weather and saw a teeny smudge of green and nothing else 
PuffinShop · 13/03/2022 19:11
You just need darkness. The lights happen all year round but are not visible unless it's dark. So not May, June or July as there is no complete darkness during these months. Any other month you may see them, although obviously the closer you are to the winter solstice the longer the window of darkness.
In my opinion, September or October are best in terms of balancing the darkness with avoiding storms and general horrible weather, though there are no guarantees. November to February are often very stormy months, but obviously it's not constant. Autumn is nicer than late winter.
But yeah, don't go anywhere just to see northern lights.
CecilyTheWake · 13/03/2022 19:15
We tried Iceland and didn’t see them but were successful in Tromso.
We’ve used the Baltic Travel Company a few times and found them really good.
Amelion · 14/03/2022 08:48
Definitely agree go somewhere for other things and if you see the lights it’s a bonus. So pick where you want to go based on what you’d like to do and see in the daytime - have a look at Northern Finland, Northern Norway (Tromso is great and has direct flights) or Iceland. If you go to Iceland think about going to the northern coast.
How long are you going for? You don’t just need dark skies - you need clear skies. So if you just go for a short period you’re at the mercy of the weather and if it’s too cloudy you won’t see much if anything.
Amelion · 14/03/2022 08:50
Also solar activity is highest closest to midnight at the magnetic north, and actually activity is higher towards the March Equinox.
So you need a combination of solar activity + dark skies + lack of cloud cover.
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 14/03/2022 08:59
I’ve seen them in Finland, Norway, Scotland and Yorkshire (last year). The best display was in Scotland- I was on the Isle of Raasay. Our Iceland trip was booked for April 2020, and has not yet been rebooked.
NashvilleQueen · 14/03/2022 09:02
It's very hit and miss. There's an app called Aurora that tells you the best places to see them. Tbh northern Scotland is about the same as Iceland. You need to go much further north.
NashvilleQueen · 14/03/2022 09:03
Also I wouldn't plan a trip just around seeing them because the chances are quite low. Better to plan something else and if you see them by chance then great.
Iceland is a wonderful country anyway so well worth a trip.
cptartapp · 14/03/2022 09:06
We went to Iceland a few years back in Jan. no sign of the lights, they hadn't been seen for ages apparently.
Amazing fantastic trip nevertheless. But not cheap.
fucketyfuckwit · 14/03/2022 09:06
I would avoid Jan/feb/March as the weather can we very stormy with little clear skies.
I would go Nov/Dec as weather is slightly less volatile.
ouch321 · 21/03/2022 14:58
I advise a trip where seeing the lights would be a bonus on top of other stuff you've planned. Don't plan around the lights. They are sporadic and unpredictable
WoolyMammoth55 · 23/03/2022 21:49
Hi OP, me and DH got engaged (11 years ago!) at the Kakslauttanen artic resort in northern Finland.
DH had done a ton of research and so he booked for the March equinox. Around the equinox there's something about the gravitational field that results in high solar flare activity, and that means a much higher chance of northern lights.
We stayed 5 nights and there were lights every night. The night he proposed we met a Finnish couple in the bar and they said that even for Finland these lights were amazing.
Of course it being so northern helps, and also the remoteness means no light pollution. It goes without saying that there are no guarantees but if you want to see the northern lights then timing your trip for the equinox and being in the right place will really improve your chances.
In the daytime there are reindeer rides and dog sledding and the cabins are lovely and have private saunas... It was honestly fantastic and I hope we'll get back there someday!
We tacked on a mini-break in Helsinki on the way and that was lots of fun too.
Best of luck!
Oriunda · 03/04/2022 00:19
Friends went to Rovaniemi in Finland this Christmas and saw loads. It’s the luck of the draw. They followed my suggestion of a DIY package (we did the trip a few years back, taking our son to see Santa).
Doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Fly to Helsinki, which is a lovely place. Sleeper train to Rovaniemi. Base yourself there as you can go to Santa Village/Snow world etc. You can book Northern Lights trips from there, but as others have said, it’s never guaranteed.
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