I have booked flights to Tromso on 7 February for a 4 night stay. Our main aim is to see the Northern Lights so any advice on how to maximise the chance of a sighting would be much appreciated - are there any particular viewing places? Or is it best to go on an organised trip - any recommendations gratefully received.
Any recommendations for other nearby but out of town places to visit would be welcome too. Perhaps we will need to hire a car for 1 or 2 days.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Janey! :)
First off, you will love Tromso! It is an absolutely gorgeous city so you won't be disappointed there...
The only downside for me to Tromso is that it is more likely to be covered in clouds than areas further inland due to the Gulf Stream influence.
My suggestion is to either rent a car and drive inland if this happens (in any case you will want to get away from the light pollution from Tromso) along the E8 road, can't get lost really only 1 main road. The problem with stayin in Tromso is that the Aurora can appear at anytime, and staying in the city really limits your chances of seeing the lights properly unless you are prepared to drive at a moments notice outside the city. So if you want the do it yourself option, be prepared to find a good spot long the E8 and wait it out =)
A tour guide will really give you the best chances as they know the local area well, one in particular Kjetil Skogli will drive for hours in search of clear skies and Aurora if the activity is there. Here is his site - http://www.kskogli.no/aurora/ You will literally be under dark skies for hours on end, as good a chance as any to see the lights.
I've written an article all about the lights, perhaps you'll find this helpful too http://www.natalia-robba.com/myblog/travel/the-aurora-borealis-the-northern-lights-everything-you-need-to-know/
Natalia
Hey! I've been a couple of times... I would say hire a car for a few days, or book a Northern lights tour. Don't stay in the city and expect to just see them. Cloud cover and light pollution can be a right pain. If you have time you can go over the border into Sweden and visit a place called Abisko (about a 5-6 hour drive from Tromso). It lies in a rain shadow and rarely gets cloud cover.
My articles below on viewing the Northern Lights and visiting Arctic Norway and Sweden are below, I hope they help! Feel free to leave comments and questions, I'm more than happy to give you more info if can :)
Northern Lights: http://homeintime4tea.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/how-and-where-to-find-northern-lights.html
Arctic Scandinavia: http://homeintime4tea.blogspot.co.uk/p/arctic-scandinavia-norway-and-sweden.html
By the way, if you start to find Tromso a bit expensive and it gets a bit old, a good place to eat good cheap pizza is Dolly Dimples!