Norway is love from the first sight and breath. Three days in the Arctic is a precious memory to cherish. For those who dream of going there, I want to share my experience and tips.
My friends and I have chosen Tromsø on 9-12 November for several reasons:
- chances to see the Aurora (Northern lights)
- chances to have snow
- the sun still coming above the horizon for several hours (the Polar night begins there on 21 of November)
- an island in the Norwegian Sea
- good infrastructure (international airport, municipal buses).
Tromsø appeared to be a nice compact town. The main part of it is on an island surrounded by mountains and straits of the Norwegian Sea. We used a bus from and to the airport only, while explored the area on foot admiring the beauties of the nature and cosiness of the town. There is a car rental but better avoid that if you’re not used to driving on snowy roads.
The weather was excellent: -6-15°C and a quite clear sky. The snow had fallen heavily several days before our arrival, so everything was covered with it. Living in Ukraine, I have been enjoying snow every winter but I’ve never seen SUCH snow - huge crystals, exquisite and transparent.
A bridge connects the island with the land and it’s a good place to see the sun over the strait. The only drawback is tangible in muddy weather - vehicles splash mud onto the sidewalks, we were lucky to avoid that due to the frost. On the other side of the bridge, the Arctic Cathedral is rising magnificently. It’s especially beautiful in the dark.
To get a panoramic view, one should go up the mountains on a cable car Fjellheisen. As the sun goes down early in November, we hurried to see the sunset glow over the peaks. It was absolutely adorable. Walking along the snowy chain and watching the scenery made us overjoyed. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
If getting cold, one can warm up in a cafe. We didn’t buy anything as we had our vacuum flasks with cocoa and healthy snacks.
Aurora, or Nothern lights, is not fully predictable. Besides, it demands clear sky and darkness for a good view. It takes time and patience to see it. Locals say the best time is between 9 p.m. and midnight and the direction of the lights is always from the East to the West.
We were lucky to see the lights through a window in our first evening there and then went outside. The next night was without lights despite the perfect conditions and good forecast (strong solar wind). And on our last evening, we caught the lights, going to the Telegraphbukta on purpose and waiting there with cocoa and cameras.
One should be attentive, as the light may start as pale grey and be visible only through your camera. In fact, the pictures of Aurora are brighter than the reality. Nevertheless, it’s still worth effort. Some good spots to observe Aurora are Telegrafbukta, Presvannet Lake, and Fjellhesein.
As the sea is close, the weather may change fast and the clear sky can grow overcast. An option to avoid that is to buy an Aurora chase tour (they will bring you to places with better conditions for watching) but they are really expensive and no refund is envisaged if no Aurora appears.
We didn’t go to museums but liked exploring the town and local lifestyle. The houses are so cute there. The windows deserve special attention and filming - they are decorated and lighted.
As for food, one can find both local specialties and international cuisine. We ate out only once, the rest of the time we cooked at home and bought food in a supermarket. Local salmon was delicious. We also liked Christmas beer by the local brewery Mack. Beer lovers will definitely find something to their taste as the choice is huge.
Transport
Local buses are large and comfortable, all stops are announced and displayed on a screen. Many bus stops are equipped with screens to show upcoming buses. Hence it’s difficult to have something wrong. There are different kinds of tickets and ways to buy them. A single ticket is valid for 2 hours, so you can change buses. Take into account that not all bus stops have ticket machines, while a ticket from a driver is essentially more expensive. You can use a mobile app but it needs Internet connection during your ride.
Money
We used Mastercard and Visa everywhere, so didn’t happen to see Norwegian kroner at all. Besides, if you buy drinks in bottles/cans that have a notice like “2 pant”, take empty bottles/cans back to a supermarket and throw into a special machine. You’ll receive a receipt for the respective sum. You can use it when shopping again.
I could write more but the post seems already long, so I’d better sum up.
To have a smooth trip, you should be well-prepared and take care of several things beforehand:
- Have warm underwear, a woollen sweater, woollen socks and woollen mittens, and really warm boots and coat. Temperatures can be -10-15°C with humid sea winds. And be sure to check weather forecast before the trip.
- Get a vacuum flask. Hot drink will prove useful during long walks and looking for Aurora.
- If you’re short of money (like me), pack cereals, dry fruit and berries.
- Get a power bank as devices run out of charge faster in low temperatures.
- Get a tripod if you want to catch stunning photos of Aurora (or you can find rentals but Norway is not a cheap country)
- Explore local transport company website for routes and prices. Tickets in ticket machines or mobile app may be much cheaper than from a driver (e.g. a single ticket is 33 vs 50 NOK).
- Decide about your routes (more important if you have little money to spend) taking into account your accommodation. For us, it was easier to live out of the town centre, closer to a bay and to walk around.
But it’s something I’ d really love to see. Thanks for all the details 
And I like it much more than usual package tours: more freedom in choices and movement, getting a real sense of local life instead of a glamour picture.
Proper preparation, cooking and walking are key, no magic you know))