Getting there.
The road north runs long — but with the right plan it becomes one of the smoothest winter journeys in the world.
As air travel has become affordable and accessible, you can now find direct flights from our country to most northern nations (the US, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway). Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, though, require a connection through another European country.
While there are usually direct flights to these countries' capitals, there are none to the northern regions — you always transfer onto a connecting flight. Since airlines from our country don't fly the north's domestic routes, after you land you cross over to your aurora-watching region on a local carrier.
Train, bus and car rental are also options; their only advantage is being cheaper in some cases. The road distance between the capitals and the northern points is considerable: Stockholm–Kiruna 1,200 km, Helsinki–Inari 1,200 km, Calgary–Yellowknife 1,700 km. Driving lets you sightsee along the way but is more tiring and more expensive than flying. In 2013, to avoid paying for accommodation, I took an 18-hour train from Kiruna to Stockholm — it was cheap but deeply uncomfortable. My advice is, without question, to fly.
In winter, fares usually bottom out; booked 3–4 months ahead, you can catch serious discounts. The north's domestic flights take roughly 2–3 hours. Unlike the winter conditions back home, the northern countries are thoroughly prepared for them — short of very heavy snowfall, all flights run smoothly.
A five-hour flight delay and bad weather meant my trip from Ankara to Lofoten took about 25 hours. It's worth being mentally prepared for delays.
For those afraid of flying, winter conditions may look off-putting; but as someone who has flown north for seven years, I can honestly say I've never had a frightening experience. A harsh winter is no insurmountable obstacle for aviation — flight comfort is decided not by “cold” weather or “winter” but by the actual conditions on the day. On a Reykjavík–Copenhagen flight the pilot set down like cotton in zero-visibility fog; a little propeller plane touched down without trouble on an icy runway at −30 degrees at night.
Renting a car and road conditions in general.
One of the things travellers north wonder about most is the state of the roads. As someone who has driven over 9,000 km in the Arctic across seven years, I can say that — though I ran into small problems now and then — it was an extremely safe and comfortable experience. Safety comes before everything; both vehicle and road safety are treated with great seriousness in the north.
The winter tyres we use back home are useless in deep snow and ice; the northern countries solve this with studded tyres. Every rental car on the winter roads comes with them as standard. The studs grip the road and restore your braking, acceleration and cornering; even so, you must drive below the speed limit, avoid sudden moves and keep a longer following distance.
×Corrected · 2024·Electric vehiclesOn long stretches, keep your tank full. If you rent electric, Norway's charging network (Recharge, Ionity, Mer) reaches all the way to Lofoten, but at −15 °C the range drops 30% below the rated figure — in the cold, charge to full at every stop.
Roughly 20,000 winter kilometres behind the wheel in the Arctic — the literal end of the road at Å in Lofoten, the fjords of Senja, Tromsø and its islands, and the E6 all the way to Nordkapp.
Three days of driving instruction on a frozen lake in Swedish Lapland — every model in the line-up, sideways. The cleanest way to learn what ice actually does to a car.
Traffic, tolls and parking.
In the Scandinavian countries the traffic rules are extremely strict and the speeding fines are steep. On a Norwegian road with a 90 km/h limit, for example, exceeding it by 21 km/h costs €711, by 41 km/h €1,183; going over 131 km/h means losing your licence, and above 150 km/h at least 18 days' unconditional jail. Always drive slower, never faster. Most roads are single-lane in each direction; they narrow at tunnel and bridge entrances.
90% of the roads are free; the entrances and exits of large cities (Tromsø, Harstad) are tolled by sensor cameras that read your plate. In small settlements parking is usually free, in busy cities it's paid.+Added · November 2024·Parking appsAt Lofoten's popular spots (Reine, Hamnøy, Sakrisøy, Unstad) the car parks are now paid and charged through the EasyPark or YourPark app. Download the app and register your card before you set off.
Weather conditions.
A polar climate prevails in the northern countries. In the landlocked interior (Sweden, Finland), a dry “frost” — −20 degrees and below — dominates. In the ocean-bordering countries (Norway, Iceland) the air is milder but the wind far fiercer and the precipitation heavier. On a February day it can be −30 degrees during the day in Porjus, Sweden, while it's +3 in Reine, Norway — but wind above 30 km/h makes that temperature feel far lower.
In ocean-bordering countries like Norway and Iceland the weather is milder than in the interior; because settlements sit at sea level, the cold feels softer. As you climb and move inland the temperature drops sharply, and sunny weather can turn to a snowstorm in an instant — a good observer follows the forecast closely.
Snow- and ice-covered roads, fog, storms and precipitation are only some of the road conditions you can't avoid in the north. Beyond your own driving skill, it's vital that your vehicle is properly equipped for winter.
Another situation as dangerous as a snow- and ice-covered road is “heavy rain” and “slush.” When a tyre enters deep standing water and can't displace it fast enough, grip is lost, the car becomes unstable and, depending on speed, can leave the road. In slush, drop your speed to a safe level and drive with both hands on the wheel, in the right gear.
Wind speed and avalanche risk should be checked daily; be sure to check before any mountain hike. In heavy blizzards high beams cut your visibility — fog lights plus low beams work better. Because snowploughs run around the clock, the main roads are usually clear. On the highways you may see elk, hares and wild boar; when you see the warning signs, slow down and never speed.
- +Parking apps · EasyPark / YourPark
- ×Electric vehicles and charging network added
- ○Original · book edition · full text