Beginners European Travelers (4 adults) - Norway winter travel advice 12 days

1) If the northern lights are important, Tromsø is to be honest not the best place to visit. The coastal location means it is often very cloudy, and an overcast sky is not great if you want to see the northern lights.

2) It is a difficult hike to Trolltunga in the winter, and you should not attempt it on your own. But there are guided tours.

3) Don't count on it. There is a large risk that there won't be enough snow that early in the season. But who knows? You might be lucky.

4) Again, it's early in the season a lot of ski resorts won't be open. But you can probably find some. Åre usually opens early I think. Trysil might also be an option.

To Badger: Respectively I've heard and read everywhere Tromso is the best place to see the northern lights, could you provide some more insight on that part?

I've not read it everywhere, while some people claim it is, there are also other opinions. I'm also wondering how much money the city has spent on advertising. I'm a bit reluctant to name a single place "the best", but Tromsø has a large drawback, the cloudy weather.

It is a coastal city located between the ocean and a mountain range. The gulf stream brings a lot of warm water and some of it evaporates so the air often is very humid. And since westerly wind are rather common, that air is blown in over land where the mountain range forces it to rise. As the air rises, it cools down, the humidity condenses and form clouds.

One advantage Tromsø has is that it is a rather large city with other attractions. So for a trip where the Northern lights are a nice bonus, Tromsø is not a bad choice. But if the lights are the main reason for the trip, there are better places in my opinion. And being a larger city also means a lot of light pollution.

Should you end up in Tromsø there are northern lights tours that will increase you chance of actually seeing the lights. They are usually pretty good at finding places where they are visible (assuming they show up). Just be aware that they sometimes drive very far to find a place with clear sky. It's not uncommon for them to drive hundreds of kilometres from Tromsø. So those tours might involve 2-3 hours in a van, and then 2-3 hours on the way back.

I appreciate the info. I've read where it will require quite a drive to get out to somehwere to see the northern lights which i was probably just going to rent a car and stay out there as long as needed.

Regarding the northern lights, I've been reading on reddit, facebook groups, and youtubers that have gone to a few difference places but said Tromso was by far hands down the best which is why I initially chose Tromso.

What would you say is the top place?

I've read where it will require quite a drive to get out to somehwere
to see the northern lights which i was probably just going to rent a
car and stay out there as long as needed.

That is certainly an option. But how would you now where to drive? That will require some careful study of the weather forecast and aurora forecast. And some local knowledge is probably good as well. Also, how are your winter driving skills?

What would you say is the top place?

I'm not sure I can name a top place. But if the lights are the most important thing, consider Abisko. It has a few advantages. It's on the other side of the mountain range, and at around 400 m altitude, so a much higher chance of a clear sky. It is a small village, so not a lot of light pollution. It also offers an unobstructed view to the north. And despite the location, it is pretty well connected as it is a stop on the Narvik-Kiruna rail line. And if the views from the valley are bad, there is a chair lift to the nearby mountain and the "Sky station" there. There are also tours from Abisko, but the big advantage of Abisko is that those tours are often not needed.