Christmas in Northern Europe - Aurora spots?

[k_sheep]

Morning all

Hubby and I are Christmas grinches, and actually love to spend end December in non Christian countries just to avoid it! However this year as part of a OWA, we will be in HEL around that time. Land of Santa. Presumably because of that, accommodation options are somewhat limited.

Number 1 on the bucket list is to see the Aurora, but that's obviously never guaranteed. So we'd like to head somewhere where there's stuff to do during the day (hiking, skiing etc) so we don't get totally frustrated if it's cloudy or no solar activity. Current thought is Kittala and head to Levi ski resort, but thought you guys may have better suggestions for places with reasonable Aurora odds but also not totally boring! Intra-europe flights are cheap, and we are not precious on lodging, even happy to hostel if it's somewhere cool.

Thanks in advance

 

[Sprucegoose]

Very sorry, k_sheep I just saw this. I did the same thing with my number one daughter in 2018 in Dec/Jan. It is tricky; you need a clear night, and Xmas is the right time. We flew up from HEL into Rovaniemi (it's all about latitude) and then drove several hours north. The place we picked was great as it was on a hill. I met an Aurora photographer, and he was setting up for the night, so I knew we picked the right spot and at the right time. I didn't find the Finnish ski scene that appealing, to be honest.

If all goes well, it's good viewing between 10 pm and 3 am - I saw the bloody things, but I was three sheets to the wind by that time...so it could have been a green monster.

The place is excellent if you like salmon and reindeer, morning, noon and night.

We went further north and went across the Russian border..........checked out the scene, and shot back. I don't think you would pull that one these days!

 

[jastel]

Anywhere you can see good Auroras you wont have to worry about "doing stuff in the day"...there will only be a few hours of light!
I have seen them in Finland, Norway and Iceland...anywhere north of the Arctic Circle is good...a small town is best, no moon is better, then you only need a clear night and Auroras!
There are plenty of apps to predict activity and the weather but ultimately it is down to doing as much as you can and hoping for some luck for the few nights you are there.

 

[tdimdad]

Another good place in the Finnish Lapland is Inari. It has an excellent Sami Museum and the seat of the local Sami Parliament (the indigenous people of Lapland, spreading across four current countries). You can also do crosscountry skiing, dog sleigh rides and other activities.
For those wanting to downhill ski, Saariselkä slopes are about an hour drive south.

The nearest airport is Ivalo (IVL), serviced a few times a day by AY during the winter holiday seasons (plus a number of charters from the UK).

 

[ADLhighflyer]

Rovaniemi in Finland had many providers who offer tours etc during the day, and aurora viewing at night if conditions are good. Another good option is Tromso in Norway. Best to look for anywhere that is under the Aurora Circle (Tromso is perfect for this)