Short answer: for a northern lights trip from Tromsø, a campervan is the better choice if you want to follow the clear sky, stay out late and sleep where the lights are – your bed, heating and kitchen come with you. A rental car and a hotel are better for one or two nights in the city, or if you don't want to drive on winter roads.
Why a campervan works so well for aurora hunting
• The weather decides. Clouds hide the aurora completely, and often only some valleys or the coast are clear. With a camper you drive to the clear sky without booking a room.
• No drive back at two in the morning. You sleep where you watched the lights, instead of driving back to town tired on icy roads.
• Warm while you wait. The diesel heater runs without the engine: wait inside with a hot drink and check the sky every ten to fifteen minutes.
• Dark places. Away from the city lights you see a weak aurora that is hard to see in Tromsø itself.
• Day and night in one trip. Fjords, Senja or Lofoten by day, the northern lights at night.
When a rental car is the better choice
• You stay only one to three nights, mostly in Tromsø.
• You want a hotel room and a full bathroom every night.
• You don't want to drive on snow and ice, or in the dark – then a car for short trips, or a guided aurora tour, is easier.
Winter driving: what to expect
Roads around Tromsø are open and cleared all winter. All our campers have studded tyres in winter, and our 4x4 models (Comfort Camper 4x4, Cabin Camper 4x4) are made for snowy side roads. On some mountain stretches there can be convoys after heavy snow. From late November to mid-January the sun does not rise in Tromsø, so plan longer drives for the hours of twilight around midday. Before you set off, check the road conditions. More: Winter driving in Norway.
What it costs
A week with a Comfort Camper 4x4 for three people from our Tromsø station costs about 12.200–14.000 NOK in winter, including road tolls, winter equipment and unlimited kilometres – and your accommodation, because you sleep in it. All prices: what a campervan costs in Norway.
Our tools for the hunt
• Northern Lights Forecast: the Kp index and the solar wind live, and the chances in three-hour steps.
• Northern Lights Map: tonight's chance at places all over Northern Norway, with the cloud cover.
• Northern Lights Live Cam: the sky over Tromsø, live.