Title: Winter train trip to Narvik & Lofoten with two kids — realistic in February?
Hey! I’m planning a 8–9 day trip through Scandinavia by train in mid-February, travelling solo with my two kids (9 and 11).
The rough itinerary is Stockholm → Narvik → Svolvær → Bodø → Trondheim → Oslo, using trains wherever possible, including night trains.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s done something similar in winter!
A few questions:
How reliable are the trains on this route in mid-February? Is it realistic to plan around them, or should I expect a significant risk of delays or cancellations due to winter weather?
For a couple of days around the Lofoten Islands, would we manage with buses to visit a few places like Reine and to get to the South for the ferry board, or is renting a car pretty much essential?
Is there any realistic way to enjoy some winter hiking with kids in February, or would you stick to guided excursions given the snow, and cold weather ?

I’m not looking to tick off every single place — I’d rather have a realistic itinerary with some flexibility than spend the whole trip rushing between connections. We really want to enjoy the amazing landscapes and hunt the northern lights
Any firsthand experiences, tips or things I should be aware of would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all,

My partner and I are planning a trip to the Lofoten Islands in the coming months. To make sure we get the most out of our trip, we’d like some information based on the points we’ve jotted down so far. The trip would last 7–8 or even 10 days in total.

We’ll be flying from Paris and landing in Oslo, where we’ll spend 2–3 days.

After that, we’re debating whether to stop in Bodø or Tromsø before taking another flight or a ferry to go directly to the Lofoten Islands (Svolvær, Moskenes, or elsewhere).

We’d rent a car and stay in the Lofoten Islands for 4 to 6 days, depending on whether we also visit Bodø/Tromsø or not.

We are doing a road trip, so there's no rush, we stop whenever and wherever we want, and we'll be doing some hikes. So far, we’ve noted down Å, Reine, Nusfjord, Leknes, Ryten, and several beaches.

From what we’ve seen, maybe we should plan for early June or late August? Or maybe we should go all out to make my dream come true and see the Northern Lights later in the season.

There are so many possible options that we’re getting a little lost. It’s still a bit of a jumble in my head, so I’d love to hear your feedback and experiences!

Is Parking in Reine really as bad as the reviews?

Will easypark app work across lofoten for 3 day itinerary?

Hello! We’ll be in Lofoten in middle of August 2027 for 10 days. The first and the last night will be in Evenes area due to airport, the other nights could be set like this:
- option 1: 4 nights in Kevalbag + 4 nights Ballstad
- option 2: 2 nights in Kevalbag + 2 nights Andenes + 4 nights Ballstad

A 2.5 toddler will be with us

Which one would you choose? We would really love to enjoy whale safaris and the new whale museum in Andenes

Wir sind immer noch völlig überwältigt!

Hi travellers! Our family will be in Lofoten on August 2027 for about 9-10 days with our 2.5 years old daughter
We’d love to have some great hikes , we have the hiking baby carrier so well equipped but… which hikes would you suggest us more?
Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone,

We're planning a trip to Tromsø and Lofoten from 22 to 28 March, and I'd love your opinion on whether the Lofoten part is realistic for that time of year. (4 nights = 2 in Hamnøya + 2 in Svolvær )

• 24 March: pick up a rental car at Leknes airport, then drive to Hamnøya for the night
• 25 March: day trip from Hamnøya to Å and back
• 26 March: drive the E10 from Hamnøya to Svolvær
• 27 March: driving around the Svolvær area
• 28 March: back to Leknes,

That's about 350-400 km of driving in total alway using E10.

I have driven sometimes in winter conditions (snow, ice), but never so many kms in few days

Does it take sense to rent a car to do this itinerary considering potential route conditions? If not, what would be the recommmended alternatives? Stay in a single place and visit the island using organized tours?

Thanks,

We want to do a couple hikes snd a beach. travel planned for Second week of October. Which one of these would you do?

Offersoykammen hike
Roren hike
Ryten hike
Ramberg stranda or a a different beach?

Hi all,

We are planning on doing Ballstadheia, Reinebringen, and Tjeldbergtind hikes at the end of october on separate days. (Mid 30s / experienced hikers)

No camping on these hikes. Just up and down.

We will be bringing trekking poles. Will microspikes be necessary to have prepared? If so, should we bring them? or will it be relatively easy to find a spot selling them if needed?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

A group of friends and I are doing a road trip through the Lofoten Islands from October 18th to 24th. We’ll be picking up a couple of rental cars in Evenes and driving along the E10 through the islands, eventually making our way all the way down to Å.

I’m posting for two main reasons.

First, I’d really appreciate some advice about driving and weather conditions in late October. I know the weather in Lofoten can change very quickly, but I’m trying to get a realistic idea of what we should expect around those dates.

Is snow or ice on the roads reasonably possible by then? Should I make sure our rental cars come with winter tyres, or even studded tyres if available? Are there any stretches of the E10 or smaller roads where we should be particularly careful in bad weather?

I’d also love to know if there’s anything you consider essential to have in the car at that time of year, like extra warm clothes, headlamps, emergency food, traction equipment, etc. We’re used to road trips, but obviously northern Norway in autumn is a bit different from what we are accostumed.

The second reason for posting is that we’d really like to meet some locals while we’re there. We’re a group of Spaniards, all around 24–27 years old, and we’d love to spend some of the long evenings having a beer, chatting, and learning more about what life in Lofoten is actually like outside the usual tourist spots.

We’d be especially interested in hearing about less obvious places, local stories, interesting hiking spots, good pubs/saunas, viewpoints, photography locations, or places we might otherwise completely miss.

And of course, one of our main goals is to see the northern lights (fingers crossed). Any advice about good places to watch them would be very welcome, especially regarding areas that tend to have clearer skies, places with little light pollution, or locations that are easy and safe to reach at night.

Also, if any other travelers are going to be in Lofoten around October 18–24, feel free to message me. It could be useful to exchange information during the trip about weather, cloud cover, road conditions, aurora sightings, hikes, etc. If we happen to be in the same area, it would also be fun to meet up for a drink, or aurora hunt :).

Our campings will be in Kongsmark, Kabelvåg, Lofoten Camp Storfjord and Gullesfjord.

Any advice is appreciated, especially from people who live there or have visited Lofoten around the same time of year.

Thanks a lot!

Please stop pooping everywhere

I came here to walk from Svolvaer to Moskenes. A storm shredded my tent on Saturday night, I twisted my knee getting off the mountain the next morning, and by Monday afternoon I was standing at the side of the road at Olderfjorden waiting for a taxi with everything I owned on my back. So much for nine days in the wilderness.

So now I'm in town with a week, a bad knee and no plan at all. I've travelled a lot and I always end up meeting people wherever I go, it's the part I remember afterwards. This time I just have to ask instead of running into it on a trail. Anything on this list would make my week:

- A coffee or a beer and an hour of stories about living here
- A seat in your car if you're driving anywhere at all
- Dinner at your kitchen table, I'll bring something and do the dishes
- A morning out on a boat, at the racks, in a workshop, on a farm, whatever your ordinary Tuesday looks like
- Your uncle's number, if your uncle is the interesting one

I'm 25, Dutch, easy to be around, and I take photos, so you'd probably end up with a few good ones of your boat or your kitchen. I'll pay my way in all of it.

I can walk on the flat and lift things, just don't ask me to climb anything.

Locals especially, but if you're travelling here with the same mindset, message me too.

Hello,

I’ve now read a lot in this sub that the Trails on the Crossing at the Moment are in really Bad shape, because of the rain and the tourists. I’ve thought about doing the Crossing next August, how is it going to Look then, do you think it will recover from this year? I am all about leave no trace, I think it’s the worst thing to do, to just leave your junk everywhere. I haven’t booked any flights or anything yet, so if everyone says I shouldn’t do it I won’t.

Thanks for good feedback.

Is it realistic to think I could do some short swims off beaches in late September with a 3/4 mm wetsuit?

Coming to hike in late September and know it’s been raining a lot - I’m wondering if it’s unsafe to do hikes like Reinebringen with many stone steps in heavy rain? Is it dangerously slippery or manageable with good hiking boots? Also, what’s local’s favorite beach or beaches?

• Henningsvaer: 3 days/2 nights. Pretty area, first stop in Lofoten, felt bad for the locals, lots of tourists and people just wandering through the streets
• One night at Lofoten Beach Camp (highly recommend)
• Bus to A, summit Andstabben, camp at Andstabben
• Hike down in big rain storm, hike to Munkebu, shitty weather and no views. Planned to summit Hermannsdalstinden, bailed due to weather
• Hike down to Reine, bus to Fredvang, camped at Kvalvika (did this based on weather, excellent decision, excellent weather)
• Hike to Kjerkforden, ferry to Vindstad, camp at Bunes (rainy/stormy)
• Hike/ferry back to Reine
• 3 days/2 nights in Reine, (true) summit of Reinebringen (excellent weather)

Random thoughts:

• Be flexible, have a loose plan but don't be married to your itinerary. I had a specific climbing/trekking route planned through Moskenes that went out the window the first day with bad weather
• I had no car and it was fine. The busses are reliable, but not a lot of schedules. Did not try to hitchhike. Walking the E10 through Moskenes is easy and a lot of people do it
• There is cell service almost everywhere, it's very convenient. Download the yr.no app and the Reis app.
• It is muddy AF, especially at lower elevations and around lakes
• The food choices in Lofoten were terrible and expensive. Burgers, pizzas, Circle-K beef hot dogs, and fish-n-chips. Some high-end restaurants I didn't try. I did not come for the food, but was still underwhelmed. Highly recommend bringing as much of your own food as you can
• Go higher and harder to get away from the crowds
• If you are comfortable with some class 4 scrambling (but with significant exposure), going past the viewpoint of Reinebringen to the true summit (according to my Gaia map) is well worth it. You'll get far away from the crowds and have even better views. It does require being comfortable with using your hands and being close to a ledge. But the climbing itself is super easy (see last 2 pictures)
• Other than hiking/climbing/camping, the little towns in Moskenes are tiny with not a lot going on. Traveling solo, I was pretty bored on my few nights in the towns. Wasn't expecting a thriving nightlife by any means, but there was nothing to do in the evenings. Could be the product of traveling solo
• I've climbed in Banff, Patagonia, and the Himalayas -- and Lofoten still might be the prettiest place I've ever seen. Absolutely lived up to the hype, even with subpar weather

Be respectful, be mindful, be a good tourist, be flexible and you'll have a great time.

Hi! I found a grey bag with tent poles on trail from Vinstad to Munkebu. I will be in Reine tomorrow if the owner sees this. Thanks

Hi :)

I will arrive today at 21:30 at Svolvær by the ferry. Does anyone has experience with hitchhiking to the trailhead of the Lofoten crossing at this time in September?

Vi bor i Tromsø og vil komme oss litt ut av byen.

Vurderte å ta en liten roadtrip nedover, men hvordan er det for tida? Mye turister? Er veiene/parkeringsplasser smekkfull av campingbiler? Vil hverken bidra til mer press eller måtte kjempe med turistan om plassen..