Welcome to /r/Svalbard!

So I'm from Turkey. I've been planning to move to Svalbard for about a year now. The reason? Well, let's just say I don't want to live in an Islamofascist dictatorship anymore. I'd take anywhere but MENA.

From what I've read, it seems like non-Norwegians struggle getting used to the conditions of the island. Stuff like xenophobia seems to be present, as well. Even though not as much as the Eastern Europe.

What do you think? Can university-dropout Turkish citizen like myself start a new life in Svalbard? Cold isn't a problem for me. If anything, it's like the least of my concerns. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Edit: Grammar.

**tl;dr - do I need to be worried about AirBNB hosts offering discounted rates if we go off the platform and just do cash?** An I going to get scammed and then show up with no place to stay?

I spent a few months last winter in Longyearbyen and enjoyed it very much. I’d booked my place through AirBNB and it was great.

I’m looking to book the same place next year for the white winter, and the Airbnb host is offering me a ~25% discount if we just do a direct payment and don’t go through AirBNB.

Are people in longyearbyen generally trustworthy about these things? Is this considered acceptable and a normal way of operating?

Hello everybody!

I am a young danish photojournalist, who's about to do my bachelors thesis and therefore i am looking to travel to Svalbard this November.

I have recently become very interested in Svalbards role in the modern power-struggle of the arctic sea and this is(for now) the subject of the photojournalistic story that i intend to create. Both for my own learning, but also to give an insight into a geographic placement, that often goes unnoticed.

To create a photojournalistic story i need sources and a lot of information, which is why i am writing here! Reddit has proved very good in linking me up with international sources in the past.

I am interested in/looking for:

• Information about the US/Russian relations in the arctic sea surrounding Svalbard, and the people of svalbard's relation to this matter.
• Personal stories about the influence of global warming and the rising power struggles in the arctic sea
  • The climates effect on living conditions?(In the future?)
  • How has industries and work changed over the years?
  • Has personal life changed?
• Information about places to see, which might be related to global warming and rising traffic in the arctic?

To clarify: I am looking for real and honest people to meet and talk to.

As a Dane i also thought that much talk has been of Greenland, that many people might overlook Svalbard?

I am also looking for friendly faces who might want to introduce me to some culture!

All help or guidance is greatly appreciated!

Love from Denmark <33

Hi! I am looking to do a svalbard trip this February/March. When is the best time to go? Ideally, I'd like to see the northern lights and get a real arctic winter experience.

What is the weather like in terms of visibility? I was in lofoten this past July and some days we could see nothing because of low cloud cover.

Thanks in advance for all the tips!

I have planned a trip in the last week of March.

4 days Tromso, 3 days Svalbard and 3 days Munich.

After covering Tromso, do I need to visit Svalbard?

Will that add any different experience than tromso.

I can add another location for those 3 days.

My husband and I will be in Svalbard during the second week of January and are considering signing up for the Elveneset 5 hour snowmobile tour. I was wondering if anyone here has done that and what you think? I’ve already booked a dogsledding day and am looking into this tour and the same company’s 3 hour Northern lights tour. We’ll be there for 4 nights and we want to use every moment to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. Thanks!

Hi
I will be visiting Tromso and Svalbard in early December and was wondering if gore Tex hiking shoes with merino wool socks should be sufficient?

Hi everyone.

Me and my girlfriend are planning a trip to Svalbard, and were wondering if the week of Solfestuka is a good time to visit?

Is restaurants and shops still open, or is it considered a "holiday" where stuff is closed?

Is it fun for turists to be part of, or is it more a thing for the locals?

We both come from Denmark, and would love to visit, so please share recommendations as well <3

I would like to visit Svalbard for one of the music festivals. I was wondering which one is the best? How many visitors come for the festivals? I obviously am aware that there aren't a great number of hotels in Longyearbyen, so I would like to book as early as possible. I know there is the Polar Jazz, the Artic Chamber Music Festival and the Dark Season Blues. What are some great things about these events? Is one better than the other? I myself am a muscian, and I love all music, so I'm not concerned with whether it is jazz or classical and so on.

Hi,
I will be travelling to Svalbard in early December and needed some advice on clothing. Specifically for the pants I have ski shell pants which are slightly insulated and a base layer pant. Would I need anything extra or is there any kind of pants you’d recommend?

Hey, I’m travelling to Longyearbyen in the next few days and cannot find any reliable information whether Apple Pay or Visa Debit Cards work to pay the Shuttle bus or in the grocery store.
I paid most things beforehand, but the shuttle bus makes me worried.

Maybe it’s a stupid question, but I’m panicking a little 😅

Thanks in advance!

Hey, I’m travelling to Longyearbyen in the next few days and cannot find any reliable information whether Apple Pay or Visa Debit Cards work to pay the Shuttle bus or in the grocery store.
I paid most things beforehand, but the shuttle bus makes me worried.

Maybe it’s a stupid question, but I’m panicking a little 😅

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! 😊
We’re going to Svalbard in end of February for 6 days and I’m trying to decide which activities/tours are really worth booking.

At the moment I’m considering a package that includes:
• Global Seed Vault
• Snowshoeing to a glacier
• Dog sledding + ice cave
• Snowmobile trip to Tempelfjorden

I’d love to hear from anyone who has been to Svalbard Which of these tours would you say are really worth it, and is there anything important that I’m missing?

Also, does anyone know whether it’s generally cheaper to book these activities in advance online, or is it better value to book them locally through an agency once we arrive in Longyearbyen?
We’re also planning to go for sauna, so that’s already on our list. 😊
Any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated! ❤️

A friend and I will be taking a trip to Longyearbyen in April (trip is the 18th to 25th, we are in Svalbard from the 20th to 24th), right as the midnight sun season starts. We will be spending about 4 days there, and I like my itinerary but have a few questions.

1. We will be staying in the Coal Miners Cabins. I hear good things, but how is the walk to the city center? Is it long enough to require a taxi/bus or can we possibly rent bikes?
2. On the 21st we have a morning snowshoe hike, on the 22nd we have a midnight sun snowmobile excursion that begins in the late evening, and on the 23rd we have a morning dogsledding excursion. I am quite happy with this schedule and am also considering a photography tour, but are there any other tours

Edit: one more question I forgot - what’s the best place within the city (where I don’t need a guide/rifle) to take great photos that won’t have infrastructure interrupting the landscape?

/things to do

1. that can take us elsewhere outside of the city that are lower cost that I haven’t come across? I know there is plenty to see within the city and have all the attractions written down, but we still will have plenty of time and I’d like to consider every option I have that I might not have come across online.
2. Any advice in general for visiting in April? I am very excited for this trip and I feel like I’ve googled just about everything there is to know before I go, but there’s always things you can’t find on the internet.

Planning a cabin trip to either isfjord radio area or Vindodden area. Checked boat ride prices with a local company who wanted 30.000nok for both ways….
Does anyone know any cheaper alternatives for boat transport?

For a 3+ day snowboarding trip sleeping along the way, where would you go? What are the most impressive parts of Svalbard, which direction from Longyearbyen? Or is it all fairly similar?

Hi, from the UK! It will be a significant expense, but is it worth it? I want to see Aurora Borealis, but I've read that the dog-sledding / animal viewing isn't on at this point in the winter...

Are there any good, underaated alternative activities?

does anyone know of any svalbard discord servers? servers about it or anything..? i tried disboard and regular google and found nothing so i thought id try here too.

Hey everyone,
I’m going to Longyearbyen for 4 days mid december and wondering what I shouldn’t miss out on. I really want to do a hike, maybe to an icecave, see the northern light, see some huskies and reindeer! Are there tours, museums or places i ABSOLUTELY need to see? Also goes for restaurants because i loooove indulging in foreign delicacies hehe.
I already researched a lot but there seem to be so many things and im trying to figure out what’s the coolest. :-) thank you

Hello, I may be moving up to Longyearbyen soon due to work - I've read a bit about rules and guidelines for day-to-day life up there, and I see that a lot of people are talking about guides to lead them to their destinations. I understand you need a weapon to leave the city (and of course a weapons license), but what are the general consensus for booking guides?

I would book one if we were talking about longer distances from the city, but if I were to hike up some nearby mountains, would I need a guide for that? If any locals could give me some pointers to when it's recommended to book or when to manage without one, that'd be nice :) Thanks!