Norway port conditions in winter

[kbert92069]

We are scheduled for Viking Ocean "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise in February and I am wondering what the ports are like in winter for walking around.  Specifically Tromsø and Alta as they are closer to the Artic.  Are the sidewalks typically clear? icy? slippery? snow covered?  I know the weather can vary but in many places being close to the sea tempers the weather.

 

What about the ports themselves?  Can we expect icy walkways?  How about areas to meet tour busses?  

 

What is the likely access for someone who uses a walker/rollator for stability?  Any possibility in the snow?  I have no idea. Does anyone have experience with this they'd like to share?

 

 

[TheOldBear]

I would hope or expect that with years of experience that Norway knows how to cope with winter.

Our Northern Lights sailing is in November, but I have been doing some research here and on sites like 'visitnorway' and 'visittromso' as starting points.

See https://www.visittromso.no/travel/how-to-dress and any information Viking provides - and hopefully someone knowledgeable will drop in to this thread.

Mrs Bear bought a pair of well fitted winter boots, and we have a pair of Yaktrax on order to fit them.

Some of the excursion vendors include winter clothing and boots - check their web sites if you elect an independent excursion [vs the ship's tours]

[kaisatsu]

Norway doesn’t really clear sidewalks in winter. In some well-trafficked areas, there may be heating built into the pavement to melt the snow, but this is much less common up north. Expect the sidewalks to be uneven and icy, and I would absolutely recommend using spikes or coils like Yaktrax for traction, regardless of mobility limitations. These are called “isbrodder” or “brodder” in Norwegian and are easily found in shops in the northern tourist towns (since many visitors don’t bring them). Just be considerate about taking them off when you’re inside where they can damage the floors.

 

I would expect it to be very difficult to use  a rollator around the city, especially if there has been a lot of recent snow.

 

However, if you are just transferring to the bus for organized excursions, this should be much less of a problem. The streets (and many parking areas) tend to be much clearer than the sidewalks, since it’s much easier to plow and salt them. I would also expect the cruiseline to consider this and to do what they can to facilitate accessibility in transferring to the buses.

 

One last note, I would recommend packing at least one warm wool base layer. Temperatures can be very cold, and if you aim to be outside to see the Northern Lights, that means long periods standing still. A good wool top and bottom are essential for conserving warmth.

[Nitemare]

I bet you'd get great local knowledge on the specific local forums over at TripAdvisor

[trtog7]

On 7/22/2022 at 7:43 PM, kbert92069 said:

We are scheduled for Viking Ocean "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise in February and I am wondering what the ports are like in winter for walking around.  Specifically Tromsø and Alta as they are closer to the Artic.  Are the sidewalks typically clear? icy? slippery? snow covered?  I know the weather can vary but in many places being close to the sea tempers the weather.

 

What about the ports themselves?  Can we expect icy walkways?  How about areas to meet tour busses?  

 

What is the likely access for someone who uses a walker/rollator for stability?  Any possibility in the snow?  I have no idea. Does anyone have experience with this they'd like to share?

 

 

We did that cruise in Jan 2022. It was wonderful. My husband uses a walker and had little trouble on the streets etc but then again we are from Canada and used to winter.

The one problem he had was one of the nights looking for the lights his wheels froze.

Hope he has large wheels because they will work better

[kbert92069]

2 hours ago, trtog7 said:

We did that cruise in Jan 2022. It was wonderful. My husband uses a walker and had little trouble on the streets etc but then again we are from Canada and used to winter.

The one problem he had was one of the nights looking for the lights his wheels froze.

Hope he has large wheels because they will work better

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.  My wife's walker is what they called "Euro style" so yes, it has big wheels.