Europe

Where to Stay in Tromso – In City Center or On The Hill?

If you’re heading to Tromso in the winter to try and see the aurora borealis, you’re going to the right spot. This city is a great gateway to get out on an aurora chase with decent odds of seeing the aurora (in town, not so much, however).

But, as with all travel destinations, you may be wondering where the best play to stay in Tromso is. Should you stay in the city center, on the hillside overlooking Tromso, or on the opposite side of the hill looking away from the city for less light pollution?

Well, there are pros and cons to each, and we have to admit, staying closer to the city center may end up being a great choice all around. In this one, we thought we’d share a few key points to keep in mind about the different areas you may consider for your stay.

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Van vs Bus – Which Tromso Aurora Borealis Tour is Best?

If you are heading up to Tromso, Norway, in the Arctic Circle to try and see the northern lights, we highly encourage you to take a tour that is designed to chase the aurora.

The word “chase” is key here because, while the aurora oval will likely be above you at night while in the Arctic Circle, a chase is often required because you also need clear skies to see the aurora at all!

Tromso, unfortunately, has a highly variable microclimate that often includes fast-moving clouds, frequent snow, wind, and yes, even rain at times in the winter months (sadly). So when we say you need to go on a Tromso aurora borealis tour to chase the northern lights, it is actually more appropriate to say that you’re going on a tour to chase clear skies.

To put it bluntly- you’re likely not going to get much clear sky staying in one spot, especially inside the city limits (which has very low odds of seeing the lights on any given night), and a chase tour is designed to get you to the clearest skies nearby in order to increase your odds of seeing the aurora borealis significantly.

Now, if you are on board with hitting the road to go see the northern lights, the next item you have to consider is simply this- will you book a bus tour or a van tour? While both of these have the same end game of getting you to a place with clear skies, there are pros and cons to each.

After trying both during our visit to Tromso for the northern lights, we thought we’d break down the differences in this one!

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Why You Must Visit The Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland

Let me tell you about my favorite village in Switzerland.

No, my favorite village in Europe.

Wait, no. My favorite village in the world.

I take this phrase in the highest regard, because Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, is the kind of place you have to see to believe. I’ve been twice, and will go every single time I am in Switzerland.

In this one, I’m going to convince you to do the same.

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15 of the Best Belgian Beers to Try When Visiting

The following is a guest post by A Wandering Web.

“Don’t drink water, drink only beer!” declared Bishop Arnold, now the Patron Saint of Beer.

He was speaking to people in his Belgian village during an outbreak of the plague in medieval times. Saint Arnold believed the water to be contaminated. He just might have been right because after his statement, the disease was stopped in its tracks.

Belgian’s love of beer started off right, and continues to this very day.

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