Goodbye, Aurora
Days: 5 days
Time: January
Per capita: 3500 yuan
With whom: one person
Play: free travel, photography, saving money, poor travel, hiking, train
The author went to these places
Stockholm
Kiruna
Old town
Published on November 8, 2015 10:41
See you, Aurora
——A journey to the aurora in Sweden
"If winter is doomed to be cold, it's better to go to the northernmost place and follow Aurora's steps."
My itinerary
Time: January 10-15, 2015
Day 1 Warsaw, Poland - Stockholm, Sweden
The next day, Stockholm, Sweden - Kiruna aircraft
Day 3 Kiruna - abiscu National Forest Park train / bus
Day 4 abiscu National Forest Park
Day 5 abiscu National Forest Park - Stockholm train, Sweden
Day 6 Stockholm, Sweden - Madrid, Spain
My story with Aurora
About me, fellow?
In the next college student one, gender attribute female, a year ago in Madrid exchange, take advantage of this opportunity to travel around Europe. The student party always wants to travel through the most scenic spots with the lowest cost. It's common to live in the youth brigade, take the night train and take the early morning plane.
Going to the Arctic Circle to see the aurora originated from an accidental idea. It's a prepared adventure. In winter, even if Europe has heating, it's still shivering cold. No matter where you go, it's dull. In this case, why not go to the northernmost place and rush to the Arctic Circle to chase the aurora?
The idea of going to the Arctic Circle to see the Aurora was so bold that I couldn't find a peer. But even a person, even if never a person, do not want to miss this rare journey. So I did my homework and set foot on this unforgettable journey in my life.
If we are friends, if you are still interested, please listen to my story
Chasing Aurora
I started from Madrid, because the direct flight to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, was too expensive (80 Euro +), so I chose the route of Madrid Budapest Warsaw Stockholm. Because of the low price between China and Europe, there is not much difference between the cost on the way and the price of direct flight to Stockholm.
Warsaw, Poland - Stockholm, Sweden
Buy Ryanair tickets from Warsaw To Stockholm one month in advance, only 15 euro, when the exchange rate was still 7, not more than 140 yuan, you know why I want to bypass Warsaw! It's a pity that I hesitated for a while and finally decided to double the price when I bought the ticket. Many people may think that low-cost airlines are not safe, but I think its low ticket price is due to cutting down the cost of various services. Safety can be guaranteed. I am a loyal supporter of low-cost airlines, ha ha!
[tips for cheap air tickets]
1) It is recommended to use skyscanner app instead of advertising. Skyscanner app will display the floating bar chart of the ticket to the destination, so you can choose the most cost-effective ticket at a glance.
2) In Europe, you can save a lot of money by planning your route ahead of time and buying an air ticket.
3) Rui'an and other low-cost airlines need to print their boarding passes in advance, and ordinary printing is enough, and they have strict requirements on the number / size and weight of luggage, which should be noted, otherwise the fine will be very heavy.
Those who have done low-cost airlines must know that airports such as Ryanair and easyJet are very remote. The airport is not even in that city at all. It takes 1-2 hours to get to the city center by airport bus (I suffered this loss when I took Ryanair to Brussels, Belgium). Not surprisingly, it took Ryan two hours by bus to get to Skavsta airport in Stockholm. You must pay attention to this. It is cheaper to book airport bus tickets online in advance than to buy them at the airport.
Fortunately, due to the heavy snow in Stockholm, the remote airport was closed, and it was temporarily transferred to the nearest Arlanda airport from the city center. The passengers on the plane were clapping and cheering! However, I am not happy, bought in advance of the airport bus so scrapped? It's really bad news for the student party that has time but no money.
When I got off the plane, there was a piercing cold wind, wind and snow. I've never seen such a snowy airport before. It's only 4:30 p.m., but it's already an evening scene.
Fortunately, when I entered the airport hall, I was preparing to buy a new ticket on my own ticket vending machine. As a result, a staff member came up to me and asked me if I had bought a ticket for Stockholm, the far away Skavsta airport. I could take the bus directly with this ticket without buying a new ticket. At that time, I was in a very happy mood. The staff were so conscientious and responsible for the passengers in economy class of low-cost airlines, which made me have a good impression on Sweden and Ryanair. What's more moving is that it is worthy of being developed in northern Europe, and English is completely accessible, which makes me feel more gratified after a long time in southern Europe, ha ha~
In this way, I was lucky all the way to the old city of Stockholm, hungry, now the supermarket bought a hot dog, really delicious. At this time, it was already dark, and Google Maps somehow got the bug. I caught a kind little brother on the side of the road and led me to hostel early. I really understood the high housing prices in Stockholm.
[tips for lodging in Stockholm]
1) The price of accommodation in Stockholm is on the high side. Even the mixed 16 people in CYTS are more than 20 euro per person. If you want to go to the Arctic circle the next day, like me, you still have to live in a single room to ensure a good sleep; You can also take the night train to Kiruna on the same day to save one night's accommodation.
2) The front desk of Stockholm youth tourism is not 24 hours. The one I live in leaves work at 3 p.m., and the welfare of Nordic people is very good. If you arrive late, you must tell someone from hostel to leave a key in the mailbox outside the door, or you will be locked outside the door.
Pack up your air tickets, pack up your bags and have a good sleep. Tomorrow morning, take sas to the sky and march into Kiruna, the Arctic circle
Day 2 Stockholm Kiruna
Take the airport bus to Kiruna at 9:00 in the morning. It's very cold in Stockholm early in the morning, because there are few people. There is ice on the road, and you will slip and fall if you are not careful. The price of the ticket is about 60 euro, which is the biggest cost of my trip to the Arctic circle.
When boarding, I saw that the staff were using a high-pressure nozzle to spray a kind of yellow liquid to deice the aircraft. I was really worried at that time. What should I do if the engine freezes Looking through the window, the snow covered the vast forest, there is a kind of rough beauty.
After 2 hours flight, I finally broke into the Arctic Circle!! When I got off the plane, I had a cold and runny nose a few days ago. My nose was frozen instantly. I stepped on the pure snow and took a deep breath. It was really cool.
Ice hotel has a pick-up service at Kiruna airport. It's one price and one price. CYTS doesn't have such treatment. However, outside the airport (which is very small, like a bus terminus), there are buses to Kiruna central bus station, 100 SEK / person.
When I finally got to the Kiruna center, the bus driver's aunt enthusiastically told me how to get to hostel. However, when I really set foot in the snow covered City, I was dumbfounded and couldn't tell the direction. Is this snow blind? The wind is too strong and the low temperature is too low. Let alone Google map, even my mobile phone was almost scrapped. I can only carry a paper map, Even asked two people to find the right way. In this place where there is no taxis at all, we can only stand on our own.
This is the yellow house I ordered. It's also recommended by travel notes. It's really good. I also recommend it by name here. The room is warm with the North (Yi) Europe (home) style, equipped with kitchen, TV, independent bathroom, I live on the first floor, the window is the vast snow.
【Yellow House 小Tip】:
1) You need to book online in advance, and you will receive confirmation email after successful reservation.
2) Be sure to tell the front desk the arrival time in advance. Nordic people really get off work on time. That's how wayward they are. I saw two girls coming to play. The front desk door was locked and I stood in the snow for a long time. Fortunately, I found the key in the mailbox in front of the door
3) It's the rule here to consciously clean and tidy the room and restore it to its original state before you leave. It's all up to you
In the room, wrapped in a quilt with a radiator, it's finally warm. I feel alive again. I put on my ski pants and go out to look for food! However, where to find food is also a difficult problem for food.
When I go out, I am still shocked by the snow piled up by the roadside, which is just like a fairyland for Southern children
Like snow covered gingerbread houses, villas with special features are especially lovely under the snow.
Fortunately, near the central station, a Turkish kebab shop is still open. Kebab in Europe is like a Shaxian snack in China. It's cheap and full. Every time I'm hungry and thirsty, I save my life. However, it is suggested that you bring some simple food such as noodles and sausage to cook. It's cheap and delicious. After all, in such casual northern Europe, if there is no restaurant, you will be hungry.
Full of food, I feel full of energy! I went out to wait for the aurora together with my friends from CYTS. Unfortunately, I didn't meet them this evening. After all, Kiruna is a small city with too much light. It's not a good place to see the aurora, but it's worth coming as a transit station. Full of expectations, all in Abisko Abisko National Forest Park.
Day 3 Kiruna abiscu National Forest Park
After sleeping in the morning, last night's packed kebab was heated with coffee in the microwave oven, and the expected day began. Pack up, go to Kiruna railway station and take the 1-hour train to abiscu National Forest Park. Full of energy, let's go!
Because the snow on the road was too heavy, the map showed that we had walked for more than half an hour for more than 10 minutes. I didn't feel too cold, and I didn't even wear ski pants! In the environment of more than 20 below zero, both legs have already lost consciousness. At this moment, I suddenly feel a little scared.
The road is still so cold and clear. In the distance, an old man leads his dog to the distance.
There is a long way to go
The road signs are covered with thick ice. Fortunately, the railway station is not far away.
Finally arrived at the waiting station, Kiruna's waiting room is full of self-service, no staff. The most capricious words are heating and hot water. As soon as I went in, I immediately put on dry socks, put on ski pants, and put my legs on the radiator to keep warm. My legs also slowly warmed up. I was really afraid of frostbite at that time. Fortunately, I was just as cold as my body. After returning home, I was pulled by Ma Ma Ma to see traditional Chinese medicine for a few months, ha ha
The waiting station is full of backpackers who want to go to abiscu. After chatting with them, I learned that there is a free bus from the central bus station to the railway station! Fee! Ba! Mr. Smith! My mood at that time was just like ten thousand grass mud horses galloping. The bobbins must remember to take the free bus and run in tears
Maybe due to weather reasons, the train was cancelled one hour later and replaced by a bus. Remember to pay attention to the train number information in the waiting station. Oh, no ticket checking, everything depends on self-consciousness.
After arriving at the destination, abiscu National Forest Park, I fell asleep in the car. As soon as I got out of the car, I was shocked by the ruggedness of the virgin forest. This is really a pure place far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The snow here is thicker, and there is an aurora monitoring station on the mountain in the distance, but it is already shrouded in the vast fog.
After checking in, there's only one hotel in the National Forest Park, STF mountain station Abisko, with six rooms, about 20 euro / person / night. After all, the price is reasonable. The room is clean and tidy. There are many free ingredients in the kitchen. Besides, there is a sauna room (for men and women). It's wonderful to take a sauna in the ice and snow.
There's a small supermarket in hostel. It's rich in ingredients and reasonable in price. It won't be particularly expensive. I bought a quick-frozen pizza and fruit beer with Swedish characteristics. I took a hot bath and waited for the long-lasting battle of Aurora in the evening.
The snow outside the room has already overflowed the window. When can I make a snowman. After dinner, he quickly hugged the thighs of the other three people in the room and formed a team to watch the aurora. Many travel notes have mentioned that the best place to see the aurora is by the lake through the primeval forest. We also decided to go there together to wait for the aurora. For safety's sake, I put the SLR in my room, which turned out to be a little pity of the aurora tour.
There are no lights in the path. We need to rely on our headlights for lighting (like miners ha ha). There are no signs on the road. We need to rely on footprints to identify them. This is really an unprepared hiking expedition.
The closer we got to the lake, the stronger the wind was. Although we wrapped ourselves tightly, we still couldn't feel our nose and ears. We couldn't stand it any more. We decided not to go on and just waited for the aurora. My fellow Canadian brother brought a small bottle of vodka, and we took a sip of it. We didn't feel strong at all, but we felt warm from the heart. When I think about it now, I think it's very funny, but it's really unforgettable in my life. However, after waiting for a long time, there was no sign of the aurora, so we went back the same way. At this time, my heart was a little lost. I was intoxicated by the pure stars and milky way, but after all, I didn't see the aurora, so it's hard to avoid regret.
Back near the youth brigade, I found that a tent was set up not far away and torches were piled up. When I went in, I found a circle of people sitting around the campfire, wooden chairs covered with animal skins and boiling hot water, which was in sharp contrast to the cold journey outside. At this time, I just want to look up to the sky and roar. Why did I go to the lakeside? It's not easy to say that I love you. At this time, a middle-aged man came in and said whether to organize an adventure in 10 minutes. We readily agreed.
Out of the tent is ready to start, did not expect, Aurora appeared! It's like blue silk and silver spray, dancing against the background of stars. It's soft and rigid. At this moment, even blinking seems to be redundant under the sky, so she widens her eyes and makes a wish silently. Did the goddess Aurora hear my devout wish? When the camera is not around, you can only freeze it with your eyes.
The aurora lasted for 10 minutes, then slowly receded. Local people said it was the strongest aurora in the near future.
Write "tonight, I'll never forget" in my diary
Day 4 abiscu National Forest Park
Go to bed early and wake up naturally. Get up and look for food contentedly. Last night, I saw a buffet at noon. The main food is venison spaghetti. I've heard that local people will eat venison for a long time. We must try it. Moreover, the price of Chinese food is 11 euro per person, which is OK. The dinner is much more expensive. Take advantage of the autonomy at noon to eat more!
The spiral staircase leading to the restaurant on the second floor is covered with a thick layer of snow. You must be down-to-earth. If you don't pay attention, you will slip. This is really a place where you can look up at the starry sky and also need to be down-to-earth. Ha ha.
The tables and chairs outside the restaurant are almost covered by snow! The restaurant is a typical Nordic style, log layout, simple and generous and warm. There is only venison pasta as a staple food, with all kinds of salads, bags, coffee, juice, but I really can't taste venison. The tableware here is all self-service. Please pay attention to it~
I decided to go to the railway station first because I was leaving by train at noon the next day.
Walking on the snowy road that can only be identified by footprints, it's really easy to get lost.
There was a thick snow cover everywhere
Cross the only road to Abisko touriststation, which is the railway station of Forest Park. Abisko has two railway stations, and the other is close to the famous master group. There are more tour groups and Chinese tourists. I decided to choose the forest park with more backpackers.
The snow looks soft and waxy. I can't help sitting down and rolling. I especially love ski pants at this time
Snow angel, see my wings
The last night in the Arctic Circle, is about to leave, good reluctant to leave an ugly snowman, as I came here to mark it
When I returned to CYTS, I decided to try the sauna here. Unlike the famous mixed naked sauna in the "grandfather" family, men and women were separated here, and when I went there was no one. I almost fell asleep comfortably in the sauna room. Dinner goes on with the pizza~
Day 4 abiscu National Forest Park - Stockholm
It's also the satisfaction of waking up naturally. Staying in the Arctic Circle is really good for sleeping. Who makes the days shorter and the nights longer in winter? I really want to experience what it's like to have polar days and nights. Drink a cup of hot milk, continue to bite pizza, buy some dry food in the supermarket, ready to take the train.
The noon train doesn't arrive in Stockholm until 6 a.m. the next day. The first one is a hard seat. You need to change the bus on the way. After changing the bus, you can buy a discount youth ticket / student ticket. The price is the same, but the student ticket needs an international student card. In order to avoid the trouble of checking the ticket, I still suggest buying a youth ticket.
It's said that the Swedish train is very advanced. Sure enough, the train has a dining car comparable to a coffee shop, a bright rain room, earphones on the head of the bed to listen to the radio, and a warm alarm clock to wake up when the train is approaching the station.
Go to sleep with the rhythm of "what's more..."
Day 5 Stockholm - Madrid
The train arrived in Stockholm at 6:00 in the morning. The railway station is less than 1 kilometer away from the old city. The plane returned to Madrid at 2:00 p.m. to check the luggage at the station. There are still several hours to feel the awakening Venice in the north.
The impression of Stockholm comes from the advertisement of centenary mountain. Walking in the streets of the old city of Stockholm, the Swedish Princess and Descartes meet here. The truth of the story is beyond investigation, but it adds a bit of romance to this northern city.
The first ray of sunlight in the morning swept over the water
The soldiers outside the palace have completed the handover
Compared with the gorgeous glaze of southern European churches, Swedish churches are more simple and solemn
After booking a flight to Madrid for Norwegian airlines, although Norwegian Airlines is also a low-cost airline, it is still much more advanced than Ryanair. There is unlimited WiFi on the plane, which leads to the power failure of my mobile iPad. Ha ha
Here, my journey of chasing the aurora will come to an end. It's lucky to see the aurora, and it's fate to meet my companions. Every time I travel, I will encounter different scenery. This adventure of the aurora is unique and unforgettable in my life
Goodbye, Aurora, hope to see you next time!
Practical information
*Expenses
*Practical links
Stockholm airport bus ticket purchase address http://www.flygbussarna.se/en
Sweden train ticket purchase address http://www.sj.se/
Yellow house, Kiruna reservation http://www.yellowhouse.nu/
website http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/weekly/27DO.txt
*Location
There are four places to see the aurora: Santa Claus Village in Finland, Abisko in Sweden, troso in Norway and Iceland. The reason why I choose Sweden is that the cost here is the lowest, especially abiscu National Forest Park. Although there is only one accommodation, the price is reasonable and not particularly expensive. Therefore, it is also a favorite place for many foreign backpackers, Stay away from the city, away from the crowd (especially the tour group, Santa Claus Village is the first choice for the tour group), and really enjoy the inner peace.
*Equipment
It's not advertising (and there's no advertising fee). The aurora equipment I bought in dicaron (Madrid) is all 50 euro. I was really worried about the equipment before I went. After all, good professional equipment costs a lot of money. Here are the necessary equipment for reference.
Ski pants (children's wear) 19 Euro snow cap 5 Euro gloves 5 Euro
Snowshoes 15 euro Ski Socks 9 Euro
The End~
Xiangdong Lai
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