GO IT ALONE

The packages in our selection are the most convenient way to get to remote places where the northern lights are likely to appear – but you can tailor-make your own holiday. Here is our guide for independent travellers

WHEN TO GO

Across the northern hemisphere, it is possible to see the aurora as soon as darkness returns in August right through to April – although peak viewings are usually between November and March. The festive season is busy, meaning flights are more expensive. But the most rewarding – and ironically less crowded – periods are the shoulder seasons. Autumn is much milder, while March is regarded as having some of the most vibrant and colourful displays.

Alternatively, peg a trip to one of several festivals: Sweden’s Kiruna Snow Festival (featuring the snow blower world championships) runs from January 25-29; while the jazz, classical and electronic Northern Lights festival runs in Tromso, Norway, from January 27 to February 4.

WHEN TO BOOK

Although last-minute deals for cruises do crop up, holidays on dry land should be purchased far in advance to avoid the spiralling cost of airfares.

WHERE TO GO

Using science as your guide, the places with the highest probability of seeing the northern lights sit beneath the aurora oval, an invisible belt wrapping around the Earth’s magnetic poles. These halos are packed with electrons leaking from magnetic field lines, which collide with the atmosphere to cause the northern lights. When solar winds are strong, the band expands to cover a wider area.

In the northern hemisphere, the core of the oval covers latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Canada. One of the key spots is Tromso, in Norway, slap bang in the middle of the band. The city itself has a bit too much light pollution (displays are only visible when activity is strong), but the surrounding areas offer excellent opportunities to hunt for clear, dark skies.

The Lofoten islands – a favourite destination for photographers, thanks to a captivating landscape of steep mountains, snaking fjords and pristine beaches – lie further south but still within a sphere of aurora activity. The draw here is a combination of raw nature, a lack of light pollution and the chance to be completely alone.

Although the scenery is often more dramatic for photographs, coastal areas have one complication: frequent cloud cover. Inland destinations such as Ivalo in Finland, where the weather tends to be more stable, but much colder, could be a safer bet. Sheltered by a bowl of mountains, where a micro-climate produces prevailing winds, Abisko in Sweden sits below a “blue hole” of clear skies and has more cloud-free days per year than many places in Lapland.

If you are prepared to travel long haul, Canada’s Northwest Territories have an excellent track record for viewings, with ultra-low humidity resulting in an average of 240 days of clear skies per year. Local operators in Yellowknife claim visitors have a 90 per cent chance of seeing the lights if they stay for more than three days.

Of course, sightings aren’t guaranteed – but one way to avoid disappointment is by combining other winter activities with aurora hunts. Iceland’s hot springs are a comfortable place to wait for displays while having a soak, and days can be spent exploring the country’s other-worldly geyser fields and glaciers.

HOW TO GET THERE

By air: Airlines including SAS (flysas. com), Finnair (finnair.com), Norwegian (norwegian.com) and Ryanair (ryanair. com) operate indirect routes between the UK and Lapland, mostly via hubs in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Journey times are between five and nine hours, depending on connections. If you are short on time, a few direct routes operate from London in the winter season: SAS flies to Lulea in Sweden; Norwegian and Wizz (wizzair.com) fly to Tromso in Norway; and both easyJet (easyjet.com) and Ryanair fly to Rovaniemi in Finland.

Several airlines operate between regional airports in the UK and the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, making prices much more competitive if you book early. British Airways (britishairways.com) and Icelandair (icelandair. com) have more sociable departure times, although easyJet, Ryanair and Play (flyplay.com) have the best cheap deals. On arrival, a hire car is essential for exploring.

It takes between 15 and 20 hours to reach Yellowknife in Canada, from London, flying via Vancouver with Air Canada (aircanada.com).

By train: For those who prefer train travel, a good network across Scandinavia makes it possible to reach the far north by rail. An overnight train links Stockholm to Abisko (which is also a one-hour train ride from Kiruna Airport), while there is also a direct service between Helsinki and Rovaniemi.

By sea: Several cruises along the northern Norwegian coastline and the North Cape are dedicated to northern lights viewings, often with guest lecturers on board to explain the phenomenon. Hurtigruten (hurtigruten.co.uk) and Havila Voyages (havilavoyages.com) are two good options.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Scandinavia and the Nordics are expensive destinations, meaning a short trip could cost £600 to £1,000 – although once the initial outlay is made there are very few costs on the ground. One way to save money is by purchasing a landonly package and booking budget airline tickets a long time in advance. Play (flyplay.com) has fares to Reykjavik from £39 one way, while Wizz Air (wizzair.com) flies to Tromso for around £25 one way. Some destinations are easier than others for fully DIY breaks. Cities such as Tromso, Reykjavik and Akureyri have a decent selection of hotels at different price points, and there are plenty of Airbnb properties.

Splitting the journey between train and plane travel is another money-saving option, with train fares in Scandinavia much cheaper than in the UK. An overnight train from Stockholm to Abisko, for example, costs around £58.

In Iceland, keep costs down by booking a camper van – a small van sleeping two will set you back around £90 per day. Try Happy Campers (happycampers.is) and Go Campers (gocampers.is). Year-round campgrounds with cooking facilities cost around £10pp per night.

Cruises offer great value for longer holidays. Aggregators such as Iglu Cruise (iglucruise.com) often advertise last-minute or early-bird deals.