What to Pack for Northern Norway & The Arctic Circle

Becky is standing in front of a snow pile in Tromsø

Visiting the Arctic Circle, whether in Norway or another country, is a magical once in a lifetime experience, but preparing for your trip is a level of overwhelm that I've not experienced since moving house. For someone that resides in a fairly temperate climate all year round, the concept of battling -30ºC doesn't even begin to compute. I found myself in this exact position at the end of November. Having fallen down a rabbit hole of frantic Googling, asked many people more knowledgable than myself for advice and with the benefit of hindsight after living with my mistakes, I'm fairly confident that I can offer you a foolproof guide to getting ready for your trip to the Arctic Circle.

How to Choose the Best Coat for Winter in the Arctic Circle

Becky is wearing a yellow winter coat with a matching bobble hat, surrounded by snow

You've booked the trip of a lifetime and planned all of the bucket list activities that you're going to do - now you just need to figure out what clothes you need. So....where do you start? 

I had this exact predicament when getting ready for my own trip to Arctic Circle last month. Our cruise line provided us with a packing list, but considering the sum total of detail amounted to "a warm coat", it wasn't particularly helpful! In my quest to find out what I actually needed to bring (while hopelessly longing to not overpack), I asked a lot of very knowledgeable people and got some great information to share with you. So if you're feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to start, let me be your guide.

What to Expect on a Winter Cruise

Fred Olsen's Borealis Cruising to Northern Norrway

Is Cruising in Winter a Good Idea?

As cruising from the UK continues to skyrocket in popularity, an increasing number of cruise lines are choosing to keep some of their fleet sailing from the UK throughout the year. Considering that, until the last few years, almost every cruise line would do a summer season out of the UK before sending their ships to warmer climbs in October, you'd be sensible to ask if it's worth booking a winter cruise. Personally, winter is one of my favourite times to cruise so I'm here to set your expectations before you book!

3 Events to Help You Enjoy Winter in Bristol and Bath

Boats in Bristol Harbour with the colourful houses in the background

Don't Miss these Unique Winter Events in Bristol and Bath

Happy New Year friends!

2025 has arrived in what feels like the blink of an eye. If your New Year's Resolution is to have more of a work life balance, there's so much to look forward to in Bristol and Bath this year. It might feel tempting to hunker down and wait for spring, but some of the best events in and around the two cities happen in the winter. So if you're looking to get outside a bit more this year, consider this your starting point to plan your social calendar!

Review: Mary Poppins at Bristol Hippodrome

Mary Poppins poster outside of the Bristol Hippodrome at night
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Mary Poppins has landed at Bristol Hippodrome! Last night we were invited to watch the Mary Poppins musical, and what we watched was not at all what I expected....

The musical adaptation is a variation of the beloved film, with new musical numbers, a slightly different plot line, some new characters and places to get to know, but with all of the same charm and feel good factor of the original story - and Mary Poppins is practically perfect as usual.