How to plan a trip to Europe to see the Northern Lights

Step 1: Choose where to go. Where you go should depend on your time and interests - but Iceland is a safe bet. Contrary to its name, the Northern Lights do not get brighter with every degree of latitude. Instead, they appear like donuts at the top of the Earth, known as the auroral oval. This is good news for travelers who don't want to trek all the way to the Arctic. From Bergen, Norway (the rainiest city in Europe) to Salla, Lapland (self-proclaimed coldest town in Finland). Nordic travel destinations (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are the easiest places for most travelers to reach. Reykjavik, the northernmost capital, is a major hub for international flights and a great place to explore this phenomenon. It also has the added bonus of being popular for many outdoor adventures, such as hiking, so when you're not chasing the Northern Lights, you'll have plenty of time to kill. But there's no need to limit yourself - the farthest destination of the Arctic has continuous darkness and brief sunlight. At 5pm one afternoon in December last year, I saw the aurora in Tromsø, Norway. Sailing in the sound of Scoresby, Greenland, I saw them as early as the end of August a few years ago. Where you go may also depend on what you want to do on the journey, when you're not trying to chase the lights. Lapland is a popular destination for families during Christmas, where visiting Santa Claus is possible. Going to trendy Sweden means you can enjoy the city break in Stockholm before heading to similar places like Abisko National Park (a 17-hour train ride or faster flight). Even if the lights may be your top priority, planning some other incredible experiences is also a good idea - just in case you don't see the lights, you'll still have a memorable experience. Step 2: Determine the best departure time. The dark night is the path that must be passed to see the light. Aurora hunter - a professional title in the northern highlands - claims that the best time to see the bright northern lights is before and after the solar equinox, when the length of day and night are equal. From a statistical point of view, this statement has some truth - but this correlation is not enough to determine your travel plans. The darkness, no matter how long, is the foundation. The power to create spectacular color stripes is active all year round, but we cannot see them on bright summer nights. Although winter brings cold, it also increases your chances of seeing night lighting. The aurora borealis is caused by solar activity. Charged particles flowing from the sun, known as solar wind, violently collide with the Earth's magnetic field, causing atoms in the upper atmosphere to emit light. Auroras appear quite suddenly, and their intensity varies - but on any given day, scientists predict the strength of auroras based on the solar wind of the past three days. In the Nordic countries, the meteorological agencies of each country conduct a nine-level weather forecast every day. (The scale is not a normal curve: it usually hovers around level 3, and intensities exceeding level 5 are rare solar storms.) Once you have a destination in mind, find the necessary websites to track their aurora activity. For example, the Icelandic Meteorological Office has a daily forecast you can check. Step 3: Find a travel that suits you. You don't have to operate remotely, but you may need to trust professionals. Some tourists emphasize too much on escaping the city lights. Only leaving behind the light pollution in front of them, such as street lamps and houses, can they see the darkness clearly; adventuring 500 miles away from the power grid will not make any difference. This is not to say that it's not worth taking an adventure to a distant and dark valley. First, participate in other activities such as snowmobiling to make it easier to wait outside. Together with the travel agency, we provide a well-structured experience and have the opportunity to try new things such as dog sledding, boating, cruising in a super jeep or snowmobile. The guide will also have resources and experience to help track forecasts and find lights. They usually know the best places to watch the lights, and if the weather doesn't cooperate, there are backup locations. If you want to travel alone, you need to make extensive plans and take safety measures for cold weather - especially if you are not used to it at home. Another form of clever assistance is remote lodges, where specialized caretakers provide wake-up services by waiting for the appearance of light and reminding guests. This means you can choose to sleep instead of patiently waiting in the cold. Step 4: Figure out what equipment you need. Big surprise: You need to keep warm. Get ready, like you're going to the mountaintop, with no trees or buildings to shield you from the cold wind. Searching for the aurora is a waiting game - success can be attributed to an unnecessary extra layer you thought you didn't need. Invest in a thermal base layer to keep warm. If you're going on a trip, ask what items are suitable for the local climate. Many travel companies also offer heavy outer layers that you may not be lying around the house. Discovering the lights will definitely sustain you, but you may also want to capture this amazing sight for future generations. When it comes to capturing the Northern Lights, note that they are shot with shutter speeds of 5 to 20 seconds. A tripod is an absolute must for a strong image; even better, invest in a remote shutter release. The latest smartphones can still capture surprisingly good shots, but it's hard to have enough hope for your work to stand out in the competitive field of auroras. Step 5: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Manage your expectations and check the cancellation policy. Managing expectations is part of any Northern Lights trip: you may have traveled a long way, only to have fair clouds open the curtains for a spectacular show. I think going with others can be helpful, sharing setbacks - and ultimately sharing excitement. When booking with a tour operator, please check their cancellation policy. Some day trip companies operate even in cloudy and gloomy weather conditions and do not offer refunds to fellow customers, but often allow people to reschedule their itinerary within a short period of time. Few people have confidence in the Norwegian cruise Hurtigruten, which promises to take passengers to see the Northern Lights; if the promise falls through, a full refund will be given. If I could do it again... Living in Iceland means the Northern Lights are right at my doorstep. Generally, they appear every other clear night from September to April. If you're like me, pointing at the pitch-black sky and shouting "ta-da" from the balcony of a three-story house, trying to leave a lasting impression on foreign friends, finding them still seems to take a lifetime.