Traveling in Kiruna and Abisko
 

Hello!

I've several questions for Kiruna!

Basically, my friends and I will be touching down in the Kiruna Airport at 1215pm on a Monday in Jan 2010, and will be spending 2 nights in Kiruna before taking the train back to Stockholm.

I have only the first night's accomodation booked - at the Kiruna hostel. The second night, the hostel is booked, so I'm thinking of probably booking a place in Abisko or perhaps in the town centre. Alternatively, since it's almost high season (or is it?), should I go Kiruna without a reservation and just attempt to book accomodation when I'm there? We're students on a budget though.

We're planning to do the following activities

1. See the Northern Lights

2. Dog sled/safari/snow mobile (either one)

3. Visit the ice Hotel

My question is that since i'm staying in the city centre on the first night, should I rent a car to go to Abisko only for the second day? Does it make sense or should I just rent the car for the entire 3 days that I'm there? Also, should I do a reservation for the car now or will it be easy for me to rent from the airport the moment I arrive?

Also, is there much to do in Abisko besides the sky station and National Park?

Since we're taking the night train back to Stockholm, I was wondering if the train station is very inconvenient to reach if I've no car?

Insouciance:

...the road trip from Kiruna to Abisko and the Natiional Park is 100 kms each way (120 miles)..it is a well-maintained European (E-10) designated Highway which should be cleared very quickly after any snowstorm. A few years ago, we took the night train from Narvik to Stockholm, which stopped in Kiruna, and the station (we had a rather long layover, engine problems) seemed fairly close to the centre. If you're planning on booking a sleeper I'd suggest you begin now...reservations were tight. We found it to be a comfortable ride and we pulled into Stockholm 19 hrs later, from the start in Narvik.

What part of Europe will you be coming from?

Stu Tower

Stu seems to have a valid point - - this doesn't sound like a trip you're planning, with a starting point on another continent.

Tell us more.

Best wishes,

Rex

i'll be coming from stockholm, flying SAS to kiruna, and flying back to stockholm again.

rex - i dont really understand what you mean?

stu - i read some forum posts that transport to the city centre is rather expensive, hence the thought of renting a car, esp since we're planning a trip to the ice hotel and to abisko for a greater chance to see the northern lights. or would a little way out of the city centre be good enough? i do know that the northern lights is not a definite thing, but we're hoping to increase our chances of seeing it. we've already booked the sleeper train back from the train station on 7 jan evening!

Check this website:
http://www.lappland.se/scripts/gb/index.asp?stat=log

There you'll find some answers. Also, there is no guarantee that you will see the Northern Light, you have to be lucky and the weather has to be OK, no clouds.

/Ragnar

So... you live in Stockholm? All I meant was that a lot of people on this forum live on another continent - - and their trips begin with an intercontinental flight to get TO Europe.

I assume that this does not apply to you.

hi rex,

nope i don't stay in stockholm - i stay in brussels but i'll be travelling quite a bit before reaching stockholm in january. then i'll be going kiruna from stockholm, and back to stockholm after kiruna. this will be followed by travelling down to malmo and copenhagen before flying back to brussels.

i don't see how the additional information above helps with the advice i'm trying to get but since i've already caused so much alarm, i guess it would help clarify things a little.

and my main question still hasn't been answered :/ i was wondering if i should rent the car for all 3 days that i'm in kiruna or whether i should just rent it on the day when i'm planning to go abisko since i'll be in the city centre. the main issue is how convenient it is to get to the train station if i'm dropping off the car in the city centre.

insouicance:

Check with the car rental agency to see if you can drop off at the RR station..in many cities this drop off is possible. kiruna is not that big...30,000 population, and I imagine from what I quickly saw of it, you can probably walk (or public transp, bus..or even taxi) around town..no need of a car.

Your dear friend,
Stu

p.s....also be sure to have the car rental agency (on the day you pick for the 200 kms round trip to Abisko) for the road condition on E-10..and for the predicted weather on return. You sure don't want to get caught in a massive snow storm...there's ery little population betweeen the two locales. By the way, the airport is very, very close...just outside Kiruna (may even be within the city limits).
stu