Kiruna to Lofoten Road Trip Guide + Northern Lights Tips 🚗🌌

🚗 Car Rental We rented a 4x4 with studded tires from Sixt, picking up and dropping off in central Kiruna. The cost was around CNY 4,000 for 4 days. Winter Driving Warnings: Days are short (darkness falls early), some roads have no streetlights, and snow is frequent. Oncoming cars can kick up snow that blocks your view—beginners, drive with extreme caution! Norway Parking: Download the Parklink app to pay (approx. NOK 30/hour). Note: The app requires a UK or EU phone number for registration. 🍽️ Dining Recommendations 1. Kiruna, Sweden 🇸🇪 Arctic Thai: Thai food with solid flavors—worth a try. Camp Ripan: Overpriced and too salty—not recommended. Sukmas Kitchen: Offers self-service hot dishes (SEK 150/person). Great value, and the chicken curry is delicious! Stejk Street Food: Specializes in reindeer meat dishes. Eat in a tent—super unique! 2. Narvik, Norway 🇳🇴 Fiskekroken Narvik: Fresh mussels and excellent fish dishes—highly recommended. 3. Svolvær, Lofoten 🇳🇴 Nihao: Chinese restaurant. The hot and sour soup is tasty, and overall dishes are good. Bacalao: Stunning views, and the fish soup is a highlight. 4. Henningsvær, Lofoten 🇳🇴 Lysstoperi: Saw recommendations for its cinnamon rolls on Xiaohongshu… but they were hard and not good. 5. Reine, Lofoten 🇳🇴 Tapperiet Bistro: The only restaurant open in town the day we visited (busy!). The fish burger is delicious. 🏨 Accommodation 1. Kiruna: Camp Ripan Airport Transfer: After landing at Kiruna Airport, two buses wait outside. One is labeled “Ice Hotel”—take the unlabeled one. Tell the driver you’re going to Camp Ripan, pay by card (SEK 110/person). Hotel Perks: Rooms are simple, but it has a spa and various activities (check details on the official website). 2. Lofoten: Airbnb in Lyngvær Location: ~20km from Svolvær—easy to reach by car. Highlight: Breathtaking views (see my previous post for details). 🌠 Northern Lights Chasing Tips We stayed 6 nights total in Kiruna and Lofoten, and were lucky to see large aurora displays right outside our accommodation twice! Check the Sky First: After dark, look for bright stars—this means little cloud cover and clear weather (a must for seeing auroras). Use Aurora Apps: Turn on aurora alerts. If the app predicts auroras and the sky is clear, head to areas with less light pollution. Test with Your Phone: Open your phone camera. If it picks up faint auroras, wait a bit—auroras are unpredictable, and faint glows often turn into spectacular displays! #Kiruna #LofotenTravel #NorthernEuropeAurora #NorwayRoadTrip #NorwayAurora #LofotenIslands #KirunaCarRental