Cheapest way to see the northern lights

It seems like a lot of us on this board are interested in Iceland. Would be cool to get a group trip together. It would help with costs.

Google image search

I flew from Charlotte to Seattle and was able to see them out the window at 3am. I think we were flying close to the border of Montana and Canada. It was a pretty surreal experience for about 45 minutes.

FYI Iceland is not cheap, cheap airfare maybe but everything else is expensive.

I don't get the whole google image search thing. Like google image search "cheap ways to see northern lights"?

I'm ok with getting there cheaply. Thanks for the advice.

How much did you spend on your last trip dourden?

Depends on your budget. Some great suggestions have been thrown out above. If you are on a budget, another great possibility would be Marquette, Michigan. I can give you some insight into how to get there a little cheaper if tickets are high. Havent checked into them in a while.

I dated a girl from there and the place in general is absolutely stunning. The UP (upper peninsula) is one of the most underappreciated treasures of the lower 48, imo. With the money you save by going somewhere a little closer, you may be able to cash in on some ice fishing or some other activities in the area. Ill post some links below.

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I don't dislike Marquette, but if the sole goal is to see the Northern Lights, Michigan is a poor choice. They're already so flighty--you need a combination of the lights and clear weather--so to maximize the chances of seeing them, you'd want to visit a locale that's consistently under the aurora belt. Google "aurora belt" and pick a spot that's consistently highlighted, not one that's occasionally in the periphery.

We went to Tromso, Norway this winter (trip review to come) and saw the lights twice--the first light show was ok and the second was amazing. Tromso is almost always under the belt, so you can see activity when the kp index is at 1. By contrast, to see them in Michigan, you'd need clear weather and a kp index of 5--basically a solar storm. The odds just aren't that great.

Look to book Iceland in the off peak or shoulder periods. With all of the tourism growth there, they have literally maxed out their infrastructure and labor force. Anyone who has flown through Keflavik between 530a-8a has been stuck waiting for buses to get between planes and terminals because they have so badly outstripped terminal capacity.

The airport operator has actually worked with Icelandair and Wow to have them schedule their arrival and departure banks separately to try to alleviate some issues.

Damn girl you are quite the world traveler now. Go find them northern lights ASAP