Spitsbergen travel with family to arctic nature

Experiencing Arctic and its nature together with the children is the dream of many nature-enthusiastic families.

To start with a prejudice: "One cannot possibly camp in the Arctic with the children !"
Well, the opposite is proved evéry summer by a growing number of families on Longyearbyen Camping - and when watching the children, a certain suspicion grows that this prejudice is more a kind of an excuse by some parents.
Of course: suitable sleeping bags, resistant and if needed also warm clothing and fitting footwear (advisable: rubber boots with thick warm socks) should be brought along. But the arctic summer is not as extreme as some seem to fear and heavy rain over days, a curse of some other northern destinations, is quite an exception in Spitsbergen..
See also:  Season and Climate .

Our major advantages for an arctic family holiday:

• Out in nature - close to town: The bird lagoon, snow buntings and arctic terns as neighbours, reindeers grazing almost daily between the tents, frequent visits of arctic foxes and the flowering tundra guarantee a caleidoscope of close nature impressions right outside the tent. And from inside the service building, the huge windows provide not only a great scenic fjord view, but also a higher and discrete outlook post: maybe some barnacle geese with young arrived in the lagoon, or sometimes even a group of belugas can be spotted in the shallow fjord water close to the beach ? No other accomodation in Longyearbyen offers such a range of nature impressions. Even the light and the midnight sun are more intensely experienced by campers, compared to spending most of the 24 hours of the day in rooms. See:  Neighbour Nature .
  At the same time, town is not far away - for provisions, a restaurant visit, the museum.
  
 
• Family-friendly prices: Overnight stays with us are budget-friendly, for younger children even free. With us, a whole family may pay less than just one person in the cheapest 3-bed room in Longyearbyen. See:  Services, Prices, ... .
  
 
• Good space in and around the tents: Our spacious rental tents (in case you bring along no own tent) provide full standing height in the middle and enough ground area for accomodating a whole family.  See:  Services, Prices, ... . And our terrain is large enough for some games, without much traffic risk. To the beach - and its pebbles and birds - it is only a short distance.
  
 
• Staying inside the service building: In case of eventual less pleasant weather, there is usually enough space inside the service building during day time to play or read at one of the tables. Only in mornings and evenings, the main room can be full, especially during peak season. See:  Campsite and service building .
  
 
• Family-friendly guided excursions: Spitsbergen Tours and their guides from a range of countries have their base on Longyearbyen Camping, too, and cooperate closely. Through them, family-friendly day excursions or even multi-day arrangements can be curtailed for families - for a more definite planning of your stay bookable in advance. In case of spare capacities, there might be a chance for spontaneous arrangements, as well, on the site, then to be booked through the campsite attendant. Due to the international guide team, a range of languages is possible - again especially if booked well in advance. See  Excursions .

Thank you to the families for permission to use the pictures of their stays at Longyearbyen Camping on this page.