Has anybody ever been to iceland or norway?

I'm thinking of going to either of these next year.do you see the aurora at only certain times of the year? what did you do? how expensive/cheap are things? how much will a pint of beer cost me!!?( i've heard its expensive) any particular attractions/activites i should do. tell me about your trip there, something thats not in the usual info.would you go again? that sort of thing, thanks

Has anybody ever been to iceland or norway?microsoft

I've been to Norway at least 20 times over the last 15 years during winter, spring and summer. That said, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't ventured further than the southern-ish parts...Oslo, Drammen, Mysen. I have friends who are Norwegian, which is why I go so frequently.

It is a very, very expensive place to stay. Since I stay with friends, I can spend three months there (I teach and get long vacations), but if you have to pay for a hotel, be prepared. There really are no budget lodgings to be found!

I don't drink, but I believe that a glass of beer runs around 60 kroner, which is a little under $10. Eating a chicken mcnugget combo with fries and soda at McDonald's runs a little over $10. The good news is that goods seem to have gone down a bit in price over the past decade, or at least there are more "cheap" goods available than there used to be. When I first went to Norway, I remember that the selection of items in the grocery stores was appalling, but now there is much more variety. The variety of ethnic restaurants has also improved tremendously over the past 10 years with the influx of more and more immigrants to the country. That has made going out to eat much more affordable -- and much more pleasurable as I don't find Norwegian food very exciting (or even edible in the case of their fish balls!)