When visiting Longyearbyen, which is located only 1.333 kilometres from the North Pole, the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen in the heart of town is the perfect place to stay. The hotel has an excellent view over Isfjorden and Hiortfjellet to the north, and over town and the Longyearbreen to the south.
The shopping street is located only 100 metres from the hotel, and here you will find sport equipment shops, a grocery shop, souvenir shops and a cafee. Svalbard is toll-free area, please bring boarding card or seating ticket from your flight.
Svalbard Airport Longyear is located only three kilometres from the hotel, and an airport shuttle bus awaits you outside on arrival. Please pay cash in NOK on board, and note that the bus stops at all overnight stops in Longyearbyen.
Please ask the reception at your hotel for information on pick-up time for the bus upon departure Longyearbyen.
Taxis are also available, and we recommend that these are booked in advance.
Svalbard is made up of many smaller islands and five larger, the largest one is called Spitsbergen. The area in total is about 63.000 square kilometres, and nearly 60% (twice the size of Belguim) is covered by ice and snow.
The Gulf Stream keeps the western coast almost ice-free, which is good for the flora and fauna here. The climate on Svalbard is Arctic; the average summer temperature is +6 degrees Celcuis, and -14 degrees Celcuis in wintertime. Wind makes the effective temperature even lower.
Svalbard enjoys the midnight sun from April 19th to August 23rd and the total darkness of the polar night from November 14th to January 29th.
Longyearbyen is the main settlement on Svalbard,with a population of about 2.000 people. Many of these are families with children. Longyearbyen has developed from a mining company town to a moderen community with different kinds of business and industry.