Before renting a holiday home in Lofoten directly, check: is it the whole house? How many bedrooms and bathrooms? Is there a sauna or fireplace? Where is it relative to what you want to do, and do you need a car? What are the cancellation terms, what is included – and who answers when something comes up?
Renting directly in Lofoten mostly means one thing: you know who answers when the northern lights show up at 10 pm and you ask where to stand. The rest is a checklist.
The checklist
- Whole house or part of one? "Holiday home" does not always mean you are alone. Ask whether rooms, sauna or garden are shared.
- Bedrooms and bathrooms. Six guests and one bathroom is doable. Six guests and two bathrooms is calmer. Count.
- Beds, not just sleeping places. A sofa bed in the living room is a sleeping place, not a room.
- Warmth. Fireplace, sauna, proper heating: in an Arctic winter, these are basics, not decoration.
- Location. Lofoten is long. Hikers stay differently from people who want to drive around. More: Where to stay in Lofoten
- Car. You will realistically need one. Ask about parking and, in winter, the access road.
- Internet. If you work or use aurora apps: fibre or not?
- What's included? Bed linen, towels, final cleaning, firewood – better to ask before than to search on site.
- Cancellation and payment. Get the terms in writing before you pay.
- Who answers? An agency, a platform or the owners? And how fast?
How we do it
We rent out two houses in Lofoten, in Reine and Lyngvær. You always rent the whole house, with three bedrooms and its own sauna – up to nine guests in Reine, six in Lyngvær. Andi or Michi answer your enquiry themselves, no agency in between. Short stays are booked online on the house pages; longer stays of several weeks or more run on request – see long stays.
Good questions
What should I check when renting a holiday home in Lofoten directly?
Whole house or part of one, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, location relative to your plans, car, cancellation terms, what is included – and who answers your questions.
Do I need a car in Lofoten?
Realistically, yes. Buses run along the main road but not often, and the best places are spread out.
When should I book?
For summer and the aurora months around Christmas, New Year and February/March: the earlier the better.
