Booking
The most economical way to book a trip is to go online or directly with the company that provides the trips. Some of the hotels in town might take an extra booking fee, and may also only recommend they’re own trips. Use time to find your favourite tour and the company that suits you the best.

There are many companies that provides trips to the same destinations. But there is often a big difference in what you get for your money.

Insurance
All Better Moments’s activities are covered through our liability insurance. We have also have a Search and Rescue (SAR) insurance that will cover expenses in connection with potential rescue missions on Svalbard. Better Moments AS will accept no liability for damages occurring or losses incurring beyond our control. For participation in our trips, we recommend the individual participant to have a travel insurance.

Optional Snowmobile Insurance
In case of accidents, damages of third parties are covered. However, damages on the snowmobile of the driver causing the accident are not included. To cover these, the driver may have to pay a deductible of up to NOK 6000, the remaining costs will be covered by Better Moments. For peace of mind throughout the whole trip, we offer an optional insurance of NOK 200 to our guests. This will reduce the deductible to 0 and Better Moments will take care of any and all damages to your snowmobile. This insurance is valid per snowmobile, so if you want to be a driver and a passenger, you only need to buy it once. You can purchase this option on the booking page.

Changes and cancellation fees
Better Moments have the right to change route due to weather and safety measures.

The fee for cancellations made 22 days or more before the activity, is 5 % of the full price.
The fee for cancellations made 21 – 8 days prior to the activity, is 50 % of the full price.
The fee for cancellations made 7 days or less before the activity, is 100 % of the full price.

Pick up
The starting time of the trip,  is the same time as we will start pick you up at the hotel. We ask you to please be patient, as we cannot pick up everyone at the same time.

Drones
On our daily activities, we cannot allow our guests to fly their drones as it can affect the privacy of other people in the group.

We would accept drones on our private trips, however there are some restrictions:
– You cannot fly a drone if we are in the presence of other people or groups.
– Flying closer than 5km from an airport is not permitted if you don’t have a permission from the Svalbard Airport. This means that you cannot fly in Longyearbyen, Svea, Ny-Ålesund or Barentsburg.
– You are not allowed to operate a drone close to any wildlife unless you have a permit from the governor.
– All flying will be approved and monitored by our guide. You always have to respect our guide’s decisions.

For more information about drone flying in Svalbard, please visit:
https://www.sysselmannen.no/en/drones-on-svalbard/

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HOW TO DRESS IN THE ARCTIC

BOAT TRIPS

Our boats are closed RIBs which are heated inside. During the trip, it will be possible to go out on the sheltered aft deck. We recommend wearing warm and windproof clothes, thick woollen socks and good shoes. You can bring extra gear to store in the boat, but make sure it is packed waterproof.

HIKING TRIPS

We recommend wearing several layers of warm and windproof clothes. If you do not have your own hiking shoes, you can borrow waterproof boots from us. It is possible to bring a small backpack on all day-trips. On overnights trips, some equipment will be provided by Better Moments as stated individually on the trip description.

KAYAK TRIPS

Besides the kayak equipment, Better Moments will provide all guests with a dry suit, a spray hood, suitable shoes, paddle gloves and a life jacket for the trip. We recommend you wear one or two warm base layers (preferably made of wool), warm socks and a hat. We will provide you with dry bags for some personal gear during the kayaking. In the boat that takes you to the glacier, you can bring a small backpack with other personal things or an additional jacket to keep warm on the way.

SNOWMOBILE TRIPS

Driver license and alcohol limit

As an alternative, you can be a passenger on a friend/partner’s snowmobile. There is no refund if you cannot show a valid driver license.

In Norway, and Svalbard, we have a zero tolerance for influence of alcohol when driving a snowmobile. If this is not respected, then you cannot join the trip, and there will be no refund.

Equipment on snowmobile safaris
Better Moments offer all our guests special snowmobile equipment. This is an outer layer that protects you from the strong wind chills that will affect us when we drive. For your own comfort, you will need to bring your own mid- and base layer. On a really cold day a third layer will make your day.

Better Moments offers: 

• One-piece snowmobile suit
• Warm snowmobile shoes
• Warm snowmobile mittens
• Double balaclava to protect your face
• Helmet
• Goggles

You should minimum bring:

• Thick woollen socks (minimum 80% wool)
• Thick double woollen underwear (the top should have a turtleneck)
• Mid-layer; fleece, down or wool
• Thin gloves to handle camera on our photo stops

We recommend you to bring:

• Camera equipment
• Binoculars
• Money to buy soft drinks and souvenirs at the destination
• Hat to put on when we have longer stops
• Small backpack
• Contact lenses or goggles with spec lenses

Better Moments will also bring the safety equipment we might need:

• Emergency communications: Iridium satellite phone and emergency beacon
• Polar bear protection: High caliber rifle and signal pistol with flash bang
• Navigation: GPS, paper maps and compass
• Avalanche safety: Shovel and probes
• Repkit snowmobile: Tools, fuel and oils
• Emergency bivouac: Tent, food stove and extra food
• First aid kit
• Heat bag
• Extra clothes
• Glacier kit (on the trips that requires this): Ropes, anchors, harness and pulleys

Still got some questions? Check out VisitSvalbard’s info videos for how to dress in the Arctic. If you have more questions about what equipment to bring on our trips, feel free to send an e-mail to info@bettermoments.no.