The winters here in Denmark can be very long and cold.  I have to say that I used to love snow but experiencing it every winter for such long duration and without a car takes the novelty away.

So here are my tips for surviving the Danish winter.

Firstly get appropriate clothing. I would have never owned, let alone wore, many of my winter staples back in the UK. But here goes. You need a warm and waterproof coat that covers more than your bottom as the tops of legs can get very cold but it needs to be at least a little bit stylish or made by The North Face to fit in with the Danes. Amazingly women of all ages wear real fur here with no one really batting a eyelid. Then thermal long johns and vests. Water and windproof over trousers for when the going gets tough. Thick wooly hat and gloves (also waterproof gloves) – nothing fashion from shops such as Accessorize will do, no matter how pretty they are. I find my Icelandic wool gloves and hat are perfect.  Proper winter boots are a must. Six years ago I bought a pair of Sorel boots, which I have worn every year since and they are barely worn and keep my feet toasty warm and dry.

So your clothes are sorted and you have got used to adding about ten minutes onto your morning schedule to get dressed to go out. Skin is the next thing that suffers so a winter moisturiser is essential as is a fat cream to put on your cheeks to protect them from the wind chill. I use this hand cream and it is the best I have found so far for the dry cold. Finally if you get a sore nose from a cold this is amazing and this for dry lips.

Making your bed lovely and cosy makes the cold nights better – hot water bottle, winter weight duvet and another thick blanket help.

Finally at the end of a freezing day, grab a bar of chocolate, glass of wine, candles (or daylight lamp), a cosy blanket and hunker down with a trashy TV series on Netflix and think about those glorious long summer nights!