Please help with Itinerary

Old Dec 24th, 2011, 02:14 PM
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Please help with Itinerary

Would someone be willing to take a look at my itinerary so far and give me feedback on what I have so far and suggestions of what to Add or Take out? I wanted to include other smaller towns not just big cities. Also need help with transporation between stops. (ie ..overnight cruise vs train, not a huge fan of planes)

A little about us so you have a basis for suggestions: We are a very active couple. We like architecture and old city centers. Mostly we love to walk and walk around a city and get a feel for the culture and people. We do all the big touristy landmarks and the big museums but we’re not art “lovers” per se. For example, our last trip was a month ago in Paris for 8 days. We had been before so each day we just picked a neighborhood and walked around, ate pastries, and enjoyed the city. We also try to incorporate outdoor activities such as hiking the Cinque Terre or in the Black Forest. I’m real excited to see some picturesque places in Scandinavia this trip.

Initially my plan so far is:

Fly into Oslo (3 nights),
"Norway in a nutshell" travel to Bergen,
Stay in Bergen (2 nights), (day trip for hiking)
Back to Oslo for overnight cruise to Copenhagen,
Stay in Copenhagen (3 nights),
(2 nights in another city, maybe Aarhus or Aero?)
Train to Gothenburg or Kalmar?
(2 nights)
Train to Stockholm (3 nights)
Fly home from Stockholm

Initially I was going to include Helsinki at the end but took it out.

I am very interested in hearing suggestions on this plan. What secondary towns should we see in Denmark and Sweden? Should we do more in Norway? Is the cruise from Oslo to Copenhagen worth it (scenic?). Are the train trips to long?

Thanks!
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Old Dec 24th, 2011, 02:54 PM
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You may want to interrupt your NIN trip and stay overnight in the fjord area (NIN is just individual tickets packaged together, and except for the Oslo-Myrdal leg, no reservations are required).
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Old Dec 24th, 2011, 02:56 PM
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Well... My dad and I are going to Scandinavia in June 2012, and this is what we were thinking currently:

Conference in Helsinki ( Whole reason we get to go, so unfortunately we can't ditch, well, my dad can't ditch the conference ) which includes a grand total of 8 nights in Helsinki, including a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia.

Overnight boat trip to Stockholm with conference ( they finish at 2pm ) then afternoon/evening exploring Stockholm. 2 more nights in Stockholm ( Gamla Stan, Vasa Museet, Palaces, Churches, Museums, Boat Tours etc. )

Train to Copenhagen, sleep Copenhagen.

5 more days in Copenhagen with possible day trips to:
Roskilde ( Viking Ship Museum, Domkirke )
Lejre ( Sagnlandet Lejre: Open-Air Iron Age Village and Gammel Lejre Archeological Hall Remains/Burial Mounds )
Island of Bornholm ( Round Churches, Hammerhaus, Quaint Fishing Villages )
Kroneborg
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Old Dec 24th, 2011, 02:59 PM
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Sorry, I clicked submit!

Kronborg Castle in Helsingor, Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerod
Odense

And of course spending time in Copenhagen itself

We are thinking that we won't visit Jutland this trip, though Ribe and Aarhus look pretty neat...
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Old Dec 25th, 2011, 11:12 PM
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@Michael - Where do you suggest we stay to break up the NIN? I like your idea but I read Flam was really just a train station and not much else to do/see. We might stay a couple of days if there was a nice place to hike / day trip from and we need to get there by public transportation. This is one of the parts of the trip I'm most excited about... seeing the beautiful area around Sognefjord.

@IW90 - We may add Helsinki back in if I read some more about it. We're going in May so we'll be back before you leave.

I start getting overwhelmed looking at my plan and realizing all the hotels reservations and transport needed.
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Old Dec 26th, 2011, 08:05 AM
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Mark,

Flam is tiny. We stayed there for a break--sat and watched the cruise ships come/go, walked to Aurland (just an OK walk). You can rent kayaks to go on the water. There is also a hiking area up above Aurland, but it seemed difficult with public transport--maybe a taxi one way would have worked. Some people ride the train back up to/toward Myrdal and ride bicycles or hike back down part/all the way.

Buses along the road connecting the towns along the fjord are limited, but comfortable and reliable.

If you search here you will see references to the Stalheim Hotel. It is above the fjord enroute to Voss. I have read there are a couple of good hikes there. The hotel/food is expensive, but many people think it worth it for the location.

Other folks take the ferry over to Balestrand. I have not been, but people rave about the views here. It is a starting point for trip to a glacier. From what I read, the only hikes there are up the mountain or else require a car or taxi to access. Again, try searching on this town name for firsthand information.
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Old Dec 26th, 2011, 09:34 AM
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OP's previsioned travel by train and boat dictates a good look at the Scan Railpass, covering trains and many boats as well - for more info check out these info-laden sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com.
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Old Dec 28th, 2011, 03:22 PM
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The Stalheim Hotel is gorgeous. It's a "must-see" -- but not a "must-stay." ;-) There's very little to do there after you've photographed the stunning views.

We had a wonderful few days based at Nes Gard (a few hours drive from Bergen). It gave us access to the incredible glacier--and lots of beautiful scenery. And the Stalheim Hotel was right on the way!
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Old Dec 28th, 2011, 04:21 PM
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You are not giving a fari look to Stockholm - or especially copenhagen - both of which have a ton of things to see and do.

We found going cross country in Norway really boring - seeing a fjord is fine - but the countryside leaves a whole lot to be desired (esp to someone from a place with gorgeous countryside). I would have a look at the guidebooks for Stockholm and Copenhagen and make a list of what you really want to see and do. I wold need at least 3 days in each city and a couple of day trips outside. (The smaller towns can be charming and mildly interesting - but nothing like the major cities.)
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Old Dec 29th, 2011, 03:13 AM
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Scandinavian countryside to me is a lot like northern Michigan or Minnesota or Wisconsin - lots of trees and rolling hills but yes after a while ho-hun - investigate taking overnight trains like between Bergen and Oslo, Oslo and Stockholm, etc.
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Old Dec 31st, 2011, 09:39 AM
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Train to Gothenburg or Kalmar?>

never been to Kalmar nor know nudding bout it but Gothenborg is certainly IME one of the nicest old-worldish looking Scandinavian towns - a town with character, being a major port but just not as thoroughly modern as many Scandinavian towns I've seen that bore me to bits.

Gothenburg is a gem!
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Old Dec 31st, 2011, 10:38 AM
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In response to your question I think your current plan looks fine. The backtracking from Bergen to Oslo is the only flaw I see. Don't know where you'll be flying from enroute to Oslo but what about getting an onward flight to Bergen. I'm only planning on spending two nights in Oslo during my trip in June much preferring to spend more time in the fjord region ( NIN).

I think you might be confusing Flam with Myrdal. There is nothing at Myrdal but the train station; however, Flam, via the Flamsbana railway at Myrdal, is situated on the Aurlandsfjord with the mountains behind it. It is small but would still make a nice place for an overnight. There are a several hotels and a youth hostel along with a couple of restaurants and recently a brewery. Activities include kayaking, canoeing,hiking and cycling. Another option is the Stalheim Hotel. Once I saw the pictures from there I decided I had to spend a night. There are a number of hiking trails nearby and a small museum. It's also a popular place to stay on the NIN.

Balestrand is a possibility too. You can take the ferry from Flam. Again you'll find hiking trails and a number of other activities. There is also have a ferry up the Fjaerlandsfjord to the village of Mundal. The tour includes a visit to the Norwegian Glacier Museum and glacier walks.

Have a look at the following websites:

www.balestrand.com
www.discoversognefjord.com/information/
www.stalheim.com
www.flaamsbana.no
www.alr.no
www.sognefjord.no
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Old Dec 31st, 2011, 11:31 AM
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You've got the right idea incl. travel...we did the reverse from Helsinki flying to Copenhagen, then overnight to Oslo, nutshell to Bergen (which we really like) and then flying to Stockholm and back to Helsinki and home. This was with a tour company.
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Old Jan 2nd, 2012, 04:45 AM
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If possible do not miss the overnight ferries from Stockholm to Helsinki - one of the most stupendously scenic boat rides in the world IME - skirts of awesome rocky coastline much of the way.
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Old Jan 5th, 2012, 03:21 PM
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Thank you for the input everybody!
Great info and help.

Based on the info above we've decided: Fly into Denmark (4 nights), then ferry to Oslo (3 nights), and to break up the NIN -adding a couple nights in Balestrand, on to Bergen (2 nights) by boat, then a flight - Bergen to Stockholm (5 nights).

@PalenQ - I have added back in the 2 nights at the end for Helsinki which we will reach by overnight ferry from Stockholm.

I'd like to have time for Kalmar or Gothenburg but I'm trading that stop for Helsinki.

Thanks again! I'm sure I'll think of more questions before we leave.
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Old Jan 6th, 2012, 04:23 PM
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If cost is an issue, although in the general scheme of things the extra will not be that much, Balestrand is not on the NIN circuit. You might be better off reserving the train to Myrdal and then buying individual train and ferry tickets, because I suspect that you will want to go from Flam to Balestrand.
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Old Jan 6th, 2012, 08:20 PM
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Actually, Balestrand is included in NIN circuit as part of the Sognefjord section. One just needs to key it in when choosing options on the NIN website.

Note that NIN is not really any cheaper than buying individual ferry/train tickets; it just makes it a bit easier to have all tickets in hand from one source. I'm planning my own trip through the western fjords and opted to do it on my own since I had more control over my intinerary than following NIN's schedule.
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Old Jan 7th, 2012, 08:01 AM
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Looks good, similar to our trip which originated in Helsinki and returned there. My only tweak would be one more night in Bergen, one less in Copenhagen. It will be a great experience!
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Old Jan 7th, 2012, 08:20 AM
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I should've qualified my comments about Balestrand. Balestrand is not part of what is generally termed NIN which is Oslo/Bergen to Flam via Flamsbana then trip through the Geirangerfjord to Gundvangaen or reverse, then back to Bergen/Oslo. Balestrand can still be included as it's part of the Sognefjord Nutshell.

As I mentioned in previous post, you can buy all tickets individually without going through NIN. With the exception of the rail tickets, most can be bought on board the buses or ferries. Rail tickets should probably be bought in advance in order to take advantage of the Minipris or cheaper prices if offered on your route.
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