Masterphil

I finally figured out what we are going to do for vacation this year....

We will fly from San Fran to London or Paris followed by a 3 week vacation covering Bergen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki maybe St. Petersburg then flying to either Amalfi Coast or Santorini, before flying back to London for the flight home.

Using frequent flyer miles so direct London or Paris.

Not sure how to get from Bergen to Oslo. Thinking about the boat from Stockholm to Helsinki.

Never been to Scandanavia so more of a hit and run followed by a kick back and relax end of the trip in Amalfi Coast, Santorini or somewhere else.

Any recommendations are welcome!

We tend to splurge on vacation so money is no problem.

Thanks!

HappyTrvlr

"We tend to splurge on vacation so money is no problem"
We loved Scandinavia but it is VERY expensive, especially Norway.. The Euro will seem like a bargain when you arrive in Italy or Greece.
Oslo to Bergen, either fly or take the Norway in a Nutshell train trip. SAS flights between cities in Scandinavia were inexpensive.You can take an overnight ferry to Helsinki from Stockholm.

Masterphil

Sorry....Scandinavia!!!

nytraveler

I would look carefully into exactly what you want to see in each place - so that you allow enough time in each places. IMHO St Pet and Stockholm each need 4 or 5 days each, Helsinki perhaps 2, Oslo 2, Bergen 2 but a couple for fjords. Doesn;t leave much time for Italy or Greece.

Assume you have been to London and Paris before and that's why you;re not spending time in either one.

kja

I agree with nytraveler. IMO, 3 weeks is perfect for Scandinavia, with no time for anything else, but it depends on what you want to see and experience.

Masterphil

I never spend more than 3-4 days in anyone place. Yes. Been all over Europe but never Scandinavia, Amalfi Coast and Greece.

nytraveler

Well, people travel differently. I have spent 6 or 7 days in major cities - numerous times - and still haven;t seen everything I want to.

If you want to limit to 3 days or so you will have to pick sights carefully and not do day trips to sights outside the cities.

Masterphil

Thanks nytraveler.

Masterphil

I have decided to listen for a change!!

The new plan is:

Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Bergen, Oslo perhaps St. Pete and/or Copenhagen.

Freq. Flyer miles on United so possibly flying thru Heathrow.

To those who have been, what would be a reasonable amount of time to spend in each city?

(Wife and I are not museum goers, we like urban hiking, visiting some tourist spots, people watching, sitting in the sun drinking some champagne or beer, experiencing local eateries, and a fine dining experience thrown in every once in awhile)

Any recommendations for cruise line from Estonia to Stockholm is welcome.

Thinking about going to St. Pete (would train or cruise be best way to get there and what is best way to incorporate into trip (or should we?)

Open to any recommendations and suggestions.

Never been to Scandinavia before.

I don't want to go there and wish I had used the time and money to go to Greece and Amalfi Coast (in September because of crowds and heat).

Thanks in advance for your help!

kja

I think you were very wise to reconsider!

How much time in each place really depends on what you want to see and experience and your preferred pace of travel. FWIW, I spent about 2.5 days in Helsinki, 4 days in Stockholm (I wish I had more; my 4 days included a half day+ in Uppsala and a half day on a boat through the archipelago), 6 days in St. Petersburg (the bare minimum, IMO), and 4 days in Copenhagen (with a day trip to Roskilde). I haven't been to Tallinn, Bergen, or Oslo yet.

You can travel from Helskini to St. Petersburg ("St. Pete" is in Florida) by air, train, or ferry. A good guide book or two should serve you extremely well. Also look at this board for trip reports and especially planning threads, where you can learn a lot about what people considered and why they chose what they did.

Hope that helps!

Masterphil

Thanks, kja! Was the boat ride through the archipelago "worth" the 6+ hours?

I have read that if I plan on taking a fjord cruise in Norway, taking the boat ride in Stockholm might be unnecessary.

kja

The boat ride I took through the archipelago was more like 2.5 or 3 hours. I found it very scenic and very relaxing. I can't imagine that it bears much similarity to a fjord cruise.

Masterphil

Thanks!

Masterphil

Norway sounds really beautiful, but the price of food scares me a bit!

kja

No doubt about it, Scandinavia is expensive. Most guidebooks will give you tips for how to keep your costs down insofar as possible.

Masterphil

kja...thank you!!!

Why should I buy guidebooks when I have the internet at my disposal??

Thank you for your responses.

I'm starting to think about Greece instead.....