Scandinavia Itinerary help!

Old Mar 28th, 2017, 12:03 AM
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Scandinavia Itinerary help!

I am having the HARDEST time nailing down an itinerary for our upcoming trip in May. We fly in/out of Stockholm. Here is what I have come up with:

ITINERARY #1
Sunday, May 7 - Arrive Stockholm at 2 PM
Monday, May 8 - Stockholm
Tuesday, May 9 - Stockholm :
Wednesday, May 10 - Stockholm
Thursday, May 11 - Stockholm Archipelago Day Trip
Friday, May 12 - Fly to Bergen (morning)
Saturday, May 13 - Bergen
Sunday, May 14 - NIN, end in Oslo
Monday, May 15 - Fly Oslo to Stockholm
Tuesday, May 16 - Fly out midday

OR

ITINERARY #2

Sunday, May 7 - Arrive Stockholm at 2 PM;
Monday, May 8 - Stockholm
Tuesday, May 9 - Stockholm
Wednesday, May 10 - Stockholm
Thursday, May 11 - Stockholm::Uppsala / Sigtuna Day trip
Friday, May 12 - Archipelago
Saturday, May 13 - Archipelago
Sunday, May 14 -Archipelago ——>Mariefred
Monday, May 15 - Mariefred/ Castle
Tuesday, May 16 - Fly out midday

My DH and I will be traveling with our 4 and 6 yr old kids. I usually like to have some city days and some countryside days to get more of a slower local flavor. I am torn however, because we can squeeze in the fjords (Itinerary #1), but the trip seems very fast paced to me. When I look at Itinerary #2 I feel like we are not using our time in the best way for never having been to the region and may not be back for a long time. Because of our young kids, biking and hiking are out. We are also open to doing a Stockholm/Copenhagan trip, but again I don't want to spend the entire trip in big cities. I guess I want feedback and thoughts on both itineraries or any thoughts on how to rearrange or does one of them seem like a winner?
Bonus of #1 is seeing the fjords!!!! and getting to experience Bergen!
Bonus of #2 is spending time on an island in the archipelaga (is it too cold for this in first 2 wks of May?)

Any thoughts are helpful!
Thanks!!
rblcali is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2017, 01:43 AM
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I'd be inclined to to the second itinerary as I'm not sure you'll have time to see Norway and the fjords properly. A trip to Copenhagen does not mean time in a big city; first it is not a big city and second, you have the whole of beautiful north Sjælland to explore. Biking is not necessarily out because you have kids, you put them in a cargo bike and go where you want to go (beach, farms, Bakken, deer parks etc). This is how Danes transport their kids in bikes.
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Old Mar 28th, 2017, 09:47 AM
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Thank you Odin,

I have just done lots of rethinking and am now thinking this:

Day 1 - Arrive Stockholm at 2 PM;
Day 2 - Stockholm
Day 3 - Stockholm
Day 4 - Stockholm
Day 5 - Day Trip Archipelago
Day 6 - Morning high speed train to Copenhagen
Day 7 - Copenhagen
Day 8 - Copenhagen
Day 9 - Copenhagen
Day 10 - Fly out early morning from Copenhagan .. connect in Stockholm to our original flight home.


So I checked and we have time to fly from Copenhagan and have 4 hours to get through customs and board our original flight back from Stockholm to USA. Feeling like this itinerary might be the winner! Thoughts?
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Old Mar 28th, 2017, 10:57 AM
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Considering you're bringing the kids, I'd say itinerary #2: just kick back somewhere nice in the Archipelago, where there is a little fishing to be had, and pottering about in a boat in a bay. Hire a cottage and you're set, and the voyage out and back is already an adventure.

Also, as an aside: even at the age of 6, children will have almost no memories of "sights", but instead have very vivid recollections of occurrences you may not even have noticed. Stretches of time and routine is far more memorable than traveling past "sights".

I think Copenhagen is highly overrated. The flying from Copenhagen back to Stockholm is a little crazy. You're second itinerary is great. Why not stick with that? You'll have a far better knowledge of "Scandinavia", than by trying to cover a number of cities and not staying long enough in one place.
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Old Mar 28th, 2017, 11:52 AM
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(beach, farms, Bakken, deer parks etc>

Yes Bakken is great for kids and adults - the world's oldest amusement park they say - and unlike suave Tivoli it's free to enter and take in the many entertainments - rides of course cost.

It's surrounded by a vast deer park if I recall correctly and is by a popular sandy beach - just a short S-Tog train ride from Copenhagen.
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Old Mar 28th, 2017, 01:41 PM
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I'd go for your Stockholm/Copenhagen itinerary because Stockholm will probably be pretty cold in early May. I think it's too early for the archipelago unless you are very lucky.

The best place in Stockholm if you have kids is Djurgården. You have Gröna Lund, Skansen and Junibacken. Also, you'll be able to rent bikes and ride around the island. I wouldn't recommend using normal bicycle lanes in the city as a lot of people ride very fast and at peak time bicycle lanes get very crowded. You can also rent boats.

Artipelag is also a good place to go with kids. If you are renting a car you can continue into Värmdö and then north towards Rindö and then Vaxholm (there are car ferries) and then back to Stockholm via Djursholm that is Stockholm's poshest neighbourhood. You'll see a lot of the archipelago and would be enjoyable also in bad weather. Good restaurants along the way are Motorverkstan and Batteriet Rindö.

If you go to Copenhagen, consider flying. The border controls that Sweden introduced because of the refugees are still in place so travelling by train takes more time. Also, it's a very monotonous ride and many kids get motion sickness in those trains. They are not as good as trains in some other parts of Europe.
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Old Mar 28th, 2017, 04:10 PM
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Have you already booked your flights? If not, consider flying into Stockholm and out of a different city (“open jaw”). If you have already booked, then consider putting all of your time in Stockholm at the end of your trip to eliminate one change of hotels. (I’m assuming you would want to be in your departure city the night before your flight, as the cost of missing it would likely be substantial.)

Of Itineraries 1 and 2, I like 1 best if you can manage the open-jaw flight, but you know your children and you (and others) make a compelling case for the slower itinerary # 2.

For itinerary 3, you might want to shift a day from Stockholm to Copenhagen – but that depends on what you want to see and experience.

While in Stockholm, you might want to visit Skansen.

Hope that helps!
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Old Mar 28th, 2017, 07:44 PM
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Thank you everyone for all the advice. Still waffling and taking everyones suggestions under consideration. I think I am focused more on deciding between itineraries 2 and 3. I do believe the first one will be A LOT of sitting still for my children with all the added transport.

kja- yes the one thing I have that is finalized is my flight tix in and out of Stockholm. I did call my airline and thats how I realized we could just fly earlier in the day from Copenhagen ---> Stockholm before our late afternoon flight from Stockholm -----> California. We would have over 4 hours once we arrived from Copenhagen to recheck in at Stockholm to then fly home. I think it would be more than ample time even if our first flight is slightly delayed. We could do it in reverse as you suggest, but I am thinking after getting off a 10 hour flight and having to recheck in and do another flight would be harder than on the way home doing a 1 hour flight and then a 10 hour flight with my kids. Hope that makes sense.

Even if we do the itinerary #3 we would definitely be doing things that are memory makers for the kids...lots of playgrounds, cinnamon rolls and the kid friendly museums and parks like Djurgården. The suggestion of Bakken and the deer park sounds wonderful. And yes I realize they may not remember a thing - and that is ok too... many more trips in our future as a family.

Ticino hit on my main concern with the Archipelago which is weather. We would be there the second week of May when many of the few restaurants are closed and thinking it will still be very cold.

I am open to any other thoughts....will be finalizing soon and I will let you know where we land.
Thanks again!
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Old Mar 29th, 2017, 01:21 AM
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If you go to Bakken, Peter Lieps Hus is a good place for lunch. Bellevue is the sandy beach close by, but it's too cold for swimming, even in high summer. The coast of Sjælland has many sandy beaches and quaint towns/villages (Hornbaek, Liseleje etc). Tivoli Gardens, the Round Tower, Rosenborg Castle, Louisana Children's wing, canal tour, Zoo and Aquarium might appeal to kids. You also have access to southern Sweden by ferry (which I prefer) or bridge. Might be too much of a journey for kids, but the area around Ängelholm & Båstad is scenic and a trip to Skånes Djurpark is a nice thing to do.

With the weather, you can never tell what it will be like. Some years there has been snow in Stockholm well past Easter and other years it is quite warm by Easter. Couple of days ago it was 61F.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm
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Old Mar 29th, 2017, 10:54 PM
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OK Hi again!

Like I said, I have been SO indecisive. I need to decide though, because the trip is quickly approaching. I felt like the fjords were something I have always wanted to see and so I have been mulling over how to make this work where I feel like I am breaking up the longer stretches of travel. I am feeling good about this itinerary below. It is basically Itinerary #1, but with a night in Aurland added to break up NIN. Going to sleep on it. Please take a look and let me know if there is something about this that doesn't work or that I am not thinking about. Thanks again for your input!

ITINERARY #7
Day 1 - Arrive Stockholm mid day
Day 2 - Stockholm
Day 3 - Stockholm
Day 4 - Stockholm (Archipelago Day trip on warmest day)
Day 5 - Stockholm
Day 6 - Fly to Bergen; arrive mid afternoon
Day 7 - Bergen
Day 8 - NIN, sleep in Aurland/Flam
Day 9 - NIN, Aurland/Flam to Oslo;
Day 10 - Fly Oslo - Stockholm; Stockholm - USA
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Old Mar 30th, 2017, 12:03 AM
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Having a day in Bergen is super nice. If the weather is passable, go up to Mt Fløyen: there's a cool adventure/play area there where I always see many children with their parents. There's a shed that does snacks and coffee and a proper restaurant (open during "summer"). There are a couple of walking trails that are really nice.

In Bergen, most people don't get beyond Bryggen, but there is much, much more.

I'd say though, give Bergen one extra day, over Stockholm
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Old Mar 30th, 2017, 12:14 AM
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Are there no flights from Stockholm to Bergen that get you there earlier than midafternoon? Seems a pity to waste most of a day travelling. Norwegian have a flight at 0830 with a stop in Oslo.
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Old Mar 30th, 2017, 08:07 AM
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In Bergen, most people don't get beyond Bryggen, but there is much, much more.>

Like trekking out to visit the famous Bogman - apre-historic corpse on display in a suburban museum near a nice beach area -buses from Bergen.
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Old Mar 30th, 2017, 01:35 PM
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Morning high speed train to Copenhagen>

Book on Swedish Rail's official site for nice discounted tickets -much cheaper than walk-up fares-check www.seat61.com for great advice on that -for general info on trains like first vs 2nd class also www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Copenhagen has a surfeit of neat day trips by suburban train - Roskilde for Viking Ships Museum- Helsingor for Hamlet's Castle - and many more - just buy a day pass or regular tickets -no advantage to pre-booking. Reservations probably not even possible.
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