kameo903

We (3 seniors) are heading to Eruope for about 3 weeks next September. We plan to start in Sweden, spending about a week or so there. This is my tentative itinerary for this part of the trip:
2 nights in Stockholm.,
Rent a car and drive to Oreboro via Uppsala
1 night in Oreboro (this is the area where our ancestors lived)
Drive to Gothenberg for 2 nights, stopping at any interesting places along the way.
Drive to Malmo for 1 or 2 nights, again stopping at interesting places along the way.
Then on to Copenhagen for a couple nights.

Does this itinerary seem reasonable? I haven't done a lot of research yet, so would appreciate any comments or suggestions. This would give us about 1 1/2 days in Stockholm. Is this enough? i'm assuming there will be no problem with driving ourselves in Sweden. I thought that would give us more flexibility, plus the ability to poke around in little towns along the route.

kja

It depends on what you want to see and experience, but IMHO, 1.5 days is not really enough for Stockholm. I spent 3 full - and VERY busy - days there, and felt that I could have used more time. During those 3 days, I spent an afternoon in Uppsala and a few hours on a boat ride through the archipelago.

Hope that helps!

Gwendolynn

Like kja I'd definitely add more time for Stockholm. Don't know what the drive to Gothenberg is like but I do know that when we drove from Copenhagen to Stockholm it was boring, boring, boring (ex a stop in Kalmar.) Uppsala is worth a day. If you have Swedish ancestry don't miss a visit to Riddersholm in Stockholm. Also a trip to Drottningholm is interesting.. especially if you have any interest in opera.

kameo903

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll add a day to Stockholm--and maybe include Uppsala in those 2 1/2 days (if we run out of things to see) instead of on the way to Orebro. Any suggestions for hotels in Stockholm? Something not too expensive--if there is any such thing in Sweden.

Gwendolynn, it looks like you took a more southern route between Copenhagen and Stockholm Hope the northern route is more interesting.

spaarne

Do you mean Orebro? I can't find an Oreboro.

I've driven from Gothenburg to Stockholm. The topography is just like western/northern Michigan. Plenty of glacial lakes, granite boulders, pine forests, and farms cut into the forests. It is a bore, except for the solitary rune stone I came upon early one evening.

I spent maybe a week in Stockholm on my first trip. That included a day trip to Uppsala, a very interesting university city with Viking burial mounds and other artifacts. You are descended from those Norsemen and you are spending less than two days in Stockholm? Shame.

I drove south toward Copenhagen from Stockholm and stopped for a couple of nights in the area of Kosta, Boda, and Orrefors to see the glass factories. *Seconds* were available at a great price.

In Gothenburg I happened upon a festival celebrating the emigration of the Swedes to the USA. I bought reproductions of some very interesting booklets telling the soon-to-be immigrants how to take the train from New York to Minnesota and other points west, how to read basic English, and other stuff. About 1/3 of the population moved to the USA.

I understand that Malmo is not the kind of place for tourists. I changed trains there a few years ago but didn't go into the city.

One of the highlights of my trips to Stockholm is to take the overnight ferry to Helsinki. Helsinki ain't much but that ferry ride on the Silja Line Symphony or Serenade is one great trip. There is a fantastic seafood buffet and you can stock up on duty free booze if you drink. It's a party ship with good entertainment. You could go over one night, walkabout Helsinki for a day, and take the ferry back that night.

spaarne

A note on driving in Sweden: Swedish drivers are the most courteous in all of Europe. There wasn't much in divided highways when I first went there in the 70s but they do have generous shoulders on the main roads. If a driver sees you approaching fast he will move over onto the shoulder until you pass, so make it quick. Conversely, since you will be lolling about sightseeing you should pull over for others.

Finecheapboxofwine

Hi Kameo,
I would consider taking a night off Malmö. I would probably add a night to Stockholm. You might want to consider this as well:

After your trip to Örebro and on your way to Göteborg, I would consider the route which is East of Lake Vättern and goes through some nice places in the Östergötland region. I can highly recommend a stop at Vadstena, a medieval town.

http://www.ostergotland.info/Municipality.aspx?m=45636

Continue the driving route down Lake Vättern (a very LARGE lake that goes on forever) and stop at the town of Gränna. This is the town known for polkagris or peppermint and other flavored candy sticks.

While in Gränna, make sure to take the car down to the waterfront area. There are a couple of nice restaurants and cafés by the water.

http://www.destinationjonkoping.se/g...avisingso.html

At Gränna you can leave your car in a parking lot by the water and take the pedestrian ferry over to the island of Visingsö. You can rent bikes or take a horse and carriage ride around the island. There are even accommodations on the island for an overnight. We stayed some hours and climbed to the top of an old church. It is very small and quaint place that I highly recommend for a different taste Sweden.

You will continue on through Jönköping, Ulricehamn, Borås and finally Göteborg.

Taking this route compared to driving the E20 is much more interesting and scenic with the towns I mentioned and the Lake.

Just so you know when driving, spaarne mentioned the passing lanes. You pass and then quickly move to the right lane again as a courtesy to those speeding up behind you and also for safety. There is NO TURN ON A RED LIGHT anywhere in Sweden. And it is illegal to drink alcohol and drive. One can take a light 'folk öl' or 'driving beer' with a meal but usually just one. (2.8 % alcohol). The alcohol rule makes life simple as the driver doesn't have to play a guessing game with himself as to if they are sober enough or not.

Odin

I agree there isn't enough time allocated for this trip, but if possible I would keep Malmo if the trip could be extended. I'm not sure where this idea came from that Malmo is not for tourists. It has a nice old square (Lilla Torg)with lots of restaurants etc & things to do. 1 night should suffice before going on to Copenhagen.

Here is the link to the official tourist office site for Sweden:-

http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Lo...eady-to-party/

kameo903

Thanks so much, everyone, for all the great ideas. It gives me a lot more to think about.

Sparne--what did you do in Stockholm for a week--other than the daytrip to Uppsala? I was in Stockholm way back in 1998 for 2 1/2 days--and it seemed like plenty of time there. I remember Gamla Stan, the 1,000 island cruise, and the Vasa and a park called Skansen. What were the most important things we missed?

nytraveler

IMHO Malmo, while a cute little town - doesn;t really have much to see or do ((I was stuck there 5 days for a meeting - and we searched). I would drop it and add the time to Stockholm, which can easily keep you busy for 5 or 6 days.

kameo903

Another question. Is it necessary to make hotel reservations for the towns other than Stockholm & Copenhagen? If we weren't committed to being at a certain place at a certain time, it would be easier. This will be in early September, so, hopefully, a little past the busiest tourist season.

nytraveler

I would reserve in advance. Everything in Scandinavia is SO expensive - that reserving in advance gives you a chance at something decent without sky high prices. I'm sure you could find someplace without reservations - but might not want to pay the price.