Trying to work out itinerary: arrive and depart Stockholm, package includes car foe 7 days. <BR>Arrive Stockholm, stay 3 nights. <BR>Take cruise overnight to Helsinki, then cruise back(5 days so far) <BR>Back in Stockholm, pick up car, drive to Oslo or Goteburg, then Oslo....this is where I need help! <BR> <BR>I dont know if it would be better to do "Norway in Nutshell" and leave car in Oslo? <BR> <BR>Any help is appreciated Thanks

<BR>Rene, I didn't see Bergen on your itinerary, this is an absolute must!! And definetly do the Norway in a Nutshell to get from Oslo to Bergen or vice versa, if you do decide to add Bergen. Driving would take forever. We took our first trip to Norway last summer, loved it, and Bergen the best. I posted info about the trip and the train, so if you search Norway here you should be able to find it.

My hunch is that you are American and cannot conceive of going any place except by automobile. As other posters have said, you really should re-think your trip and instead take advantage of Scandinavia's excellent rail and ship facilities. We, for example, went from Oslo to Bergen, one of the greatest day trips by rail anywhere. On our return to Oslo, we saw that city and eventually took a train to Stockholm where we spent almost a week, taking day trips out and back via rail and boats, all through the archipelago to the Baltic. Believe me, it's so liberating, not having to drive, saving money on their high-priced gasoline, and going from city center to city center, on time, without fighting any traffic. If you need local wheels in any town or city, rent a cab by the hour, and let the"local" do the driving while telling you (in excellent English) just what it is you are seeing. Forget the car...and let Lars do the driving!

Hello Rene <BR>Yes, I agree that Norway in a Nutshell is great. I was worried that it would be annoyingly 'touristy', but that was not so and it was great. I lived in Norway for almost a year (Oslo). You should love it. Bergen is great. Don't misunderstand Al though, it is not a 'day trip'from Oslo. Do Norway in a Nutshell and stay in Bergen for one or two nights and come back to Oslo on the train. Try to stay in an 'in town' location. Don't miss the funuclar train up to the top of the mountain for the view or a meal at the restaurant. Back to Oslo, you can take a night train with a sleeping compartment in order to maximize your time if you are concerned about that. In Oslo, make sure to see the Folk Museum, Fogner Park, and go for a walk around the Sognsvann (lake). This is Norway at its foundation - so many people enjoying nature even in the biggest city in Norway. Take the metro there, it is the last stop on the line named Sognsvann. I suppose that you could drive there... I found Oslo wonderfully easy to get around by the 'metro' called the T-bane and an occasional bus. You might want to leave the car in Stockholm, but if you have it anyway - then there you are. Boy am I jealous!

Thanks, Tiffany. You are correct, of course. I meant to say that it takes the better part of a day to go from Oslo to Bergen -- and the scenery is worth every moment. Once in Bergen, there is much to see. We stayed down by the harbor and spent two days exploring the city before boarding a northbound coastal ship. The local tourist bureau can provide you with all sorts of ideas, both in Bergen and in its surrounding area. But, most of all, make sure that you go there!

Rene: Tiffany and Al are right-on with their postings. Do not drive, take the rail and ferries everywhere. We saw a fjord cruise leave Copenhagen one afternoon and arrive overnight in Oslo after we had been on a train for 6 hours. That may be a better option if you can find out about overnight cruises from Stockholm to Oslo. Norway in a Nutshell is an absolute must. What a fabulous trip that is. Hope you love it as much as we did....just don't drive!

If you only have 10 days you will be hard pressed seeing anything of Norway if you still intend to spend 3 nights at Stockholm and the 5 night cruise to/from Helsinki. That only gives you 2 days. Does the cruise end up at Oslo? Otherwise I can't see you getting to/from Bergen with sufficient time to do "Norway in a Nutshell". The train trip from Oslo/Bergen is approx. 8 hours - I imagine by car would be about the same, then you have to get back to Oslo (unless you can arrange departure for home via Bergen's airport).