3 weeks in Norway and Sweden. Comments, advice please!
 

My husband and I (I'm 68 and he's 70) started planning a maximum 3 week trip to Norway and Sweden. And possibly also Iceland.

I was thinking that it might be nice to just leave from Stockholm and go directly home. What do you think of having the fjord trip first and ending in Stockholm? Should I flip it? I do like the idea of starting more rural and ending in a metropolis. It makes getting home less of a shock. :-)

And do I have enough or too many days in each location? This is our first trip to this area and my heritage is Swedish so we're really looking forward to it!

We're going late May or early June 2017.


Scandanavian itinerary

Day 1. Leave Philadelphia

Day 2. Arrive Bergen

Day 3. Bergen

Day 4. Board Hurtigruten

Day 5. Floro, Maloy, Torvik, Alesund, Molde
Tour Ålesund for 2 hours

Day 6. Kristiansund, Trondheim, Rorvik
Free time in Teondheim

Day 7. Bronnoysund, Sandnessjoen, Nesna, Ornes, Bodo, Stamsund, Svolvaer
Free time in Bodo
Disembark in Svolvaer

Day 8-9. Svolvaer.
Rent a car

Day 10. Svolvaer to Oslo.

Day 11. Oslo
4.5 hour guided bus tour in Oslo.

Day 12. Oslo to Gothenburg.
Afternoon train.

Day 13. Gothenburg

Day 14. Gothenburg to Stockholm.
Train to Alingsas for a fika tour. Then Alingsas to Stockholm.

Day 15-18. Stockholm
Evening food tour of Gamla Stan, boat to Drottningholm, sailboat ride through the archipelago.

Day 19. Stockholm to Reykjavik.

Day 20-21. Reykjavik.
Cooking class at Salt Rldhus, jeep tour of the Golden Circle.

Day 22. Leave for Philadelphia.
Morning at the Blue Lagoon.

Should be a great trip!

You might want one more day in Stockholm. Unfortunately, I haven't been to Norway yet....

You might want to take a look at my trip report on Norway and Stockholm; click on my name to find it.

Sounds good. I did Hurtigruten last year, but stayed on longer. Click on my name for the TR.

Thanks everyone! I'm now thinking to drop Iceland for another trip. Add a day at least to Stockholm. And maybe extend the ferry trip a day or two more.

Also maybe move our trip to July to get less rain???

The closer to the summer solstice, the better IMO! :-)

My neighbor whose mother lives in Stockholm says that June is very cold and rainy. That's what I'm basing the change of dates on.

I should have said often is very cold and rainy.

So late June and early July may be best?

For average temperatures and other climate information, check wunderground.com

New itinerary, skipping Iceland and adding a day to Stockholm. I did check the weather and it seems it rains half the days no matter what month until September! So I'm back to June and catching that summer solstice.

Scandanavian itinerary

Day 1. Leave Philadelphia

Day 2. Arrive Bergen

Day 3. Bergen

Day 4. Board Hurtigruten

Day 5. Floro, Maloy, Torvik, Alesund, Molde
Tour Ålesund for 2 hours

Day 6. Kristiansund, Trondheim, Rorvik
Free time in Teondheim

Day 7. Bronnoysund, Sandnessjoen, Nesna, Ornes, Bodo, Stamsund, Svolvaer
Free time in Bodo
Disembark in Svolvaer

Day 8-9. Svolvaer.
Rent a car

Day 10. Svolvaer to Oslo.

Day 11. Oslo
4.5 hour guided bus tour in Oslo.

Day 12. Oslo to Gothenburg.
Afternoon train.

Day 13. Gothenburg

Day 14. Gothenburg to Stockholm.
Train to Alingsas for a fika tour. Then Alingsas to Stockholm.

Day 15-19. Stockholm
Evening food tour of Gamla Stan, boat to Drottningholm, sailboat ride through the archipelago, rent car or public transportation to tour outside of Stockholm one day.

Day 20. Leave for Philadelphia.

<i>ceezee on Sep 4, 16 at 9:56am
New itinerary, skipping Iceland and adding a day to Stockholm.</i>

Suggest you consider an overnight ferry to Helsinki, spend the day, and return the next night to Stockholm. The buffet dinner on board is fantastic. http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/web/int/book-a-cruise

BTW, if you drink buy a duty free bottle before you arrive in Sweden or Norway. Booze up there is EXPENSIVE.

You just have to get lucky with the rain; three years ago in late June/early July we had mostly sunshine in Stockholm and Bergen. But remember the joke about Bergen: a tourist asks a young boy when it doesn't rain and he replies, I don't know, I'm only 12.
We only did the one day Norway in a Nutshell trip through the Fjords, but it is one of our all-time great vacation days. As for Stockholm, we stayed 5days/4 nights and never were without things to do, places to go, etc. Enjoy, it looks like a fabulous trip.

<i>BTW, if you drink buy a duty free bottle before you arrive in Sweden or Norway. Booze up there is EXPENSIVE.</i>

It is not expensive in Sweden. It is the same price as booze anywhere else. I buy wine regularly in systembolaget & you can check out the prices online.

<i> My neighbor whose mother lives in Stockholm says that June is very cold and rainy</i>

You can't predict the weather as accurately as that. It might be rainy, it might not be. Past couple of years the weather has been great in June.

What is special about fika in Alingsås that you would go there especially? You can have fika anywhere.

You are taking the coastal cruise. I looked at reviews and did not take this when I went in 2000. Instead, I booked all three of the major fjord cruises and did not regret it. They are spectacular, even in a cold, rainy summer. There were cataracts of water cascading down the tall (rounded) mountains to the rivers, several hundred feet high. Food was excellent. Groups was groups of non-fluent English speakers from Italy and Israel, I paired with an Israeli couple born in Germany, fluent English speakers. Norway is worth re-visiting.

I found very few open stores such as drugstores and grocery stores in the towns. Everything closes early in the summer. I had a bad cough and was looking for cough drops after mine ran out. I presumed airily that there would be a Walgreen's somewhere, or its equivalent. There wasn't. Lots of Japanese, tolls, and Norwegian sweaters, though.

It was very easy to book the fjord cruises and connectors between them. Most Norwegians are fluent in English, and they have received droves of tourists wince the English invaded in the mid 1800's. Very safe. Marvellous people. I would return in a heartbeat.

Over the past three years and during 4 trips , we have covered most of your route and co incidentally we have a week in Iceland booked for next February.

The weather in Sweden is hard to predict as the main driver is the Russian continental high pressure not the North Atlantic drift. If the high pressure forms early you will enjoy the 85oC we did two years ago in July.

I'm glad you have decided to drop Iceland as over a three week trip the impact of the place may have been lost.

We love Trondheim, is has good shopping and a notable cathedral. If you fancy a swim the indoor pool complex is the best I have visited with huge glasses curtain walls facing the sea fjord. It also has the worlds only uphill cycle lift which is typical Norwegian decadence.

Hurtigruten : not sure what you are expecting but the boats are very comfortable but are post delivery boats cum ferries cum 4 star cruise ships. They are small in comparison to cruise ships and not as customer orientated. The ship trips are unque but exepensive. The standard of food on board is pretty good not sensational.

The main change I would make is the time spent in The Lofoten which are simply jaw droppingly beautiful. I would add at least a day and possibly look at flying from say Evenes to Oslo. The interior of Norway doesn't have the best reputation for notable landscapes but I haven't had chance to experience this.

Personally I think you are right to not go further north, I'd say going into the artic circle is a winter trip. Tromso is amazing in winter but a little drab in summer.

Sweden : Stockholm is one of our favourite cities, it has the feel of a place that has enjoyed wealth for centuries and is comfortable with its position. People seem generally rounded and laid back....it's not NYC!

We took the ferry out to Sandhamn in the archipelago. The island's aren't stunning as they are low in altitude but their number makes for a very pretty journey. The old fishing village of Sandhamn has enjoyed uber gentrification but is anything but flashy. Most of the multi millionaires seem to be pottering around in small sailing boats rather than triple deck gin palaces. There are good restaurants on the sea front.

A simple appraisal of your trip : wish I was doing it!

Everyone has been so helpful!

I've continued to fine tune the trip and after checking into flights I've moved the beginning around a bit. No non-stop flights out of Philadelphia but I can get it in Newark (which is easy to reach from here). So I've moved Oslo to the beginning and added the train trip to Bergen. We love train rides so that is a real bonus for us. We're also really looking forward to the ferry cruise. We're not cruise people so the idea that it's smaller and a working ship is also a big positive. Just give me good food, a view, and I'm happy.

Does seems better to you?

Scandanavian itinerary - Take 3

Day 1. Leave Philadelphia via Newark airport in order to get a non-stop flight.

Day 2. Arrive Oslo

Day 3. Oslo
4.5 hour guided bus tour in Oslo.

Day 4. Oslo to Bergen.
Morning or early afternoon train.

Day 5. Bergen

Day 6. Board Hurtigruten

Day 7. Floro, Maloy, Torvik, Alesund, Molde
Tour Ålesund for 2 hours

Day 8. Kristiansund, Trondheim, Rorvik
Free time in Teondheim

Day 9. Bronnoysund, Sandnessjoen, Nesna, Ornes, Bodo, Stamsund, Svolvaer
Free time in Bodo
Disembark in Svolvaer

Day 10-11. Svolvaer.
Rent a car

Day 12. Svolvaer to Oslo.

Day 13. Oslo to Gothenburg.
Morning or Afternoon train.

Day 14. Gothenburg

Day 15. Gothenburg to Stockholm.
Train to Alingsas for a fika tour. Then Alingsas to Stockholm.

Day 16-20. Stockholm
Evening food tour of Gamla Stan, boat to Drottningholm, sailboat ride through the archipelago, rent car or public transportation to tour outside of Stockholm one day.

Day 21. Leave for Philadelphia via Newark airport.

Oslo to Bergen should be the Norway in a Nutshell for best fjord scenery - https://www.norwaynutshell.com
In June you should also get a tour into Geirangerfjord with the Hurtigruten.

Thank you for the Norway in a Nutshell tip. I didn't know they had a one day trip? It's a 12 hour day but that's probably fine.

Is there a way to have the luggage transported from Oslo to Bergen? (I got totally spoiled in Japan. They have a whole cheap system. You basically never have to carry a bag even if you're not on a tour.)

Hi ceezee!
Just a couple more opinions to mess with your brain :) First, a quick summary of our Travel-M.O......

My husband is 66, I am 60. .Other than a few structural annoyances (hips & knees), we're moderately active: biking, skiing, hiking, etc. I prefer less structured trips. (I want to wonder, wander, and eat & sleep when I feel like it, & I prefer a schedule that allows me the freedom to converse & interact with the local residents of the country I'm visiting. My husband is less of a Travel-Risk-Taker....He's cool with "up by 6:30, brkfst served only from 8-9:30, lunch from 11-12, on the bus by 1 for the city tour."

I'll also say this: There ate many different kinds of vacations....and even tho I've lpreferred some trips less (or more) than others.....I LOVE to travel & have never regretted any of my vacations. Tho.....when money & time are factors, (& they usually are), you want to make sure that MOST of your trip is enjoyable (for you AND your traveling companion)

So with that being said, we were in Sweden in June 2015, & NORWAY this past June 2016. Each trip was just short of 2-weeks.....& our weather was very nice both trips....I think we had one day of rain while in Norway.

Sweden/2015: Flew from Minneapolis to WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL Copenhagen. �� ....2-nites, 1.5 days. LOVED IT, tho should have spent at least 2 more days there. We then rented a car, drove to Sweden and visited relatives...(the main reason for this trip). ..The cities we visited were all located in the southern 3rd of the country: Malmö, Gothenburg, Växjo, Kälmar, Öland, & Karlskrona. We were unable to fit STOCKHOLM in this time....& we were very sad about that, but we were fortunate to be able to see all of my relatives....so STOCKHOLM will have to be for another time. Southern Sweden had some very pretty areas, but it actually looked very much like Minnesota.. Again, we really enjoyed Copenhagen, & we KNOW we would have loved STOCKHOLM, its Gamla Stan, & the archipelago.

Norway June 2016: We had some free choice time within this itin, tho It was actually planned by a "travel-agent" that we only "knew" through some other acquaintances who had taken several prior trips organized by this person. Our itin included:
Oslo: 3-days
HURTIGRUTEN cruise (North to South route...5-days)
Bergen: 4-days

We were told by the Travel Agent that while on that 5-day cruise, we would be in awe with the vast number of fjords, mountains & waterfalls that we would experience. well.......The ONLY thing that REALLY awed me was the Lofoten Islands (Solvaer-area) We took a side-trip there, got off the HURTIGRUTEN, & jumped on a 14-passenger high-speed raft,sped around those islands with their turquoise waters & spray (by the way, HOT temps that day), stopped for a bit on the little fishing island of Skorva......& THAT was the highlight (for me) of the 5-day cruise.

Bottom line: I wish I'd done more research on that cruise myself....because we did NOT see all of those waterfalls, mountains & fjords that we were promised. (you know how you see GORGEOUS pictures of Norway on calendars, travel books, etc?) What we saw on the HURTIGRUTEN was nice.....but NOTHING like the pictures one always sees. so..........

After our 5-days on the ship, we were dropped off in Bergen ....(Norways 2nd largest City) I soooooo did NOT want to shop/museum/etc.....I wanted to see those BIG FJORDS, WATERFALLS, etc!!

So....we went to the Bergen Travel Ctr & signed up for a couple of those "NORWAY IN A NUTSHELL" tours......(it cost us almost $500US !)...... but we were SOOOOO happy that we did that! Cus guess what? We FINALLY saw what we had been hoping to see during our HURTIGRUTEN trip. It seems that the biggest & most beautiful fjords are in the southern part of Norway......I really think that I would have been really disappointed had we not added those fjord-trips offered by THORPE Norway in a Nutshell tours. The fjords we visited were : Sognefjord, Gairanger fjord, & I can't remember the 3rd one....think it started with an 'N'.

so the next time I go to Norway, I'd probably spend 3-days in Oslo (cool city...mayb not as "mod" as Copenhagen & Stockholm.....but a pretty harbor, interesting history, & cool museums (Nobel Peace museum, outdoor sculpture museum, etc......Then I would visit a couple more of those bigger fjords again.....& maybe even stay a couple of nights in one of the little fjord towns that we saw on the Sognefjord (maybe do some boating or kayaking on the fjord), ......then I'd rent a car & visit Grieg's home (near Bergen), then drive to the Stavanger waterfall, & then to that huge suspended boulder that''s wedged between two cliffs above a fjord (can't remember the name.....love nag word that starts with an S.....& then to Pulpit Rock. The HURTIGRUTEN? Food was just ok.... LOVED the Lofoten islands, & the town of Ålesund was pretty.....but I don't think it was worth the money we paid......

I know this got longer than I wanted....(sorry)..but if you decide that you want to cancel the cruise, but logistics won't allow it,......my advice: upgrade to an awesome cabin.......:)))). You wil enjoy Norway no matter what...... I have to say that it really is a gorgeous country. oh, & one more thing: u mentioned doing some kind of special Fika? Iff that costs you a lot of extra $$$ & time, I'd also say No (as the above poster said) Fika is simply a special word for "coffee-break".....which is basically coffee & pastries or cookies. Enjoy!

Thanks for all the tips!

We're sticking with the Hurtigruten 3 day trip. It gives us 3 days in Svolvaer (Lofoten Islands), crosses the Arctic Circle, and in June should go into the Geirangerfjord. That plus adding the Norway in a Nutshell to the trip from Oslo to Bergen it seems to be fairly diverse.

I have a totally free day in Bergen and the idea of visiting Grieg's home is very interesting.

The fika tour is totally optional. I grew up in a small town in Minnesota and fika was part of the culture there. Lots of Swedes in Minnesota! It seemed like a nice break but likely though I'll not stop for it and just get to Stockholm quicker.

OMG. I just priced the 3 day Hurtigruten trip and with food it's around $4000 for the two of us. Can this possibly be true? Polar outside cabin.

$3680 with a tour of Lofoten.

That sounds rather high. I checked, and last year for the full Bergen to Kirkenes trip with no excursions included, we paid just over 2,200 USD per person for two sharing an outside cabin, best available (UNB3). We did add a couple of excursions later. And that was traveling in mid-August.

Sorry Colette was disappointed, we really enjoyed it. And 500 USD for Norway in a Nutshell sounds waaay high.

Maybe it's high because we're not going the whole way? Also, there were very few days to start available in June. Most were sold out already. Hard to believe.

<i>I just priced the 3 day Hurtigruten trip and with food it's around $4000 for the two of us. Can this possibly be true?</i>

My recollection is that it was very high, and that for the same price or less I could see locations inland (some of the stave churches) as well as some fjords by driving, which is what we did.

<i>there were very few days to start available in June. Most were sold out already. Hard to believe.</i>

Does any of the trip coincide with Midsummer Day?

I'd like one of the refurbished ships so that leaves June 2nd and 22nd available. I was thinking of the 2nd and that would end our whole trip on the 17th. Right before the summer equinox. If I do the 22nd I'm now into July with what I expect would have more crowds.

I'm still considering driving around instead. The cost would probably be less.

The hurtigerten with no ad-ons is $3100. Then we're staying in Svolvaer for three nights for around $600. And finally the plane fare from there to Oslo is another $545. It adds up. I basically have available 6 days on the road I could do instead.

Maybe Norway in a Nutshell......

An advantage of the boat and three days in Svolvaer is the ease of it all.

If driving around fjord country, which involves ferry crossings and optional boat tours as in Geirangerfjord, Norway in a Nutshell can be skipped unless the little train ride is considered essential. But even that can be done independently of Norway in a Nutshell. Our driving route from Bergen to Trondheim took us along the Norway in a Nutshell itinerary.

Thanks Michael, I read your trip report(s) and they were very helpful. We're still considering various options. I'm still leaning towards the Hurtigruten and spending 2 days in Lofoten area, driving around.

I've always wanted to take a cargo ship through the Great Lakes from Montreal to Minnesota and this kind of reminds me of that. But this has much better scenery!

I did think the HURTIGRUTEN cruise was pricey..... and each excursion was an added cost. I think I'm just not a cruise-person......I prefer to be "out and about".....and honestly, the only way to do that on a cruise is to pay extra for any kind of "out-and-about" thing that you want to do. (Caribbean cruise: snorkeling excursions, renting a car to drive to the other side of the island: all extra $$$)

The only reason I even considered this cruise is because I thought it would be like the only other cruise we took, in Alaska. I realized that many of the sights we saw in Alaska could ONLY be seen from the water (calving glaciers/aqua-blu waterfalls,etc)

My understanding was that our June Kirkenes to Bergen trip (North to South) would be the same.....but as I mentioned before, the MOST beautiful fjords & countless waterfalls that we saw were seen AFTER our Hurtigruten cruise.....on our TWO separate Norway in a Nutshell excursions.

I'm simply saying, if I had done a better job of preparing, it if I were to go back to Norway someday, I would probably do the following:

1. Rent a car & do 2 days in Bergen (Grieg's house & property)
2. Then I'd choose a cute little (southern) fjord town, & rent a room that I'd call "home" for about 5-6 days. From that home I'd maybe do some kayaking, sailing, & exploring of the lakes & waterfalls of the Geiranger, Sognefjord, etc, & I'd also do some hiking to various attractions (Pulpit Rock, the suspended Boulder, etc)
3. Finally, I'd end my trip doing 2-3 days in Oslo and/or Iceland. (I've never met anyone who regrets spending a few days in Iceland.....everyone seems to love it there!)

Ceezee.....Happy Planning! and ENJOY!!

@ Colette: Although both Norway and Alaska are on my radar, they aren't likely destinations for at least a few years. I so hope I remember your post when I finally begin planning my time in these areas, as your input is, IMO, incredibly useful -- thanks so much for posting! :-)

@ ceezee: Sorry for the side note!

Uhm, you can book individual stretches at the hurtigruten.no site. I don't know if this is possible at the international site: there they tend to steer you towards cruise packages.

My experience of Hurtigruten is that it was totally fascinating, because you see the entire coastal stretch and there Hurtigruten is still a vital part of the landscape and of life, especially at the islands and in north norway. The stops are short, for the most part. Didn't do any of the excursions, as I had to do work while on board, so I didn't have the time (deadline). I loved the fact that for 3 stops there was a choir on board, rehearsing in the lounge, that there would be students in sleeping bags roughing it in the top lounge. One of these guys was traveling for 3 days to his university in Tromsø. When we got there at midnight (southbound) his friends were waiting for him at the dock, with an improvised band and balloons. So touching.

I love Bergen and Oslo too, although many people on this forum consider Oslo to be boring. Make sure you visit at least the Vikingship Museum at Bygdøy. And Frogner Park with the Vigeland sculptures: these are really mind blowing. Gothenburg I would skip, and maybe you could look into a flight direct from Oslo to Stockholm

The suggestion to take a ferry out into the Stockholm Archipelago is a very good one. If you're strapped for time, an abbreviated version of this is to take the little ferry out to Nacka Strand and have lunch there at the Marina restaurant. Gorgeous views, and if you do it on a weekend there will be fewer people (Nacka is where a lot of high tech companies are headquartered, so lunch is busy there.

Lofoten are beautiful. Never seen anything like that light.

BTW, I looked up a sailing on the Norwegian site, from Bergen to Norway. June 15 is available, for 6064 Nkr pp for an outside cabin. Nkr are falling in value, due to falling oil prices and general norwegian pessimism... it's 738 dollar, thereabouts, but of course that's without meals. However, for 3 days, you could do breakfast booked with the travel and lunch/dinner in the excellent cafeteria. Then at certain stops, do the mad dash to the supermarket, with the crew, for snacks.

(i followed a whole bunch of crew in Sandnessjoen to the local supermarket, where they all went to get a giant softserve, apparently the highpoint of their trip.)

The ship is the Richard With.

Bergen to Svolvaer, sorry

BTW, if you drink buy a duty free bottle before you arrive in Sweden or Norway. Booze up there is EXPENSIVE.>

As is everything pretty much except fish - bring whatever you can with you that you need - but booze is so so expensive, especially in Norway where last I knew it was only sold in state stores with bankers' hours.

PalenQ: You are totally out of touch with anything in Sweden, including prices of booze and opening hours of Systembolaget.

Odin, that has been established already, haha. As is the case concerning mythical very prices!