I have to say that when I looked at the menus at various restaurants in Norway the cost of wine with dinner, either a bottle or glass, seemed on par with what I'd spend here in Philadelphia. Same with cocktails.

Typically the restaurants here triple the price that it would cost in the state government run Wine and Spirits State Store. So prices are high here too when eating out and I've gotten used to it. It's actually created a huge group of restaurants that are byob.

menachem, your trip sounds like it was so much fun!

I plan on taking an all day sailboat cruise around the Stockholm archipelago.

One reason for the stop at Gothenburg is to take the train down the western coat of Sweden from Oslo. We love train trips and I think this one is supposed to be very scenic.

I hope the train takes a different route to the E6, since it is not very scenic on that road from Gothenburg south towards Helsingborg.

We're traveling by train from Oslo to Gothenburg and then on a different train to Stockholm. The trip from Oslo to Gothenburg is the one I understand to be scenic. The one from Gothenburg to Stockholm is mainly just fast.

Byob unfortunately not allowed in Scandinavia and I've never seen in the rest of Europe either.

Byob unfortunately not allowed in Scandinavia and I've never seen in the rest of Europe either>

me neither!

Since last year, Hurtigruten is giving priorities to "full trips" (ie Bergen to Kirkenes or Bergen to Bergen) for voyages in high season (June to August mostly). This is probably why you are finding many ships indicated as "full" when you are trying to book a "port to port" from Bergen to Svolvaer. These short trips are just not available to book yet. In 2016, they got released early in the year (January or February). So you may want to wait a little to book. The price you are quoting seem rather high (although Hurtigruten is not cheap).
I agree with the advice that you don't need to book the meals. The cabin comes with a plentiful breakfast, and you can buy food in the cafeteria for much cheaper than in the main restaurant (although of course it is more basic food). Or you can buy some meals only (lunch and not dinner for instance).

<i>Byob unfortunately not allowed in Scandinavia and I've never seen in the rest of Europe either.</i>

BYOB is allowed in Denmark and exists in the UK too.

@Sarnia, I didn't have trouble booking individual stretches through hurtigruten.no. And the ones I quoted are available for next year too. Remember, for Norwegians, Hurtigruten is not a cruiseship, but a coastal, port to port, overnight ferry.

@menachem : if you look on hurtigruten.no and try to book Bergen-Svolvaer for next July, you have only 3 dates available (none at all in August). If you try to book Bergen-Kirkenes at the same period, all dates have availability. I've just tried this.
I am very aware of what Hurtigruten is, having traveled with then several times over the last 10 years, but obviously recently I feel that the tourists have priorities over the local populations (and I don't like it at all).
The problem I mention is apparently true from mid-June to mid-September, so indeed as you say if OP travels up to June 15th then he should be OK to book now, if he wants to travel later than that more dates should become available for a port-to-port journey at the beginning of 2017.

Fabulous time of year to go, spring is here in full, Scandinavia at its most beautiful.

And try to be in Norway on May 17th, the National Day. Huge celebrations all around the country. Oslo is spectacular, but every little village would be out on the streets celebrating: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/whats-on/17-may/
http://www.tnp.no/norway/entertainme...nding-may-17th

Would recommend to spend more time in Oslo, a very special cosmopolitan medium sized city by the fjord and surrounded by the hills and the extremely popular Oslomarka/Nordmarka forest: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/articles/nordmarka-forest/
http://theforeigner.no/pages/columns...ntown-capital/

Some typical Oslo restaurants with tons of history in the walls:

Frognerseteren (fabulous views of the city and the fjord from the west): http://www.frognerseteren.no/

Ekebergrestauranten (fabulous views of the city and the fjord from the east): http://www.ekebergrestauranten.com/

Emblematic Theatercaféen by the National Theater: http://www.theatercafeen.no/restaura...tercafeen.aspx

Herregårdskroen in the beautiful Vigeland park: http://www.herregaardskroen.no/

Lorry, an Oslo clasic just behind the Royal Castle: http://lorry.no/

The three best restaurants in town:

Maeemo (Three Michelin stars): https://vimeo.com/27856616
Kontrast: http://www.restaurant-kontrast.no/en/
Statholdergaarden: http://www.statholdergaarden.no/

I recommend the Grünerløkka and Majorstua districts to get a local feel for the city, small shops, cafés, bars, excellent restaurants.
Majorstua: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/activiti...s/grunerlokka/
Grünerløkka: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/activiti...s/grunerlokka/

Lots of great parks in town, from huge Vigelandsparken to bustling St. Hanshaugen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_a...spaces_in_Oslo
The Vigeland park: http://www.vigeland.museum.no/en/vigeland-park
St. Hanshaugen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Hanshaugen_Park

Oslo's new pride, the many times award winning Opera: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=236264

Here are a couple of sites that give you some ideas, but there are lots of other secrets around here;-)
http://www.visitoslo.com/en/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...d-of-town.html

For example, take the 20 mins ferry to Nesodden and have a seaside beer at Signalen Bar as you watch the sun set at abot 10 pm. Stays open long into the night in the week-ends: http://www.signalen-tangenbrygga.no/

<Remember, for Norwegians, Hurtigruten is not a cruiseship, but a coastal, port to port, overnight ferry.>

No, also for Norwegians Hurtigruten is now first and foremost a cruiseship. Most Norwegians go with Hurtigruten as a kind of a once in a lifetime experience.

It was, believe it or not, one of the most popular TV programmes in Norwegian history when NRK Channel 2 followed Hurtigruten every second of the journey from start to finish in June 2011, day and night, we all sat up during nifghttime to see the ferry sailing into new ports in the midnight sun. Here's the world's longest TV programme: http://nrk.no/hurtigruten/index9ed2.html?lang=en

<The interior of Norway doesn't have the best reputation for notable landscapes but I haven't had chance to experience this.>

Wow, serious misinformation, especially the Jotunheimen mountains and national park is about as spectacular as it gets: http://jotunheimen.com/

Plenty of great to traditional hotels and restaurants in the midst of the wilderness.
http://jotunheimen.com/page/hotels
http://jotunheimen.com/page/cottages-and-houses

Several gourmet restaurants in Jotunheimen, based on food from the lakes and the mountains: http://jotunheimen.com/page/restaurants

But Telemark is also extraordinary: http://www.visittelemark.com/

... and here is the correct link to the local atmosphere and upscale Frogner and Majorstua district in Oslo: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/activiti...ghs/oslo-west/

The Oslo fjord, plenty of boat rides out to the islands: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/activiti...hs/oslo-fjord/

The beautiful Bygdøy peninsula with the famous Viking and Fram museums, the open air Norsk folkemuseum, the trails, the beaches and the cafés: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/activiti...roughs/bygdoy/

And the views from Ekebergrestauranten above is about the same that inspired Edvard Munch's "The scream": http://www.edvardmunch.org/the-scream.jsp

You can see the painting in the National museum: http://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/no/beso...onalgalleriet/

And the Munch museum is close to a must when in Oslo: http://munchmuseet.no/en/

@kimhe: serious short stretch use going on in north Norway, from my observation. And almost no Norwegian cruise public online, but many Germans.

@menachem
Heavy increase in Norwegians going on Hurtigruten cruises since the 2011 TV programme, half the nation watched. http://e24.no/privat/reise/eventyrli...sjett/23725096

And Hurtigruten is also very popular for the traditional Norwegian Julebord, all the food and drink you can imagine parties in November and December, arranged by every small firm and big enterprise in the country, groups of friends etc. Of course not only on Hurtigruten ;-): https://www.hurtigruten.no/sider/nyh.../#.V96fAYea2M8

Julebord: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julebord

Thank you all so much for this helpful information!

@kimhe, totally. So the 2011 epos worked!. Indeed I saw the Julebord promotions up on the .no website.

Wow, I am just now coming to this discussion. Having been to Norway 14 times, there is a lot of excellent commentary here. I'll try not to repeat, but add a short perspective.

Traveling in June is great. We usually go then or in August. The entire country goes on vacation in July, so some venues can get crowded.

-Hurtigrute: you can read diverse opinions here. Taken together, great advice. I have never been on it, since my wife hates the idea of being locked onto any cruise. But, I have also noticed that it is very pricey. I know many people who have travelled on Hurtigrute and praise it. Clearly, it is not a big cruise ship -it's the local mailboat.

-Norway in a Nutshell. Truly excellent. You can also do that by driving your own car. And if you want a fjord tour without the expense and time of Hurtigrute you can catch a ferry trip out of Gudvangen on Nærøyfjord. Really excellent. And, consider driving the winding road up to Stalheim hotel (if you take a bus, I'm pretty sure it also stops there)

-Ceezee, as to the restaurant prices being similar to Philadephia, I don't think you will find that to be the case. Every time I am in Norway I am stunned by the prices. Especially in restaurants. Fortunately, right now the dollar is as higher against the krone than it has been in many years.

-the revisions to your plans are excellent. We were in Lofoten for the first time last year. Wow. Solv

Oops. I guess I hit "post" by accident. Continuing...

Svolvær is the relatively "big" town. We stayed further west, in Reine. You may not have time, but it seemed to me that the scenery just a big (a little as 30 minutes) west of Svolvær was better. If you get all the way to the west, to the town of Å, check out the cod stock fish museum. Being from Minnesota, you may find the origins of lutefisk interesting.

And, Ceezee, do you know how to tell if someone is from Minnesota? Blond hair and...blue ears.

As far as the prices in restaurants all I've done is look at some online menus. Also, the exchange rate is very favorable now and a big help! I hope it holds until June.

Do they tip in restaurants in Norway or Sweden? Here that adds at least 20% to the bill. A $14 cocktail or glass of wine (not uncommon) here becomes $17.

No need to tip in Norway or Sweden and certainly not common from locals. However in a restaurant when paying the bill by credit card (no one would pay by cash) you will be presented with a card reader and asked to enter the amount - some might round up a little, max 5%, if feeling particularly generous. Norwegians have a liveable minimum wage and social benefits and are not dependent on hand-outs.
Definitely don't tip taxis, barmen, hairdressers etc.
And you'll get a glass of wine in a bar or restaurant for about USD10.

<i>A $14 cocktail or glass of wine (not uncommon) here becomes $17.</i>

Tax included? which it is as part of the posted price in Norway.

Michael, it's another 6% for the sales tax. For both the food and drinks.

We often try to go to BYOB where we can bring our own wine. Sometimes they charge a corkage fee from $5 to $10. But that's still way cheaper than going to a place with a liquor license.

When we traveled to Japan where this is no tipping it was quite refreshing! But here many servers basically live on the tips.

<i>And you'll get a glass of wine in a bar or restaurant for about USD10.</i>

Cheaper than San Francisco where a glass of wine generally runs from $12-15--there are exceptions.

I checked out Maeemo, a three start restaurant in Oslo. The fixed price for dinner converts to $103. A comparable fixed price meal at Vetri's (one of the best meals I have ever had, it was for our 30th wedding anniversary), in Philadelphia, is $155. Yes, both are tons of money but still... That's a big difference.

Anyway, it's all going to be what it is. We'll splurge on some dinners and cut way back on others (most).

As you may have guessed we like good food, cheap and more. Any and all restaurant suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Also, where should I reserve ahead? Here, you'd be in real trouble, except for the very low end places, without a reservation anywhere from a week to months ahead.

The prices are greatly exaggerated on this forum. The minute you mention Scandinavia, the prices are blown out of all proportion, mostly by posters who have either never travelled there or travelled there many years ago when it was indeed very expensive. The prices in the rest of the world have now caught up, the exchange rates have changed, so if you live in NY or London etc, you will not see much price difference, if any. The prices of wine in Systembolaget are the same and sometimes cheaper than I get in London (but very much more expensive than wine in France).

Even in Norway, a bottle of wine can be bought in Vinmonopolet from USD10.
Opening hours for Vinmonopolet and Systembolaget are similar (closed Sundays, open Sat am and Mon to Fri 10am to 6pm)

Even in Norway, a bottle of wine can be bought in Vinmonopolet from USD10.>

The cheapest $10- about $7 more than here (America) and $8 more than France and $5 more than London IME

but that is an anomaly I guess from what you are saying.

Why does a country like Norway have such severe buying hours for alcohol- what's the deal and a monopoly often results in high prices. I think restricting hours only makes folks buy more in advance and have more at home to get smashed on.

London yes is so so expensive on most things except supermarket stuff.

PalenQ I don't understand what you mean by this sentence: "The cheapest $10- about $7 more than here (America) and $8 more than France and $5 more than London IME"

Not many bottles of wine here in America under $10. And in restaurants it is triple that, minimum. If I find anything I like under $15 in Pennsylvania's liquor and wine stores I jump up and down with joy.

"No need to tip in Norway or Sweden and certainly not common from locals"

This is not correct, most Norwegians tip some 5-10% in restaurants and some 10-20 NOK in taxis. And normally up to the nearest ten kroner in bars.

And yesterday it was a major news thing in Norway that "Tourists pay more on Hurtigruten". Could apparantly be big money to save to buy from the website in Norwegian. Probably they have to change this immedieateky, but worth checking out: http://www.newsinenglish.no/2016/09/...n-hurtigruten/
https://www.nrk.no/hordaland/hurtigr...enn-1.13130893

Another restaurant tip.

In Oslo classic Restaurant Schrøder, a today's meal is some 15$ (meatballs, cod, trout, reindeer, steak etc.): https://www.restaurant-schroder.no/

Schrøder is Harry Hole's restaurant, Harry Hole from Jo Nesbø's internationally famous Scandinavian noir crime novels: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/bo...hero.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/bo...visits-us.html

Wow! 77% higher fares. That's outrageous. I may rethink the whole thing.


On a higher note, I've loved and read all of Jo Nesbo's books so I'll definitely try Restaurant Schrøder.

Very bad the Hurtigruten thing. You could of course buy through the Norwegian homepage, but I would also rethink after this. They defend themselves by saying it's a without breakfast option and a "last minute" discount for tours bought the last 30 days before travel which are not on offer abroad.

But glad the Jo Nesbø/Harry Hole Restaurant Schrøder was a hit. Live in the neighbourhood and have been going here every now and then for some thirty years. Had a fine cod dinner and some glasses here no less than a couple of weeks ago: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...rn_Norway.html

Kimie, also I think I'll pick one of those three best restaurants in Oslo you posted. They all look interesting.

All three are fabulous, Maeemo and Kontrast are as cutting edge as it gets, and Statholdergaarden more traditional.

The Michelin guide about Maeemo: https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Rest...o-306832-41102
Michelin about Kontrast: https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Rest...t-474096-41102
Michelin about Statholdergaarden: https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Rest...n-113191-41102

And when in Oslo, I can also very much recommend to have the classical smørbrød, totally delicious open sandwiches, pure luxcury. Emblematic Thetarecaféen would be one great place to have them, but my absolute favourite smørbrød place in all of Norway is Vinterhaven and Bibliotekbaren (The Winter Garden and the Library Bar) in old world Hotel Bristol. Just outstanding and about 15 USD for each smørbrød. One smørbrød is a light lunch, two are a full meal. http://www.thonhotels.com/hotels/cou...1/food--drink/
"Oslo's best smørbrød": http://www.godt.no/#!/artikkel/23351...ste-smoerbroed

"Smørbrød with atmosphere" in Oslo: http://www.aftenposten.no/osloby/sul...e-6908691.html

The place in Hotel Bristol looks fabulous and has moved to the top of my list!

Good to hear. My favourite smørbrød in Bristol is roastbeef with remoulade sauce (a bit similar to tartar sauce) and pickles, but all smørbrøds here are excellent and made with love. Think I'll have lunch there today...

I made rémoulade sauce last night to go with some shrimp I grilled. :-) Never thought to put it on roast beef but it sounds like a good combination.

I am scratching the idea of going to one of the top three restaurants and decided to eat less fancy/formal instead.