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!