Copenhagen to Oslo - ship or fly??
 

I'm looking for opinions on getting from Copenhagen to Oslo, My wife and I will be making the trip. I know we can take an overnight ferry, but it's pretty pricey - we can fly for much less - even with the extra night in a hotel. SO - Is it worth it?? We all for doing the boat thing, but is the experience worth it??

Are basic accomidations for the birth adequate? We don;t want to cheapskate things too much.

So far our Ininerary is 3 days Copenhagen, 3-4 days in norway to go oslao to bergen, then ending up in Helsinki for 3 days. Is that way too much? We aren't much into hanging around hotels or hotel pools - we want to explore...

Any help would be great!

I was told that these ferries are basically cheap drinking excursions. I don't have any direct experience, but I'd look into exactly what you hope to get from the ferry experience - I've also heard of choppy seas. You can always take a boat ride around Oslo when you get there.

The ships are large cruise ships (of 35 000 or 40 000 tons). The cabins come in various grades, and there's a choice of places to eat and drink. See www.dfdsseaways.com for more details.

Thx Will and Geoff - THat is the ship line I was looking at. I know we'll have lots of places to take boat rides...Guess thats why I'm leaning toword just flying.

OK, here is my story.

My husband and I were going to Norway for our nephew's wedding to a beautiful Norwegian girl. We started out in Denmark because I wanted to trace my Danish great-grandmother (I found the church where she was christened, after a train, bus, and taxi ride..)

We decided to take the ferry to Oslo. Went to book it. Oh, oh, nothing available when we needed to go except the most expensive cabin. Since this trip commemorated our 35th wedding anniversary, we gulped and took it. It was WONDERFUL. We had a complete suite, at the front of the boat with a sitting room, an incredible aquarium of great fish, a TV and a bottle of champagne.

I do not regret it.

But, to speak to the other responses, we took one of these ferries between Stockholm and Helsinki, and, essentially it was a "booze cruise" for a lot of young people. We had a cabin, of course, but the next morning had to step over them on the stairs and in the lounges, as they were sleeping off their "wonderful night".

My advice....do what feels good for you. If you have a private cabin on the "ferry", it will be an experience. Otherwise...well...fly.

The ships we were on were not "essentially large cruise ships" as GeoffHarner asserts. They were just small "ferries" with cabins and dining rooms and lounge rooms.

They do include breakfast and dinner, and if you happen to be "elite", as we were on our first cruise, you get to have a separate dining room, for your "ilk". I tried not to feel top superior <g>

However, it was a lot of fun on the Stockholm/Helsinki cruise to watch the European young people acting even more outrageous than what we see in the US>

"Cultural Relativity"

As far as Helsinki is concerned, I, personally, would go there for a whole day tour and that is all. Maybe I missed something. Had you thought of Stockholm instead of Helsinki? So much to see there.

These are definitely not "small ferries". A ship of 40,000 tons is a big ship, bigger than many cruise ships. The largest Scandinavian ferry is the COLOR FANTASY which runs between Oslo and Kiel: that ship measures 75,000 tons which is more than the QE2.

If it were me I'd probably do the ferry crossing but quite honestly, I think you've already answered your own question when you say:

"It's pretty pricey-we can fly for much less..."

and

"...we want to explore."

And flying over there would give you even more time to explore.

I don't understand how flying will give more time to "explore". The ship sails overnight. Unless you want to explore the nightlife of København or Oslo, flying will not give any more sightseeing time. By sea, you'll sail up the Oslofjord in the morning and get the best possible views of Oslo, and you'll have the whole day to do whatever sightseeing you want.

Wow, Thanks for all the great responces!

Intrepid - You read me right - I am the cheap skate of the family...BUT from what I've read from Geoff and JTRand, I'm now leaning toword the ship.

And a quick booze cruise at some point would be fun too...Just for the experience.

JTR - We have some friends that are in/near Helsinki. We are hoping to visit them - thats why we are heading there... we are also thinking of a day trip to tallin...

Thanks all!

I haven't done the ferry crossing between Copenhagen and Oslo. But: I did use a Baltic Sea ferry twice in order to sail from Germany to Finland and to Estonia.

Both times I also used one of the so called "cruise ferries", pretty similar to the ones operating between Copenhagen and Oslo.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It's a very relaxing way to travel, there is lots of fresh air that helps you to unwind and develop an appetite for the usually great smorgasbord buffet in the evening. Of course, a number of Scandinavians and other nationals will use the ship in order to take that one drink that's too much for them, but the ships are so huge it's easy to
escape them.

I would definitely suggest to book an outside cabin (pricier) that will provide you with a view as in contrast to the interior cabins, should you decide to use the ferry.

Overall, this is a mode of travel that decelerates travelling to some extent and therefore makes me appreciate my trip even more - and in this case it appears that you aren't even loosing that much time as it's going to be an overnight crossing.

Just another opinion...we took the ferry and enjoyed it but I would fly. The morning view of the Oslofjord is typically overcast and grey...the fjords from Oslo to Bergen are much more impressive. I'd fly and settle into my Oslo hotel, personally.

Having sat on the deck at a friend's weekend home south of Oslo, watching the Colorline ferry go by. . .I have to say I was envious. I can't imagine that water being choppy---it's straight up the fjord. Add in the cost and hassle of getting to and from the airports in Copenhagen and Oslo, as well as the extra hotel night and food, etc. Here's a vote for the boat.

Having taken the cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo with about 100 other exchange students, I can confirm that yes, it IS somewhat of a booze cruise. But thats not all that it is...there are lots of other things to do aboard the ships - there is a movie theater, pool, spa, restaurants, etc...The accomodations that we stayed in weren't fantastic but I believe that if you want to pay more, you can get a better room. I would recommend this cruise mainly for the views...as we were cruising down the fjords towards Oslo, we were met with breathtaking scenery. You will miss all of this if you fly! By the way, let me know if you need any advise about Copenhagen - I lived there for 5 months while on exchange and absolutely loved it!

I am definitely with jtrandolph on this one-- 3 days in Helsinki!!?? Skip Stockholm!!?? Short-changing Norway? What are you thinking??

Also, an overNIGHT, pricey ferry ride versus a cheaper flight; this seems like a no-brainer...what am I missing? You'll get plenty and much better chances for ferry rides in Norway; save it for then.

In summary, you need to either fly all the way into Helsinki, tour for a day, and work your way east by flying into Stockholm (2 days), train to Oslo 4-5 days), get to Copenhagen.

Another option is an overnight train. Make a connection in Malmo for the sleeper to Oslo. My 1st class bunk cost 251 Danish kroner, about $40. The ride was included with my Eurailpass. If you don't have a Eurailpass you'll need to buy a ticket which will up the economics.

Doesn't the overnight train to Oslo connecting from Malmo leave at 5 PM (same time as the boat) and arrive at 6 AM (whereas the boat arrives at 9:30 AM). I am debating between the two (don't want the hassle of flying). Please let me know if I am wrong!

I've looked on www.bahn.de and can't see a night train from Malmö to Oslo. Even if there is one, the facilities will be very limited, compared with an overnight ship which will have a choice of cabins, all with bathrooms, and a choice of bars and restaurants. Sailing to Oslo, you'll be going up the Oslofjord in the morning as you eat breakfast and will get the best views of the city's waterfront. See www.dfdsseaways.com for details of the ships.

Which cabin to book on DFDS??? Deck 2 inside cabin with facilties is 73 euros with a railpass and an inside cabin is about 110 euros with a railpass. What's the difference?? Is Deck 2 really supernoisy? Would earplugs take care of things?

The train could be a good option, I haven't done the full journey, but I remember that Goteborg to Oslo was only about 4 hrs. How about the high speed ferry (Lynx) from Copenhagen to Goteberg, and then the train?

PS Train journey is quite picturesque - passing various lakes and the multiple locks at Trollhattern (no idea if I've spelt that right! 8-0 )

Or 'Kobenhavn'even!

We took the overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo last June and really enjoyed it. Very relaxing. Food was plentiful and good. Great views of the coastlines. It is more of a cruise ship than a ferry. Yes, some people were enjoying their drinks but I didn't see anyone who was drunk (and we were cruising during the world cup...we watched a game in one of the lounges). It's not a typical "booze cruise" that you find in the Carribean. We would definitely do it again.
However, if you are concerned about the price, don't do it. You'll likely think it isn't worth it. It's sort of like the saying "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." Take the plane.

Last year I traveled with a EurailPass. I had a bed from Malmo d.23.08 to Oslo a.07.00. The Cabine had a shower. I was supposed to get a breakfast in Oslo but that did not materialize. The bed cost DK251. That's about $39, last year.

OTOH, I would take a ferry if I had one at hand. Go Silja or Viking. You will never regret it. Pinch your pennies and you'll pinch your enjoyment.

I like you was debating whether to train of ferry it from Copenhagen to Oslo. The train options looked kind of difficult - you either need to go to Goteborg and then wait somewhere for two hours and then board another train OR go to Malmo and take a train from there. Either way, the trip takes about 13 hours or so when you factor in the waiting, etc. Plus, getting up and changing trains in the middle of the night is really tiring. I looked on www.resplus.se and could not find the 23.08 train that leaves Malmo, though, perhaps they haven't updated their schedule.

I also investigated the flight options but decided against it, even though it might work out cheaper than the ferry, because you need to factor in taxes, trains to and from the airport, hauling your luggage, possible delays, extra weight charges for luggage, etc. etc.

So, after all that, I just booked a cabin on the DFDS Seaways boat from Copenhagen to Oslo - it's an 1x inside cabin (whatever that means) but it was under the "Cabins for 2 people" category so I think it's private. I am not sure what part of the boat it is on, actually, but it didn't say Deck 2, so I am hoping it's decent. It's got insuite toilet and shower, which will make my husband happy. Our price, with a railpass discount, is 73.5 euros, which would probably be a little more than reserving beds on a sleeper but worth it because we don't have to change!!! anyway, I have until April 17 to confirm. I'll be taking night trains in Norway and Sweden so the boat will be a nice change!

My mother was Danish so I grew up spending several summers in England (my Dad is English and we live overseas) and Denmark and always took the car from England on the overnight DFDS ships to Denmark.

When I got older - late teens & early 20's I drank on the ship and went silly - the discos were great!

But now that I'm older (and have more money), I tend to go for top-priced cabins (Commodore) with all the frills (like first on (by car) and first off, larger cabin, priority seating in restaurant, free minibar, etc). The difference between high and low priced is worth the extra money! And we were away from the noisy people and places!

When we married we honeymooned in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. We took the overnight DFDS Oslo-Copenhagen and it was great - nice to have good dinner in restaurant and buffet breakfast.

The Oslo/Cphgn ships leave at 5pm and arrives at 9am the next morning (same for the return), so you eat supper in one country and breakfast in other country the next morning.

One of my Danish cousins did a stint working as cabin maid on one of the ships - cleaning vomit wasn't her favourite!

bookmarking for my upcoming trip.

Nuttela,

Just to offer a refreshed viewpoint, bear in mind that the ferry will be more expensive and less convenient than flying. Heck, it is easier to get to the airport from central Copenhagen than it is to get to the ferry pier. I just don't see the point.

There is a direct bus from the station in København to the ferry terminal, so it is just as easy as getting to the airport.
Whether it is more expensive depends on how much you'd pay for a hotel because, if you fly, you need to spend an extra night in a hotel in Oslo or København which are not cheap cities.
I wonder if "Travelgourmet" ever eats in restaurants. It's quicker and cheaper to eat in McDonalds, so what's the point? Life would be dull if every meal were the same, so why do people want every journey to be the same?

<i>&quot;There is a direct bus from the station in K&oslash;benhavn to the ferry terminal, so it is just as easy as getting to the airport.&quot;</i>

I guess I just disagree that taking the bus is as convenient as either the metro or the s-tog to the airport.

Also, consider that boarding closes for the ferry at 30 minutes prior to departure, so you will save, at most 30 minutes over the &quot;airport hassles&quot;. After that, you are looking at a <b>16-1/2</b> hour ferry ride, vs a flight that will be just over an hour.

I'm also just a little unclear about your insistence on pushing the ferry option. Heck, if one shouldn't have every meal the same way, why should everyone take the ferry to Oslo? Fine to recommend the ferry, but no need to be so hostile to those that suggest a plane might be a better way to go.

I absolutely loved the ferry - it was such a relaxed way to travel - especially when you are jetlagged! We had fun walking from the ferry terminal to our hotel in Oslo - but we are backpackers so we are used to it. I personally am a train fanatic who hates flying so I do recommend the ferry. Our cabin cost us only 73 euros with a ScanRail discount!!!

Overnight accommodation and disco are included in the price. You leave at 5pm, have dinner on boat, go nightclubbing or relax, and the following morning there is breakfast before the boat docks at 9am.

Don't forget hotels in Scandinavia are so expensive these days due to poor exchange rates.

We had a car and we preferred to go on that ship with car over several hours driving.

Flying is nice and quick BUT having to be at airport more than 2 hours beforehand, going thru security etc for just an hour flight ain't worth the hassle.