DRJ

Wife and I were on our daily one mile before work walk this morning and somehow, out of the blue, we were talking of visiting Scandanavia next spring. We have been vacationing once or twice a year in Italy for the past dozen years.

We are Delta captives and I have been having terrible trouble getting reasonable tickets to Italy recently. Delta has changed their award system into a "three tiered" arrangement that has virtually no seats at the "low" level. (Almost fraud.)

Anyway, we fly TATL in biz. One ticket with miles the other for $. I called Delta's SMS number and got an incredible woman who helped me for over an hour to find tickets to Copenhagen at the 100,000 mile (low) level. Unheard of!

Problem is, however, even though I'm 100% of Swedish ancestry, I don't know the first thing about Denmark, or for that matter, Sweden.

I need some serious help from the area of general mores to any necessary details. We're starting from scratch. All help will be truly appreciated.

krgystn

You should go! It is a beautiful part of the world, with nice people and English is spoken widely. Check out trip reports and a guide book for ideas.

PalenQ

Copenhagen makes a nice first base and Sweden is just across the Sound from it - Copenhagen is a fascinating city with a myriad of diverse sights - i find many Scandinavian towns all too modern but not Copenhagen (or parts of Stockholm) - Lund, about an hour from Copenhagen in Sweden, by train, is one of the nicest university towns i've seen - also great cathedral and old buildings.

How long are you talking about being there

I could outline a trip by train or car including Copenhagen, Oslo - the fantstic Oslo to Bergen Railway - one of the most scenic in Europe IMO - the Norway in a Nutshell Tour from Bergen - one of the most fantastic things i've ever done in four decades of European travel - and then over to Stockholm and from there the overnight ferry to Helsinki - as days are long in summer you can see the really awesomely scenic rugged coast the boat scoots by much of the way - fly home from Helsinki - and possible do a day trip from there over to Tallinn, Estonia, just across the water.
Distances are long in Scandinavia - been to northern Minnesota or western Ontario - lots of scrub trees, meadows, etc but can get tedious - i would take the trains that now go over 100mph on key routes. For lots on planning a Scandianvia rail trip here are some fantastic sources - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free European Planning & Rail Guide as it has an excellent IMO chapter on Scandinavian - itineraries, etc. And oh by the way, yes Finland is not a Scandianvian country technically but it is so close and Helsinki is a totally unique, if largely modern, city.

DRJ

Thanks palenQ. We depart 1 May and return on 18 May. And we have Delta biz tickets for those dates.

We are both architects so are interested in urban spaces, etc. Since this is a recent (today) development we have a learning curve to master.

Any more secrets?

HappyTrvlr

You can fly between Copenhagen , Stockholm and Oslo on SAS; we flew very inexpensively. As architects I would think that the new opera house in Oslo would interest you. ms.go's trip report which is currently on the board has links to photos of it.

nytraveler

Wonderful fascinating countries - but you need to go in the late spring, summer or early fall - or the days will be incredibly short - which can really put a damper on a trip.

Many people are concerned about the weather - but unless you head to the far north winter is very similar to the northern US (NYC or Boston or Chicago - not International Falls).

Also - do not look for any bargains - although modest places are usually very pleasant and everything is always clean.

And hope you like herring. (Although the food is good aside from that.)

bratsandbeer

I agree with what PalenQ wrote. I have been on all those trains and ferries etc. Helsinki has some great architecture - love the Rock Church in Helsinki.

http://www.mfa.fi/frontpage?
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/helsink...i_building.htm

http://www.google.com/images?q=Helsi...iw=995&bih=560

DRJ

Thanks, everyone. We haven't even bought a Fodor guide yet. But will this weekend. I still seek more general information.

PalenQ

As architects I would think that the new opera house in Oslo would interest you>

ironic that Copenhagen also has a smashing new Opera House - set in the harbor i think but a really acclaimed piece of contemporary architecture.

DRJ

Thanks all! Send more if you've got more.

PalenQ

Christian in Copenhagen is called the 2nd most visited place in town, after Tivoli Gardens

Christiana began in thewild 1970s after squattors took over some abandoned military barracks sitting on prime land near the center of Copenhagen- right on the water.

Go there for some unique sustainable architecture - if into that type of urban planning - one of the few hipped communes extant from the 1970s Christiana is threatened by local authorities who want to redevelop this prize property they claim was illegally occupied-but local sentiment is strong so some compromise has left much of it - including the eclectic abodes various locals have put up.

PalenQ

Freetown Christiania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The village itself; ^ History of the Christiania area, Heritage Agency of Denmark, 12 March 2007 (in Danish); ^ Skydeskuret på Amager (The shooting shed on ...

History - Drugs - Businesses and Associations - Further development
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

Videos for Christiana Denmark
Spliff Stonieness in Christiana, Denmark
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Christiania - Denmark
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Christiania.org - Forside - [ Translate this page ]
Information om fristaden, med artikler, aktiviteter og beboersider.
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