Expenses of Scandinavian Trip?!
 

My wife and I are planning a scandinavian trip for May 2012.

I know its an expensive place to visit, but there is a great blog that I recently found and the prices that the writer gives are really scaring me.

She says: "Norway is the MOST expensive place we have traveled. Whoa! To offset the cost of the trip, we knew we'd be packing our lunches and skimping on meals. ... How expensive could it be? Converting the currency to U.S. dollar ... a personal pizza was $50 - $65, a bowl of soup was $18 - $22, a hamburger was $30+ ... and we're not talking sit-down restaurants! I'm talking little quick-service establishments! "

My question, Are these prices accurate?? I haven't even gone yet and I'm suffering from sticker shock! We're still going but sounds like I'll lose weight on this trip.

BTW - The blog is great and worth a read:
http://theclayfamilyblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks in advance for the info.

Hi Markaphx, I cannot speak about Norway, but we've traveled to Sweden and Denmark in 2010. While expensive, we managed to eat for 3 (husband, wife, and a 3 year old) for about $100/day.
We didn't eat at restaurants, except for one meal a day. We mostly ate at convenient fast-food places, but not McDonalds. I am talking about open face sandwiches in Denmark, smorgasbord, buying food at grocery stores and snacking throughout the day. I would say that we probably bought some sandwiches for $20, given the exchange rate.

We also stayed at a hotel in Copenhagen that provided an excellent spread for breakfast and happy hour for the VIP lounge guests and we joined the hotel's frequent users club and got the access to it.

Frankly, we didn't take advantage of all the culinary wonders of the region. However, we really enjoyed our trip and are hoping to return to Scandinavia when we are older and, hopefully, richer to truly enjoy it.

I suggest you do a Google search for some restaurants in say Bergen or Oslo. Some have menus on their sites, with prices - such as http://www.spisekroken.no/eng_menu.htm. There yo can have spareribs roasted with apples and figs with celeriac for $41. Sounds a lot nicer than a pizza any day.
Many restaurants offer a set meal for less.

A 30cm Marguerita Pizza costs about $22 at Peppes.

You can also save money by renting an apartment and self catering, or staying at some chain hotels which include a light evening meal - some Clarion hotels for instance include a light evening meal.

One thing that is a great deal in Scandinavia is the Scan Railpass - you can at least get around without spending a fortune - regular fares can be daunting so if traveling between those countries check out the railpass, which also covers some key ferries, such as those between Stockholm and Helsinki, which to me is one of the most scenic boat rides in the world as it skirts for much of the way a rugged rocky coastline. the ScanRail Pass also grants you discount on many hotels.

For lots of great info on Scandinavia trains, topnotch IME check out these fab IMo sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Hi Markaphx. Yes, the Scandinavian countries are expensive. Here is a link to our favorite restaurant in Bergen: www.dickensbergen.no On the menu you'll see coffee for nearly $5 and a burger for $30. But of course lower cost food can be found. How do you travel? Are you happy with a hot dog from a cart vendor in Copenhagen? (Yum! I crave them always!) Or a hunk of cheese and grapes from a grocery store, shared at a bench? You have your ways, I'm sure. The important thing is to love these countries. With their precise and organized societies, the people's amazing level of fitness, and sparkling clean everything. Money is fleeting. Go discover!

You may want to read my trip report on Norway and Sweden. Where possible I give prices. Click on my name to find it.

those meals sound correct. Although you can find a tad cheaper, but not by much. Self catering is the best way to go if you want to cut down on costs. Or maybe consider a cruise. Then you're not paying Norway prices for accommodation & meals. Just a thought!

the most expensive things IME are booze and tobacco - extremely high taxes on booze everywhere except for Denmark - so if you want booze bring as much in as possible - beer runs $7 a bottle or so in Norway and it may only be 3.2% if sold in supermarkets. And in Norway booze is only sold I believe in State Stores with bank like opening hours and may be closed totally on weekends - boozers plan ahead!

Yes,it is that expensive. We made a two week trip to Norway, Stockholm and Copenhagen in 2009 and we ended up being fairly anxious everyday about where we were going to have a meal under $100. As said above, either self-cater or make sure to have hotels that will include breakfast and load up for the day. We liked the Clarion hotel in Bergen which will serve a small meal (spag, sandwiches) around 5. A lot of ethnic restaurants are cheaper and you eat outside. We actually did take-away from the 7-11 more than once - salads - and, I confess, one Mickey D meal. We aimed for one 'nice' meal a day - trying to hold it to about $60. We don't drink, but we were stunned by the price of water - $5. for every bottle! Take your bottle and fill up at the hotel.

Food in Scandinavia is expensive--but doesn't have to be as expensive as you're fearing. Bear in mind that we're NOT "foodies," nor do we drink wine. If fine dining with wine is a big part of your travel experience, it's going to be VERY expensive.

Before I get into details about the costs of dining, I’ll say that many other expenses were on par with—or even lower than—the costs in many U.S. cities. Transportation between cities (by train or plane) and museums cost less than I would have expected—and for me, the biggest attraction is the scenery—and that’s free ;-)

In Stockholm, we specifically chose the Clarion Tapto hotel because it included a breakfast and dinner buffet. The dinners were basic—and foodies would NOT be pleased. But for me, it worked fine to have a big salad and delicious artisan breads with cheese and fruits if I didn’t like the entrée. The breakfasts were great. The only meals we bought were lunches. Our favorites were at the Saluhall Food Hall. The quantity and variety of selections were overwhelming--and everything looked beautiful. We had several delicious, reasonably priced lunches there (under $25 pp). Highlights included potato pancakes with lingonberry jam, roast chicken, and fresh baked rolls. Another good lunch was at the outdoor café at the Royal Palace.

We self-catered in Oslo, and meals were almost all eaten at the apartment – or we packed picnic lunches. We mostly reheated prepared foods purchased at “ICA,” an upscale market chain. Delicious roast chickens; salads; and fresh vegetables allowed us to eat healthfully and not spend a fortune. The food we bought was more expensive than in the U.S., but not outrageous. The artisan breads were exceptional all throughout Scandinavia.

One dinner out was a business dinner at Mucho Mas, Oslo’s only Mexican restaurant. A shared appetizer of chips and dip, and a burrito ran about $40 – no drinks or desserts – and that was reasonable by Oslo standards. (Now you see why we ate in the apartment!)

In Bergen, We enjoyed dinner at Bergen Kebabs (recommended by the hotel desk clerk). The “medium” kebabs ($12) were enormous—a full meal--and we liked them enough to return a second time.

So, as my report is titled, Scandinavia does NOT have to be expensive. We had a fantastic time—and didn’t break the bank.

Hope your trip is wonderful.

For more details, here’s a link to my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

Stockholm and Copenhagen seemed reasonable after Norway although they both were still very expensive.

One memory seared in my brain is staying in Stockholm and asking the hoteliers for the location of a laundromat-- to which they said, we send it out. So we sent out a small bag of laundry, which came back beautifully folded and packaged--for $140 USD.

<i>So we sent out a small bag of laundry, which came back beautifully folded and packaged--for $140 USD</i>

On the other hand, our B&B hostess in Stockholm did our laundry for free.

Copenhagen IME is cheaper than Sweden just across the Sound and Norway too - by a lot in Norway's case.

You will find the food in Norway more expensive than the other countries you list in your plans.

We tend to picnic, shop at groceries, etc. and we still had sticker shock. Even loaves of bread were expensive--good, yes, but expensive. Fruit, etc. same story. We found that seafood was sometimes the cheapest and ate several meals of shrimp salad from the grocery with bread and fruit.
We ate the $20 pizza, but it was not worth it. We also chose a hotel that reviews said had a good breakfast buffet and made sure we ate that.

Someone has given advice on this board before to either stick to very basic groceries or pay their prices for a nice meal, that the budget priced restaurants are not a good value for the quality/price. Maybe that is correct.

Thank you everyone for the info. We are pretty adept at finding ways to picnic or eat 'street' food to save money.

I definitely like the idea of a hotel that offers a good breakfast and/or a dinner meal. That will save money, and the idea of limiting ourselves to a few sit down meals will help too. (altho I don't think I could do mickey D's ;)

Thank you for the trip reports. I'll start booking hotels soon. I looked at the Clarion Tapto in Stockholm and they are at $235 a night. I guess thats OK since it includes some meals, I was just hoping for a littler cheaper.

Norway is the most expensive Scandinavian country. A Big Mac from McDonalds is approximately $20. Slightly more than it was in Geneva where it was about $12. Sweden and Denmark are somewhat less expensive. Like PalenQ and others above have said alcohol and tobacco have high taxes. Food prices include tax and there is no tipping, except for maybe rounding up the bill slightly (leaving maybe the equivalent of 1 Euro) Serving staff is paid very well and don't depend on tips. There are less expensive places to eat but you should plan ahead. Just going slightly outside the tourist areas or city centers you will find less expensive restaurants and maybe a better variety.
Breakfast in Scandinavian hotels tends to be buffets and very extensive. Restaurants do not offer "doggie bags". Grocery stores often have sandwich counters and prepared food.

When I was in Bergen this summer McD's "happy meal" was $18 U.S. -- and that includes a burger, drink, and fries. It was NOT $20 for a Big Mac. I would NOT be happy eating a McD's happy meal in Norway (or anywhere else) ;-).

But it was $35 at a TGI Friday's for a burger platter. (Not that I'd eat there in Norwway, either!)

Don't forget Saluhall food hall, and museum/the Royal Palace cafeterias for lunches in Stockholm. Totally different topic -- but don't miss the Vasa Museum and the Royal Palace. And strolling along the waterfront and Djurgarden is free -- and so beautiful.

FYI, another big plus for us was that the Clarion Tapto has a free coffee machine in the lobby. It made tasty espresso; cappuchino, etc. That probably saved us at least twenty dollars a day. Tea and hot chocolate is available, as well. And they serve free cakes and cookies in the afternoon.

Bear in mind that from the Clarion Tapto it's an additional 15 minute walk to most tourist attractions -- but we love walking and admiring the architecture. The dinners are basic, but plenty of food -- and it was fine for us. I know people who are fussy and prefer fine dining--especially when traveling. They would have HATED it. For us, it was fine.

Most importantly -- we LOVED Stockholm and Norway. Hope you have a great trip.

This is a great way to get a good price for Comfort Inns in Scandinavia. We used it this past April and May for Gothenburg, Sweden and Oslo, Norway. It isn't the most user friendly calendar, but it was worth the savings.

http://www.choicehotels.no/comfort/e....chiweb10&rc=2

The Scanrailpass also offers holders good discounts at various chain hotels I believe. Check it out - could be a good deal with transit and hotels.