Hello, my wife and I have managed to get some time off in June / July and we're planning to spend five weeks driving round Scandinavia in our campervan. We don't want to plan too much, but neither do we want to miss stuff / pack too much in. Mainly we like outdoors stuff: walking, canoeing, swimming, cycling, camping etc. Plus the occasional city for eating and drinking.

Very roughly, our plan was to get the ferry to Esbjerg and do a big anti-clockwise loop via Copenhagen, Stockholm, Funäsdalen in the north of Sweden (for wild canoeing), over to the Fjords in Norway, catch a ferry back to Denmark and then back home again from Esbjerg.

We were wondering:

- Is this a sensible route in the time?
- Which country would you spend the most time in?
- Is there anything you'd miss out? eg Would you skip the beaches in Denmark because the ones off the coast of Norway are much nicer? Is it worth visiting all three capitals or is one of them missable?
- Are there lots of petrol stations (our van is pretty thirsty....)?

Any thoughts hugely appreciated. It's our first time in Scandinavia.

I'm not going to comment on the route, but you need to make sure you know about tolls in Norway, also for getting into some towns and cities, and the price of fuel (and food!) and budget for them accordingly.
No doubt the AA or RAC or even caravan club can advise on those, and prices for campsites.

No plans to go up to North Cape?

I love the Danish beaches btw.

Be aware that driving in the fjord country might be a challenge:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623070576316

make sure that your breaks are in tip-top shape. Ferry crossings are quite expensive. Take that into account for your travel budget. I did not see any beaches in Norway between Bergen and Trondheim, but then I did not look for any either.

You might want to take a look at my trip reports (Norway and Stockholm): click on my name to find them.

Thanks, both - really helpful. Those roads certainly look challenging... we'll try to find second gear for the corners. Loved the trip reports - thanks, Michael.

We did a 2 week trip - wished it were longer in September. Drove from Malmo through Skane in Southern Sweden along the coast via Ystad. Stayed at Elisetorp B&B on the edge of the Stenshuvud National Park - absolutely gorgeous but you would be in a camper van so that is easy. Next day we travelled up towards Karlkrona by lunch time after stopping at the apple orchards around Kivik, along the coastal road. We then went into Smaland along the coastal road via Ulvik - this is a gorgeous area. Be sure to stop off in Pataholm on the coast. Keep off the main highways or you will miss it.
You could also take a side trip to the islands off Kalmar.
Then you could drive towards the Gota Canal - and do that area - Lake Vattern etc. There is lots of info on this.
Stockholm is amazing! We stayed on Skeppsholmen island at the Hotel Skeppsholm. But I looked out of the window in the breakfast room and saw a camper van parked down on the waters edge!!! What a parking spot for the night! Not sure how they managed that but maybe worth a try!! Best kept secret?? Take a ferry trip for the day to the archipelago to Sandhamm. Cycle around Djurgarden, go to Fotografisk etc
We flew to Bergen from there, but in the camper van and with a few more weeks go north of Stockholm. We stayed on the Sognefjord near Balestrand, but driving here is tricky, though all the car ferries are quite regular - you will have to check that out. The weather is unreliable here.
Copenhagen is a must - do a mike's bikes cycle tour around the city. Very interesting and quirky. He even takes you on a modern architecture tour which we couldn't do as the wind was howling.
happy Scan travels!

Thanks, clairemc - very helpful. It sounds like you had a lovely trip.

I don't suppose anyone has any advice on southern Norway, do they? I can't quite work out whether it's worth driving from Kristianand to Stavanger, then onto Bergen, Jotunheimen National Park and Trondheim. Or would that be too much driving? Might it be better to take the Hurtigruten ferry up the west coast and skip some of the destinations?