cz

My husband and I are going to Scandinavia in a few weeks but are unsure about the best way to travel - we don't want to miss any "must sees" along the way. <BR> <BR>We start our trip in Halmstad. Swedish collegues have told us to drive to Stockholm from there, stopping overnight somewhere in the middle (any thoughts on where?-help!) Then we were going to drive to Oslo. Now we're considering possibly flying to Bergen than driving or taking the train to Oslo. (Our flight is out of Oslo so we must make our way there eventually) Is Bergen worth the change in travel plans? Is the train/car route a good sightseeing option? <BR>We don't have too much time between destinations (~2days/destination) Any advice?

Karen

I have just returned from travelling through Europue and I reccomend taking the train from Oslo to Bergen. it is a beautiful ride of about 7 hours. You can take a night train if you choose to on the way back. The train goes up a mountain and you can see everything. I really enjoyed Norway. For a capital city, Oslo is small, clean and most of all friendly. There was more to do there than I thought and I will be going back to see the rest of it.

George

Take the train. You can get a ScanRail Pass at a reasonable price. I was there in July and loved it. By all means go to Bergen. Not only do you have a beautiful ride up the mountain, you have the opportunity to take the "Norway in a Nutshell" trip. That was the highlight of our entire trip. I've seen the mountains in Western Canada and Switzerland, but these in Norway are something else. You will love it. <BR>

Cheryl Z.

<BR>We were in Norway for the first time this last Aug. Don't miss Bergen- it's worth the trip. We took the "Norway in a Nutshell" train/boat/bus/train Oslo to Bergen, took about l0-ll hours, Incredible scenery. I think there are shorter train trips either way. but I'd advise against a night trip just because you'd miss so much great scenery. And it would take forever just driving from Bergen to Oslo. Bring money and raingear!! You'll have a wonderful trip - I can't wait to go back.

VikingMan

I am swedish and I have been travelling all over Sweden for many years in my business, so I know my country well. <BR> <BR>First, please observe that Sweden is Europe´s third largest country ( area-wise ) and therefore, although the roads are very good as a general rule, you will undoubtebly find distances much greater than you expected... <BR> <BR>Second, you will be arriving at a time of year when the weather will be less than inspiring. ( Sweden in the winter months with the snow and the sun and the skiing and... or in the summertime, just simply a GREAT place to be, for sure ). But, at this time, I would suggest either going STRAIGHT to Stockholm ( 520 kms from Halmstad, 5-6 hrs. by car ) and stay there for a few days in one of Europe´s most beautiful and plesant cities. There is nothing wildly exciting worth stopping on the way for in my opinion, especially considering your time limits. Had it been summer and had you had a week or more, I would have suggested you go from Halmstad ( or Gothenburg ) following the coastline all the way around to Stockholm. Simply a beautiful ride. The other alternative I suggest is going from Halmstad to Gothenburg ( Swedens second largest city, 140 kms )and from there on to Oslo ( 250 kms ). But, this is just to save you from a LOT of driving. If you are NOT planning to visit Scandinavia again, I would absolutely say - Go for it!! ( Stockholm ). <BR> <BR>Please be advised that the roads can be quite slippery at this time of year with temperatures nearing the freezing point and that it gets dark early ( around 4 o´clock ). <BR> <BR>Sweden is 1,5 times the physical size of Germany but with only one tenth of the population, so you feel that you have much more space around you than in Continental Europe, which I think is very positive for your well-being,indeed... <BR> <BR>Enjoy your stay in Sweden. If there is anything else you wonder about-feel free to send me a mail.