Help with planning a short trip to Helsinki/Stockholm/Oslo
 

My 25-year-old niece is working outside of Helsinki for the year. I would like to visit her, and while I am close, also visit some friends in Stockholm and Oslo. I will be coming from NYC, and unfortunately will only have seven nights to work with (excluding travel time). Which airport would you recommend flying in and out of, and what affordable transportation goes between the cities? And lastly, is it just too much to try and see all three in that short amount of time? I realize the real beauty of the countries may lie outside of the big cities, but I really want to see as many friends as I can while I am out there. Many thanks in advance!

We found it less expensive to fly between the cities in Scandinavia. Oslo and Stockholm are beatiful cities.

You can take a night ferry between Helsinki and Stockholm, which gets you transport and a bed and saves daylight. Unfortunately you'll have to take a six hour day train between Stockholm and Oslo unless you can find a cheap flight - check whichbudget.com - and then the train may still be faster.

Three cities in seven nights is pushing it, but if you're more interested in seeing your friends than in sightseeing it could work.

i`ve been to sweden 2 weeks ago
i would say that the best airport to go there is in arlanda
it is about 30 km away from stocholm
to save some money you can use the free transfer bus from the airport to the hotel, eg we stayed in radisson blu arlanda hotel:

http://ahotelscompare.com/SearchedHo...e%3Dcontracted

we stayed there for the first and the last night to be closer to the airport
to get to the city u can use the arlanda express train, it costs about 15 euro and is veru comfortable and fast
but also it is possible to take a simple bus, it will cost lower

to travel around scandinavia it is better to use the plain, cause the price for train are practically the same
just book the tickets in advance

Geographically, it makes sense Oslo-Stockholm-Helsinki or reverse, but it may depend on which airline you use whether it is easier to go open jaw into/out of different cities and then use plane/train/ferry in between.

Your transport between the cities has been outlined. What airports/ferry terminals are most convenient depends on where your niece and your friends live in the metropolitan areas. HEL is north of the city and is linked by buses to the center. Most ferries leave from the center. But where is your niece living?

ARN is outside of the city and has both bus/train as mentioned to center. Ferries arrive in two places, I think. Train to Oslo is from center to center. OSL is outside of city, but linked by train.

Train tickets are cheap if purchased well in advance online. On the Helsinki-Stockholm ferry you can purchase the cabin for set price no matter the number of people, so it seems to cost less than flight+hotel night+transport to/from airport if a single person stays in cheaper cabin alone, but can cost more than flying if you want a better cabin and do not purchase in advance. Also, do you sleep well on a ship?

There might also be a bus Stockholm-Oslo, but that would be a long ride.

The attractions for most foreign tourists to Finland and Sweden are focused on the cities with most people recommending the fjords of Norway over the city. Depending on where your niece is located, you can see the major sites in Helsinki in 1-2 days. Same for Oslo. Tourists tend to want to spend the most time in Stockholm from among these capitals.

If you have 7 nights, let's say you arrive in HEL on day 1, transfer to wherever, get over jet lag, and then visit on days 2-3, boarding ferry in the late afternoon/early evening and arriving Stockholm day 4, see some sights and visit with friends that evening and some of day 5, then catch afternoon train to Oslo, visiting with friends and seeing sights on days 6-7. Probably morning flight next day. Tight, but doable.

Also, do your friends work days, so you time your short visit to include weekends and plan travel during the mornings when they are working?