Next December I will be visiting Norway for the first time. I am a young mexican girl and plan to stop in Denmark. Which will be the best option if I want to visit Norway and Sweden and the best places if I have 4-5 days. One of those days will be December 24th. Can somebody suggest where to spend Christmas???

All I can say is that 24th Dec is Christmas Eve (which of course you already knew), and on Christmas Eve places tend to close at noon, and stay closed till 26th. Some restaurants (and of course hotels) will be open, but people stay at home with their families.

With only 4-5 days (plus distances) how about Stockholm. At least it doesn't go totally sleepy. Or to get Christmassy, search some Swedish farm stays. They arrange rooms and Christmas programs for guests.

Perhaps I could/should start a new thread rather than jump in on this one, but since Norway doesn't get as much discussion as countries further south and west - - maybe two questions on the same thread will generate more buzz.

Our daughter, currently in Scotland for the semester, is thinking about Norway as her one extended weekend getaway this fall (probably mid-late October). Partly based on curiosity and "why not?" - - and partly based on ease/cheapness of getting there from Glasgow (Prestwick) on Ryanair - - it works particularly good with her schedule of available transport to/from Stirling where she is, and the airport (about 70 miles away).

She realizes that there is a considerable bus ride from Torp to Oslo Central, once the flight gets her to Norway.

So - - without having done ANY reading myself except for years ago, when my (late) mother went there - - I am wondering if anyone has thoughts to share on a three day weekend in Norway. Suggestions on cheap place(s) to stay? Worthwhile to leave Oslo proper? or plenty to do (especially with the ever-shortening daylight hours) in the city and surrounding?

Any suggestions for ways to meet/have fun with other people her age? (college age)

I might poke around on LonelyPlanet as well to see who has what to say about Norway; any other useful web resources?

Thanks in advance...

Best wishes,

Rex

Pawy, I would just hit the main cities, if that's all the time you have -- remember, the days will be VERY short and the nights very long, and you will not be used to the weather either. I'd say Copenhagen on the 24th -- the Stroget should be quite pretty (although I haven't been there in winter, so I'm guessing her). For Norway, just go to Oslo. It's a relatively compact city with good transportation.

Rex, I'd grab a copy of "Let's Go" series and send it to your daughter, or she can pick up a "Rough Guide" in Scotland to peruse. I don't remember if there's a university in Bergen (I suspect there is), but the main university towns I remember are Oslo and Trondheim. I found, when I traveled around Norway as a college student, that college towns were packed with students and nightlife. I found the same in 2002 when I revisited Norway. So, I'd say Trondheim or Oslo for your daughter as well. The Let's Go series provides lots of info for cheap accommodations and hostels. Unfortunately, your daughter will not be able to partake of the students accommodations (which I know they have in Trondheim and let out in summer, because I stayed in one) while university is in session, but perhaps she can contact one of the universities and see if they can advise where to stay on a budget or, alternatively, the Norweigian tourist board.

Here's a site for Norway on a budget:
http://www.norwaythepoorway.com

We stayed at Anker hostel in Oslo in a private twin room with kitchen facilities and private bathroom. We had breakfast at the next-door Best Western. They have both student accommodation and hostel accommodation, and because we visited in the summer we had a student flat.

Here's another site, aimed at young people:
http://www.unginfo.oslo.no/useit/

Thanks for both of the quick replies. I have sent the URL for this thread to our daughter, so perhaps she will post her own questions here, with other things she might like to know.

Christmas Eve is a very very private night in Norway. So private that it is named the worst night for any outsiders, and also so private that police records of serious familiy violence is on it's peak.
Oslo, by example, will be very closed, and in the few open bars sadness and drunkness describes the lonlyness for people with no family to hang to in there and around the christmas tree.
However, there are alternatives, like the Oslo-CPH ferry roundtrip, some mountain hotel stay and so on. I guess that might be an alternative for spending the "contrdictionally" christmas days
Bjorn, Oslo

Bjorns advise going to the Mountains made me remember some friends raving about a stay at Vestlia Hotel in Geilo over Christmas. They had the greatest time. The main Christmas celebration takes part on December 24th in Norway, not travelling that date would probably be best. The Bergen line stops at Geilo, I suggest booking the trainticket early if travelling on the 23th or the days before.

In Copenhagen, a visit to the Christmas market at Tivoli the weeks before Christmas is nice.