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-   -   Norway, Sweden, Denmark (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/norway-sweden-denmark-1165965/)

zanne Dec 9th, 2016 01:36 PM

Norway, Sweden, Denmark
 
Need help on an itinerary to Norway for 8 days, some time in Sweden and about 3 days in Denmark to visit family in Aarhus. Total time will be 3 weeks originating in US. We are flexible on where to start. Thinking about starting July 17, 2017. Also, we will have a car wherever necessary.
Open to all suggestions!

PalenQ Dec 9th, 2016 01:42 PM

No need for car- except perhaps in Norway as 8 days in a long time for cities there.

Land in Oslo -

take scenic Bergen=-Oslo train to Bergen

rent car- do you own Norway in Nutshell Tour- around the fjords near Oslo

drive however to Oslo - return car

Take train to Stockholm

Stockholm

Train to Copenhgaen

Train to Aarhus.

Could drive whole way but scenery is IMO rather boring once away from fjord country.

For lots on trains check www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com.

Could spend more time in Copenhagen which has a raft of sweet day trips (Helsingor for Hamlet's Castle; Roskilde for Viking Ships; Fredericksborg for neat royal castle in a lake, etc.

Michael Dec 9th, 2016 02:48 PM

We spent 5 or 6 days driving from Bergen to Trondheim. You can find the trip report that covers that part of the trip (we also went to Stockholm) by clicking on my name.

michelhuebeli Dec 9th, 2016 03:11 PM

In Oslo, you have two trains running into the city from the airport, a private company that charges just about twice the fare of the regular state railways you find all over the country. Just pay attention to the signage - the regular state trains go beyond the central station called Sentral or simply Oslo-S.

Then make sure you go visit the huge park called Frogner Park with some 217 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland - you won't soon forget the experience. See www.vigeland.museum.no/en/vigeland-park

On the plaza in front of the train station (where the sculpture of a lumbering tiger is bound to make you reach for your camera), you see trams stop at a small building where you can buy tram tickets - enter, pull a number, and watch for it to come up for the next agent. Ask for tickets to Frogner Park, and back, then walk to the right until you see the cathedral appear from behind the buildings - walk towards the cathedral and the tram stop of number 12 will be on your right, a few steps into the side street (in the direction approaching the cathedral). It's maybe a 15 minute ride, get off at Frogner Park and walk into the park, you'll soon see what I mean. Signage at the tram stop and inside the trams is fine - you simply tap your ticket after entering the tram, you'll see others do it.

kja Dec 9th, 2016 06:08 PM

A good guidebook or two should serve you very well.

As a starting point, to be adjusted for your interests, you might want to consider at least 4 or 5 full days in Stockholm (to include a ferry through the archipelago) and at least 3 days in Copenhagen (to include a day trip to Roskilde).

Enjoy!

Odin Dec 10th, 2016 02:03 AM

You can make use of your time more efficiently if you rent a car in Denmark.

dyoll Dec 10th, 2016 09:40 AM

First make sure you get an open jaw ticket so that you don't have to backtrack. Perhaps arrive Oslo, depart Copenhagen.
You'll find one-way car hire expensive so consider a round trip from Oslo, with 8 days you could pick up a car at the airport do a circuit of the fjords - Geiranger - Ålesund - Bergen - Oslo. Even better perhaps if you can fly into Bergen then do a tour around Hardangerfjord. Return car in Bergen and take train to Oslo.
Spend a couple of days in Oslo - you can get a 24hr pass for zone 1 on public transport for NOK 90 (a car is just a pain with many one-way streets and expensive parking). If you get the pass at the airport then you'll need a supplementary ticket to Oslo on the local train.
One-way cross border hire is either not possible or impossibly expensive - take the train or bus from Oslo to Gothenburg for your Sweden couple of days. Then ferry to Denmark and bus to Aarhus.

PalenQ Dec 10th, 2016 10:04 AM

I thought Gothenburg to be a real neat place - sadly off the radar of many tourists it seems.

kja Dec 10th, 2016 12:12 PM

If there is any chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. There is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and <b>nothing</b> you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit.

PalenQ Dec 10th, 2016 02:06 PM

and do not dare drive after drinking even a drop of booze in those zero tolerance booze blood content countries as in most of Europe these days.

dyoll Dec 11th, 2016 10:10 AM

Would drive with booze in your blood anywhere?
A first night in Lillehammer, assuming you start at Oslo airport, would be a reasonable option as it's only a couple of hours.

PalenQ Dec 11th, 2016 10:39 AM

Would drive with booze in your blood anywhere?>

Well yes at home in States a beer or two or three would not put you over the limit or IME impair driving - Americans may not realize zero tolerance in Europe- when stop for lunch no brew for the driver - they also have spot checks and we do not - at least my state.

Odin Dec 11th, 2016 12:02 PM

The BAC limit in Sweden is 0.02, in Denmark it is 0.05 which is the same as several European countries.

dyoll Dec 11th, 2016 01:50 PM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_...law_by_country
And you might wish to compare the road accident statistics in Scandinavian countries with the USA - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ted_death_rate

kja Dec 11th, 2016 02:10 PM

Driving for "only a couple of hours" is no protection against the risks of driving with jet lag, just as it would not protect against driving drunk.

PalenQ Dec 12th, 2016 10:31 AM

The BAC limit in Sweden is 0.02, in Denmark it is 0.05 which is the same as several European countries.>

I guess I was wrong about zero tolerance in Europe -most countries have 0.05 or so -U.K. 0.08.

Norway however is 0.02.

so you can have a few drinks and drive if booze does not affect you quicker than normal.

http://etsc.eu/blood-alcohol-content...across-europe/

dyoll Dec 13th, 2016 10:02 AM

The difference is not so much in the limits as in the attitudes. The vast majority of Norwegians don't drink to the limit, they just don't mix drinking and driving.

PalenQ Dec 13th, 2016 10:41 AM

dyoll I believe in Norwegian - if so let me ask this question - once I read about Scandinavia's rather strict alcohol laws about sales- restricted to state stores then at least with bankers hours.

The reason given was that for centuries Scandinavians (and Finns) were mainly peasants who in the dark winter were inside a lot and drank a lot -in summer they were in the fields morn to night and that this behavior has translated into modern times- thus the perceived alcohol problem and severe restrictions on say sales and heavy heavy txes on booze?

curious about that?

Denmark is an exception to the strict sales thing and booze is cheaper - go to Helsingor (Hamlet's Castle) and see Swedes flock over to buy cheap booze and cigarettes - at least when I was last there.

I was on a tour at the old Tuborg Plant in suburban Copenhagen and during the tour the guide told of an incident:

He said he told them how much he drinks and some Swede said "Do you have a problem with alcohol?" To which the guide responded: "Lady I can assure you absolutely not - I can buy it anytime I want!"

spaarne Dec 13th, 2016 01:36 PM

<i>PalenQ on Dec 10, 16 at 2:04pm
I thought Gothenburg to be a real neat place - sadly off the radar of many tourists it seems.</i>

Ditto on this very pretty coastal city. But happily it is virtually unknown to tourists.

dyoll Dec 14th, 2016 04:03 AM

Regarding 'severe restrictions on say sales and heavy taxes on booze' - things change over time and while once it was religion and employers who restricted alcohol sales, habits have changed and Norway has a relatively low alcohol consumption compared to US and other Scandinavian countries, with a trend now to wine instead of beer and spirits. Obviously generalising a lot but it is probably still true that Norwegians restrict their drinking to the weekends and there are relatively few who have a couple of beers after work or a bottle of wine with a midweek dinner. Regulations for pubs and clubs are strict and they will not serve anyone intoxicated and I can't remember the last time I saw anyone drunk in the street - but then I'm not out and about late on Friday and Saturday.
Restrictions on sales of alcohol are not an important issue in politics, and I guess tax revenues mean that prices won't be coming down either. Attitudes have changed and the majority do not mix drinking and driving, drinking in front of children is 'not the done thing', drinking is not allowed at the workplace - turning up at work under the influence would be a serious offence, workcamps are 'dry', sports events are 'dry'. Yet somehow we manage to lead happy fulfilling lives :-)
We do have a problem with underage drinking at parties and if the Norwegian prize winning TV series about high school kids 'Skam' [Shame] comes to US screens it might make interesting watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W_kw99jQ5M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUTaTjUXOJY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ion_per_capita


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