oslo/bergen or copenhagen
 

We are a family of two adults and three teens who have 8 days in the car to either visit copenhagen or oslo and bergen. any ideas which to choose? thanks for the help.

Here is what a UK friend of mine had to say about Denmark:

copenhagen is my favourite capital city, I lived there for a year and loved it. I would say that you need to spend at least 5 days there (especially with the children). Do a cruise around the canals to get your bearings, this is also the best place to see the little mermaid, don't be disappointed she's tiny! Tivoli is worth a visit, as is the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory, take your credit card! There is also a great zoo. Shopping is great, my favourite shop on earth, Georg Jensen, is definitley not to be missed. Take a tour round the palace, the Queen might even be in! Be prepared to walk, it is a small city and easy to get round by foot, use public transport to get to zoo and porcelain factory. Bus goes from Radhuspladsen, easy to use and most Danes speak great english.
You are best off staying in a hotel here, the holiday homes tend to be further out, and daily parking is a nightmare in town. Most hotels have parking, and if you stay central you won't need to use your car to get around. The website has onfo on hotels.

Next I'd suggest a trip to Jutland (Jylland in Danish). To get the best of this you really need a car, and try and stay somewhere central. Again the website has links to enable booking a house. Aarhus, DK's 2nd city, where my Mum grew up, is great as well. Loads to do and see. Including Den Gamle By (the old town) which is lots of old Danish houses moved from all over DK, to one place, great fun and the kids love it. Odense, Hans Christian Andersens birthplace, is lovely too. If you get time go north, toward Aalborg, really beautful coastline. Beaches are clean and Danes love kids! Oh, Don't forget Legoland in Billund, the kids will love it. They have a fantastic hotel in the park, with lego beds and stuff, v.cool!

I LOVED Copenhagen!! You kids will enjoy Tivoli gardens. Tivoli is sort of a combination of gardens and amusement park rides. In addition to Tivoli, you can take canal rides, visit palaces, museums, etc. To me, the city of Copenhagen looks like something straight from a fairy tale.

Bergen is a very nice city, but I was a little disappointed in Oslo. I think your family will enjoy Copenhagen a lot more.

Elyse, you have posted 5 almost identical queries. Do you know you can see all the messages you've posted or replied to by clicking on your own user name near the top left of the screen.

Elyse: any of those cities have their own particular points of interest, both for adults and for children. First, have a talk with any teenagers who may be going with you: beware of how much things cost.

We found Viggeland (sp?) Park with its many statues (Oslo) to be fascinating. The viking museum and the Norwegian village are wonderful, especially for kids.

Copenhagen is so well covered above; if you are interested in modern art, there is a museum north of Copenhagen on the coast you will want to visit.

Bergen is a walking town, except for the wonderful funicular ride to the top of the mountain. Bergen is small, so you can do it in a day or two. The trip between Bergen and Oslo is stunning scenery at every turn of the road. Great for hikes and picnics. But, again, beware: things are SO expensive in Scandinavia. In fact, this week I saw a list of the 10 most expensive cities in the world. Copenhagen was among them.

I think I goofed. It's Frogner Park and all the statues were created by Peter Viggeland. Anyway, it's dozens and dozens of naked folks carved in stone, telling the story of mankind.

thank you for your messages. We might attempt to do both in 10 days. Does anyone know how tto drive quickly from oslo to bergen, and then from bergen to copenhagen? Best routes? Thanks so much.

I'd forget about driving from Bergen to Copenhagen. It's a long, long, long journey, best covered by ferry ship and rail. Oslo to Bergen is another story. Oslo to Copenhagen is best done by overnight ferry ship. But ever so expensive. Have you checked into the idea of buying a Scandinavian rail pass?