Oslo, Lillehammer info?
 

We are visiting Norway on our trip this summer. Wife's family roots originate there. Need info on places to stay and sights to see. How far from Oslo is Stockholm and/or Copenhagen? Heading to Amsterdam after that, should we fly?

I do not know exactly, but the distance from Stockholm to Oslo is about 500-600 kilometres and from Oslo to Copenhage it about 700 kilometres. It is possible to drive from Oslo to the Netherlands. But you will need to take ferries, and the journey through nortnern Germany is not so scenic if you just are driving through. Maybe it is better to go by air? Nils

The highlight of my trip to Norway was the ferry ride between the fjords and the hike and view to the top of the glacier. Bergen on the west coast is very picturesque and a walking town. Oslo is very large and public transportation is available to get around. This includes ferries to Viking Museum, and the park with all the lifesize statues of people in various stages of life. We took the overnight train from Oslo to Copenhagen, stayed near the Tivoli Gardens, before WDW and Disneyland Danes were going to Tivoli for entertainment, rides, restaurants, casino, theater, ballet anf symphany. A side trip to Odense, Hans Christian Andersons cottage was very enjoyable and a relaxing change from the big cities. Both Oslo and Copenhagen are big cities.

You should definitely fly from Oslo to Amsterdam - any other way is really not worth the large amount of time involved. There are several direct flights from Oslo to Amsterdam everyday and the flight takes about and hour and a half.

To Copenhagen it is probably best to take a ferry - to Stockholm the best way is train or car.

Sights to see in Oslo:
Vigelandspark (the park with the statues mentioned in an earlier message)
Holmenkollen ski jump (a must for great views over the city)
Viking Ship Museum

I highly recommend a tour called "Norway in a Nutshell" which gives a great train/boat/bus tour of the fjords and can also be combined with a trip to Bergen, which is a much more picturesque city than Oslo. I live in Oslo and when my parents visited me here from the States we took them on Norway in a Nutshell and it was a big hit. You can buy tickets at any train station or tourist info. center but in the summer you may want to think about booking well in advance - it's a popular tour.

You should definitely fly from Oslo to Amsterdam - any other way is really not worth the large amount of time involved. There are several direct flights from Oslo to Amsterdam everyday and the flight takes about and hour and a half.

To Copenhagen it is probably best to take a ferry - to Stockholm the best way is train or car.

Sights to see in Oslo:
Vigelandspark (the park with the statues mentioned in an earlier message)
Holmenkollen ski jump (a must for great views over the city)
Viking Ship Museum

I highly recommend a tour called "Norway in a Nutshell" which gives a great train/boat/bus tour of the fjords and can also be combined with a trip to Bergen, which is a much more picturesque city than Oslo. I live in Oslo and when my parents visited me here from the States we took them on Norway in a Nutshell and it was a big hit. You can buy tickets at any train station or tourist info. center but in the summer you may want to think about booking well in advance - it's a popular tour.

Another vote for Norway in a Nutshell - it's a nice opportunity to get out on the fjords and see some things you wouldn't see otherwise. I also agree with the earlier posting that Bergen is beautiful, but I think it's much more than just a picturesque walking town. I loved it so much, I ended up spending almost two weeks just there! It really doesn't have to take that long to see Bergen, but I'd definitely go for several days. It's hands-down the prettiest city in Norway, ample shopping, great historic areas, fabulous food (don't miss dinner at Bryggestuene on the Bryggen). The extra time I spent in Bergen came out of the time I was supposed to spend in Lillehammer...which suited me fine once I got there. In fact, after a day and a half in Lillehammer I left and went back to Oslo. The only thing Lillehammer has to offer is that they once hosted the Olympics. Once you've toured the site of the Winter Games (if that even interests you) there's absolutely nothing else to do there. Basically it's just a really small military town - mostly army housing and an army base. Oslo is a lot of fun, however. Lots to see and do there, and very lively in the summer time.