Please help to draw best itinerary for Scandinavian countries in November'24.
Aug 6th, 2024 | 05:41 AM
#21
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 114
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With your time frame and bucket list I would make some changes to enable more sightseeing and spend a little less time travelling. I think it will be hard to find transportation in November between Kiruna and Rovaniemi.
This is what I suggest
Day 1 to 3
Arrival and sightseeing in Copenhagen
Day 4 to 6
Train at day time to Oslo and sightseeing in Oslo.
Day 7 to 9
Flight to Tromsö. Evening tour searching for the Nordic Lights. Sightseeing in the area of Tromsö.
Day 10 to 12
Flight with Finnair from Tromsö to Rovaniemi (change in Helsinki.) Stay at a Resort like Apukka that offers sledge rides and other early winter activities in November. Visit SantaClaus Village.
Day 13 to 15
Train to Helsinki. Sightseeing in Helsinki. Evening/night boat to Stockholm.
Day 16 to 18
Sigtseeing in Stockholm
Day 19 to 21
Train to Copenhagen. A spare day to relax. Flight out of Copenhagen.
This is what I suggest
Day 1 to 3
Arrival and sightseeing in Copenhagen
Day 4 to 6
Train at day time to Oslo and sightseeing in Oslo.
Day 7 to 9
Flight to Tromsö. Evening tour searching for the Nordic Lights. Sightseeing in the area of Tromsö.
Day 10 to 12
Flight with Finnair from Tromsö to Rovaniemi (change in Helsinki.) Stay at a Resort like Apukka that offers sledge rides and other early winter activities in November. Visit SantaClaus Village.
Day 13 to 15
Train to Helsinki. Sightseeing in Helsinki. Evening/night boat to Stockholm.
Day 16 to 18
Sigtseeing in Stockholm
Day 19 to 21
Train to Copenhagen. A spare day to relax. Flight out of Copenhagen.
Aug 6th, 2024 | 10:57 PM
#22
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 114
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Hi angel1, Jodah73 has made some really good suggestions. By bad techniques I mean planning only single days or single overnights (almost anywhere), or planning more time on transport than you will actually spend in locations, and also not factoring in travel days. Jodah73's plan is doable but I would encourage you to write out the plan for yourself in terms of overnights (where will you sleep every day), and also be honest with yourself about which days will be travel days. When I plan my own trips I deliberately block off a whole day for travel between locations. You might find you have part of a day left over and you can then schedule how you think you might find an activity (a meal, one sight, etc) to plug that gap. Or will you schedule in some laundry or catching up on emails (that last one is always my problem when travelling), because these are often things you have to do while on the road for more than a week.
If you catch the overnight ferry between Helsinki and Stockholm I highly recommend booking a cabin and not staying in the general passenger areas. It's a wild trip because alcohol consumption is heavily taxed in Finland (and Sweden?) and people drink heavily on the ferry because it is in international waters and thus escapes the tax. I think there might even be a casino on board. In any case, venturing outside the cabin is a bad idea, I speak from experience!
Lavandula
If you catch the overnight ferry between Helsinki and Stockholm I highly recommend booking a cabin and not staying in the general passenger areas. It's a wild trip because alcohol consumption is heavily taxed in Finland (and Sweden?) and people drink heavily on the ferry because it is in international waters and thus escapes the tax. I think there might even be a casino on board. In any case, venturing outside the cabin is a bad idea, I speak from experience!
Lavandula
Thank you for the tips and endorsing the itinerary given by Jodah73. I will stick to it and can now start with hotel bookings.
Aug 14th, 2024 | 03:11 AM
#23
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Hello all!
My itinerary is almost finalized. Just stuck with travel from Tromso to Rovaniemi. The finnair flight is too expensive. Can anyone suggest a travel route by road/rail? I can reduce a day in Rovoniemi to have this scenic travel, saving on the cost too. Quick reply will be highly appreciated as I have to finalize bookings before applying for visa. Thank you!
My itinerary is almost finalized. Just stuck with travel from Tromso to Rovaniemi. The finnair flight is too expensive. Can anyone suggest a travel route by road/rail? I can reduce a day in Rovoniemi to have this scenic travel, saving on the cost too. Quick reply will be highly appreciated as I have to finalize bookings before applying for visa. Thank you!
Aug 14th, 2024 | 08:39 AM
#25
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
I am sorry to hear that you have problems getting to Rovaniemi! The direct buses on the Artic Route between Tromso and Rovaniemi are not running in November. Without a car it will be difficult and time consuming to get there by rail or road, but it is possible. I stress that I have not done it and I cannot really recommend it. The route is close to what you suggested earlier.
- take a bus in the afternoon from Tromso to Narvik (3-4 hours)
- stay the night in Narvik
- continue by train in the morning to Luleå in Sweden (7-8 hours)
- take a late evening bus from Luleå to Haparanda at the border to Finland
- stay the night in Haparanda
- cross the border by taxi in the morning to Tornio in Finland and catch a bus in Tornio to Rovaniemi. You need to change bus once.
Last edited by Jodah73; Aug 14th, 2024 at 08:57 AM.
Aug 14th, 2024 | 09:32 AM
#27
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Dec 8th, 2024 | 07:14 AM
#28
Original Poster
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Hi,
I am back from the tip and just followed itinerary suggested by you, except small variations as given below. I am extremely thankful to you for your perfect advice. It was a wonderful trip.
Day 1 to 3
Arrival and sightseeing in Copenhagen
Day 4 to 6
Overnight ferry to Oslo and sightseeing in Oslo.
Day 7 to 9
Flight to Tromsö. Evening tour searching for the Nordic Lights. (Were lucky to see the northern lights). Sightseeing in the area of Tromsö.
Day 10 to 12
Flight with Finnair from Tromsö to Rovaniemi (change in Helsinki - this flight was delayed, but we reached by evening.) Stay at a apartment in city center. Visited SantaClaus Village. Tried a northern lights chase tour again, but it was cloudy, so there was no luck.
Day 13 to 15
Train to Helsinki. Sightseeing in Helsinki. Evening/night boat to Stockholm- Silja Sernade.
Day 16 to 18
Sigtseeing in Stockholm
Day 19 to 21
Train to Copenhagen. A spare day to relax. Flight out of Copenhagen.
I am back from the tip and just followed itinerary suggested by you, except small variations as given below. I am extremely thankful to you for your perfect advice. It was a wonderful trip.
Day 1 to 3
Arrival and sightseeing in Copenhagen
Day 4 to 6
Overnight ferry to Oslo and sightseeing in Oslo.
Day 7 to 9
Flight to Tromsö. Evening tour searching for the Nordic Lights. (Were lucky to see the northern lights). Sightseeing in the area of Tromsö.
Day 10 to 12
Flight with Finnair from Tromsö to Rovaniemi (change in Helsinki - this flight was delayed, but we reached by evening.) Stay at a apartment in city center. Visited SantaClaus Village. Tried a northern lights chase tour again, but it was cloudy, so there was no luck.
Day 13 to 15
Train to Helsinki. Sightseeing in Helsinki. Evening/night boat to Stockholm- Silja Sernade.
Day 16 to 18
Sigtseeing in Stockholm
Day 19 to 21
Train to Copenhagen. A spare day to relax. Flight out of Copenhagen.
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