bratsandbeer

Pal - We live in WI north of Milwaukee and south of the UP. Have read stories of the Finns who came to work in the mines. They had a hard time.
My grandfather spoke 7 languages - he would go to court with immigrants to translate for them. He ended up becoming a judge - in MN. He married my grandmother who came from Norway as an indentured servant - she worked for 7 years to pay for her passage. In Norway she would take the goats to the mountains for the summer.

Glad we don't get the snow that they get in Houghton in the winter.

InMiami

thanks to all for your terrific ideas. I have to sit down and study the best way to add Helsinki to our trip.

Palenque

brats - Houghton has a huge snow pile from winter street sweeping and they bet on when it will finally all melt - it could still be there!

InMiami

JulieVikmanis, we were in Northern Spain for 17 days but we accomplished one month of sightseeing in that period. On that vacation we had the car for 10 days and spent hours in the car almost daily. For Scandinavia I am planning not to rent a car and try to limit how much we fit into each day.

Visiting Helsinki would be great. I feel that I would have to choose between that city and visiting Bergen and the fjords. Any suggestions on priorities?

kja

> Visiting Helsinki would be great. I feel that I would have to choose between that city and visiting Bergen and the fjords. Any suggestions on priorities?

You might consider your future trip options. For example, do you think you might ever travel to St. Petersburg? It is easy to combine that with Helsinki.

InMiami

kja, St Petersburg would be facinating but I don't see it happening any time soon. The over-night boat to Helsinki looks like fun; we could then fly on to our next destination. I think I will try to investigate further.

Bugler

I thank you for this post. After a great process of trying to narrow down our Europe trip options, my wife and I have decided to spend 13th nights in Scandinavia. We are looking to fly next month, Aug 2010 so I have a lot of plans to make.

We really loved the looks of the fjords, and other natural landscape and have to best taper your 16 night trip down plans to our 13 night trip. Based upon available flights and cost, we will probably arrive in Bergen on Aug 16th and fly out of Copenhagen on Aug 29th.

InMiami

Bugler, I have really brainstormed on the best way to fit the Norway fjords into our itinerary. The easiest is to visit Bergen and then do the "Norway in a Nutshell" one-way tour from Bergen to Oslo. It just seems sad to only spend one day in the fjords.

My other option is to fly back to the states from Bergen with a stopover in Oslo. I could take the "Sognefjord in a Nutshell" round trip tour from Bergen. This boat tour takes you from Flam through the Sognefjord all the way back to Bergen ($180pp). If I added 2 nights in Flam I could add a Flam to Gudvangen round trip by boat ($56.pp) to see more of the Nærøyfjord fjord.

My flight to Olso would be covered as part of the leg from Bergen to Miami, we would be able to see it all by air!

InMiami

Bugler, BTW, the one way Bergen to Olso "Norway in a Nutshell" tour costs $215. pp.

Bugler

Thank you InMiami. I have been reading on Rick Steve's site about the Norway in a Nutshell tour. We are more of the landscape type verses the church and museum type so my preference will be to spend more time in the fjord area and less in the largers cities. This is especially the case now that my reading indicates Norway really has no medieval castles, but instead stave churches.

I am even having second thoughts about spending all of my time in Scandinavia. I am wondering about spending some time in Ireland along with time around the fjords.

Thanks again.

Bugler

Palenque on Jun 15, 10 at 11:11am
If taking trains Oslo-Bergen and back and then to Stockholm and to Copenhagen then investigate the ScanRailPass - the fare between Stockholm and Copenhagen may pay for much of the pass - ditto for Oslo to Bergen and back and Oslo to Stockholm. For loads of info on Scandainavian trains and the pass i always spotlight these info-laden sources: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com. The pass is also valid on the Stockholm to Helsinki ferries and it may even include a free berth of some kind.

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Palenque,

I was looking at information on the ScanRall pass and I thought it indicates that it only gives you a discount on the Stockholm to Helsinki ferries, but that they are not otherwise free with the Scanrail pass. I am trying to determine if it is worthwhile for us to buy this pass. Right now, my biggest challenge seems to be knowing for how many travels days I might need to pay for with this pass.

Thanks

merylene

Ask the guys a www.enjoyscandinavia.com even if you don't want a trip from them, asking them for details will help you a lot and they do respond quickly. At least they answered me in quick time.

PalenQ

I was looking at information on the ScanRall pass and I thought it indicates that it only gives you a discount on the Stockholm to Helsinki ferries, but that they are not otherwise free with the Scanrail pass. I am trying to determine if it is worthwhile for us to buy this pass. Right now, my biggest challenge seems to be knowing for how many travels days I might need to pay for with this pass>

There is confusing info I have seen - official info says 50% off but I believe the boat web site may indicate free - they are free with a Eurail Pass (if you want first class option check out the Eurail Select Pass valid in any 3-5 countries).

But these boats are not expensive - and if the pass gives you 50% off then you would not have to use a day on the flexipass - if it is a discount you do not use a flexible travel day so a discount could even be better than 100% where you would have to use a day - if the fare is low enough as I believe these boats may be - for deck passage that is - what the passes cover - optional sleeping accommodations are extra. If you want a definitive answer about coverage of those boats with a Scan Pass I'd call Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com - I have bought passes from him and his agency for years and he always knows everything IME.

So things since 2010 may have changed so consult an expert.