Scandinavia Itinerary Advice
 

Hello, I'd appreciate your help with a Scandinavian trip we have coming up next month. We've had a really hard time pinning down an itinerary because we have so little time--your advice is welcome. We travel frequently and are comfortable with a fairly fast pace--even traveling with our two kids, age 2 and 4, but want to be sensible all the same. So with that in mind...

We are staying in Stockholm for our first 4 nights (18-21, nonrefundable), and then we are considering flying to Oslo (night of the 22nd) to start the Norway in an Nutshell tour, staying two nights in Bergen for the nights of the 23 and 24th, the flying to Copenhagen for the 25th through 27th, before heading back to Stockholm for a couple of nights in in the archipelago before our last night in Stockholm on the 30th before our July 1st departure back to the states. We fly in and out of Stockholm (and cannot change).

Some potential issues: is everything closed in Copenhagen on Sunday and Monday? If so, is there a different order we should consider? Also, we will be in Bergen during the Midsummer festival (June 24th)... mistake? Any notes on this timing?

The other plan we are considering is driving to the Lake Siljan Region for the 22nd, through 24th, the driving to Oslo (yikes, long drive) for the night of the 25th, then Norway in a Nutshell and Bergen for the nights of the 26th and 27th, Copenhagen for 3 nights and flying from there to Stockholm the morning of the 1st (our flight out isn't until 5pm).

That gives us midsummer festival around Lake Siljan and avoids Sunday and Monday in Copenhagen. We'd miss out on the Stockholm archipelago but I figure we can do that as a day trip during our Stockholm stay.

Thoughts? Anything on these plans or suggestions re something we've overlooked are very welcome! We're a bit more last minute on this one...

Thank you!!

No, everything is not closed on Sunday.

Try and make only one Stockholm visit, so when you fly in can you fly straight onto Oslo?

The trouble with drive is the views, rock, tree, pond, waterfall. It gets a bit dull after while. Still the waterfalls are nice.

It depends what you mean by "everything closed on a Sunday/Monday" in reference to Copenhagen. Shops etc are open except for some specialist shops which will be closed on either of those days and some restaurants might be closed on either day. So check the places you want to go to make sure they are open.

Fly to Bergen from Stockholm and do NiN to Oslo, then you can take overnight ferry to Copenhagen. Also train Stockholm to Copenhagen, avoiding wasted days at airports.
Or reverse the whole trip - train to Copenhagen, overnight ferry to Oslo, NiN to Bergen and flight back to Stockholm.

Thank you for the help!

@Bilboburgler I wish we had planned an open-jaw ticket. And unfortunately we cannot change having our first 4 nights in Stockholm.
Thank you for the feedback on the drive. I think we are going to leave that off of our itinerary.

@Odin Good to know, thank you! We had read in Rick Steve's that much of Copenhagen closes on Mondays and then a friend mentioned much closed on Sundays, so we had initially hoped to be there on non-weekend dates. But good to know it may not be such a noticeable factor.

@dyoll Good suggestion, however we'd like to avoid overnight travel with the the 4 and 2-year old. I think they'd be too excited to sleep! That said, it may indeed make sense to reverse the trip.

What about this?

Stockholm 4 nights
Copenhagen 4 nights
Oslo 1 night
NiN/Bergen 2 nights
Archipelago off Stockholm 2 nights
Back to Stockholm for 5pm Int'l flight.

Any thoughts on the travel from Bergen to Island to Airport? Is 2 nights ample?
Also, that puts us in Copenhagen on Midsummer. We had thought about going to the archipelago right after Stockholm but thought it could be nice to end the trip out there, and also wondered if the holiday might make the travel more complicated? That said, it could be easier to end in Copenhagen from where we'd fly straight to the airport.

Cut out Copenhagen.

Why not do the Archipelago as part of your 4 nights? Taking the ferry past Vaxholm takes you well into the Archipelago for a day. Take a slow ferry, not the high speed commuter catamarans.

Fly Stockholm - Bergen, spend a little more time there, so you can tour the fjords beyond NiN. Skip Oslo.

Stockholm 4 nights
Copenhagen 4 nights
Oslo 1 night
NiN/Bergen 2 nights
Archipelago off Stockholm 2 nights
Back to Stockholm for 5pm Int'l flight.

looks good.

Good idea to have a few days in Stockholm at beginning to get over flight (especially if you are travelling from afar). Also at end to give you a little flexibility in case of delays.
Overnight ferry between Oslo-Copenhagen is far more relaxing and child friendly than a flight with all the airport transfers and waiting time. And the sailing through Oslo fjord is scenic - if you travel Copenhagen - Oslo be sure to get up early in the morning and grab a breakfast table by the front windows.

yep, Oslofjord is gorgeous.