Well, I think that I’m satisfied if my friends here on the forum think I’m on the right track. I think the overnight cruise is a super cool idea and we do have friends in Gothenburg we can stay with for free. I think seeing the fjords would be really cool, but given the limitations and the need to be in Gothenburg on that particular day, I think I’m ok with it. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we find ourselves in Scandinavia.

Ok, on second thought, I think I'm willing to take the train into Gothenburg on October 6th in order to do Norway in a Nutshell, because I looked at a website offering that tour and it's affordable and looks amazing. What does everyone think of this? I think we've finally got the itinerary down. By the way, thank you for the excellent advice, everyone. I really appreciate you all helping me get this straight.

September 30: Arrive in Stockholm, Flight to Copenhagen
October 1: Copenhagen
October 2: Copenhagen
October 3: Copenhagen // Ferry to Oslo
October 4: Oslo (Norway in a Nutshell?)
October 5: Oslo (Norway in a Nutshell?)
October 6: Oslo // Early Train to Gothenburg // Evening Event
October 7: Gothenburg
October 8: Gothenburg // Train to Stockholm
October 9: Stockholm
October 10: Stockholm
October 11: Stockholm
October 12: Stockholm
October 13: Depart

Looks good! Do take a ferry ride through the archipelago in Stockholm, and don't skip the open air museums.

Norwayn in Nutshell - yes you can do group and all in all would be easier for day trip though doing on own is easy and cheaper of course. Check several competing tours too and not just 'official' NIN site.

Hey, team. Thanks for the help. So far, I’ve booked the flight to Copenhagen and the ferry from there to Oslo. Let me know if you have any other suggestions or must-sees. I’m doing research online and in some guides as well. Do you think AirBnB presents the best choice of accommodations? And must-stay boutique hotels or other experiences?

I am boycotting AirBnB because of the damage it has done to neighborhoods.. If I lived in an apartment block the last thing I would want is a bunch of strangers getting access.

Fair point. I’ll have to look at districts for these cities. I think we generally like being close to the action.

I've stayed in a neat B&B in Copenhagen that was about a mile from center - suppose it is an airbnb now - some of those are old B&Bs and some are in flats - hard to tell but check on B&Bs - lots of sites such as:

https://www.bedandbreakfast.eu/bed-a...nmark/c2618425

Copenhagen has a large range of different styles of hotels, eg old converted warehouses with quirky rooms such as the Admiral or 71 Nyhavn. Or Babettes Guldsmeden (there are several Guldsmeden hotels in CPH, apparently one recently opened call Manon les Suites which looks very nice) or if you are into Danish designers such as Hans Wegner or Arne Jacobsen you might like the Alexandra, the Phoenix has a great location.
Some B&Bs in Copenhagen and Denmark generally have shared bathroom facilities.

Thanks, PQ / Odin. I'm working on booking the trip now. I have most of it planned out. I'm waiting on a tour operator in Norway. I also need to book trains, and I see some helpful links in the posts above for that. I have a friend at work from Sweden and after you all helped me work the itinerary out, she suggested the same thing. I feel like we're really on the right track and I'm super excited for those two weeks in October.

Copenhagen has plenty to see in it but it also has wonderful day trips as mentioned - no advance planning needed for those so keep in flux. And really look into ScanRail Pass which also covers ferries in part or full - then just make train reservations as you go along - no need to pre-book. Yes you'll have a wonderful time - as things are expensive vis-a-vis U.S. bring anything you can from home - toiletries and especially booze from duty-free shops.

Swedish rail should only be booked on the official rail site:
https://www.sj.se/en/home.html

Thanks, PQ. I'm a beer guy and my wife likes wine, so I'll keep that in mind.

Odin, I looked at that rail website, and I see they have a train leaving Oslo at 13:01 and arriving in Gothenburg at 16:50. Do the trains normally run on time? We having something going on in Gothenburg at 19:00, so I wouldn't want to be too late. On the other hand, we're not normally morning people and the train before that one leaves at 7:00. Do you think this would work out?

Odin who uses Swedish trains all the time has repeatedly said that they are notoriously late but I think on a 4 hour ride can't be too late for your plans. Too bad no trains between 7 am and 1pm one.

I do find the trains unreliable but yours might be ok. I mean they can’t be late every single time. Hopefully your one will run on time, even if it’s a bit late it shouldn’t impact your evening.

Guess Sweden like USA is a car culture - so few trains Oslo-Gothenburg for example.

How much is the average delay on a trip like the one from Oslo to Gothenburg? An hour? Two hours?

The reason why there are only two trains on each direction between Oslo and Gothenburg is not so much a car culture but a lack of infrastructure, a significant portion of the route has only one track. More trains would be very much welcomed, in Gothenburg at least. Faster trains too, now it's a local service with many stops especially on the Norwegian side. There are have been many plans but nothing gets done.

I think you should consider taking a bus. The bus ride should be less 4 hours, as Gothenburg-Oslo is only 2,5 hours by car.
Here you have a few bus companies, I wouldn't be too surprised if there are more:
https://www.swebus.se
https://www.nettbuss.se
https://www.flixbus.se/bussresor/oslo-goeteborg

I'll have to take a look at the buses. I did purchase train tickets, but they're fully refundable. What does everyone else think of switching the Oslo-Gothenburg train to a bus?

Buses are popular in Sweden and there are lots of operators and routes. I sometimes use Flybussarna for their routes from various cities to airports I use.
Think it’s too early to book a bus for October, maybe wait until you can see the options before booking & cancelling rail tickets.