Nordic Countries - Trip Routing Advice

Trying to finalize my trip to Denmark/Norway/Sweden and have been given different advice on the most efficient route to take to see all three countries, depending on what travel tour operator/tourist office I speak with. Originally was going to start in Copenhagen, head to Oslo and Bergen, and then end in Stockholm. However, I have been told that it would be better to start in Stockholm, then head to Copenhagen and then go to Oslo and Bergen and fly back to US from Bergen. Alternatively, start in CPH, go to ANR, then go to OSL and Bergen. Any advice? Thanks! Raven

Trying to finalize my trip to Denmark/Norway/Sweden and have been given different advice on the most efficient route to take to see all three countries, depending on what travel tour operator/tourist office I speak with. Originally was going to start in Copenhagen, head to Oslo and Bergen, and then end in Stockholm. However, I have been told that it would be better to start in Stockholm, then head to Copenhagen and then go to Oslo and Bergen and fly back to US from Bergen. Alternatively, start in CPH, go to ANR, then go to OSL and Bergen. Any advice? Thanks! Raven


I just returned from there, so here's my suggestion. Start in Copenhagen as suggested and take the ferry to Stockholm. From Stockholm, fly to Oslo and visit Bergen. Take the train back to Oslo and leave from there to the US. IMHO, Stockholm is the most exciting city of the three, Oslo is the least.

When you're in Oslo make sure you get dinner in the Grand Hotel near the palace. It is a great hotel and they offer an incredible buffet every evening. It's worth it. I found Oslo, in fact Norway (Boreway) to be kind of bland. Bergen is a nice day trip.

Have a fun time!

When you're in Oslo make sure you get dinner in the Grand Hotel near the palace. It is a great hotel and they offer an incredible buffet every evening. It's worth it. I found Oslo, in fact Norway (Boreway) to be kind of bland. Bergen is a nice day trip.
Norway's cities are all bland. Head out into the fjords and the countryside -- there are some great tips already posted on this forum.

I haven't been to the fjords in years, but it's definitely worth visiting. It's beautiful.

I just returned from there, so here's my suggestion. Start in Copenhagen as suggested and take the ferry to Stockholm. From Stockholm, fly to Oslo and visit Bergen. Take the train back to Oslo and leave from there to the US. IMHO, Stockholm is the most exciting city of the three, Oslo is the least.

When you're in Oslo make sure you get dinner in the Grand Hotel near the palace. It is a great hotel and they offer an incredible buffet every evening. It's worth it. I found Oslo, in fact Norway (Boreway) to be kind of bland. Bergen is a nice day trip.

Have a fun time!
I think you are getting your geography mixed up here. There is no ferry from Copenhagen to Stockholm; there is one to Oslo though. A daytrip to Bergen from Oslo also sounds somewhat strange. Much travelling whereas stopping off in Bergen for a couple of days makes much more sense.

Whether Oslo is more or less bland than an average Californian city might be discussed...

Trying to finalize my trip to Denmark/Norway/Sweden and have been given different advice on the most efficient route to take to see all three countries, depending on what travel tour operator/tourist office I speak with. Originally was going to start in Copenhagen, head to Oslo and Bergen, and then end in Stockholm. However, I have been told that it would be better to start in Stockholm, then head to Copenhagen and then go to Oslo and Bergen and fly back to US from Bergen. Alternatively, start in CPH, go to ANR, then go to OSL and Bergen. Any advice? Thanks! Raven
The general opinion seems to be that whereas Stockholm (ARN, not ANR; that's Antwerp in Belgium) and Copenhagen are the most interesting places to visit in their respective countries, Oslo is less important for the average tourist to Norway. Basically, it will depend on how much time you have for your trip, and what you want to see. Most tourists want to see the the fjords first and foremost. Bergen is a better gateway than Oslo for that, so with only up to four days avaiable I would base myself in Bergen and drop Oslo altogether. If having more time available, there are some great museums in Oslo though. I'd try to fly into BGO, take the train to OSL. From there the ferry to CPH (nicer southbound than northbound) and fly to ARN and leave Scandinavia there.

I think you are getting your geography mixed up here. There is no ferry from Copenhagen to Stockholm; there is one to Oslo though. A daytrip to Bergen from Oslo also sounds somewhat strange. Much travelling whereas stopping off in Bergen for a couple of days makes much more sense.

Whether Oslo is more or less bland than an average Californian city might be discussed...

I stand corrected; there is actually a bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark; I haven't taken that trip, but I hear there is a nice train journey.

I took a car to Bergen in a day; I liked Bergen, I enjoyed the journey even more.

I found Norway to be a very boring country. Even if California didn't exist, Norway would still be boring.

But you can´t blame Norwegian film makers. All those 80´s and 90´s thrillers that tried to portray Oslo as a decadent Manhattan equivalent, were they all in vain? ;)

There's certainly no problems in driving in one day from Bergen to Oslo, but for me, not being a native speaker of English, a daytrip from Bergen to Oslo (as opposed to a day's trip) implies going to Bergen and back again in one day. Actually I have seen packages offering exactly that, but I wouldn't recommend it! Even so, if the OP doesn't plan on stopping anywhere between Oslo and Bergen, I'd recommend the train.

Obviously one doesn't come to Norway primarily to partake of urban enjoyment, but to be fair, it must be remembered that during the main tourist season in Norway (June 1-August 15 +/-) cities and towns are very quiet as the locals are away. Nightlife, concerts, other cultural happenings are mostly on when the locals (including university students) are in town. And by then the tourists have left....

I stand corrected; there is actually a bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark; I haven't taken that trip, but I hear there is a nice train journey.

While I like the bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden (i.e., I don't miss the ferry rides), the train trip between Denmark and Sweden is in and of itself nothing special. Or maybe I'm just desensitized as I cross the bridge between Copenhagen and Malmo quite a lot. :o

From CPH to ARN, being stuck in a train on a straight shot between the two is more waste than anything. On any train trip between Denmark and Sweden, there'd not be a whole lot to enjoy unless getting off the train and stopping for some time in a few places.

I took a car to Bergen in a day; I liked Bergen, I enjoyed the journey even more.

I found Norway to be a very boring country. Even if California didn't exist, Norway would still be boring.

Norway is a country for nature-lovers and not for partying and nightlife. At least not most of the time. Much the same could be said of most of Sweden, excluding certain cities and university towns, presuming someone is closer age-wise to that market.

Thanks all for advice so far. Since I made the original post three days ago, the trip is coming a little bit more clearer. * Alliance award seats opened up so we grabbed them from IAD - ARN and then from CPH - IAD (leaving in a few weeks, so beggers can't be choosers). We will have about 15 full days, not counting the travel days. Will probably spend 3-4 days in Stockholm area (including a day side trip), maybe rent a car and head towards Gothenburg and then up to Oslo, spending a day in Gothenburg (I know this is out of the way - may skip this and head to Oslo, maybe even by train). Spend two days in Oslo and then head to Bergen and fjord country, spending maybe 2-3 days up there. Probably fly from Bergen (or boat as suggested above from OSL) to CPH and spend 4 days there, including side trips from CPH. Might even throw in a 2 day trip up north if we can fit it in. With all that said, I am sure this will change by tomorrow or the next day as I continue to do research and plan this out. I agree with all of you that OSL sounds like the least exciting city of the three, also would like to not rush through Bergen and surrounding area. Will let you know how this turns out!

Do you intend to keep the same car for a full fortnight (i.e. renting in ARN and leaving the car in CPH)? Or renting a car in ARN and then again in BGO? A two-week one-way rental ARN-CPH in September is around USD 1200 for a C-class car; not too bad in my opinion, so it certainly is a viable option financially. But the ferry is OSL-CPH is an added cost (even though passenger fare is more expensive than the car fare). Gothenburg is a nice city, but I wouldn't go there instead of Oslo; Oslo has some offerings as a capital, which makes it more interesting than Gothenburg, unless you have a particular reason to visit the city. The journey ARN-OSL is underserved at the moment; too much LCC competition means having train connections on the direct line only at weekends. Daily train connections available via GOT, though. A possibility would be to do the journey ARN-GOT-OSL-BGO-OSL by train, using a ScanRail pass (http://www.scanrail.com/) , either a 5/60 or a 8/60 or a 21/21 pass. The cost isn't that bad, and it can also be bought in Scandinavia (but then only valid for three days in country of purchase). It's a go as you like pass, but seats must be reserved on most trains. Typical cost is 288 Euros for a 8/60 pass per person. Most trains only have standard ("Second") class, which is very acceptable. Sleeping cars are available and are comparable in cost to a hotel. Having the pass also makes day trips possible at little extra cost.

A possible itinerary would be:
Day 1: US-ARN
Day 2: ARN
Day 3: ARN
Day 4: ARN-GOT
Day 5: GOT-OSL
Day 6: OSL
Day 7: OSL: Excursion to Northern Norway: TOS suggested
Day 8: OSL: Excursion to Northern Norway
Day 9: OSL-BGO
Day 10: BGO
Day 11: BGO (do Norway in a Nutshell one of these two days*)
Day 12: BGO-OSL (morning train): ferry for CPH leaves at 5PM from OSL
Day 13: Arr: CPH
Day 14: CPH
Day 15: CPH-US

If not using a ScanRail pass for day trips a 5/60 pass, would cover this (or you can drop using it on the Arlanda Express on the arrival day to save a day's use) I would take a night train with a sleeper in one direction OSL-BGO; e.g going directly from OSL airport to the RR station and take the night train.

If going by day both ways between Bergen and Oslo, the NIAN can be incorporated in the BGO-OSL or OSL-BGO run on certain days. For flights OSL-Northern Norway (Tromsø (TOS) is probably the best for shorter trips for first timers!) check both SK and DY (Norwegian (http://www.norwegian.no) a LCC) for tickets. Try and take boat excursions. It might be late for tourist trips, but trips on scheduled journey are available at OSL, ARN (the Stockholm archipelago is famous), BGO (the best of which is part of the NIAN), TOS and CPH. For train timings, check www.bahn.de. This official site of the German Railways is recommended also by the Norwegian State Railways, and has most connections in Europe listed.

The above is a viable schedule, and of course can be adjusted, also to include other places. To get more time in CPH, I would cut a day in OSL or ARN.

Norway's cities are all bland. Head out into the fjords and the countryside -- there are some great tips already posted on this forum.

Agreed that Oslo isn't Tokyo :) . And that the coast is spectacular. But one of the highlights of our trip to Norway was meeting Norwegians and learning about them and their country. You know - just hanging around the hotel bar at 5:00 and talking with people. Hiking up the hill that everyone takes a hike on in Bergen on Sunday. That kind of thing. Very easy to do for English speakers compared to a lot of countries since almost everyone who isn't really really old speaks English. Robyn

Norway is a country for nature-lovers and not for partying and nightlife. At least not most of the time. Much the same could be said of most of Sweden, excluding certain cities and university towns, presuming someone is closer age-wise to that market.

Well, that's an excellent point. The Fjords are breathtaking; I really like the country and small towns. I don't recall much about the trip to Bergen. We had a driver who took us and I slept most of the way there. I just recall getting very hungry after breathing the Atlantic air for a while!

Forgot to mention - I read an interesting article in - I think - T&L Golf about playing golf in Scandinavia. Looked like a lot of fun - and a great way to see a lot of scenery and meet people. Only caveat is unless you're crippled - you'll be walking - not riding in a cart. Robyn

Thanks again to all the suggestions here (as well as in the Questions about Norway thread). I think we have our itinerary pretty much set, maybe with a few tweaks in the next couple of days (we are leaving in a week and a half). Here it goes - any comments welcome. I promise to do a trip report this time.

Day 1: Arrive ARN
Days 2-4: ARN (with side trips to Uppsala and Archipelago boat cruise)
Day 5: Fly from ARN to OSL (arrive midday)- we were going to drive from ARN to OSL with a stop in Karlstad along the way, maybe for an overnight, but the car rental cost seems pretty prohibitive (approx $460). Also, all trains appear to go through Gothenburg and is a long trip. Considered doing an overnight in Gothenburg, but again, not sure worth the time and money. Plane from ARN to OSL is $122!!! Am I missing anything by skipping Karlstad (and the lake area) or Gothenburg?
Day 6-7: OSL
Day 8: OSL-Balestrand via the train and a portion of the NIAN (OSL-Myrdal-Flam-Balestrand). Overnight in Balestrand.
Day 9: Glacier Tour from Balestrand (to Fjaerland/Glacier Museum/other glaciers) (12-5pm). Rest of day in Balestrand. Is this really touristy? Worth the 5 hour trip?
Day 10: Balestrand-Bergen by ferry. Day in Bergen
Day 11: Day in Bergen, leave at 8 pm on Midnastol (Norweigan Coastal Voyage) towards Aalesund
Day 12: Stay on Midnastol for trip around Geirangerfjord and Geiranger, back to Aalesund by 6 pm for overnight. Is this worth it? From what I read, it seems to be. Also, what are the real differences in the cabins on these boats? (hard to tell from the website) Only doing 1 night, so not sure it matters much, but would like to have a cabin with a window and at least a decent size room?
Day 13: Aalesund-CPH by plane ($220) early. Arrive by 2 pm.
Day 14-16 CPH (with side trips on 2 of the days)
Day 17: Head home :td:

What do you think? Are we missing anything in Norway by not going through Voss or a couple of the other small towns? Should we spend more time in Aalesund? Wanted to take the boat up to Trondheim but no time for that. Otherwise, I think we are covering the sights pretty well (maybe too much time in Norway?) Hope the weather gets better - appears to be raining every day!

You are defiantly not missing anything in Karlstad, that’s for sure. My self I would extend the ARN/CPH/Norweigien coast in favor of the 2-3 day OSL visit. Otherwise it looks fine, hectic though.

Am I missing anything by skipping Karlstad (and the lake area) or Gothenburg?
No, not really. Both are nice cities, though, and are OK if you happen to pass through. But with your time frame, I wouldn't feel sorry to leave them for next time.

Day 8: OSL-Balestrand via the train and a portion of the NIAN (OSL-Myrdal-Flam-Balestrand). Overnight in Balestrand.
Day 9: Glacier Tour from Balestrand (to Fjaerland/Glacier Museum/other glaciers) (12-5pm). Rest of day in Balestrand. Is this really touristy? Worth the 5 hour trip?
Balestrand is a nice village, picturesquely situated. I've never stopped there, only passing through on my way between Trondheim and Odda or Kristiansund and Bergen by car, so my knowledge about the character of the place is built on listening to my father's reminicences going to school there in the early sixties, and his learning to drive a car there. Neither of which can be retold on a public netpage.... As for the five hour trip to the glaciers: yes, you should definitely do that. You'll see even more amazing scenery, and Bremuseet (The Glacier Museum) is famous architectonically. Your NIAN variant is a good compromise to see the best parts of everything. You don't miss so much by not going BGO-Myrdal

Day 10: Balestrand-Bergen by ferry.

Express boat, I presume?

Day 11: Day in Bergen, leave at 8 pm on Midnastol (Norweigan Coastal Voyage) towards Aalesund
Day 12: Stay on Midnastol for trip around Geirangerfjord and Geiranger, back to Aalesund by 6 pm for overnight. Is this worth it? From what I read, it seems to be.
Yes, definitely!

Also, what are the real differences in the cabins on these boats? (hard to tell from the website) Only doing 1 night, so not sure it matters much, but would like to have a cabin with a window and at least a decent size room?
Just the size, and whether (having two beds) they are side by side or pullman style (bunk beds). All cabins on the Midnatsol have private bathrooms with a rather cramped shower. Personally I'd go for the cheapest available outside cabin. Consider whether you need the cabin just for the night, or want to keep it until you arrive back at AES (for luggage). If you take it all the way back to AES you'll have to pay 1,5 night's accomodation charge.

What do you think? Are we missing anything in Norway by not going through Voss or a couple of the other small towns?
No, Voss is nicely situated, but the town is modern and rather uninteresting. You'll cover the highlights of Southern Norway with your itinerary as it is.

Should we spend more time in Aalesund?
Ideally, yes, but you'll be able to see most of the important architecture on a 90 minutes evening stroll.

Wanted to take the boat up to Trondheim but no time for that.
You'd need a full day in Trondheim to do the city justice.

Otherwise, I think we are covering the sights pretty well (maybe too much time in Norway?)
Impossible!!

Seriously: with your side trips you manage to see a bit of Sweden and Denmark, but to get a somewhat comprehensive impression of Norway, you'll have to cover as much distance as you do.

Hope the weather gets better - appears to be raining every day!

We've had the best August in Kristiansund that I can remember. Most of the western coast has had great weather, actually. Not as nice in Oslo, and their weather is the "official" one! :rolleyes:

ksu, i was looking forward to your response and approval. :D Will let you know how it goes or if we tweak anything in the next week or so.

Seems that the Radisson in Alesund is sold out for the night I would like to stay there - been contacting the hotel directly as well as checking out the website. Anyone have experience with the Clarion Collection Bryggen in Alesund? Not much info on tripadviser. I assume that the Clarion is near the Radisson. Are both these hotels near wher the Midnastol docks? Any other suggestions. ksu??? Thanks!

The Radisson SAS is the closest hotel to the quay. It's an OK hotel, but actually it's only number three on my list of "my favourite hotels in Ålesund", and I stay in hotels in that city about every second month or so.

My favourite hotel is the Bryggen. It used to be a Comfort, but they rebranded it a year ago to Clarion Collection. It is a medium class hotel, but much used by government travellers on business, especially for court business (Appeal court judges coming from Trondheim, sitting in Ålesund, District Attorneys from Molde, court appointed expert witnesses; it's the closest hotel to the courthouse!). It is in an old warehouse on the sound through the city. The sound facing rooms are great, the landside rooms can get a bit noisy, as there are a number of pubs and restaurants on that side. No A/C so I usually sleep with my window open. The rooms are functional, but comfortable. The furniture in the rooms is soon due for replacement, but it is in no way dowdy or run down. They have a good breakfast there (included in all rates), but what clinches my business is that, although the hotel has no restaurant, they serve a full evening buffet, which also is included in the room rate. From 6PM until 9/10PM they put out the breakfast buffet, add salads and one hot dish; soup, lasagna, hamburgers or something similar. As we usually don't eat late dinners in Norway "kveldsmat" is more according to our usual eating habits. So you will really save on the dinner. This kveldsmatbuffet is also availble at other Comfort/former Comfort hotels: Bakeriet in TRD, Børsparken in OSL, With in TOS. Between 3PM and 6PM there is free coffee and free "make-it-yourself"-waffles. They have a nice common reading lounge as well as a large, spacious lobby. There is a fitness room, but I have never used it. As there are so many returning customers, the atmosphere and staff is very friendly. But it is not a luxury hotel, it's more a "home away from home"-place. It's a ten minute walk from the quay.

The Radisson SAS is a international, somewhat bland, first class hotel rather in the Hilton/Sheraton mould. If that's what you want, the Scandic Ålesund (still Hilton affiliated) is next to the Bryggen. It is also a good hotel, with Norway's best hotel breakfast buffet! Other hotels, closer to the quay, are the Rica Parken: it's supposed to be quite good, but I refuse to stay there, as the architecture is so ugly. The Comfort Scandinavie (used to be a Quality, but was downgraded when the Bryggen was uppgraded) is an old classical hotel, but worn. The ones that I have mentioned already are better bets. Thon Noreg is next to the Radisson SAS, I've never been inside, but it looks dowdy from the outside. Should be acceptable for a short stay, and is next to the quay. First Atlantica is also only known to me from the outside. This small chain has nice hotels elsewhere in Norway, and their rack rates are high, especially when it's more or less situated in a downtown roundabout, so I guess that the quality is acceptable. It's about five minutes from the quay.

Thus the official KSU Ålesund hotel list:
1. Clarion Collection Bryggen
2. Scandic Ålesund
3. Radisson SAS Ålesund
4. Comfort Scandinavie
5. Rica Parken (probably higher if it were less architectonically challenged)*
6. First Hotel Atlantica**
7. Thon Hotel Noreg**

* Never stayed there, but my very choosy partner has, and was satisfied
** Never stayed there

A linguistic comment: If writing Ålesund in English, or any other langauge not having the letter Å (A with the diacritic sign of a small circle on top) the official transliteration is AA. thus you will often see Ålesund spelt Aalesund even in Norwegian texts/signs, even though this spelling is somewhat archaic in Norwegian.

AE=Æ
OE=Ø
AA=Å

The Radisson SAS is the closest hotel to the quay. It's an OK hotel, but actually it's only number three on my list of "my favourite hotels in Ålesund", and I stay in hotels in that city about every second month or so.

My favourite hotel is the Bryggen. It used to be a Comfort, but they rebranded it a year ago to Clarion Collection. It is a medium class hotel, but much used by government travellers on business, especially for court business (Appeal court judges coming from Trondheim, sitting in Ålesund, District Attorneys from Molde, court appointed expert witnesses; it's the closest hotel to the courthouse!). It is in an old warehouse on the sound through the city. The sound facing rooms are great, the landside rooms can get a bit noisy, as there are a number of pubs and restaurants on that side. No A/C so I usually sleep with my window open. The rooms are functional, but comfortable. The furniture in the rooms is soon due for replacement, but it is in no way dowdy or run down. They have a good breakfast there (included in all rates), but what clinches my business is that, although the hotel has no restaurant, they serve a full evening buffet, which also is included in the room rate. From 6PM until 9/10PM they put out the breakfast buffet, add salads and one hot dish; soup, lasagna, hamburgers or something similar. As we usually don't eat late dinners in Norway "kveldsmat" is more according to our usual eating habits. So you will really save on the dinner. This kveldsmatbuffet is also availble at other Comfort/former Comfort hotels: Bakeriet in TRD, Børsparken in OSL, With in TOS. Between 3PM and 6PM there is free coffee and free "make-it-yourself"-waffles. They have a nice common reading lounge as well as a large, spacious lobby. There is a fitness room, but I have never used it. As there are so many returning customers, the atmosphere and staff is very friendly. But it is not a luxury hotel, it's more a "home away from home"-place. It's a ten minute walk from the quay.

The Radisson SAS is a international, somewhat bland, first class hotel rather in the Hilton/Sheraton mould. If that's what you want, the Scandic Ålesund (still Hilton affiliated) is next to the Bryggen. It is also a good hotel, with Norway's best hotel breakfast buffet! Other hotels, closer to the quay, are the Rica Parken: it's supposed to be quite good, but I refuse to stay there, as the architecture is so ugly. The Comfort Scandinavie (used to be a Quality, but was downgraded when the Bryggen was uppgraded) is an old classical hotel, but worn. The ones that I have mentioned already are better bets. Thon Noreg is next to the Radisson SAS, I've never been inside, but it looks dowdy from the outside. Should be acceptable for a short stay, and is next to the quay. First Atlantica is also only known to me from the outside. This small chain has nice hotels elsewhere in Norway, and their rack rates are high, especially when it's more or less situated in a downtown roundabout, so I guess that the quality is acceptable. It's about five minutes from the quay.

Thus the official KSU Ålesund hotel list:
1. Clarion Collection Bryggen
2. Scandic Ålesund
3. Radisson SAS Ålesund
4. Comfort Scandinavie
5. Rica Parken (probably higher if it were less architectonically challenged)*
6. First Hotel Atlantica**
7. Thon Hotel Noreg**

* Never stayed there, but my very choosy partner has, and was satisfied
** Never stayed there

A linguistic comment: If writing Ålesund in English, or any other langauge not having the letter Å (A with the diacritic sign of a small circle on top) the official transliteration is AA. thus you will often see Ålesund spelt Aalesund even in Norwegian texts/signs, even though this spelling is somewhat archaic in Norwegian.

AE=Æ
OE=Ø
AA=Å

^ we will stay at the Clarion - sounds like a short walk to the Midnastol and their rates are pretty good. By the way, I was spelling it as Aalesund but I actually have been receiving lots of documents relating to my trip spelling it as Alesund, so I got lazy and switched back (e.g., see US website for SAS).

One other question (I really promise to do a great trip report on this) - would you go to visit Frederiksborg or Kronborg castle on a side trip from Copenhagen? I guess I could try to do both in a day trip (seems feasible) but may opt for only one (traveling by train). Other side trip from Copenhagen will be to Roskilde.