Scandinavia Itinerary Help

Unfortunately, I can't help much with the specific logistics of your travels. However, I did want to mention if you haven't been to St. Petersburg, you might want to include that in your plans. The St. Peter Line ferry travels between Helsinki and SPB and gives you the opportunity to visit and stay in SPB without a visa for up to 72 hours. The ferry leaves Helsinki in the later afternoon and arrives in SPB early the next morning and vice versa. The St. Peter Line isn't as nice as some of the other Scandinavian ferries but it's workable.

Also, if you have any interest in visiting Riga as well as Tallinn. There is a sightseeing tour that takes you from Tallinn to Riga with stops along the way. You can then take a Tallink ferry to Stockholm from Riga.

https://www.likealocalguide.com/tallinn/tours/tallinn-riga-sightseeing-tour-bus

Thanks. We already considered it but aren't doing any Russia this year. Another time I hope!

Have you considered what you would like to see in each place? I always start with finding out the sights that are available, then decide which I really want to see. When I did that in Helsinki and Tallinn, as an example. I decided one full day was plenty. You may be more interested in certain sights I decided to skip, or you may be choosing to slow down - if so, good for you.

I think there is more to see and do in and around Copenhagen than Stockholm. I spent six nights in Copenhagen and felt like I could spend more. I spent one day walking the old center of Tallinn and felt like I'd seen what I wanted to see.

For the last part, Rick's book probably gives the easiest to follow directions on how to see "Norway in a Nutshell".

I really like seeing Scandinavia by sea (ferries) but Helsinki to Oslo is better as a flight.

Brad, thanks ... yes we have Rick's book. We like lots of things - the usual things - impressive fjords, beautiful nature, the occasional museum or attraction. I can guess, but I was looking for a recommendation from people familiar with the area! Don't worry about what I like, tell me what's good.

The most important reason I'm posting here is just to nail down a workable itinerary in terms of transportation connections.

I saw much of what you have on your tentative itinerary on two separate trips. Based on that, here's what I'd recommend. My suggestion for number of nights is just general; I don't know the exact number of nights you have in your month-long trip, so you can add or subtract as necessary.

Helsinki (include a day trip to Turku and Naantali) 4 nights
Ferry to Tallin 2 nights
Overnight ferry to Stockholm 6 nights
Train to Kalmar 2 nights
Train to Copenhagen 5 nights
Fly to Bergen 2 nights
NiN with overnight stop maybe in Flam, or ferry to Balestrand (2 nights)
Oslo 4 nights

If you have more time and want to add stops somewhere, you certainly could do that, but hopefully this gives you a good basic starting structure for your itinerary.

In Scandinavia, flights are used more commonly than trains on a lot of routes, even by locals. SAS and Norwegian (and their various affiliates) compete on many routes, so prices need not be high. If you're having trouble figuring out how to connect places, or if the connections take many hours, look into flights on Skyscanner: https://www.skyscanner.com/

My thinking for logistics in Scandinavia would be something like this...

•Start in Helsinki with possible visits to St Petersburg and Tallinn by ferry.
•Train to Turku, then ferry to Stockholm.
•Train to Oslo and Bergen, including Flam railway.
•Fly to Copenhagen for time in Denmark.

If you have to finish in Oslo, then ...
•Train from Stockholm to Copenhagen for time in Denmark.
•Fly to Bergen
•Train to Oslo, including Flam railway.

With the luxury of more time you could take the train above the Arctic Circle, travelling from Stockholm to Narvik, then Bodo to Oslo.

Hurtigruten Coastal Voyages from Bergen could be worked in to an itinerary as well.

What's good (at least the parts I liked the best):

Helsinki, the island fortress Suomenlinna. You can take a little ferry from right at the city center. I also liked the city center. The rock church was skippable for me. It earned a meh, from me, and not worth the effort to see it.

Tallinn, the old center.

Oslo, the Viking ship museum (by ferry from the center), I also really liked Frogner Park (sculpture garden). Walking the center including the city hall and opera house were nice (both worth a look, not major sights for me). I didn't tour inside Akershus because the people with me weren't interested.

Stockholm, I liked the Vasa best and wished I'd spent more time on Djurgarden. Was not impressed, however, with Skansen. I guess I was expecting it to be like Williamsburg, VA where you can ask the staff about things - and they can tell you. In Skansen, the local guests knew more about the buildings than the staff did (e.g. how were farm houses oriented and why?). I liked walking around Gamla Stan, but it's only worth an hour or so.

Copenhagen. One day trip to Roskilde to see the cathedral and Viking Ship Museum (completely different type of place than in Oslo) was worth it. Look for the bones of Herald Blue Tooth built into the wall of the cathedral. Admission and transportation was free with the Copenhagen card. Another day trip was up to see Helsingor and the brief but good castle tour (take a flashlight for the casemates or buy a cheap souvenir from a vending machine there), then a "private rail line" further up to a beach at Hornbaek to get sun and wade in the Baltic. I didn't see Frederiksborg, in Hillerod, because they were working on the rail line and it would have been really inconvenient. If I go back, it will top my list of to-dos.

In town, I liked the National museum (tons of viking and medieval things), the Glyptotech sculpture gallery, Rosenborg slot is really nice and has the Royal Jewels in the basement. I also liked the Nyhavn area for staying in, the canal cruise from here is worth taking. Nyhaven is cleaner and nicer than around city hall.

City Hall is worth a look. I ran out of time before visiting Christiania, so can't give you an opinion. Amalienborg has the changing of the guard and some ruins underneath, a meh from me there. Tivoli earned a meh from me also. I kept thinking Danish kids really aren't overstimulated. The average American kid wouldn't think much of Tivoli. I did like a restaurant there (name translates to the Ditch) - we ordered Smorebrot for four.