Departing June 11
Returning July 10
Visiting Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Norway - in that order.
What do you guys think we should expect in terms of weather? I can see the daily highs/lows averages online of course, but I though your travel experiences (seeing fjords, taking ferries, etc - also cities like stockholm, helsinki) would be useful.
For example? Should I have a pair of shorts? Should I have a winter coat?
I was in Scandanavia (Oslo - Bergen - Alesund) two summers ago for almost the exact same time dates you'll be there. We had everything from warm, sunny days to several days of rain in a row. Bring a light rain jacket with a hood, shoes that will work in wet weather, and then layers for everything else. Definitely shorts because it can get quite warm. It was never terribly cold - maybe in the mid-60s - so layers were perfect. We planned our activities for the next day based on the forecast. If it was sunny, we'd do outdoor activities...if the forecast was for rain we'd do indoor things.
Personally I would not bring shorts and definitely not a winter coat. If anywhere near water it will be cool so a long sleeve and a windbreaker/rain jacket would be useful. If doing anything on water, I would have light wool sweater under the jacket. Days are long but is not as intense as it is further south. But in general the weather is very good and pleasantly warm but not hot.
Temperatures and weather can vary considerably within the vast geographical region these countries cover (and neither Finland or Estonia are in Scandinavia). Are you going north of the arctic circle? Are you going in the mountains? Are you going hiking?
Western Norway has a coastal climate warmed by the gulf stream, so expect mild temperatures and rain once in a while. Behind the screen of the Norwegian mountains, Sweden, Finland and Estonia have more extreme temperature fluctuations and less rain, so the shorts might come in handy.
I would think of packing in layers. Pack a waterproof outer shell, one or two warm sweaters or fleeces, shirts or t-shirts. Personally I would pack some thermal underwear, it can keep you very warm, but does not take up a lot of space, so a good warmth to weight ratio. Unless you are going to the far north, ditch the winter coat. If it gets really cold, then put on all your layers.
Also the shorts does not take up a lot of space either, so I would pack them even if i might not need them.
Yes, I'm aware that Finland and Estonia aren't in Scandinavia, I'm actually quite knowledgable about this region in fact. Also, the very large geographic area covered by my was precisely the reason I asked my question - not something I'd overlooked. I suppose you get a lot of ignorant travelers in DK.... sorry if some are American.
The terms Scandinavia, the Baltic countries etc. are often mixed up and applied mistakenly on this forum and sometimes I just get the urge to correct it when I see it often enough, even if it is nitpicking and irrelevant to the topic. It was not my intention to come of as rude and I can see from your previous posts that you are not a clueless American tourist :-)
You haven't actually mentioned where in this vast geographical region you plan to go and since you mention a winter coat, it might suggest a trip to the arctic circle or the mountains.
No worries, yes it came off a bit condescending and I only said something because it wasn't really relevant to the discussion, but let's move on.
I may in fact visit some northerly spots, like Rovaniemi, but no arctic circle. We will certainly spend time in Bergen and then take the ferry to Balestrand, so I imagine the hooded parka will definitely get some use.
My other wonder is, since Helsinki is first on our agenda, and we will be there June 12-16. My first time in Finland and everyone always refers to it being a rather chilly place.
I lived in Scandinavia for a couple of years, and have to say, the weather is reeeally unpredictable there. But of course you won't need a winter coat :-) As for shorts, it depends on you and the weather you are used to. 'Cause scandinavians may wear shorts and T-shirts when it's 15 degrees, but I was freezing even at 25 because of strong wind.
It can be even more windy on ferries, so take a windproof jacket. And a raincoat will be a good idea, beacause it may rain for several days in a raw and you will hate your umbrella :-) But I have to say that if you get lucky and the weather gets to be sunny, you will love Scandinvia, it looks so peaceful and the people are very kind to tourists!
