Want to play travel agent - Scandinavia?

Hi,

We just took a similar trip last summer. We flew to Stockholm where we stayed 3 nights, saw the major sights in the city, and could have stayed 1-2 more to see some of the archipelago/surrounds. We then took the fast train to Copenhagen (5 hours--booked a few months before online) and stayed 4 nights with family friends in a suburb, but visited Copenhagen, Roskilde (Viking Museum/town). I would say 2 full days in Copenhagen would give you a good feeling for the city. We then flew to Bergen, Norway (from CPH) and stayed 2 nights there--well worth the trip and plenty to see in 1-2 days. From Bergen we took a train to the fjords--stayed in Aurland in a fjord-side cabin 1 night (could have stayed another if an outdoor adventure was desired), and then traveled the Flam Railway, ending eventually in Oslo where we easily could have spent 3 days. The train ride from Myrdal to Oslo was one of the most amazing journeys I have ever taken in all of Europe.

We found wonderful museums in both Oslo and Stockholm (get the Stockholm pass), and found rail travel very easy in all 3 countries (easy to book all train travel from the US several months before). We, too, have traveled extensively in Europe and found the only drawback to travel in this region was the very high prices everywhere (including grocery stores). The natural beauty of Norway is breathtaking and experiencing the progressive societies of all three countries was very refreshing. Enjoy your trip!

We have been to Copenhagen and would advise minimum of 4 days for tour the city and surrounding area.

Haven't been to Oslo or Stockholm, but I am planning a trip for June 2019 for Stockholm and possibly Oslo prior to our Arctic Circle cruise up the coast of Norway. From what I have read, you will need about 4 days for each city. The train is good from Copenhagen to Stockholm, but there is a ferry you might consider between Oslo and Copenhagen.

Check your flights, but I would probably plan on flying back from Copenhagen.

question... why are you flying into Amsterdam?

Just love Amsterdam mainly and want to stay there a couple nights

You may have already considered this before, but Norway is really for nature, not for urban exploring. Bergen is pretty if you absolutely must see a Norwegian city though. Oslo is almost universally considered the ugliest of the Nordic capitals.

Are you wanting to explore smaller cities or small towns in Scandinavia? If so, how many?

maybe smaller towns in a day trip, but probably not wanting a lot of hopping around as far as packing/unpacking

I'm starting to lean Iceland-Amsterdam-Copenhagen-Stockholm a little

Copenhagen has some decent day trips-- There's the Louisiana Museum in Humlebaek, and the unmissable Frederiksborg Castle (Danish castle exteriors are right up there with Germany and England's castles in my opinion, and they have pretty classy interiors too with lots of black and white checkered floors). Osterlen in Skane is a quaint sort of Midwestern farm-type region east across the bridge into Sweden that never gets mentioned in guidebooks for some reason, in fact its hard to find information on it in English.

Uppsala is probably the best place to focus on outside of Stockholm, there's tons to do. Outside of Stockholm for the most part, Swedish architecture can start to look bland, especially with the lack of mountains in 80% of the country. I'd say the only really aesthetic cities in Sweden are Stockholm, Uppsala, Lund, Vaxjo, Linkoping, Lulea and Umea.

In Norway and Sweden, AirBnB is all that's used, but in Copenhagen be sure to check out https://www.all-copenhagen-apartments.com/

Scandinavia is so large that diluting your time with Amsterdam, and then the travel day out of Amsterdam, makes little sense.

If you are interested in Iceland then Icelandair makes great sense going to and from different cities in Scandinavia, but I'm not sure how that would work from Memphis.

I felt there was more to see and do in Copenhagen. I spent six nights there and could have spent more. I flew in and out of Copenhagen because I could get a direct flight to DC (near my home). Stay near Kongen's Nytorv (upper end of the pedestrian mall). It's a nicer area and faster/easier to get to by metro from the airport than center city is using the train. I like the Copenhagen card because it covers the city, all transportation, plus transportation and sights all over northern Zealand.

Oslo is fairly small so spend less time there or add the Norway in a Nutshell tour (see Rick's guides).

Plan to fly from city to city, there is no other really good option. You can ferry overnight but it's more expensive than flying. I'd add a ferry from either Stockholm to Helsinki, Tallinn or a triangle of all three. The archipelago out of Stockholm is beautiful and you will only see it by water.

I like Airbnb in Europe. I generally price things out each trip before deciding. Remember, unless a hotel says breakfast included, it probably comes at an added charge.

I'd add a ferry from either Stockholm to Helsinki, Tallinn or a triangle of all three.

So are you suggesting ferrying to say Tallinn and staying there - or could that be a day trip from Stockolm? How long does a ferry take I guess is the question.

Plan to fly from city to city, there is no other really good option

?? There are 5 hour express trains Oslo / Stockholm and Copenhagen / Stockholm that run $20-40 booked in advance. If you do fly remember that the airports in Oslo and Stockholm are way out and the ground transportation to and from is quite expensive so add to the air fare. For example the Arlanda Express from the Stockholm airport into the city is more expensive (252 Swedish Crowns booked in advance) than the express train from Oslo to Stockholm (195 Swedish Crowns) booked in advance. [There are other ways to get into Stockholm via city bus that are cheaper if you are willing to fuss with the time and transfers, however.]