Grandma/Mom/Granddaughter in Amsterdam 2 Weeks, Then Night Train to Copenhagen...

Please don't assume that a EuRail pass is the way to go. There are better ways these days and the man in seat 61 is a good place to start to explore those options. Night train - are you sure??? especially when flying is cheap and fast and much more comfortable?

As it will be a cold to visit Northern Europe, I can only guess that you have a reason for visiting these areas at that time of year (as opposed to say a more temperate Italy or Spain).

You should navigate to Rick's website to look over his general advice about train travel. This is a valuable, non-sales area that will help you answer questions like whether you want railpasses or individual tickets.

It would have been helpful to know if you chose Scandinavia because it's sort-of near Amsterdam, or because of family ethnic background, for instance. There's nothing wrong with 3-weeks there, but you didn't say how many of the travelers have seen other parts of Europe, or even been to Europe before. One thing you would know if you have traveled before is how often the three of you desire to change hotels. That's very individual, and affects everything else.

I'm always puzzled by posters (elsewhere) who ask about what to do in New York if (gasp!) it were to snow during their visit. But the average monthly high temperature in Finland is a lot lower in November than it is in Amsterdam. Do you care about that? The internet is a great place to answer such questions, and it's a lot better to look at the data yourself than to ask anonymous newsboard posters whether they like visiting a certain country.

My wife and I spent two and a half weeks in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland one summer, without renting a car. But I just can't see enjoying outdoor attractions and walking around pretty towns and cities when it's freezing cold. I'm sure the bicycle garages we saw at each Finnish commuter rail station are just as full in the winter. But it's not my idea of a good time.

Cathy, of course, you can have a wonderful trip at this time of year in Denmark and Sweden. I think you need to do some research and see what appeals to you. A couple of people have pointed out that you ought to take weather into account. You should also be aware that you'll be pretty far north and days will be pretty short. At the end of November, days are 7-1/2 hours long in Copenhagen and just over 6-1/2 hours in Stockholm. The sun won't get very high!

Since the overnight train will be discontinued, see www.skyscanner.com to find flights for your longer route. Then, you'd only consider a Denmark-Sweden Eurail pass or one for just Sweden, which covers direct trains from Copenhagen to Swedish cities when operated by SJ Swedish railways. See also discount-ticket info on the same page.