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We need a little help for an unusual Scandinavia itinerary

I say "unusual" because it's 10 nights starting late August, (locked in) flying into Oslo and out of Stockholm, but will NOT include Denmark since we've been there twice. We're a bit stumped because apart from those cities, our other must-see is Norway-in-a-nutshell, which is in the wrong direction and we don't want to spend excessive time in-transit.

So, how to fit in the nutshell? One idea is 2 nights in Oslo, then pack up to leave for nutshell, spending a night in Balestrand, then returning to Oslo for another night or two to spread out the nutshell travel time over two days. Is this reasonable to go from Oslo to Balestrand via the nutshell route, then finish the nutshell the next day via Naerofjord and Voss, heading back to Oslo? We also noticed a plane from Bergen to Stockholm is only around $80, so there's the option of not going back to Oslo and just flying over to finish up in Stockholm after a couple nights in Bergen, although the idea of a mid-trip flight isn't very appealing. We try to pack light but I'm still getting anxiety about lugging it around on the nutshell transportation.

With only the nutshell side trip, this puts us at 3-4 nights in Oslo and 5 in Stockholm, which is more than recommended for the typical Scandinavia tour. Are there any additional recommendations of one-day side trips in which we could still keep our hotel base in those cities?

thank you for any suggestions

Posted by
1743 posts

I'm a bit confused regarding your concern about a mid-trip flight. If you went back to Oslo, were you then planning on taking a train from Oslo to Stockholm? That's a long time sitting in trains.

But one solution might be to fly directly from Oslo to Bergen the day you land in Oslo, so you don't even have to leave the airport. (Of course there's a risk if you are delayed, but you can weigh that against other options.) Then do the NiN eastbound, ending in Oslo, and then stay there however many nights you want before heading to Stockholm.

Personally, I'd recommend spending a couple of nights in Bergen. If I were doing this trip, I'd do 3 nights in Oslo, 1 night in Balestrand, 2 nights in Bergen, and then fly to Stockholm and stay 4 nights there.

It sounds like you're stressing out a bit about this trip. Try to figure out how to leave the stress behind and just enjoy it. You're going to some wonderful places. Pack as light as you can and have fun!

Posted by
2700 posts

Fly from Bergen to Stockholm. It will be much faster than the train, which is important for a short trip like yours.

Posted by
308 posts

I wouldn't worry about running out of things to do in Stockholm if you are there for 5 nights! I was there for 3 nights in May and would have gladly taken 2 more nights there.

Posted by
16893 posts

I also vote for flying from Bergen to Stockholm.

Posted by
3 posts

These are exactly the type of responses I was hoping for. We've been doing trips with a couple 2-4 hour train rides included, like France, Germany/Austria/Prague, and Italy. It's becoming clear that this one doesn't make sense to be done that way. We appreciate the help and I'll re-post if we need more. thanks

Posted by
768 posts

I agree with the suggestion to fly from Bergen to Stockholm. Two years ago my wife and I visited Bergen, Oslo and Stockholm--unfortunately for us it rained most of the time. You might want to consider 3 days and nights in Oslo, the fourth day departing Oslo early, experience the "nutshell", and arrive in Bergen the fourth night, the next two days and one night in Bergen, flying to Stockholm the afternoon or evening of the second day in Bergen (sixth day overall), and spend the remaining four days and nights in Stockholm--reserving one of the days to visit the archipelago. Once you disembark the train from Oslo at Myrdal are you planning the Flam Railway-Ferry-Bus loop or doing a two-way trip on the Flam Railway? I would assume the "nutshell" journey from Oslo to Bergen caters to those with luggage, but if you're traveling light (I assume one piece of luggage each and maybe a back-pack) it wouldn't be so bad to change modes a few times. During the visit I mentioned earlier, we were on a train from Zurich to Stuttgart ( yes, it’s a long way from Norway, and that's a long story), and in the middle of the route, there was something awry with the tracks and we had to get off the train, on a bus, off the bus, and on another train—with luggage of course. It was a nuisance, but that's part of the "adventure" one could say.

Posted by
3 posts

In response to Jon, we are doing the traditional Nutshell train, ferry, bus inverted-U trip. It looks like we're booked for exactly your suggestion and with the other above input....3 nights in Oslo, Nutshell, 2 nights in Bergen, then fly to Stockholm to finish it out in that area. Can't wait! Thanks to everyone