Looking for feedback on driving tour option or just taking trains and ferries. What to include?
Planning to allow 3 weeks in the fall. Basing it on proposed trip by Rick - starting in Stockholm to Oslo, Lillehammer (is this worth driving to and spending time? Folk air museum?) Sognefjord, Bergen, Stetesdal Valley to Denmark-Arhus, Odense, Aero,Roskilde to Copenhagen, Vaxjo, Kalmar, Soder-koping to Stockholm.
Comments, suggestions please?
I am also interested in a driving tour of all three Scandinavian countries, and would particularly like to see Kalmar, Sweden, as well as many of those previously mentioned. Is it difficult to get around without being able to speak any of the Scandinavian languages? Are there bridges and/or ferries which take cars?
I did a trip in 2012 that included some of the places on your itinerary: Copenhagen, Aero, Kalmar, and Stockholm. (I also went to Tallinn and Helsinki.) I did the entire trip via trains and ferries (except for one day when I rented a car in Kalmar to visit Oland). I can't address everywhere you're looking to go, but it was easy and convenient to see all those places without a car, and I was glad not to have the hassles of parking and directions and traffic, and very happy not to have to pay high gasoline prices.
All the places I went that you are thinking of visiting were definitely worthwhile.
Beware the toll ring:
http://www.visitoslo.com/en/transport/by-car/toll-ring/
When driving into Oslo you will pass a toll plaza. Prices and payment
You are charged every time you drive into the city. The price is
currently (May 2014) 31 NOK for a max. 3500 kg car. You do not pay to
drive out of the city.Oslo's toll plazas are automatic. All vehicles shall drive through
without stopping. If you have an AutoPASS tag (subscription), you will
be charged according to the AutoPASS agreement. For vehicles without
an AutoPass tag, payment is made after passing. The vehicle's
registration number is photographed upon passing and the owner will
receive an invoice by post. Please note that it can take 2-3 months
before the invoice is issued.
If your rental company gets the delayed invoices they may hit you with additional administrative fees.
I had a great time driving between these places in 1994, roughly following the 3-week driving route in Rick's book. I visited Lillehammer when the Olympics there had just ended and so found their Olympics display quite exciting, as well as I love open-air museums, but you'll have several other opportunities for open-air museums on this plan. The longer drive from Stockholm to Oslo was not particularly memorable for anything but trees, so flying is a cheap alternative, but I understand you probably want to pick up and return the car in the same country to avoid drop-off fees.
