Villages/Towns to Visit Between Copenhagen-Gothenburg-Oslo?

The obvious answer is Gothenburg, lovely city and I hope you've planned to spend some time there.

Apart from that there are several towns worth a night. The drawback is that the west coast isn't really known for it's lovely weather in November. But the first place that comes to mind is Varberg, charming town that is very popular in the summer. Also has a 13th century fortress with a museum. Otherwise, consider Trollhättan or Halmstad. Maybe Helsingborg, but that might be better to do as a day trip from Copenhagen. Strömstad and Fredrikstad are also good options.

Fredrikstad (Norway) isn't undiscovered, but it was a nice place to spend a night. Be sure you have enough time Gothenburg first, though.

Thank you, Badger! I realize the November time frame is limiting in some ways. I am excited to spend time in Gothenburg and am intrigued by some of the other options.

There are times when visiting the seaside and "beach towns" in winter can be even more relaxing. And maybe after spending 10 days making my way through cities in Belgium, Germany, and Denmark, a relaxing afternoon at the Asian Spa in Varberg would be a welcome change!

Thank you, acraven. Just looked at Fredrikstad last night and it's an option. Anything in particular stand out to you in Gothenburg that you loved?

I may opt for one stop along this path and add another stop/adventure/tour to the path from Oslo to Bergen to Stavanger. It's nice to have options!

Sounds great, Gothenburg has much to offer. Varberg is in a way a typical beach town, so if you enjoy visiting those in the off season, Varberg in November will probably suit you well. Varberg also has a beautiful bath house ( https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Varberg_open_air_bath_and_beach_2009.jpg ) if you want a swim in the sea.

You mentioned Flam en route to Bergen, so assuming you will take the narrow gauge railroad down to the port. Suggest continuing on by ferry for 1.75 hours to Balestrand & staying at the Kviknes Hotel in the old wing. The breakfast room is entirely composed of amazing wood carving. Of our 10-day trip, Balestrand was our favorite small town. We were there in the summer, rented bikes for the day & biked out of town, but the roads were narrow & there was quite a bit of truck traffic. I don't recall the name, but there's a small cafe by the ferry with excellent food. It's then a 4-hour ferry ride to Bergen. https://www.kviknes.com/?_ga=2.97534870.880841557.1663350699-1293232972.1663350698

I think a swim in the freezing sea may just be something memorable, honestly. And perhaps a Norwegian thing to do! So I am considering that. Thanks again.

Sandancisco, I appreciate the idea and recommendation. Question for you (and perhaps this belongs in the Norway thread).

I will be taking a ferry through the Aurlandsfjord and the Naeroyfjord. Someone suggested driving around/above the fjords for a completely different vantage point, which I love.

I am thinking it would be really cool to drive along/above the Sognefjord since I will not have seen that fjord. I am having a difficult time finding a one-way car rental from Balestrand to Bergen. So what about this:

Assume I have an extra two to three days in my itinerary. What if I rented a car after a couple days in Bergen and drove a loop from Bergen to Stegastein Lookout to Lærdalsøyri to Balestrand and back to Bergen? I'll have several ferry crossings to manage/time and quite a bit of driving with limited daylight in November. Would the views and visits in small villages along the way justify this?

Is there a better way to get views of the Sognefjord without this complexity? Would it be better to just make the 3 1/2 hour drive from Bergen to Balestrand, spend a night or two exploring from there, then head back the same way getting different views of the same fjord with possibly different weather/skies?

I appreciate your time and wisdom.

Hmmmm well that's an interesting idea, but I haven't done it so maybe post it in the Norway section & see who has November fjord driving suggestions? Just checking if you're an experienced winter mountain driver with winter tires rather than chains? (the Scandinavian standard). I've only been to Sweden once mid November, but I still recall it was dark & rainy the entire time. (Who knew wet cold is colder than cold cold? HA.) So you're going to be very hit or miss with the weather, and clouds tend to hang down low over mountains, obscuring views. (Lots of Alaska & Alps experience talking here.) I would take the train from Oslo to the port of Flåm, hop a ferry to Balastrand & a few days later take the ferry 4 hours to Bergen. Described here as the world's most beautiful rail road journey. https://www.norwaysbest.com/flamsbana/flamsbana---the-flam-railway/#:~:text=The%20Fl%C3%A5m%20Railway%20has%20been,high%20mountains%20at%20Myrdal%20station. That way you can kick back, relax & have time to chat with locals! The ferries in Norway were super efficient though I would check the November schedules.
And though I suppose technically 'dusk' is at 4PM in mid November in Bergen, it's longitude lies slightly further north than Uppsala, where I've seen streetlights come on at 2PM in early December. One last comment - I spent 11 summers & a winter on the coast in Alaska, at about the same longitude & I'm not particularly cold blooded, but you will need water proof, not water resistant, clothing. At least hiking boots if not Sorrels, waterproof pants, & a real rain coat, in addition to whatever non-cotton base layers you're planning on taking. Hopefully this is helpful, would love to hear what you decide!

PS, Gothenburg has some decent outdoor stores for winter clothes shopping, "Stadium" is OK, reasonably priced.

Sandancisco, thank you for so much useful information. For right now, I am keeping some open days in the itinerary so that I can see what the weather is going to be like. I think that's the most prudent path. And the Balestrand option sounds pretty great as well. Just trying to soak up as much as I can, even in less than ideal circumstances. It's still an adventure and I am sure I will meet many interesting people!

I'm sure you will have a wonderful time no matter what you decide. Leaving some open days is a good idea. There are always cafes open to hang out, drink amazing coffee, & watch the world go by (my personal favorite in a new city).

Look at Lund, Sweden. It takes about 40 minutes to get there via train from Copenhagen airport. I spent a day there recently and found it to be a lovely town with beautiful architecture thanks to many of the old university buildings. Lund University is a well-respected university so there are a lot of students in town (if visiting during school year) - but that didn't deter from enjoying Lund. Also, they have a well done open air museum called Kulturen and visitors there can experience the way of life in Sweden from about the 1300's to 1930. It was a short walk from the main town area where I stayed. It could be a one-night stop to get the sights. I highly recommend!

Great ideas and much appreciated!

Lund is a charming town, but can also be done as an easy day trip from Copenhagen.