Seeking kids-friendly (7 & 6) Scandinavian itinerary

The Copenhagen area probably has the most venues that would interest children (Tivoli Amusement Park, Bakken Amusement Park, Helsingor Castle & Frederiksborg Castle). Stockholm is a close 2nd (Skansen open-air Musem, Tivoi Göna Lund Amusement Park, Royal Palace). Also the original Legoland at Billund, Denmark on the Jutland Peninsula is fun to visit. Norway is more for the fjords and mountain scenery. I'd suggest flying into Stockholm and returning from Copenhagen. You don't need a car in either city (it would probably be a lot of trouble to have one). You could spend about 3 days in Stockholm and then take the train (just over 3 hrs) down to Göteborg to get the car. Use the car to explore Norway for about a week and then return it. You could then take a ferry from Göteborg to Frederikshavn, Denmark (2 hours & it's fun) and then train it down to Billund to do Legoland. From there, train it to Copenhagen for the last few days.

Tim's plan sounds very good. If you want less moving around, after returning the car you could take a train from Gothenburg right to Copenhagen. I'll just mention a conversation I had years ago with a Swedish woman. She explained that when she went with her family from Sweden to Norway, the cost difference meant that they had to be very careful. They filled up the tank in Sweden, since gas was so much more expensive in Norway. They brought a cooler full of food, since food was so much more expensive in Norway. They took a tent and camped, since they couldn't afford hotels in Norway. At this point, I interrupted and asked, is Norway really that much more expensive than Sweden (not known for its low prices)? She said absolutely (and, having since been there, I can confirm that). I then asked, is all that hassle really worth it? She said absolutely - despite the cost, she felt Norway was much more beautiful. You may want to follow her tips, and take as much stuff from Sweden as you can, to lower costs in Norway. Do get Rick Steves Scandinavia, as it has lots of money saving tips. You'll also need to supplement it, as he does not cover Gothenburg, or indeed large parts of Sweden (it's better for Norway and Denmark).

Tim, Harold: Thank you both for your great advice, suggestions. It will be very helpful as I begin planning. Kind regards, Christian

Denmark is very child-friendly and very easy and pleasant for travel. I have driven extensively in both Norway and Denmark, very little in Sweden. Norway is beautiful but it is very expensive. The attractions in Norway (scenery, fjords and glaciers, Viking history) are beyond the interests of most 7 year olds. In Demmark you can visit Legoland (which I enjoyed very much), beaches, castles, some Hans Christian Anderson heritage sites, and more.

If in Oslo, the kids may enjoy the Fram Museum and the Norsk Folkemuseum. In the Fram Museum, we can walk on, inside and around the ship used by Amundsen to explore the polar regions. The Folkemuseum has the usual rebuilt historic houses and domesticated animals running around. The kids I saw there also seemed to get a kick out of an old two-storey outhouse. If you want to give the kids a chance to run around and blow off steam, consider Frogner or Tøyen parks. The latter has a botantical gargen, the former is famous for it's statues, including the famous "Angry Baby" statue. The nearby Kon Tiki and Viking Ship Museums probably couldn't be more boring to young kids, however.

I'd plan a driving route through Norway to see the fjord region. Stockholm is a good base location but you won't need a car there. You might consider dropping the car off in Göteborg and then taking the train to Stockholm at the end of your trip before you fly home. In Stockholm, the kids might enjoy: A boat trip in the archipelago or even an overnight ferry to Helsinki or Tallinn Skansen - check their website to see the events during the time of your visit. On some days they have special activities like folk dancing. Skansen also has a section with Nordic animals Gröna Lund - an amusement park Junibacken - A children's museum based on the stories of Astrid Lindgren Candy (Godis) stores - A Swedish custom is to take the kids to the Candy store on Saturday to get "Lördags godis" (Saturday Candy). The candy shops sell loose candy with lots of variety. Skip the salted licorice though. There are lots of parks with playgrounds in Stockholm.

I enthusiastically agree with all the previous recommendations, so won't repeat those. If you make it to Bergen (as part of the Fjords), it makes a wonderful home base and is very family Friendly. The hands-on children's museum Vilvite is excellent, the Floibanen up the mountain is fun for kids, and the city is easily walkable. Beware in Norway (and maybe other places, too): Most everything is closed on Sundays, including grocery stores, and most restaurants, even in the city! We spent several weeks traveling with children through Scandinavia last summer and I kept a blog about it. Contact me if you'd like the link for it. Bon Voyage!