My husband and I are going on the Best of Scandinavia tour in a few weeks and are working on our plans for the two days we will have in Stockholm prior to the start of the tour. Our tour documents include a number of suggestions for things we will not be doing as a group. An archipelago cruise sounds like a nice option. There are several 1/2 day or full day options described in the guidebook. Has anyone done one of these that they would recommend?
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2880 posts
I only arrived one day early for the tour, and decided to do the dinner cruise.
https://www.stromma.com/en-se/stockholm/excursions/day-trips/
It was enjoyable and the food was good, so I think which ever cruise appeals would be good.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4229 posts
You might find my recent trip report helpful.
All I can say is spring time weather in Scandinavia can be unpredictable and often harsh. Be prepared for rain and occasionally freezing temps.
There are several 1/2 day or full day options described in the guidebook. Has anyone done one of these that they would recommend?
I don't know what's in the RS guidebook
Posted by
Seattle
16 posts
I haven't done the RS tour but I like to make a point of taking boat tours, especially in Stockholm. The Strömma canal tour out to Sandhamn is all day. It's interesting to see how the character of the islands changes the farther out you go. I think a couple of meals were served and we had an optional walking tour of the island.
I took a boat ride to Vaxholm, which is much closer to Stockholm, and also possible to visit by car/bus. I wanted to visit the fortress (via cable ferry!), but we ran out of time/energy for that.
Posted by
Atlanta
2551 posts
My friends and I arrived 2 or 3 days early and took the train to Uppsala to explore this cute university town. Another day we walked to the Djurgården, stopping for lunch at a lovely restaurant. Also, the ABBA Museum was a hoot! There’s lots to do and see. We were there in mid-May, 2022, weather was very nice and flowers were blooming!
I wish now we had taken a boat cruise.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7360 posts
Carlos' weather warning is very important. So far we've had a warm and sunny spring this year, but a few days ago the weather changed and now we've had a couple of rainy days with temperatures around 5°.
An archipelago trip can be nice, I don't know what's in the guide book but I've been to the archipelago many time. You can take a tour cruise, but you can also plan a trip on your own using the regular ferries. Public transportation in the archipelago is operated by Waxholmsbolaget, www.waxholmsbolaget.se. They serve around 300 different "ports", which according to Wikipedia is the largest ferry network in the world. Map of the network: https://assets.ctfassets.net/4l7cjdaypzcu/4G15hCHNqPaUqK53zsSdfC/5d24edbfb3d8b6ec86981e254a0d738f/linjekarta-skargarden-2023.pdf Some routes are summer only though.
And a day trip to Uppsala is also a good option.
Posted by
OP
TN
17 posts
These are such helpful suggestions! Thanks to each of you.
Posted by
Southport, NC
414 posts
We're taking this tour in July and have planned a few days before as well. One day, we're taking the local ferry out to Vaxholm island
(https://waxholmsbolaget.se/reseplanering/resmal), though think they run more lines during the summer months. We've also planned to take public transit to Drottningholm Palace, which I think is about an hour away and looks like it requires a whole day. (https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/royal-palaces-and-sites/drottningholm-palace.html).
Have a great time!
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
46 posts
This is not directly responsive to your question, but I just wanted to hop in and say you are likely going to LOVE the Best of Scandinavia tour! We took it last summer and it was fantastic. I hope you get Gabby as your tour guide - she is simply outstanding!