Scandinavia to Paris route advice

Logic says to work, as far as possible, in a linear routing to minimize distances (and therefore time and, possibly, expense). But Bergen throws that off. However, starting in Stockholm, then Bergen is probably your most efficient routing. You should have multiple daily flight options. But you'll have to do the math yourself on prices, using a search engine like Google Flights or Skyscanner.

The website https://www.flightsfrom.com/BGO?timeFrom=0&timeTo=1440&from=BGO&aircrafts=&state=1 indicates that Bergen has flights to all the other cities you mentioned, but perhaps just one flight a day to Paris. You can get more precise schedule information at www.skyscanner.com . Use dates from this fall that are close to when you expect to travel next year. Make a note of the fare pattern by day of the week, because that may save you some money when it's time to buy your tickets.

You can use the Danish (https://www.dsb.dk/en/), Norwegian (https://www.vy.no/en) and/or Swedish (https://sj.se/en -- corrected) rail websites for schedule and fare information. [See Badger's post below for his preferred Norwegian website.]

I believe you'll find it's not practical to travel to or from Bergen by train unless you want to stop off in Oslo--which most people do. It's very popular to travel between Oslo and Bergen via some form of the Norway in a Nutshell route. That allows you to see some spectacular fjord scenery as you cross southern Norway. It's easier to get to Oslo than to Bergen via ground transportation from Copenhagen or Stockholm.

Bergen is a very pretty city. I liked it a lot, but even I (one of the very slowest travelers on the forum) only spent 4 nights in Bergen. For most folks four nights wouldn't be necessary unless a fjord day trip was planned.

In terms of routing strategy, I like the idea of flying into or out of the place that's trickiest/slowest to reach by train or ferry--which would be Bergen. But a transatlantic flight into Bergrn may not be affordable or even possible (depending on airline allowances). I'd use Google Flights to check the trans-Atlantic flight situation.

Copenhagen to Stockholm to Bergen or Stockholm to Copenhagen to Bergen will both work fine. Where in the US does your trip start?

My suggestion would be one the routes I mention above, from Bergen there are flights to Paris with Air France, although not very frequent ones. Although 5 days in Bergen might be a tad much, you might want to consider taking the train from Oslo to Bergen, it is a very scenic route.

Also, only one of the rail sites mentioned above is correct. For Norway, use www.entur.no and for Sweden use www.sj.se

Thanks for the ideas, suggestions and corrections. Definitely not interested in taking the train to Paris, and have strongly considered working in the train between Bergen and Oslo. We prefer multiple nights in each location instead of frequent changes but hubs and I are trading off "wants"; may have to tell him since he's insisting on another trip to Paris (yes, I love Paris too) that we will spend a couple of nights in Oslo as well). Norway in a Nutshell does not appeal; I'm sure it is a delightful experience but it's just too many moving parts for the way we prefer to travel.

We'll essentially be departing from wherever AA gives us a decent, acceptable itinerary; CLT is our closest airport with international connections but we are sometimes routed from our local airport through DC, Philly, New York,... Unfortunately, AA loves to push us onto British Airways flights (especially returning to the US from Europe) but we'll fly business and just suck it up on the fees incurred; we long ago decided it was worth the BA fees to be comfortable, and maybe get a little sleep, going across the pond.

Sorry, I mentioned the train since you asked about trains and planes and your subject line said you were looking for advice for Scandinavia to Paris. I have deleted my response.

No worries! Always good to know what others have done.

Or if you are willing to step out of your airline comfort zone, SAS has many direct flights from the US to Scandinavia.

In early-mid September 2022 we did Stockholm - Copenhagen by train - flight to Bergen - flight to Oslo. Flights were with SAS.

We were in Bergen for four days and it rained heavily on one day, two days were sunny but windy and very very cold, and one day was overcast. We needed our puffer jackets, gloves and hats on the windy days.