A month in Scandinavia (June 2025)

Arriving in Tallinn the port area that the Tallink ferry uses now is also hugely upgraded since I was there last. In 2011 it was a bit run down and grungy, I wouldn’t call it dangerous or anything but it wasn’t the greatest place to walk through to the old down.

Now though, wow what an upgrade. Fancy new apartments, a big brand new mall right at the port. Water side restaurants, bars, plazas, etc. very impressive improvement.

Old town was largely the same as I remembered it. Lots of bars and touristy restaurants still. Given we were only there for 6 hours we didn’t venture far from the old town. I think you’d be hard pressed to get much more than a half/ 3/4 day out of the old town but it’s still cool
To see. Personally I’d probably rather just do as we did and make it a day trip from Helsinki VS staying a night/nights.

That afternoon we returned to Helsinki. The new Tallink port is a bit out of the downtown core, however there is a street car that runs right through the port. In the morning however we took a bolt from the Scandic to the port for about 12 euros. Worth it for the time savings.

Spent the rest of the night in Helsinki. We then sailed on the “party cruise” or booze cruise whatever you want to call it from Helsinki to Stockholm. We chose the Viking line. Which was an easy walk from the Scandic to the terminal even with our luggage. Both the Viking and the Silja lines leave from the downtown port. This Viking ship was pretty tired. I believe it was from the late 80’s early 90’s and while it was clean and relatively inexpensive, the room itself (double sea-view room) as well as the dinner and breakfast buffet were only just OK. Both were very busy, lots of kids running around, the food offerings were fine. I’d think if you’re a picky eater both would have been a bit of a tough go. My recommendation would if you’re going to be doing the buffet, only do the breakfast and choose an ala carte restaurant for dinner.

After a pretty rough sleep we got up and had the buffet then headed to the top deck to watch us cruise through the islands. Beautiful cruise into Stockholm and another sunny morning. Pulling in and getting off the ship is orderly and quick, from the time we pulled in and docked to the time we got off couldn’t have been more than 30 minutes. Apparently this Viking line docks at a more convenient location than the Silja line which is the primary reason we choose it.

There are some busses right outside the port doing transfers etc. however, a short walk, 5-8 minutes up and out of the port and onto the street above it has the city busses running by constantly. We only waited about 10 minutes and hopped on the bus, which took us within a 10 minute walk to the Scandic downtown Camper which we stayed at. Very nice hotel that has an upscale boutique vibe. They also had a very cool “self-guided” spa on the top floor with a proper Sauna, infinity pool, and service from the bar/lounge for only about $25 per person for 2 hours. I HIGHLY recommend taking advantage of this if you stay here.

This downtown camper Scandic is also in a great location. About 10-15 minutes to the old town. Right on a major transit line for street cars which will get you virtually anywhere. The trams here go right to Skansen, ABBA museum, Vassa, basically anywhere you need to go. Very straightforward easy to use transit.

Again spent 4 days, 3 nights here. Stockholm might be the nicest city I’ve ever been to. Incredibly clean, efficient, beautiful people, places, malls, shops, restaurants again everything is so dialed in. Also
Very walkable. Distances here are obviously a bit further than Helsinki but if you’re willing to walk, all the major “touristy” sites can be done on foot.

Vassa museum is a must, incredible world class museum , even if you don’t get a guided tour, just seeing the ship and briefly reading about it is worth any price they charge.

ABBA museum was pretty good, I’m not really a fan oersay but my wife grew up with a lot of abba and loved it. Tonnes of very important memorabilia, some cool interactive displays, it’s quite pricey however for what it is, but if you’re there and have any interest in abba, you might as well.

Skansen was probably the biggest suprise. I know it is one of the biggest draws in Stockholm but stuff like this is typically a miss for me, however it was fantastic, the “old” stuff in terms of buildings and the recreation of the towns and the actors who worked these places were amazing, incredibly informative, all excellent English (of course) and very engaging. The zoo portion was also very cool, wolverines, moose, bears, we had quite a show at every attraction. Even caught the play in the square with all the food stalls and shops, and even though it was in Swedish, it was very funny and well
Done. You could easily spend a whole day here, especially if you came with a family.

Again, Stockholm had endless options for dining and bars, however, we stumbled into a few different food halls which were top notch, and much more affordable than the restaurant options (a typical sit down meal would usually cost us $90-$140 CAD whereas the food halls, 2 meals 2 beers would be under $60 CAD)

Fantastic days here, again luck with the weather, we loved it. One of our favourite cities we’ve been to.

From there we scheduled a bolt to take us to the airport. This is a decent drive from the city Center to the airport. It took about 45 minutes to an hour with very light traffic and cost about $100 CAD. Once again convenience outweighed price and the stupid AirPort Express, which ran from the main station about a 15 to 20 minute walk away was quite expensive, so paying slightly more for a direct hotel to airport ride was a no brainer.

The Stockholm airport is surprisingly small for the countries main airport. We would be flying from Stockholm to Bergen this day with Finnair.

One thing I’d say about Scandinavia as a whole, everything is very expensive. Especially when you’re a Canadian coming with your weak Canadian dollar. However, flights are very expensive comparatively. Budget carriers like Ryan Air, etc. don’t seem to really fly within Scandinavia. So to fly direct to Bergen we had very few options and went with Finnair which cost about $700 for 2 people for the 1.5 hour flight.

Landing in Bergen another beautiful day. Bergen has a very nice little airport and surprisingly, for how expensive Norway is, this is one of the few duty free stores that it actually made sense for us to shop at. We bought bottles of wine for less than we’d pay for the same bottle in Canada, which virtually -never- happens anywhere we go. So bought some provisions and headed to the Tram station.

The tram station here is about as easily located as you will ever find in any airport. The station that will take you right into Bergen city is literally a handful of steps outside the baggage claim/exit door. Tram once again very easy to use, ticket machines right on the platform, about a 35-45 minute ride right into downtown Bergen.

So I will say, in general, of all the countries we went to, I found Norway to be the dirtiest. Not to say it’s a Paris or parts of Italy etc. but compared to Stockholm I’d say it was a pretty stark contrast. Lots of garbage in the streets, stuff like bus stops, tram platforms etc. we’re a bit more run down and just seemed to have a lot of rubbish strewn around.

Bergen itself though is very nice. A bit touristy as any town that looks like this would be, but it still has a lot to offer. We once again spent 3 full days, 3 nights here. The old town on the water is beautiful, lots to see lots of very nice gift shops with local articles, local art, etc. we purchased some amazing art made by local artists for very good prices comparatively.

The funicular which is right in the old town is 1000% worth it

We stayed up on the hill in Bergen on the opposite side from the funicular and it was a great spot although you have to hike up about 2 blocks to get to that higher grade. Cool little bars great bakeries etc. (again like imo Scandinavia doesn’t do Coffee all that well outside of your typical hipster barista that can pour some latte art however, every bakery we went to was 10/10)

From Bergen took the Norway in a nutshell Fjord tour. It’s pretty expensive when booking it through them however, for the couple hundred dollar savings I deemed the convenience to be worth it. Your ticket for everything including my multi day overnighter in Balestrand is on one PDF all the way from Bergen back to Oslo etc. I’m sure I’d be totally capable of booking everything individually but opted for the Norway in a nutshell and it was worth it imo.

Bergen to Balestrand, spent the night at the Midtnes hotel which is old and dated but well kept, the price is probably the most acceptable of Norway as a whole given its location I think 1 night with breakfast included was like $256 Canadian. We also had reservations as the Cider Hause there, did the tastings with Snacks. It was ok the owner guy who runs the entire show and did our tour is fairly personable even with the free cider I don’t know if it’s worth it for most people but there isn’t much else to do around there.

The next day we got back on the boat around 10am to continue on to Flam. This portion of the fjord between Balestrand and Flam are by far the most scenic and you also pull up close to a huge waterfall. In my opinion the Fjords were cool however as someone from Vancouver and B.C., I think places like these make you realize you take your own home for granted. From my door I could go to 3-4 different places in about 30 minutes which are similar to the Fjords but even grander and frankly, more beautiful. So for what it was, and as a visitor to Norway it was great, however, I wouldn’t say I was really blown away by any of it nor would I recommend going out of your way to see it unless you are dead set on it. Or, only do the flam / narrow fjord shorter trip. The long way around isn’t necessary.

From Flam we attempted to take the Flam scenic railway, unfortunately after getting up about half way we were informed the train had broken down and we had to return to Flam. By returning we had already missed the connection to Oslo (perhaps if I had booked separate tickets I would have made it! lol!) fortunately the train company fairly quickly organized busses it took about 2.5 hours for our bus to depart, with a 5.5 hour drive back to Oslo. That was pretty painful but it was interesting to see this side of the country. This inland area coming through the mountains from Flam was quite interesting and terrain I’ve very rarely ever seen.

Back to Oslo we arrived at about 2am. We stayed at the “Anker Hotel” which is about a 35 minute walk from the train station/Munch museum. This hotel was the absolute best compromise I could find in terms of price/location and it was almost $900 CAD for 2 nights. I don’t know if this was because of Oslo Pride or this is just the norm but when I read reviews that this was a “great value” I didn’t know how to take it lol. This area was unfortunately had some homeless/drug addict types but really nothing compared to most North American cities. The room as well I described in the review as a “3rd world hospital room” lol.. the location was fine however and the tram is right out front which will get you to Munch etc. in about 15 minutes.

Oslo as a whole.. I dunno I wasn’t really feeling it. It was probably my least favourite city. The crappy hotel room didn’t help however, the layout of the port area etc. and just the general vibe I wasn’t feeling it for whatever reason. The Munch museum is cool, the national museum has a great collection. The old town, fort, and waterfront all beautiful

Tyler, thanks so much for this! I've read it through quickly but want to go back through it again in more detail (I'm assuming you are adding more) as I am planning a trip there next year with my daughter. And that's a great tip about the duty free shop for wine as both my daughter and I are wine drinkers.

I enjoyed reading your trip report, Tyler. Looking forward to hearing about Copenhagen.

Tyler, thanks for sharing your trip report. I'm surprised you felt Norway was dirty. We didn't experience that 2 years ago.

I am envious that you live 30 minutes from awesome scenery. I'm in the flatlands outside of Chicago. No mountain views for me.

To continue on, from Oslo we then did another overnight ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen. This ferry operated by DFDS was very similar to the Viking/Silja lines in terms of amenities and layout but it felt much newer and nicer interior wise.

We booked an interior cabin room with 4 beds, using only 2 lower bunks. Imo this configuration for 2 people is vastly preferred for a couple travelling. This room would really even be suitable for more than 4 however the bathroom and room for luggage might get tight quick. This ferry once again had options for both buffet and ala carte. We ended up at an Italian restaurant and again, was fine nothing too great but some good, relatively inexpensive wine. In the morning we once again opted for the breakfast buffet. I think typically what you’ll find on any of these Scandinavian buffets whether it’s morning or night is fish and fish related items. Lots of herring in different forms, which frankly is not for me, but people seemed to be enjoying it. A few more options for crepes, waffles, and your typical selection of breads eggs sausage etc. this was definitely a step up from the Viking line between Helsinki and Stockholm. There was also trivia in the lounge area we enjoyed and the live music act after were EXCELLENT highly recommended.

Upon arriving in Copenhagen arrived to another beautiful day. There are bus transfers associated with the ferry here that will take you right into the city. It seemed like you could essentially pay and hop on however the tram lines are also right around the corner, about a 10 minute easy walk down the sidewalk out of the port and to the tram lines. These tram lines are easy to understand and use and typically have the more “major” lines running through the city, which you’ll then hop off and either catch another tram or a bus to the branches off to get to your location.

We stayed in a very nice area just south west of ChristianHavn, the address for this location was Thorshavnsgade 24. This is a quiet area right on the water but it’s extremely well equipped in terms of groceries, cafes, and smaller casual restaurants. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in this neighborhood again. For reference it’s about a 25-30 minute walk to get right into Christiana or about 15 to 20 to get to Tivoli. Bus lines going in either direction was a few minute walk from almost anywhere in this neighborhood.

So in terms of Copenhagen, prior to my research for this trip I never really considered much of Denmark nor Copenhagen. However, the general consensus both on this forum and the internet in general was Copenhagen was the top spot of the Scandinavian cities, and I will say, this is 10000% true.

Copenhagen has easily become one of, if not my favourite cities. It feels like a younger, more local Amsterdam. Absolutely fell in love with this city.

The layout of Copenhagen is extremely accessible and walking is completely feasible virtually anywhere you go. The old town and main promenade is gorgeous. Even the “tourist trap” type restaurants and bars here I found more reasonable cost wise than the majority of the rest of Scandinavia. Walk around, spend time looking around, and maybe take a canal cruise. We didn’t end up taking a canal cruise because we walked the majority of areas the tour goes on, however I think for those who don’t want to put in 15,000-20,000 steps a day, this is a great way to get a general overview of the city.

My must do’s in Copenhagen are:

-Freetown Christiana, this area is very cool. Imo some YouTubers and even Rick to some degree make it seem like this is a “seedy” area with hash pushers etc. I found it to be the opposite. Locals are very friendly, it has a very cool vibe, outdoor markets, food vendors, bars, art installations, shops and galleries, you’ve gotta spend a few hours walking around here. From there we walked down the canal to check out Noma, unless you’ve got a reservation here there isn’t really anything to see

The greatest restaurant in the world is of course extremely understated and from the exterior, there’s really nothing to check out.

From here though, the next thing to check out:

Reffen - this is a massive outdoor space with dozens of food trucks, bars, art and stores, surrounded by chairs, tables, loungers, all right out on the water. Copenhagen is amazing for stuff like this, we were here just on a random weekday and it was packed, locals enjoying life, wasting great food, drinking wine and beer, we loved this. There is a bus line that will take you into this area or back into town. I’d suggest either taking a car or the bus as it’s quite a ways out here, but you must go here.

Next place is the meat packers area where places like Mikkeller Warpigs BBQ and Pate Pate are etc. this area is an easy walk from the Tivoli stations or again, easy metro. This area is SO COOL, an industrial meat packing district turned hip young gang out area. Bars, restaurants, ice cream. Again just locals hanging out enjoying life. Literally dozens of great restaurants, this is a must do for lunch or dinner and just hanging out.

Slightly west of this area, you find the Carlsberg brewery. I’d recommend making a reservation prior to going. We showed up too late and unfortunately we’re too late for the tour however we did the tasting, which was just OK, they take you down into the cellar and have a guided tasting. Bit of info, it was fine. You don’t have to do any guided aspects if you don’t want you can buy beers, check out portions of the brewery, visit the gift shop, and just chill in the courtyard with live music etc. it’s relatively convenient to visit but I wouldn’t say this is a must do.

Next is Tivoli. This is very cool, it’s amazing they’ve retained a theme park like this in the heart of the city. Some from the outside may think a place like this is tacky or for kids, but they’ve done a fabulous job retaining the history, keeping it classy while retaining a classic feel of the original park. The rides were also quite good including one of the last man-operated roller coasters in the world (the guy rides on the car as the breakman and controls the speed etc. very cool) this is a must do and you could easily spend a whole day here. The price is also quite affordable whether you get the ride pass or not. Pro tip, if you’re doing this same trip sailing in the ship sells ride passes and entry to Tivoli for a hugely discounted price, so we purchased them on board prior to arriving in Copenhagen

4-5 days could easily be spent effectively in Copenhagen. I regret to some degree not picking a day out of perhaps Bergen or Helsinki and using it here. But it was still fine. Amazing city that I could see myself going back to at some point and likely exploring more of Denmark.

After this we unfortunately were coming to an end of our trip and we had to get back to London to fly home. The location I outlined earlier is also extremely easy to get to the airport from. As would most locations within the city Center would be I believe. We took a bus 3 stop and then a tram about 5-7 stops and we were already at the airport in about 30 minutes from leaving our Airbnb.

People may look at this trip and think this was rushed, or too much, but for us who are experienced in both slow and rushed travel, it was just about right. I think as I mentioned above only maybe a day or two could have been rearranged. However, in hindsight i was extremely happy with the itinerary and would recommend a similar trip to anyone.

My final rankings of the destinations would be Copenhagen, Stockholm, Bergen, Helsinki, Oslo

I’ll leave out Tallinn as I can’t really say I’ve seen enough to really get a feel for it. Norway was also the most expensive place of all the countries, which frankly I felt like at the same time, offered slightly less than the other destinations. Which is a combination of why it lands where it does.

To add a few final thoughts, as a Canadian we get hit pretty hard with the exchange rate virtually anywhere we go. The euro has been pretty consistent over the last decade but general inflation across countries adds to your bill.

I think if you were an American coming here, you’d be feeling like your dollar is going much further.

Scandinavia is somewhat of a Eutopia coming from Canada, North America, and even Vancouver. A lot of North America whether you’re American or Canadian has a lot of social issues with drug addiction, homelessness, general poverty and cost of living. All these cities feel like they are thriving. The “rat race” is such a North American concept and people throughout these countries just seem generally at ease, enjoying life. It was refreshing to see.

Without getting to deep into politics either, I think countries like these underline how societies where higher taxes are effectively used generate good outcomes for all. I am generally a “conservative” person when it comes to my political leanings but when you go to countries like these, you understand pretty quickly you will -never- resolve social issues die hard conservative types harp on without funding them. The concept of strung out homeless people we see in so much of North America is non-existent here. It was extremely refreshing to see.

In regards to costs I’m not entirely sure of the final total but I figure it lands between $15,000 and $20,000 CAD

This includes the flight between London and Vancouver, flight from Stockholm to Bergen, and the flight between Copenhagen and London. We stayed at 3 different hotels, and 2 airbnbs.

In my experience, in other places of Europe airbnbs typically offer value over hotels. And I’ve always been a proponent that Airbnbs serve a purpose ie. laundry, making your own meals etc. however, in much of Scandinavia, hotels and Airbnbs were essentially priced the same. So you really have to weigh your needs from place to place.

This was one of the trickier places I’ve planned in regards to accommodation, so do your homework, weigh location VS price, and take your time making your decision. I’d say location is as important in these countries as anywhere, and it’s very important to be located right in the Center of the action VS having to take longer transit trips in and out of where you’ll be spending most of your time.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions, I’m happy to help. Hopefully this helps someone planning a trip to the area, thanks for reading

Great report! I really appreciated the rankings of the cities and the info about food halls in Stockholm! Have always had Scandinavia on my list but it has seemed daunting to plan. this really helped!

Thanks for the report! It's always interesting to read about other's trips an their impression. But I feel like I have to add a few comments. And first a bit of geographical information, Finland is not a part of Scandinavia. It is a Nordic country though.

of course they don’t have the ultra fine dining

Are you sure? Noma has been considered the best restaurant in the world by many. And before it closed, Fäviken attracted visitors from all over the world. So you can find ultra fine dining if you want.

I think you’d be hard pressed to get much more than a half/ 3/4 day
out of the old town but it’s still cool to see. Personally I’d
probably rather just do as we did and make it a day trip from Helsinki
VS staying a night/nights.

I have to disagree, you can probably spend more time than that in the old town. And keep in mind that there is a lot more to Tallinn than the old town. You can easily spend a couple of days in Tallinn without boredom in my opinion. But others may have a different opinion.

Apparently this Viking line docks at a more convenient location than
the Silja line which is the primary reason we choose it.

That depends a lot on where you are going. For some destinations, Silja might be more convenient.

Regarding food in Stockholm, the food hall at Hötorget is not a bad option. But if you're looking for affordable food, don't overlook the cafés.

A ticket for two with Arlanda Express is 460 kr, so still cheaper than a taxi. And much faster. The airport coaches are also a good option. They take about the same time as a taxi, at a fraction of the price.

One thing I’d say about Scandinavia as a whole, everything is very
expensive.

It is more expensive than say Albania, true. But you can also travel pretty affordable in Scandinavia. It seems like you went for a more expensive trip, which if perfectly fine, it's your choice. But cheaper options are available. And that flight to Bergen was not cheap. Was it around midsummer?

This hotel was the absolute best compromise I could find in terms of
price/location and it was almost $900 CAD for 2 nights. I don’t know
if this was because of Oslo Pride or this is just the norm

That sounds expensive, even by Norwegian standards. Could be Oslo Pride driving up prices.

This ferry operated by DFDS

Not anymore. The ships and the route was bought by Gotlandsbolaget recently, and now they operate the route. I can't remember what brand they use for the route though.

There are bus transfers associated with the ferry here that will take
you right into the city. It seemed like you could essentially pay and
hop on however the tram lines are also right around the corner, about
a 10 minute easy walk down the sidewalk out of the port and to the
tram lines. These tram lines are easy to understand and use and
typically have the more “major” lines running through the city, which
you’ll then hop off and either catch another tram or a bus to the
branches off to get to your location.

I'm not sure what you mean, but there are no trams in Copenhagen. There is however a metro, local trains and city buses. Including a route that stops just outside the ferry terminal.

and I will say, this is 10000% true.

I told you so… :-)

Imo some YouTubers and even Rick to some degree make it seem like this
is a “seedy” area with hash pushers etc

It used to be from what I've heard. But less so now.

I’d say location is as important in these countries as anywhere, and
it’s very important to be located right in the Center of the action

It depends a lot on what you consider "the centre of the action". Especially Stockholm is a pretty spread out city with different islands having different things to offer and in a way it's a very polycentric city.

Have always had Scandinavia on my list but it has seemed daunting to
plan.

It's far from daunting!

Sorry yes absolutely Scandinavia has the fine dining especially in the last decade or so with the renaissance or whatever you want to call it of the Scandinavian movement for dining with the likes of Noma etc. absolutely

What I kind of meant was like comparatively a place like Lyon which I’ve been to recently which is almost overwhelmingly “stuffy” with the higher end or what they perceive as higher end dining.

I use Lyon as a direct example for my comparisons in “regular” everyday dining because virtually every place we went in Lyon was trash compared to virtually any Scandinavian restaurant we went to for “regular” meals.

I think if anything it’s just on me who didn’t give enough credit to these countries cuisine wise.

Another example I’d make is so people like fond over some day old baguette with a single slice of ham and cheese in a place like Paris and Stick their pinkies up and exhale like “this is living!” lol but so much of this is just overblown hype etc. comparatively you go to all
These food halls etc. and literally -everything- is fresh made that day for the most part etc. I’ve never seen selections of say, sandwiches, or salads, or whatever you could think of that looked so fresh and attractive relative to so many other places I’ve been in Europe

The food movement you're mentioning is called New Nordic.

Lyon is probably an extreme example, but yes, you have to look a bit further to find Michelin star restaurants in the Nordic countries. But I'm glad to hear you liked the "regular" restaurants you paid a visit to.

I've read it through quickly but want to go back through it again in
more detail (I'm assuming you are adding more) as I am planning a trip
there next year with my daughter.

Good luck with the planning! Let me know if you need any help.

Tyler, As a travel obsessive, I've read more trip reports than anyone could imagine in the past 20 or so years.
Yours is one of the best!!! You give all the details with a good dollop of humor.

I travel to Spain and Italy a few times a year. I keep returning to those countries and, apart from one long-ago work-related trip to Copenhagen and Oslo, I've not seen Scandinavia. My glimpse of Oslo from back then (I remember that I got the news of Bob Marley's death while waiting for a table in an Oslo restaurant, so that give you an idea of how long ago this was) was not a very positive one and I never had the desire to return. (Only the streets of Tokyo bear more remains of the previous night's partying than those I saw in Oslo). And from what you say, I can have great fjord views near Vancouver, a city that I do long to visit.

But Stockholm has long been near the top of my list of places for a first-time visit. And your report pretty much clinched this idea.

The same trip that took me to Oslo also brought me to Copenhagen, but only for two or three nights, and part of my time was spent visiting a porcelain factory.

I really don't need to do much more research since I now have your report as a guide for a trip in the near future to Stockholm (maybe see some coastal or rural towns not far away?) and Copenhagen.

Food is a primary driver of my vacations and I'm eager to explore the markets, cafes and food trucks of which you wrote so evocatively.

If I might message you later on, while planning this trip, I will ask more about food. I don't care much about the multi-starred Michelin eateries, but open to anything else!! The more experiences the better. The more new foods to sample, the better. Herring, not so much!

Do you think (without giving this TOO much thought) that a week in Stockholm would be a good amount of time for a late riser like myself? I most like wandering around a city, taking my time....

If you had to choose one other Swedish destination...????

And then, Copenhagen....another week?

I fly out of New York City; options for direct flights to Scandinavia do not look very promising but I will take some time to research that (the easy) part....

The New York Times recently featured a story on sauna culture in Helsinki. If it's of interest, I will try to post it here...

One of these days, I hope to make it to Vancouver..your Asian food scene sounds astonishingly great!

Thank you again for taking the time to write this, with such stellar result.

One last question: Where will your next vacation foray take you? (I've written many trip reports, heavy on the food details and photos, for another travel site, and for www.hungryonion.org which I guess is the successor to the late, lamented Chowhound. This is the latest one, from last month, heavy on the dish and shellfish, very light on major sights.

https://www.hungryonion.org/t/galicia-2025-brief-comments/43891/19

I enjoyed reading this, thank you.

We are from the Seattle area, so feel the same about the fjords. On our first trip there, we kept commenting that it looked a lot like the Columbia Gorge.

On both of our trips, we used the NIN to book vs doing it ourselves. The first time we were clueless, but this second time (August 2024)I could have done it except my mom passed about a month before we planned this, so I was not in a frame of mind to delve into it. I had no problem with paying a bit more just for the convenience of it. Although, I did book the hotels on my own since I knew what we wanted. On this latest trip, we went from Oslo-Stavanger-Bergan-Oslo. We really had no idea what to expect with Stavanger, but we loved it!

That first trip, we flew into Copenhagen as our son was living there doing his study abroad. It was really nice to have him as our tour guide:) I think that is the only trip where I did no planning. Between him and NIN, we left it at that.

I have had Helsinki and Tallinn on our radar, so I especially enjoyed reading that part.

I'm not Tyler, but I know some things about Scandinavia, so I can give you my opinions.

Foodwise there is much to discover if that is your interest. There is more than meatballs. And depending on how brave you are, there is always surströmming if you really want something special…

Herring, not so much!

But why??? It's delicious!

Do you think (without giving this TOO much thought) that a week in
Stockholm would be a good amount of time for a late riser like myself?

Why not? A week will allow you to see Stockholm and add a couple of day trips. As for other destinations, it depends a bit on what you're looking for. But if you want to spend a few days in a place between Stockholm and Copenhagen I'd have to say Gothenburg. But Visby can also be a good choice, and there are many other options.

I fly out of New York City; options for direct flights to Scandinavia
do not look very promising but I will take some time to research that
(the easy) part....

The options are not that bad. You have direct flights to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo from New York. So you can book an open jaw ticket to Stockholm and home from Copenhagen (or v.v.) with direct flights if you want. Have a look at SAS' schedule, www.flysas.com

Appreciate the comment Ekscrunchy. I’ve written a lot over the years on varrying forums etc. so I’ve developed a bit of a style albeit I like to think I’ve had some influence from Rick lol

As per the comment re Stockholm I think the locals info above is good. I think with a week you should definitely make a day trip or two outside of Stockholm. However I think there are so many other neighborhoods and sites to check out outside of what I outlined. Especially if you prefer a slower pace.

I’m not sure what the neighborhood is called in between the old town and that Avicii arena but that also looks very cool and I’d love to have extended periods of time to explore different neighborhoods.

Problem for me, even with fairly substantial time off from my job comparatively to the North American norm, is that I want to see so many places. I’m not necessarily the type to just tick off countries on a list but moreso, I want to see more and more. And I’ve been fortunate enough to travel fairly extensively already before I’ve turned 40.

Slower travel will eventually come, but itineraries like this, as of now, I still very much enjoy. I also feel like when you go to a place like Stockholm and see the major sites, that means you don’t necessarily have to return to them next time.

Almost a week back home and I’m still sad I’m not still out there :(

I’m not sure what the neighborhood is called in between the old town
and that Avicii arena but that also looks very cool and I’d love to
have extended periods of time to explore different neighborhoods.

Södermalm. It's a great place and while not as touristy as other islands it is an island you really shouldn't miss when in Stockholm.

So much excellent information in this trip report between Tyler and Badger’s back and forth. Bookmarking and mulling over for the future. Thank you!

The food scene in Scandinavia, and particularly Norway, gradually became richer and more varied with the arrival of the oil industry and the money. Oil industry folks came from all over the world to work there and brought their own food knowledge and expectations for a broader and higher end range of restaurants. Stavanger and Oslo in particular benefitted from that. Sweden and especially Denmark have long histories of design and creativity which in many places eventually leads to food creativity.

I would slightly beg to differ on the grandeur of the Norwegian coastline versus the BC west coast. As you only saw a small section of what is a very long stretch, it is quite stunning. My father’s hometown sits at the end of a lovely fjord with majestic mountains and glaciers directly there; nothing in proximity to southern coastal BC compares. Having travelled long stretches of both coasts over the decades, I would suggest to other travellers that there is much more worth seeing.

The exchange rate for the Canadian dollar and the Norwegian kroner is quite historically stable. The high prices you were paying in Norway have been similarly high for decades (I have been visiting Norway for 55 years) and have little to do with the exchange rate.

I am surprised to hear that you found Bergen and Oslo not very clean. Not sure what the reason would be for that. Interestingly I found Copenhagen to be less clean on my last visit there. All of the Nordics are experiencing high levels of tourism these days and perhaps that is taking its toll.

Thanks for this detailed review, Tyler. I'm going to Copenhagen next month so found that part especially interesting.

As would most locations within the city Center would be I believe. We took a bus 3 stop and then a tram about 5-7 stops and we were already at the airport in about 30 minutes from leaving our Airbnb.

I'm curious if this is a typo. Did you take the metro to the airport? Curious because I'm planning to use public transport to/from the airport.

Sorry for the confusion

Anytime I refer to a tram in Copenhagen I guess it’s the metro.

Much of the metro in Copenhagen is ground level so in my mind I kind of had it as a tram, but yea.. it’s all either metros or busses. There are no street trams through the city streets like other places

So yea.. metro to the airport lol

Thanks again to Tyler.

Badger: I WILL try the herring!! On one of my first visits to Amsterdam during the season for new herring (I think that's what it's called) I tried it....take the fish, open your mouth and tip your head back, and put the fish in your mouth..... Not so bad. I think my dislike is more bout the pickled herring that we see in New York "appetizing" stores...I don't like that too much..it's in a white sauce. And thank you for offering that advice...

Tyler, do you write or contribute to other travel forums? I'd like to read your reports, if it's ok to mention where..

I like the idea of a week in Stockholm...I can take it easy and just wander around as well as seeing some of the major sights.. Maybe even a little shopping. Definitely trying different foods!!

Question: I'm not going to ask about the "best" months. I don't care about the "best." I don't like to travel in July or August. I'd have time in late fall/early winter,, or spring. Would it be bad to visit in November? I know he daylight hours are shortened, but that does not sound like a reason not to go... Or am I wrong about that??

I'd probably go alone but know that's a non-issue. I think I need to branch out a bit..something new in addition to Italy and Spain..

I have another report I posted here about spending 4 months in Europe between sept and dec 2022. Not sure if there’s a feature to look up previous posts? It’s a fairly extensive write up like this though

In regards to timing, shoulder seasons seem to provide longer days and better weather and less crowds.

I’d think crowds are less of a concern in these countries than more typical tourist destinations but I felt like we hit a sweet spot. We only had about 30 minutes of rain during the entire trip here

The Swedish version is very different from the Dutch way to eat herring. I don't know what's available in New York, but in Sweden it's usually served pickled and is available in different flavours. My personal two favourites that can be bought in a normal store are mustard and blackcurrant. But my local fishmonger makes a great blueberry herring they sell before the major holidays. Although to be honest it can be a bit of an aquired flavour.

A week in Stockholm is a great idea. Regarding November, it's not the best month in my opinion. But it depends a bit on what your plans are. It will be dark most of the time, and there is a risk that the weather will be boring. If you're unlucky, it might be grey, overcast and rain for the entire week. I'm not saying you should avoid Stockholm in November, but October or December are better options in my opinion.

Wonderful to relive some stops I made in 2017. thank you Tyler. Was of the school that Scandinavia was boring or not big on sites and food and all those things we travel to Europe for but was proved wrong. Agreed Skansen was a big surprise and absolutely delightful ended up spending most of the day there good food, the wolverine was frightening , and bought lots of cute Swedish dish cloths, soaps, carved butter knives so many cute and fun things for the home. And Tivoli Gardens be a kid again and go on the giant flying swings!