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Norwich, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm & London

Our trip this year was to pick up our youngest daughter who was studying at UEA in Norwich England. I’ll start by saying thanks to all that helped answer questions.

We had spent about 5-7 months planning and finalizing the trip. We ended up starting in Norwich (obviously) and used sail & rail to get to from Norwich to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam we flew to Copenhagen. From Copenhagen we trained to Stockholm. From Stockholm we flew to London, and from London we flew home to Phoenix.

Our trip got off to a rather shaky start. Our flight from Phoenix to London was delayed by about 3 ½ hours. We were franticly sending emails to Just Airports, informing them of the delay. We received a calming email informing us that they were monitoring our flight status and not to worry. Arriving late did have one benefit. We were able to get thru immigration in less than 30 minutes. There was a little confusion with our Just Airports driver. He wanted to drop us off at the Liverpool Street tube station, after we kept telling him the Liverpool Street train station. Our train from London to Norwich, was delayed because of a signal malfunction and a gentleman who needed medical assistance. We found out later that the medical assistance was for someone who was quite intoxicated. We finally arrived at our B&B in Norwich at 10:00 pm.

In Norwich we stayed at the Arrandale Lodge Guest House. The rooms and breakfast in the B&B were outstanding. Maurice, the owner, was a wonderful host and very knowledgeable of the goings on in the area. We toured The Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Castle. On a side note both of our girls go into Norwich Castle free because one teaches history and the other is a history major.

We used the Stena Lines Sail-Rail to get from Norwich to Amsterdam. I was skeptical about using this form of transportation, but everything was smooth sailing (pun intended).

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In Amsterdam we stayed at the Aemstelhuys Bed & Breakfast which is conveniently located to the Tram lines to get us around the city. The neighborhood had wonderful cafes nearby. Again our host was extremely knowledgeable on the goings on in Amsterdam and gave us marvelous recommendations for restaurants. The breakfast that was prepared for us was a great way to start the day. Our bedroom included a nice sitting area to unwind after a day of walking.

I’m a museum junkie and to that extent, on our first full day in Amsterdam; we went to the Anne Frank House, the Jewish History Center and the Dutch Résistance Museum. On our second day we went to the Van Gogh Museum and the Ruks Museum.

I enjoyed all museums, but my favorites were the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. We also booked a canal boat ride with Those Damn Boat Guys and it was fantastic. They only take a maximum of 10 people per ride and it lasted between 1½ - 2 hours. In wandering around Amsterdam, there were a few times where I needed to pointed in the right direction and I found the people to also be extremely friendly and courteous in pointing me the proper direction.

The food was fantastic along with the Belgian beer. On a funny note, the bartender in the first café we stopped in for lunch jokingly asked if I wanted a Heineken or Amstel Light. In the same joking manner, I let him know if that was the only beer he had, we would be leaving. He smiled at me and made a few suggestions of beers I might like. His recommendations were right on the money.

We had an early flight to catch on the day we left for Copenhagen and our hostess left us a to-go bag with breakfast for us. I would not hesitate to stay here again on future trips to Amsterdam.

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Our flight to Copenhagen went off without a hitch. I found Schiphol Airport extremely easy to navigate.

In Copenhagen we stayed in the Adina Apartment Hotel. The rooms were like a 1 bedroom apartment and were quite nice. There was even a washer/dryer to get some laundry done. The only downside was the distance from central Copenhagen.

We pick up a 72 hour transit pass and were able to get everywhere we needed to go. We spent about 3 hours wandering thru Rosenborg Castle and its gardens. We also spent time in the Danish National Gallery. Luckily we were there before they started charging admission. On our 2nd day we spent the afternoon at Tivoli Amusement Park. I was initially opposed, but once inside I was caught up in the excitement. While prices for food and drink were higher than expected, they weren’t outrageous. We checked out the food truck scene. What a great selection of food and drink. On our 3rd day we spent just wandering the town.

Our time in Copenhagen was too short. I look forward to planning a Scandinavian trip to spend more time in the region.

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We took the train from Copenhagen to Stockholm. There were some issues booking tickets, but I referred to what I had read from the Guy in Seat 61 and ended up booking first class tickets for about $45 per person. The train departed around 08:15 and Arrived in Stockholm around 13:45. We stayed at the Scandic Norra Bantorget which was convenient to public transportation. After checking into our hotel, we took a little walk about to look for a place to eat.

On our 1st day in Stockholm, we purchased a 72 hour public transportation pass which allows free travel in all zones. I found public transportation in Stockholm extremely easy to use. Once again being a museum junkie, we did the Vasa, Nordiska and ABBA museum.
On our 2nd day we also watched the Changing of the Guard and toured the Royal Palace. But the highlight of the day for me was spending 2-3 hours wandering thru the Nobel Museum. Our final day in Stockholm was just spent using public transportation and wandering around the city.

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Like our flight to Copenhagen, our flight to London went off without a hitch. We again used Just Airports to get to our hotel. We splurged this time in London and stayed at the Capital Hotel. Since we arrived in the evening, we opted to get some dinner and sack out early as our next day was very full.

After an early breakfast we headed out to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. With our youngest daughter leading the way, we successfully navigated the Tube and overground to Watford Junction, where we caught the shuttle bus that takes you to the Studio Tour. I was not really looking forward to this excursion, but I will say it now. IT WAS FANTASTIC. We spent 4-5 hours going through the movie studio and sets. Seeing the techniques they used for certain effects was amazing. After we were finished with our tour, we retraced our steps as my wife and daughters had afternoon tea to go to. While they were at their tea, I would go and have a few pints at one of my favorite pubs in London and meet them back at our hotel. We always make it a point when we are in London to see a show. This time we had tickets to Aladdin at the Prince of Wales Theater. The show was very good and the actor who played the Genie was outstanding. We got back to our hotel around 11 pm. It was a long and full day. Luckily we had nothing planned for the next day.

So at breakfast the next day, my wife informs me that we are going to the Half-Price Ticket Booth to see what shows they have and after that, she and the girls were going to Harrods to look around. We picked up tickets to see In the Heights at the Kings Cross Theater. After picking up our tickets, we headed to Harrods. Harrods always amazes me. I don’t know how to explain it, but to say WOW.

While the girls shopped, I left. I am wandering around and see a shop called Jack the Clipper. I now need to explain that I hadn’t shaved in about 3 months. So I wandered into Jacks and asked him if he would remove my beard for me. I really enjoyed the whole process. My wife and daughters were definitely surprised upon my return to the hotel. We went out for a little dinner before our show. I’ll say that Kings Cross Theater was an interesting theater and In the Heights was a very good performance. Once again we returned to the hotel at 11 pm.

So at breakfast on our last day I asked what our plans were. I was informed by my youngest daughter that we were going to Molly Bakes for a Freak Shake. I don’t really know how to explain a Freak Shake other than to say, it’s a milkshake topped with dessert. It was pretty good. After our Freak Shake, we took the overground back to the tube and knocked around Covent Garden and Leicester Square. We turned in early as we were leaving the next day

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Emma, I think it was probably a miss understanding on my part. I did not know that the tube station was also in the train station. When I looked at google maps, I saw the underground icon away from the train station.

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Joel, I am happy to see that you enjoyed the Nobel Museum. Many people have written that they were disappointed and thought it was not worth a visit. It is on my list for my trip next summer. Can you say a few more words about the museum and what you liked best?

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Thanks for a great trip report. I enjoyed reading it.