Scandinavia Guidebook
Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:
Best: Balestrand (the whole town), the stave church in Vik
Why: I fell in love with Balestrand - so glad Rick recommends it so strongly! And I loved the very easy trip over to the stave church in Vik. (I'm sure all the stave churches are incredible for their age and their setting in gorgeous scenery, but this is the only one I visited.)
Rachel Wisdom in St. Louis, MO USA 11/18/2011
Best: Vasa museum, Stockholm
Why: I spent about an hour at the Viking Museum in Oslo and expected to the same at the Vasa Museum, but I ended up spending over three hours there. It's not just the ship, but also the exhibits on life in the 17th century, the film about the restoration of the ship, the reconstructions of the interiors and painted decorations, the exhibits on what they had learned from the restoration process and what they would do differently if they had to do it over, and even the facial reconstructions of the skeletons found in the wreckage.
Worst: None
Why: Although I liked the Bygdøy folk museum in Oslo better than the Skansen museum in Stockholm. The people at Bygdøy seemed friendlir.
Karen in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/04/2011
Best: Vasa - Stockholm, Frogner Park - Oslo
Why: The Vasa museum was just an amazing experience! Make sure to watch the film and take the tour as they heighten the enjoyment.
If you have a gorgeous day in Oslo, be sure to spend some of it in Frogner Park and enjoy the sculpture and roses.
Worst: National Museum of Fine Arts - Stockholm
Why: If you want a small museum, it's great, but I was looking forward to a much larger collection. Also, I thought I'd see a lot of Carl Larsson paintings, but not so much.
Erin in Cottage Grove, MN USA 10/08/2011
Best: Vasa Museum
Why: Much more interesting and involved than I expected.
Worst: Christiania in Copenhagen
Why: Boring !
Sam Pelligra, MD in Greensboro, NC USA 09/19/2011
Best: Norway in a Nutshell
Why: Fantastic scenery and a fun trip, but more details on how to break it up by booking separate legs would be helpful. We worked it out bit by bit to avoid a one day killer excursion from Oslo but it took some real detective work. Hardest part was linking railway segments. Folks at Stalheim Hotel were helpful there with bus information so we could book rail times.
Keith Wood in Lawrence, KS USA 09/16/2011
Worst:
Why: Several museums and the Oslo Radhuset, were either closed or had no tours on the day we visited.
Roberta in McBride, WA USA 09/12/2011
Best: Snow Road from Aurland to Laerdal and Bryggen Walking Tour
Why: That was such a beautiful drive - thank you for recommending it. We stopped many times and took several short hikes, breath taking. The Bryggen walking tour was very informative, gave her regular speeches & answered many questions. The sun shone both days we were in Bergen - Wow!
Nelda Eitreim in Garretson, SD USA 08/22/2011
Worst: Sunday; Stavanger TI
Why: Our tripped spanned two Sundays and the country is unbelievably dead that day. In both Stavanger and Oslo, it was difficult to even find a store open. We could have played frisbee in the main street at noon. The Stavanger TI is beyond worthless -- it gave us the completely wrong times for the Pulpit Rock ferries.
JH in Alpharetta, GA USA 08/11/2011
Best: Tivoli Gardens, Sognefjord
Why: Both completely live up to the billing. We took a leisurely trip through the Sognefjord, spending a couple of nights in Balestrand before continuing by express boat to Bergen. It was worth it!
Steve Macfarlane in Carmichael, CA USA 08/07/2011
Best: Vasa museum
Why: Wow! Like my husband said, "Why has everyone heard of the Mona Lisa but not the Vasa?"
Worst: Skansen
Why: We wanted to like it, but it seemed run down & neglected. We were there in late June & planning to stay for the live music & dancing, but it was so dead we decided to leave.
Beth in Northridge, CA USA 07/12/2011
Best: Tivoli Garden, National Museum (Copenhagen), Vasa Museum
Why: All of them are great, as advertised.
Worst: Hop on, hop off busses in Copenhagen
Why: Frequent delays, bus breakdowns
Steve Macfarlane in Carmichael, CA USA 07/11/2011
Best: Skansen, in Stockholm
Why: We really enjoyed This park. Actually, we have more than one "best" experience :-) The fjord and archipelago ferry rides were great to.
Worst: Arriving in Finland at Midsummers eve.
Why: Buses in Turku were not running, and most public buildings and many restaurants in Helsinki were closed. Other than this, we had no worst experience.
Greg Mansfield in Washington, NC USA 07/03/2011
Best: Bergen-Kirkenes Hurtigruten Cruise
Why: This is a once in a lifetime experience and something which cannot be seen via any other mode of transportation!
richard kruse in la jolla, ca USA 06/16/2011
Worst: Esben Juhl Apartment Rental
Why: We had a confirmed reservation for June 4, 2011. When we arrived, Esben Juhl's statement to us was, "The good news is you found me. The bad news is I don't have a room for you to stay. I thought you were arriving on June 5, not June 4." When we pulled our confirmed reservation he said his computer server had been cancelled(??) and he had no way of pulling up our reservation. We were standed with no where to stay that night and he at first offerred no help to us. Finally we asked him if there was a hotel close by we could get to by walking or public transportation. He showed us on the map the Dam Hostel, but did not offer to check for us if they had a vacancy. We asked him (he did not offer) to call a cab for us. He then shut the door and we were on our own. Incidently, the Dam Hostel had no vacancy, but they referred us to another hotel with one room left. Esben Juhl simply cannot be trusted even if you have a confirmed reservation.
Richard Fishel in Sedona, AZ USA 06/11/2011
Best: Skansen
Why: - you really need to highlight more the stockholm card...AND with that, there is a section that costs 100K but included in the stockholm card where you walk through the monkey exhibit...you actually walk through the monkey 'exhibit' and are surrounded by lemurs...you could (but wouldn't) touch them!!
Lynn Porterfield in Ridgewood, NJ USA 04/11/2011
Best: Copenhagen, Denmark
Why: We used the book exclusively while in Denmark and it was excellent for planning time.
Kevin in McIntyre, MD USA 03/17/2011
Best: Gamla Stan Self-Guided Walk
Why: I am sure that without this tour I would have thought that Gamla Stan was overly touristy and generally terrible. The walk, however, made my time on Gamla Stan well worth it. The facts were interesting and the path was beautiful. I highly recommend it. Just seeing "the tiniest public statue in Stockholm" made the experience excellent.
Amy in Boston, MA USA 10/03/2010
Best: Tallinn tour by Mati Rumessen
Why: Good overview of his city and places we didn't see on the RS tour. Interesting to hear his views of his city/country. 5 people were able to comfortably go in his van making the tour very affordable.
Sandy in Reno, Nv USA 09/05/2010
Best: Vasa Museum
Why: I used the Snapshot Stockholm guide 2010. The building itself is quite a sight with the ship's masts rising through the roof. The sight of the ship and it's story are remarkable.
Worst: Skansen
Why: We went on a beautiful Friday in early August with plans to eat lunch at Bollnastorget. Just a few of the kiosks were open. Everything at Skansen was very quiet. The Old Stockholm trade huts were closed for the most part. Ho-hum!
Sharron Stevens in Oberstaufenbach, Germany 09/04/2010
Best: Norway in a Nutshell
Why: It was the reason why we went to Norway - to see the fjords! Gorgeous!
Ashley Parker in Tampa, FL USA 08/30/2010
Best: Tallin Estonia
Why: Reminded us of many of the smaller german villages we had visited. It is a very well preserved town. People very friendly
steve meno in new palestine , IN USA 07/31/2010
Best: The Island of AERO
Why: We love the island. We stayed there two days. We bicycled from one end to another. The man at the tourist office in Soby said he was looking forward to seeing Rick Steves. It was beautiful and the people were friendly.
Worst: The bicycle rental shop at the train station. I e-mail them with the dates of my visit and they said I didn't need a reservation. When we got there they had no bikes.
Why: They sent us to another bike shop but they had no touring bikes. We had to rent a 3 speed. I would recommend getting reservations next time.
Ann Richey in Bremerton, WA USA 07/28/2010
Best: Balestrand, Aero, overnight ferries, Tram 3T in Helsinki
Why: Loved Sognefjord with fewer tourists; the island of Aero was like vacation from vacation; overnight ferries were reasonable, and we two seniors danced a lot; great way to see the sights reasonably. I also should add that having a RailPass gave us a nice discount as you stated. On Copenhagen to Oslo DFDS boat, I paid $333 for a large Commodore class cabin for 2 people, the breakfast buffet, the dinner smorgasbord, and use of the Commodore Lounge complete with wines and snacks.
Mary Paquet in San Jose, CA USA 07/11/2010
Worst:
Why:
Cristina Calvert-Clements in Johnstown, CO USA 06/25/2010
Best: Nyhavn
Why: We loved everything about it!
Julia Fisher in Chicago , IL USA 06/14/2010
Worst: Aeroskobing Denmark
Why: Just disappointing! If it is not peak season, DO NOT spend much time here - especially not the 2 nights recommended. We arrived Saturday noon to find everything closed; no one anywhere. We were told everything closes before noon. We had hours to walk around a ghost town by ourselves before we could get the next ferry out. Even the Netto store next to the ferry was closed. It was a cold, rainy day in mid May and not great for cycling, so there was not much else to do. The one local we found to talk to found it very amusing that Americans come to Aeros to rent bikes and go cycling around this little Island - he said the locals have a good laugh about it!
Dawn Rhodes in Littleton, CO USA 05/15/2010
Best: Jostedal's Nigerdsbreen Glacier
Why: Absolutely breathtaking.
Worst: glacier
Why: It is so far away from where you have to stop across the lake, and there's barely anything there compared to Alaska's. Was not wroth the money.
Mary Azevedo in Walnut Creek, CA USA 10/15/2009
Best: Everything
Why: Copenhagen (boat cruise, Stroget, Nyhavn,National Museum, Tivoli) Stockholm (Vasa Museum and Gamla Stan walk) Helsinki (Church in the Rock) Tallinn (Self-Guided Walk) Oslo (Frogner Park---you could spend hours,Self-Guided Walk)
Worst: Christiania in Copenhagen
Why: Guess we didn't see the value in it with all the other wonderful sights. I
Judy in Alexandria, MN USA 10/06/2009
Best: LOVED THE VASA WARSHIP MUSEUM!
Why: unique experience, great museum.
Jenna Close in Oceanside, CA USA 10/03/2009
Best: The Tallinn 'Self Guided Walk'
Why: Tallinn is an amazing town and Rick's 'Walk' covers all the best sights. The ferry ride from Helsinki was a wonderful experience, also.
Ash Morris in Tulsa, OK USA 10/03/2009
Best: Rue Cler - Paris
Why: Nice, comfortable, friendly, neighborhood.
Worst: Tallin Estonia - "Villa Hortensia"
Why: Stayed one night after booking two in the delux double room. Filthy and I mean shoe sticking to the kitchenette area and bathroom floor filthy. RS folks need to look a little closer before any further recommendations are made. Disappointed!!!
Larry Carrigan in Tempe, AZ USA 09/22/2009
Best: See description below.
Why: Thorvaldsen's museum (Copenhagen, Denmark) was excellent!
Renting bikes in Copenhagen is obviously great - we biked to the village of Dragør on Amager island and it was very easy and enjoyable. Next time I will find a B&B on Amager and stay there (I have not stayed at House of Colors - http://houseofcolors.dk/engelsk.html or Copenhagen Guesthouse Lavilla - http://copenhagenguesthouse.com/ but they look nice).
Viking Ship Museum (Roskilde, Denmark) and Louisiana art museum (Humlebæk, Denmark) are both definitely worth the short jaunt on the train!
Petroleum Museum (Stavanger, Norway) was great! Norwegian Emigration Museum (Stavanger, Norway) – I would recommend bringing money and pay them to do the research – everything is in very old difficult-to-read writing – plus it’s in Norwegian. I brought all the requested information – it proved very helpful to have a list of the siblings for the relative you are tracing’s – helps them find information faster.
Bryggen Walking Tour (Bergen, Norway) - you get access for the rest of the day to the museums you visit on the tour!
Balestrand Aquarium (Balestrand, Norway) - We were looking to rent a canoe, but we ended up buying admission to the aquarium as you can then use any of the numerous canoes or rowboats on their dock for as long as you want. Great way to paddle out into the Esefjord.
The Stortinget parliament tour (Oslo, Norway) was fantastic. The guide was wonderful and I could just picture the day to day operation of the place. I would definitely recommend standing in the line 20 minutes early as they are very serious about only letting 30 people in for the tour.
Worst: Flamsbana (Flam to Myrdal train, Norway)
Why: The Naeroyfjord boat cruise and the Flamsbana train were highly disappointing. This was probably as a result of having been on numerous boats from Stavanger, Bergen and Balestrand, but the tourist cruise from Gudvangen was less than enjoyable. There were so many rude Italian tourists on the boat and Flamsbana reaching literally over my head and putting their camera in front of my face to get a photograph! Additionally, the Flamsbana was sold out for all the trains that day (mid-August) - fortunately we got in line early. It appeared that most of the cars had been reserved for all the folks coming in off a cruise ship. Flamsbana now costs 230 kr one way. The Nutshell is just getting so crowded – next time I would stick to the express boats and Balestrand and skip Flam. Good to know tip: the bus stop behind the train station in Flam is blocked from view by all the tourist buses - look behind them to find the stop! The very small Fjord1 boat from Balestrand to Flam was ten times more enjoyable!
In Copenhagen, Denmark: Metro to the airport is not so great – machine only took credit cards, and then printed out what looked like a ticket in Danish. Later I google-translated it and it actually said “invalid / void” but there was no way to know this. Since the whole system is automated there is no one in the station to ask!
Dave in Seattle, WA USA 08/31/2009
Best: Norway in a Nutshell
Why: It is beautiful and unique. Even though it rained and was cold during much of the trip it was a must do and worth the time and money.
J. Perschbacher in Atlanta, GA USA 08/02/2009
Best: National Museum in Copenhagen and Den Gamle By in Arhus
Why: Great collections of items and homes from Danish history.
Worst: Netto Badene harbor cruise in Copenhagen
Why: The tour guide gave long explanations of the sights in Danish but translated only a small fraction of the explanations into English. The view of the mermaid was very disappointing since you could only see the mermaid's back and huge crowds of people on the shore. We visited the park where the mermaid is located and got a much better view.
Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 07/29/2009
Best: Viking Ship Sailing on Roskilde Fijord
Why: Tourists were allowed to participate in rowing, hoisting sails, etc. Guides were extremely helpful and pleasant. Also, House of Colors in Copenhagen remains a great place to stay. New owners; same friendly atmosphere.
Worst: Richard Karpen Walk in Copenhagen
Why: Royal Copenhagen Walk was cut in half from what was listed. We did not visit many of the sights listed. Walk stopped at Round Tower. We saw nothing that could identify this as Royal. I was stunned and certainly disappointed after what I had read.
J Phelps in Statesboro, GA USA 07/19/2009
Best: Viking Walking Tour of Gamla Stan in Stockholm
Why: This tour,called "Ice Age to IKEA", and led by two people dressed in Viking garb, gives you not only information about the history of Stockholm, but also helps you understand the present-day culture of Sweden. You can join the tour at 11:30 and 14:30 in front of the Nobel Museum in Stotorget Square.
Eric S in Wauwatosa, WI USA 07/16/2009
Best: Frogner Park, Oslo Viking Ship Museum, Cafe Kappeli
Why: Beautiful park. Oslo viking ship museum is much better than the one in Roskilde. Enjoyed our day trip to Helsinki and the Cafe was so pleasant.
Worst: Rain in Balestrand, Forgetting camera
Why: Rain puts a damper on things in Balestrand as there is not much to do indoors. We still managed a hike and bike ride and loved the views. Left our camera at Ketchup and Curry in Oslo, which was stressful, but we got it back!
C. Marr in Hamilton, ON Canada 06/12/2009
Best: Vaxholm Sweden
Why: It was a great day trip from Stockholm and provided a fun look at a different part of Sweden. There isn't a ton to do there, but that was part of the fun. Just walking up and down the old cobblestone streets.
Worst: Bergen, Norway
Why: I think I may just be jaded because it was raining the entire time so we didn't get to see or do much.
Lori K in Chicago, IL USA 06/02/2009
Best: Baltic ferrys
Why: Great rooms- RESERVE THE UPGRADED ROOM ON THE tALLINN TO STOCKHOLM ROUTE
Worst: food
Why: Save your money on the buffets and just eat in the snack bar
GEORGE T. TUTT in GRESHAM, OR USA 05/18/2009