Scandinavia

Favorite discoveries or tips:

Visited the Royal Copenhagen store. The basement bargains were really junk.

Mary Azevedo in Walnut Creek, CA USA 10/15/2009

We recently returned from a Baltic cruise and used Rick'a Scandinavia book for 5 of the ports (took ship tours in St. Petersburg and Gdansk) It worked great and saved us lots of money. Others had his book in hand too.

Judy in Alexandria, MN USA 10/06/2009

I would suggest you add Hostel B and B to your 'hostels in Stockholm' section of your guidebook. I stayed there a few weeks ago (sept. 2009) and it was clean, friendly and quiet. Breakfast is included. Competitive rates. Nice sitting room with TV, couches and coffee/tea at night. Located a ten minute walk down Svevagen from the central train station. Free internet. Linen and towels extra. Many options for dorm rooms, doubles and singles.

Jenna Close in Oceanside, CA USA 10/03/2009

The Merchant's House Hotel in Tallinn is outstanding. Located just a few meters from Town Hall Square on Dunkri Street(across from the Beer House) the location is the best. The hotel is newly remodeled with large, well appointed rooms. The lobby is very impressive and the staff was super friendly. They serve a good breakfast downstairs in a dining room with medieval era arches (it was once a wine cellar apparently).

Ash Morris in Tulsa, OK USA 10/03/2009

The Adinia Apartments in Copenhagen, Amerikavej 7 1756 København, Denmark

8819 3651? 8819 3699? - Fax 3969 1000? We got an apartment (living room, kitchen full equipped, and bedroom) for the price of a hotel room. A bit our of city center but easy access via bus #26.

Susan in Kalispell, MT USA 09/21/2009

Citybikes are fantastic in Sweden, good in Oslo, and always checked out in Copenhagen!

In Copenhagen (Denmark) food seemed to be slightly cheaper in Christiania and they had very tasty sandwiches.

It was an excellent idea to see the latest Harry Potter movie (in Stavanger, Norway). Observe the small cultural differences - like the numerous public service ads for recycling and the assigned seating (latecomers are seated closer to the aisles).

The TI in Vik (in the boat engine museum - Kritianhus Motormusem) will let you store your bags in their kitchen!

The Åpent Bakery (multiple locations in Oslo, Norway - http://www.apentbakeri.no/lokaler/) is great and full of locals.

In Norway is it always worth it to ask if there is a student discount as it is not always listed (i.e. Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger was half price - 40 kr).

Some tips for anyone going to Reykjavik, Iceland (great deals on IcelandAir, which now flies to Seattle). Take the Flybus from the airport to the main bus station (it is only a 5 minute walk to most of the Reykjavik hotels and will save you some money instead of being dropped off at your hotel door). Also the deal where you take the Flybus to the Blue Lagoon and then on to the airport is an excellent deal. We showed up on the first bus of the day and had the place to ourselves! Blue Lagoon was much better than expected (very relaxing and less touristy). In addition, the Einar Jonsson Sculpture Museum is great - what an interesting life he lead.

Dave in Seattle, WA USA 08/31/2009

The Copenhagen metro now goes out to the airport. It is a fast, convenient way to get from downtown to the airport. As Rick describes, the new metro is very nice.

I booked the train portion of the Norway in a Nutshell trip in advance on line. It saved at least $100, but it was non-refundable. I picked up the tickets at the Oslo train station.

J. Perschbacher in Atlanta, GA USA 08/02/2009

We found that lodging in Denmark was extremely pricey. The Scandic Hotels offer some good internet deals on their website with room and breakfast if you are willing to prepay and take the risk of losing your payment if your trip is cancelled. They also offer free wifi. We stayed at the Scandic Sydhavn in Copenhagen (just outside the center of town but near a train station)and the Scandic Plaza Arhus in Arhus across the street from the main train station. We were quite pleased with our accommodations.

Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 07/29/2009

A restaurant in Tallinn: good, reasonable food Restoran Talukorts Viru St. 18, in the heart of Tallinn www.talukorts.ee

Denise in Kent, Wa USA 06/29/2009

I was a Frommer's girl for years because that happened to be the book I used when I lived abroad in college 10 years ago. This time around before hitting the road, I was a smart consumer and checked out the Frommers, Fodors and Rick Steve's books from the library when I started preparing for the trip. After comparing all that each book had in it, it was no question that I should purchase Rick's book for this trip to Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The insider tips were amazing and the suggestions were perfect. I can't say enough good things about my experience with Rick Steve's Scandinavia! I am officialy a convert and will be using Rick's books going forward!

Erik's Gondolen restaurant in Stockholm was amazing and perhaps a good add to a future book. It was expensive, but no more so than the good restaurants here in Chicago. The view was to die for overlooking the entire Stockholm area and water, especially because we were able to get a seat on the window. The food was incredible. You need reservations though to get in, so book as soon as you get in town. It was well worth it though for the amazing view and terrific meal. We celebrated our anniversary in style!

Lori K in Chicago, IL USA 06/02/2009

Moreld sea & mountain adventure. We're located in Kroken Norway. We have several locations on the Sognfjord, the largest fjord in norway. We offer sea kayaking, hiking, rafting, and specialized trips. There is a hostel available at our main site, as well as camping at several locations. Trips are inclusive as the party requests. Being a small company our prices are very affordable, especially by Norwegian standards. Our lodging is an excellent alternative to spending a night in one of the larger cities as it provides you with a taste of the unspoiled norwegian wilderness. If you are looking for a longer adventure our multi-day trips offer a great variety of scenery, hiking, and camping.

David Brandner in Kroken, Norway 10/30/2008

The historic, friendly, delightful town of Nykoping, (near the Skavska airport) in Sweden, is an hour train ride south of Stockholm, and is a must see! Ryan Air flys into this town, and it is less expensive and more beautiful than Stockholm. It is a cute city with medieval history. There are two delightful hostels that we stayed at. Horsvik Hostel is wonderful, and is a 30 minute drive out in the country side (wilderness,) catering to the outdoor nature enthusiast, with an awesome breakfast. The hostel next to and slightly behind the train station was surprisingly quiet, centrally located, and very nice. This town is a must see, especially since travelers can save money by flying in and out of this town! I wish I could of read about R.Steves recomendations on what to do and see and where to eat. Please add info in your guidebook!!!

Jan Manselle in Portland, OR USA 09/12/2008

The National Museum in Copenhagen is spectacular and FREE. They have a reall great display of Danish history from prehistory to current time. A lot of great Viking stuff. While I realize different people have different tastes I don't see why it was not given 2 or 3 diamonds. Very well done and in English. I suspect it has been upgraded and RIck hasn't checked back in a few years perhaps.

Eriol in Houston, TX USA 09/08/2008

Stockholm Hotel Rick usually has some great $-$$ recommendations in most places, but we struggled to find a place in his Stockholm section. We found a great place on another site, the Parlan Hotel ( www.parlanhotell.com ). This small hotel (9 rooms) is in the wonderful Ostermalm neighborhood near the Wellington Hotel. Three minutes from the T-bana and the Saluhall indoor market, 5 minutes to the bus and the waterfront. Price includes a great Scandinavian breakfast. It is very clean and the common areas are very comfortable. The guests can share a small refrigerator, which can be handy considering the cost of a brew in Sweden. You won’t go wrong with this one.

Stocholm restaurant Just down the street from the Parlan hotel is Miro's, a bistro. Good food and friendly staff. Frequented by local couples in this great neighborhood. St. Petersburg guide How to get around St. Petersburg when you can’t read the Russian alphabet? We hired a English-speaking guide, something we don’t normally do. Our guide was Zhenya Kempinsky (zkempinsky@yahoo.com) who is a young lady that learned English from her grand-mom who was an English teacher. She went to the university to become a guide and was an art history major (great for the museums and palaces). Zhenya planned our 3 days perfectly. She took care of the tickets and was able to get us into the museums without standing in line (and there were some really bad one hour lines). She arranged for a driver to tour the city and to see Catherine’s summer palace and Peterhof. Everything was taken care of, and she has competitive rates. A guide is a must, even if you speak Russian, and Zhenya was tremendous!

St.Petersburg Hotel When Rick’s Russia guide comes out next year, it should include accommodations at Nevsky Inn in St. Petersburg. The Inn(s) are run by English-speaking Elena, who we consider the jewel of St.Petersberg. She provided Visa support, arranged an airport pick-up from one of her staff and even purchased our train tickets to Helsinki in advance of our arrival. The first impressions of the Nevsky Inn upon arrival were a little cautious (a keycode entrance into a dark walkway to the stairs), but after we got settled in it was great. This is a typical European budget accommodation, so don’t expect frills, but Elena always has a Russian lady on site to assist. They can speak a bit of English and will call Elena who is available by cellphone 24/7. And what a tremendous location a couple of blocks from the Hermitage and a half block off Nevsky Prospect. Check it out: www.nevskyinn.ru

DennisA in Thousand Oaks, ca USA 08/14/2008

1. Viking Festival in Frederikssund (1/2 hr north of Roskilde). We reserved tickets through the Frederikssund TI (info is online at www.vikingespil.dk). Ticket price included an English guided tour of the Viking village, a Viking meal, a 2 hr Viking play (in Danish, but people were very eager to help us understand!) and a Viking Review. It was lots of fun to be involved in this community event in which everyone was donating their time and energies. 2. Stockholm metro -- was an amazing modern art gallery. We took a guided tour of the Stockholm "cave stations", [all of which are embedded in the city's bedrock at between 20 and 40 metres below ground], offered by SL (Stockholm Transit www.sl.se/english ). For 2008 they take place in English every Tues, Thurs and Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (Tours start at T-Centralen - assemble outside SL Center Sergels torg and take about 1 hour. The art tour is free of charge, but you need to have a valid metro ticket. The interesting tunnels, mosaics etc. constructed with a "modern art" approach made the underground something that everyone should see. 3. Midsummer's Eve in Helsinki, Finland -- We spent Midsummer's Eve [June 20, 2008] at Seurasaari Park [the bus to the park was 1 block from the Academica Hostel that we stayed at, and dropped us off at our door when we returned] with reindeer BBQ, folk dancing, a wedding, bonfires and lots of connecting with friendly Finns. When I emailed the Helsinki Expert (concerned because a previous Rick Steves traveller had complained that everything was closed Midsummer's Eve weekend), they sent a listing containing the hours of all sights/attractions/restaurants etc. for the weekend. They were wonderfully helpful. It was easy to see everything if you planned around the opening hours. 4. If you are interested in Tallinn, Estonia -- check out the trailer for the documentary which tells the story of how Estonia gained independence [www.singingrevolution.com] through music & culture. It was very moving to visit the Festival Grounds, after having seen the documentary. 5. On the drive from Kalmar, Sweden down to Denmark we stopped at Kivik (to see a 3,000 yr old passage tomb) and at Hammenhog (to see a very different "house-castle".

If spending any time in St. Petersburg, Russia: 1. We stayed at the "Nevsky Prospekt B&B" -- [www.bnbrussia.com] It was great. It's 1 block from the Hermitage and the young women who host are very helpful and accommodating. 2. Peters walking tours are Excellent -- [www.peterswalk.com] We took the 5 hr tour -- Peter figured out the tour itinerary based upon what the group wanted to see. We also booked a 5 hr private tour to Catherine's Palace. Again -- excellent -- our guide Vika was wonderful - lots of information, got us into the Palace bypassing the "mile long" queue. 3. Bridges, palaces, churches, museums, canals.... St. Petersburg is a very impressive city. Taking the night train across the border into Estonia was a little stressful [the customs control officials spent an inordinate amount of time looking at my passport at 3:00 a.m. and passing it around to the other officials. They finally returned it [perhaps they were waiting for a bribe??], but a few minutes later we saw them kicking 3 - aged 50+ tourists off the train with their rolling suitcases... and depositing them at the deserted train station.]

Jane and Gerry Grunau in Abbotsford,, BC Canada 07/29/2008

Spicy Kitchen in Christianshavn (Copenhagen) is cheap, filling, and good.

Rex Hotel in Stockholm is a bit on the expensive side (for us, anyway, about $250/night), but it was a friendly, somewhat-upscale place that we really enjoyed.

M. Nelson in Chicago, IL USA 06/29/2008

Don't walk to the Viking Terminal in Helsinki (our big mistake)--take tram 4T!

Tram #12 in Oslo (from Vigeland sculptures back towards the train station) goes through a fountain!

I was able to book my train ticket from Stockholm to Oslo online ("Just nu 2 kl") for 91 SEK ($13, even let me pick which type of seat I wanted) by doing it early enough.

Make sure you have a good map of Helsinki if taking the Linda Line ferry round-trip from Helsinki to Tallinn; we took the Linda Line over, but it was too windy to take it back, so we were booked on the Tallink Star (a very nice ship), which docks at the Lansi terminal in Helsinki, and we arrived back at 10:30 pm. It was a scary walk back to the train station, and we didn't have any other maps but the ones in the Scandinavia guidebook!

I thought it was easy to book our cabin on the Viking ship from Helsinki to Stockholm with the US travel agent Borton Overseas (B2P cabin for 2 persons $218 one-way, all booked on-line).

We found Finnish supermarkets to be tough on us because so few of the product labels were decipherable.

Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 01/10/2008

We discovered a most worthwhile brewery in Flam, Norway. It's called Aegir Bryggeri and the owner/brewmaster is Evan, a native New Yorker. The brewery is modeled after a Stave church and is an impressive structure, indeed. As for the beer... it's incredible. The IPA is the nectar of the gods --absolutely divine -- the best I've ever had. No other beer will ever compare. The next time you're in Flam, do yourself a favor and check out Aegir Bryggeri, meet Evan and drink the most yummy beer on the planet :)

Jill Jeppesen in Salt Lake Ctiy, UT USA 09/25/2007

Clarion Collection Hotel Gabelhaus, Oslo, tel. 47 23 27 65 00. Located in a neighborhood with several embassies and convenient to public transportation. Great breakfast, afternoon waffles and complimentary light supper: soup, salad buffet w/chicken and tuna and homemade breads. Stayed in August at great rate. These "Clarion Collection" hotels are winners!

Gene Field in Tampa, FL USA 09/09/2007

Oslo cheap eats: IMHO, even better than Gronland (described in Scandinavia 2007, page 185) is the area around Torggata (see map on page 171 of Scandinavia 2007) from Haussmanns Gate south to Youngstorget (not on map, about 2/3 of the way from Haussmanns Gate to the Oslo Cathedral). Our favorite is the Rice Bowl Thai Café, Youngsgata 4, between Torggata and Storgata. The place is always packed with locals, and for 90 NOK, you will get a very tasty filling meal. Don't forget the fried banana ice cream dessert for 60 NOK. This Torggata area is also a Wikitravel tip. http://wikitravel.org/en/Oslo#Budget

vkw in Ann Arbor, MI USA 09/06/2007

Bergen operates a free P-bus that picks up at the Torget bus stop right outside the Bergen TI building by the Fish Market. It runs every 10 minutes during the day, and stops at Bryggen, the downtown area, the Bus/Train Station, etc. With some added information, this can easily be added to the Scandinavia guidebook as a self-guided tour of the city to get oriented. See visitbergen.com and the 85-page Produkt Manuel (pdf) has a wealth of detail information. www.visitbergen.com/pdf/ProduktManual.pdf

vkw in Ann Arbor, MI USA 09/06/2007

The Oslo Pass offers 40% off at a fabulous buffet near Holmenkokken Ski Jump -- Voksenasen Hotel(Voksenkollen stop, 2nd from end). Call ahead to ensure they are serving -- they started at 11:45. For Nok 195 adult, Nok 100 for our children, it was a super treat, fish and desert were wonderful and with a fabulous view it was a highlight! A close 2nd was the acquarium in Balestrand, Norway. It's stocked by school children and comes with a 1-hr rental of a canoe or row boat. This was great fun...actually paddling around in one of the arms off the Sognefjord! I'd add the Pingvinen restaurant in Bergen. It's a Lonely Planet tip. Half-the-price for real Norwegian food. Very freindly (and cheaper beer).

Mike McDonnell in Wroughton, UK 09/02/2007

Consider Goteburg, Sweden now that it has been cleaned up on the waterfront. Interesting city. Lots cheaper than Oslo or Stockholm. Good walking around the harbor and in the public parks.

Elaine in Livingston, MT USA 08/28/2007

Lorry Restaurant, Oslo (right by Cochs Pensjonat) www.lorry.no

Rhoda Barber in Ellesnburg, WA USA 08/27/2007

Do not forget it is ZERO tolerance for drinking and driving in Norway...first offense is jail and fine...and there isn't any negotiating. So please don't drink and drive there and yes Norway has a very low rate of drunk driving accidents. Maybe the US has a lesson to learn on this one.

Laura Norway 08/22/2007

We found the most delightful B&B in Lillehammer that we feel would be a valued addition to your guidebook. It is an historical farm located in Lillehammer not too far from the train station. It is called Suttestad Gard. The owners, Jens and Jette Homb, are the 7th generation on that farm. They are the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. They insisted on picking us up and dropping us off at the train station because it was raining and would not accept any money for doing so. The farm is beautifully decorated in old scandinavian style, and is perfectly maintained and meticulously clean. The price was EXTREMELY reasonable. It was the nicest place we stayed at on our trip. Their address is: Suttestad Gard, Jette and Jens Homb, N-2613 Lillehammer. Telephone 47 61250444 E-mail: jenshomb@online.no This B&B is a gem!! Carol Ipsen

carol Ipsen in Portland, OR USA 08/17/2007

We flew from Copenhagen out to Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic. Air fare on Cimber Air for a one way trip was cheap (about $100 each), we spent three days on the island exploring the wonderfully preserved walled Hanseatic city of Visby - a world heritage site - and hanging out on the sandy beaches and climbing the limestone rock formations. We then took the ferry to Stockholm. A nice out of the way addition to the trip and worth noting as an option between Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Bob DenOuden in Eugene, OR USA 08/03/2007

Thon Hotel Cecil in Oslo is comfortable and has a great location. cecil@thonhotels.no Stortingsgt. 8 47 23 331 48 00

Lori in Minneapolis, MN USA 07/05/2007

If you are driving from Copenhagen to Stockholm we took the E-4 through Jonkoping, a modern four lane highway, rather than Rick's suggested route through Vaxjo. Either way it's a pretty long drive.

Earl in Lockport, IL USA 07/03/2007

Hi - I'm a Seattle ex-pat living in Copenhagen for three years. I wanted to share a good alternative to Copenhagen hotels, which are very expensive. Marianne Guldbransen rents a furnished 3 bedroom apartment in the Osterbro neighborhood. It's a spacious apartment with a full private bathroom, private kitchen, and large kingsized bed. It is on the ground floor of four story building in a quiet neighborhood and a two minute walk to the train station. It rents for 700DKK per night, about 2/3 the price of a hotel room. I met Marianne this week when I went to check out the apartment for my paretnts visit in September. She was very gracious and welcoming and speaks English. Here is her contact info:

Marianne Guldbrandsen Hjalmar Brantings Plads 4 2100 København Ø

Tel: +45 3538 1122 email: marianneguldbrandsen@yahoo.dk

Sharon Benton in Copenhagen, Denmark 06/23/2007

We are currently in Copenhagen and had a delicious lunch at a tiny cafe called Skildpadden Cafe & Sandwichbar, Grabrodretorv 9, tel. 33 13 05 06, www.skildpadden.dk. It is located down some steps on a small side street. You choose bread, meat, cheese all for a sandwich and then go to a salad bar and add whatever you want to finish your sandwich. All for 49 kroner! We were stuffed. This is a Rick place, he would love it. Very friendly staff, outside and inside seating, clean WCs.

Dorothy McCullough in Stanwood, Wa USA 06/08/2007

If you plan on drinking in any of the scandanavian countries or Finland, be advised the restaurant and bar prices are very high. In Norway you must locate a vinomonopolet (they close at 6 p.m.) and are not easy to find. In Sweden the systembolaget sells wine and liquor but also has shortened hours. The money you will save by buying your own wine, beer or liquor at these stores or at grocery stores in Denmark, Finland and Estonia, is worth the extra effort.

sandy winters in willis, te USA 06/03/2007

I had no problem finding public toilets in Stockholm or in any Scandinavian country. Make sure you have some change with you. But there are plenty of free WCs in many department stores and restaurants. Or in any church.

Jude1349 in deptford, NJ USA 05/30/2007

In stockholm, my favorite museum is Hallwylska palaset. It is a mansion, built in 1895. It has the original furniture, and great collections of extravagant swords, a large collection of silver items, etched glass ware, porcelain, and other decorative items, and good oil paintings. I liked it more than the Nordic Museum in Stockholm. I walked to Hallwylkska Palaset from Stureparkens Gastvaning, and it is a short walk from Kungstradgarden and the Tourist information place in Sweden House. The English language tour is only on Sundays at 1 P.M. I went on a Swedish language tour, on a week day. (I do not know the Swedish language). I think walking through that mansion, not in a tour group, would be better, because in a tour group with 14 people, or more, with the tour guide talking, a person can not walk freely in each room and look at every thing. People can go in there at any time, not in a guided tour, and doing that is free. An English language discriptions of most of the rooms can be borrowed. People not in a guided tour can not go in the bedrooms, and they can not see the collection of silver items. But photographs of all the silver items are in a book, for sale in the gift store. Don't buy the book, look at the photographs in the book. If you want a guided tour there, sign up for it earlier in the day, at 8:30 a.m. when it opens. The first guided tours are at 1:00 p.m. Or sign up for the tour, an earlier day, if possible.

Ronald Woodruff in Springfield, MO USA 05/21/2007

The Aero ferry does not take foreign credit cards for car or passenger tickets, only Danish cash (kroner).

lonnie astona in boston, USA 05/08/2007

Seniors over 67 get 50% off on rail travel and on Oslo airport train when using credit card

richard welsh in westfield ctr, oh USA 04/17/2007

The Danish Design Center in Copenhagen is free after 5pm on Wednesdays. The museum is small. It took us about 20 minutes to see it all. We were glad we did not pay to enter this museum.

Tip: Copenhagen in February - I was so glad I had borrowed our son's Under Armour undershirt and worn thermal silk long underwear. The saying goes, "There is no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing." We were comfortable because we had dressed warmly, despite touring Copenhagen in a snow storm.

Jan Wishau in Columbia, MO USA 02/24/2007