Travel Advice: Nordic Trip - Summer 2016

Not sure what you are into, but when it comes to Stockholm, you have to go to the Viking Museum, to see the old ship that was recovered.

And also in Stockholm, I recommend getting out to the Islands (100s to choose from) on the ferries and hang out with the locals. You just island hop and have a great time.

Norway is way expensive, so if you are going into Oslo, take the train from the airport to downtown, it will cost around 10 USD at most, whereas a taxi will run you close to $200.

Not hiking, but I enjoyed the Nobel Museum there.

Also considering St. Petersburg, Russia and Tallinn, Estonia.

I've been reading about night ferries from Stockholm to Tallinn and/or Helsinki which sound like decent ways to travel.

Sounds awesome. Nordic trip is on my high list with an itinerary similar to that.

On my research I found that ferry travel to be a good way to go due the temporary visa waiver for 2(?) days.

Scandanavian soccer leagues are in season so catch a match at Malmo.

I think even the Russian League is playing. Seeing Zenit St Pete would be awesome.

Russian visa probably makes us avoid St Pete, unfortunately. None of the others require a visa.

As for the Islands, there are so many ferries in downtown, you just need to ask which ones.

And I know it is a pain, but get the visa for St. Petersburg. It was one of my favorite places I have ever been, from the history, to the vibe of the city (it is Russia's university city), etc.

The trip to Peterhof alone is worth it.

In advance, Välkommen till Sverige!

For Sweden:

Stockholm is an absolute must (that can be said for all of the capital cities). No shortage of things to do and great places to eat. Not sure of what kind of living arrangements you're shooting for, but I often recommend Södermalm, especially around Hornsgatan (Horns Street). It's a cool "younger" neighborhood that has become quite popular over the last few years. It's got a ton of restaurants and bars and plenty of living options for all price ranges. It's also just a short walk from central Old Town (Gamla Stan) and has plenty of metro stops (which is fantastic in Stockholm).

I highly recommend just walking around as much of the city as you can. It's built on thousands of islands, so water is everywhere. Gamla Stan is the historic center of town and dates back to the 1200's. Multiple great churches worth checking out, along with historic government buildings and the Swedish Royal Palace. As you can expect it's also filled with tourist traps, so that's just something to keep in mind. I definitely recommend visiting the Royal Palace and any of its four museums, especially The Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) Museum.

Another island in central Stockholm is Djurgården, which is where you'll find the Vasa Museum (an absolute must), The Nordic Musesum, and Skansen, which is an open-air museum and zoo. Also on Djurgården- Gröna Lund, which is an amusement park, and the Abba Museum, which I have yet to actually visit.

Getting to any of the central islands or outer islands is easy. There are ferries and smaller boats everywhere. Also worth noting, Drottningholm Palace- located just outside of Stockholm- is beautiful, especially in the Summer. Might be worth a visit.

Gothenburg is a great city, and I like that part of Sweden a lot. But if it came down to visiting either Gothenburg or a completely different country and culture in Tallinn, I'd recommend the latter.

I'm most familiar with Skåne, the southernmost province of Sweden, which is home to Malmö across the Öresund from Copenhagen. Lots of day trips to be had in that area, if it's somewhere you think you may end up.

I'd recommend looking into Bergen, Norway. It's one of the coolest places I've been in my life. And it's also a good place for a day trip to the fjords of Norway. If you haven't planned on visiting fjords they should definitely be high up on your list, some of the most beautiful places on Earth

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I'd recommend looking into Bergen, Norway. It's one of the coolest places I've been in my life. And it's also a good place for a day trip to the fjords of Norway. If you haven't planned on visiting fjords they should definitely be high up on your list, some of the most beautiful places on Earth

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All of this. Skip Oslo and head to Bergen. The fish market is incredible. Be sure to take the trolley to the top of the city. If the weather is right you'll have an incredible view.