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Started By
Message
Advice wanted for Nordics/Baltics trip in May
Posted on 5/3/25 at 5:17 am
Posted on 5/3/25 at 5:17 am
So this isn't actually last minute planning since I live in Germany. I just acquired a period of up to 14 days off work starting the weekend of Memorial day. May 22nd would be a half day and travel in the evening to kick it off. Now I am flexible on the back end, but I likely need to return on June 3rd (or 4th at the absolute latest).
At this point some of the only remaining countries in Europe I haven't seen include the nordics and the baltics. I am a traveler that likes to fit in as much as possible, like covering the 60% must see attractions in as little amount of time possible before moving on. I also enjoy natural tourism, like scenic parks (or in this case fjords) as it gets tiring seeing big city after big city.
I am floating out a trip to include Copenhagen, Norway (Oslo + Bergen), Stockholm, Riga, Tallin, and Helsinki. Would like to make arrangements by the end of next week at the latest. The itinerary is not solidified, and I was looking for input....i.e. is this time ample to see that particular city, should I switch the order around some, and would it be better to prioritize additional time, can I make certain cities a daytrip instead of a stayover, etc.
My first stab is this:
Night of 22nd: Fly into Copenhagen
23rd: Explore Copenhagen
24th: Morning in Copenhage-> Travel to Oslo
25th: Explore Oslo or surrounding Fjords
26th: Travel to Bergen early, see the surrounding fjords
27th: Fly to Stockholm early, see the city
28th: Additional day in Stockholm
29th: Take plane/ferry to Riga, spend the afternoon there
30th: Spend most of the day in Riga, travel to Tallin in late afternoon
31st: See Tallin
1st: Tallin all day, ferry to Helsinki at night
2nd: Explore Helsinki
3rd: Fly back to Germany
Thoughts?
At this point some of the only remaining countries in Europe I haven't seen include the nordics and the baltics. I am a traveler that likes to fit in as much as possible, like covering the 60% must see attractions in as little amount of time possible before moving on. I also enjoy natural tourism, like scenic parks (or in this case fjords) as it gets tiring seeing big city after big city.
I am floating out a trip to include Copenhagen, Norway (Oslo + Bergen), Stockholm, Riga, Tallin, and Helsinki. Would like to make arrangements by the end of next week at the latest. The itinerary is not solidified, and I was looking for input....i.e. is this time ample to see that particular city, should I switch the order around some, and would it be better to prioritize additional time, can I make certain cities a daytrip instead of a stayover, etc.
My first stab is this:
Night of 22nd: Fly into Copenhagen
23rd: Explore Copenhagen
24th: Morning in Copenhage-> Travel to Oslo
25th: Explore Oslo or surrounding Fjords
26th: Travel to Bergen early, see the surrounding fjords
27th: Fly to Stockholm early, see the city
28th: Additional day in Stockholm
29th: Take plane/ferry to Riga, spend the afternoon there
30th: Spend most of the day in Riga, travel to Tallin in late afternoon
31st: See Tallin
1st: Tallin all day, ferry to Helsinki at night
2nd: Explore Helsinki
3rd: Fly back to Germany
Thoughts?
6
Posted on 5/3/25 at 8:52 am to ArmydawgMD
quote:
25th: Explore Oslo or surrounding Fjords
26th: Travel to Bergen early, see the surrounding fjords
27th: Fly to Stockholm early, see the city
There aren't any fjords by Oslo.
quote:
I also enjoy natural tourism, like scenic parks (or in this case fjords) as it gets tiring seeing big city after big city.
Then why are you thinking about an itinerary that involves only one day of seeing the natural beauty of the fjords? You can easily spend a week exploring the fjords and not see the half of what there is to see or get sick of it.
Personally, while I admit that Switzerland has its arguments, I think that Norway is the most beautiful country in Europe. You should spend more of your time there instead of trying to tick countries off a list. I've been to all the places on your list, and they're all worth visiting, but maybe you should save some of them for later.
Posted on 5/3/25 at 10:04 am to GOP_Tiger
I will try to make more time for Norway. This so happens to be my last big trip in Europe before I move back to the states so while it’s easy to say I should stay in one place, I want to see as much as possible. That means marking countries off a list. I’m not sure if that’s the best way to travel but it is fulfilling to have visited so many different places
Posted on 5/3/25 at 10:38 am to ArmydawgMD
I’d prob cut out Riga to give more time to Norway
That way you can still see Tallinn
That sounds ambitious and not how I’d do it but I see where you’re coming from
That way you can still see Tallinn
That sounds ambitious and not how I’d do it but I see where you’re coming from
Posted on 5/3/25 at 2:15 pm to metallica81788
I was wondering if I should cut Helsinki down to one night and just keep Riga
Posted on 5/3/25 at 3:32 pm to ArmydawgMD
That schedule is insane. I would either cut out the baltics and spend more time in Norway/Denmark/Sweden or cut out the Nordics and just do the Baltics. I've done both regions but on separate trips.
Posted on 5/3/25 at 4:13 pm to ArmydawgMD
Okay, here's the deal. Most people will crap all over your proposed itinerary because they don't like to travel that way. That's fine for them; to each their own, but they can't understand how someone might like to travel differently. So, you need someone who likes to cover a lot of territory in a single trip. I'm your man. Disclaimer: I've been to all those places except for Bergen and Helsinki. Here goes:
My first stab is this:
Night of 22nd: Fly into Copenhagen
23rd: Explore Copenhagen
I've been to Copenhagen a couple of time and walked around the city center both times. A day is enough, unless you want to go into museums or something. (We didn't go into Tivoli Gardens)
24th: Morning in Copenhagen-> Travel to Oslo
There's an 18-hour overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo. I haven't done it, but it looks interesting.
25th: Explore Oslo or surrounding Fjords
There's not a lot to see in Oslo. I walked from downtown all the way outside of town in a couple of hours. A day is enough.
26th: Travel to Bergen early, see the surrounding fjords
If you like nature, you might want to see if you can work in a hike. If so, you may have to drop Bergen or Oslo. Hikes probably are more scenic near Bergen. We hiked Trolltunga, but positioning for that hike is time-consuming.
If the flight-times and fares are good, I'd consider starting the trip in Bergen or Oslo, instead of Copenhagen, and working east. You could take the ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen. Then you always could take a train from Copenhagen to Stockholm -- if fare and times are more favorable than a flight.
27th: Fly to Stockholm early, see the city
We did Stockholm in a day. That should be plenty.
Consider taking the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Tallin or Helsinki. If you take the ferry to Tallinn, then you could do a day trip from Tallinn to Helsinki, and have 2 nights in Tallinn. The ferry between Tallinn and Helsinki is only 2.5 hrs. long. A day in Helsinki should be plenty.
Take the bus from Tallinn to Riga. It only cost $5 or so when we went.
Spend the day and night in Riga, then bus to Vilnius.
Spend day and night in Vilnius, then head back to Germany.
Sounds like you have the makings of a great trip!
My first stab is this:
Night of 22nd: Fly into Copenhagen
23rd: Explore Copenhagen
I've been to Copenhagen a couple of time and walked around the city center both times. A day is enough, unless you want to go into museums or something. (We didn't go into Tivoli Gardens)
24th: Morning in Copenhagen-> Travel to Oslo
There's an 18-hour overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo. I haven't done it, but it looks interesting.
25th: Explore Oslo or surrounding Fjords
There's not a lot to see in Oslo. I walked from downtown all the way outside of town in a couple of hours. A day is enough.
26th: Travel to Bergen early, see the surrounding fjords
If you like nature, you might want to see if you can work in a hike. If so, you may have to drop Bergen or Oslo. Hikes probably are more scenic near Bergen. We hiked Trolltunga, but positioning for that hike is time-consuming.
If the flight-times and fares are good, I'd consider starting the trip in Bergen or Oslo, instead of Copenhagen, and working east. You could take the ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen. Then you always could take a train from Copenhagen to Stockholm -- if fare and times are more favorable than a flight.
27th: Fly to Stockholm early, see the city
We did Stockholm in a day. That should be plenty.
Consider taking the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Tallin or Helsinki. If you take the ferry to Tallinn, then you could do a day trip from Tallinn to Helsinki, and have 2 nights in Tallinn. The ferry between Tallinn and Helsinki is only 2.5 hrs. long. A day in Helsinki should be plenty.
Take the bus from Tallinn to Riga. It only cost $5 or so when we went.
Spend the day and night in Riga, then bus to Vilnius.
Spend day and night in Vilnius, then head back to Germany.
Sounds like you have the makings of a great trip!
Posted on 5/3/25 at 7:47 pm to ArmydawgMD
That's too much crammed into one trip. Trust me. And I'm saying that as someone who like to travel fast and cram things in.
You have two different trips mashed into one, so decide what you want now (Scandanavia or the Baltics) and save the other for another time. If it matters, Scandanavia will be a lot more expensive than the Baltics so that might influence your decision. Weather can be hit or miss in late May that far north so factor that in as well.
Posted on 5/3/25 at 10:43 pm to ArmydawgMD
Just a few thoughts. We did a similar trip a few years ago.
- Copenhagen is one of my favorite cities of the world.
- we trained from Copenhagen to Oslo and I wouldn’t do that again because of the boarder. Instead I would take the overnight ferry.
- the train from Oslo to Stockholm was cool scenery.
- we took the Viking overnight “cruise” from Stockholm to Helsinki. Highly recommend.
- Helsinki was ok but I would agree to add Tallin. Estonia is cool and a lot of history.
- Copenhagen is one of my favorite cities of the world.
- we trained from Copenhagen to Oslo and I wouldn’t do that again because of the boarder. Instead I would take the overnight ferry.
- the train from Oslo to Stockholm was cool scenery.
- we took the Viking overnight “cruise” from Stockholm to Helsinki. Highly recommend.
- Helsinki was ok but I would agree to add Tallin. Estonia is cool and a lot of history.
This post was edited on 5/4/25 at 5:40 am
Posted on 5/4/25 at 8:04 am to AeroFan
Hey thanks for the feedback. Do you think it’s worth squeezing in Vilinus too? I figured I could make a Poland/Lithuania trip in the future.
Tallin was described to me as a can’t miss spot so I am prioritizing it and added Riga solely cause it’s nextdoor.
I looked at that hike in Norway and damn it’s awesome looking. Probably too far away for this trip but I was trying to get a sense of that in the way of Bergen.
I want to see more of Norway and cut out travel time. I may just fly from Bergen to Stockholm since flights are less than 100€.
Also forgot to note I’ll probably be staying in many hostels this trip to save money.
Tallin was described to me as a can’t miss spot so I am prioritizing it and added Riga solely cause it’s nextdoor.
I looked at that hike in Norway and damn it’s awesome looking. Probably too far away for this trip but I was trying to get a sense of that in the way of Bergen.
I want to see more of Norway and cut out travel time. I may just fly from Bergen to Stockholm since flights are less than 100€.
Also forgot to note I’ll probably be staying in many hostels this trip to save money.
Posted on 5/4/25 at 8:10 pm to ArmydawgMD
If you want to visit all the countries in your itinerary, then you should skip Oslo and focus your Norway trip on mountains and fjords. It's worth noting, though, as others have pointed out, that Norway can still be cold and wet then. Many of the hiking trails that people would advise you to do may still be inaccessible due to the snow.
For example, I did the Preikestolen hike near Stavanger. This is, theoretically, the view:
On the other hand, this was my view:
I did a cruise through the fjords in mid-June of 2022. Here are a few highlights:
Here's the very pretty little village of Skjolden.
Near Skjolden is the Urnes Stave Church, built in the year 1130, one of something like 30 remaining medieval stave churches in Norway -- very interesting.
I thought Alesund was stunning. One of my very favorite smaller cities.
I took the Loen Skylift up to the top of Mt. Hoven. There was fog at first, but then it cleared for some amazing views. You can see the cruise ships far below.
Bergen itself was very enjoyable, though I'm not sure that it's essential to spend a lot of time there.
On thing that a lot of people do is the so-called "Norway in a Nutshell" tour from Bergen. That would be a great way to maximize some of your time. I didn't do that on this trip, but I did essentially do that tour back in 1992.
For example, I did the Preikestolen hike near Stavanger. This is, theoretically, the view:
On the other hand, this was my view:
I did a cruise through the fjords in mid-June of 2022. Here are a few highlights:
Here's the very pretty little village of Skjolden.
Near Skjolden is the Urnes Stave Church, built in the year 1130, one of something like 30 remaining medieval stave churches in Norway -- very interesting.
I thought Alesund was stunning. One of my very favorite smaller cities.
I took the Loen Skylift up to the top of Mt. Hoven. There was fog at first, but then it cleared for some amazing views. You can see the cruise ships far below.
Bergen itself was very enjoyable, though I'm not sure that it's essential to spend a lot of time there.
On thing that a lot of people do is the so-called "Norway in a Nutshell" tour from Bergen. That would be a great way to maximize some of your time. I didn't do that on this trip, but I did essentially do that tour back in 1992.
Posted on 5/4/25 at 9:01 pm to ArmydawgMD
Vilnius is worth a visit. I liked it. However, unless you want to visit all of the Baltic countries on one trip, it's not worth squeezing it into this already ambitious trip, especially when you have plans to return to see it. Having said that, I'm glad we saw all three Baltic capitols on the same trip for comparison's sake (we also did Stockholm and Reykjavik during the same week-long trip). Maybe drop Bergen and just make this a Nordic/Baltic capitols' trip? Maybe next time you could focus on Norway? Just some thoughts.
Posted on 5/4/25 at 9:23 pm to ArmydawgMD
My wife from Riga agrees with most of the points in the other posts. She thinks you sound like you're trying to check off boxes instead of enjoying or even seeing anything.
Posted on 5/5/25 at 1:37 am to AeroFan
Acknowledge all concerns.
This trip is meant to cover a lot of ground but after looking into the logistics it appears that Norway, and specifically Bergen is going to sink a lot of travel time and costs. For that reasons I am considering dropping Norway entirely since it probably deserves a trip on its own.
I’m close to booking but I think this is my new itinerary:
22nd:Fly into Copenhagen
23rd:Explore Copenhagen
24th: More Copenhagen
25: Train/bus to Stockholm, arrive early afternoon
26th: Explore Stockholm
27th: More Stockholm
28th: Travel to Helsinki early
29th: Maybe spend second day entirely in Helsinki
30th: Travel early to Tallin, explore city
31st: Explore Tallin
1st: Bus to Riga, explore
2nd: Bus to Vilnius, explore
3rd: Fly back early afternoon
Just have to iron out the allocation of the last 5 full days. Is anything close to Tallin, Riga or Vilnius worth a day trip over a second day in Helsinki?
This trip is meant to cover a lot of ground but after looking into the logistics it appears that Norway, and specifically Bergen is going to sink a lot of travel time and costs. For that reasons I am considering dropping Norway entirely since it probably deserves a trip on its own.
I’m close to booking but I think this is my new itinerary:
22nd:Fly into Copenhagen
23rd:Explore Copenhagen
24th: More Copenhagen
25: Train/bus to Stockholm, arrive early afternoon
26th: Explore Stockholm
27th: More Stockholm
28th: Travel to Helsinki early
29th: Maybe spend second day entirely in Helsinki
30th: Travel early to Tallin, explore city
31st: Explore Tallin
1st: Bus to Riga, explore
2nd: Bus to Vilnius, explore
3rd: Fly back early afternoon
Just have to iron out the allocation of the last 5 full days. Is anything close to Tallin, Riga or Vilnius worth a day trip over a second day in Helsinki?
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