The rest of Scandinavia
If Sweden is not enough for you (perish the thought), here are some tips on where to go in the rest of Scandinavia.
Finland
The capital of Finland is Helsinki and the really nice way to go there is on a cruise from Stockholm. Both Tallink Silja Line and Viking Line have daily departures by huge luxury car ferries at 5 PM (Viking Line 4:45 PM). Arrival next morning at 9:30 am (9:55 am). The ships dock downtown and tickets for a 2 hour morning sight-seeing tour by bus are sold on board. That will leave you time for lunch and an afternoon of shopping before departure at 4:45 PM (3 PM). Back in Stockholm again at 9:55 am (9 am) next morning.
These ships feature a selection of restaurants in different styles and price ranges and there is live entertainment. The cruise through the Stockholm Archipelago is very scenic.
Round trip fares start at incredible and can go quite a way up, depending on the departure date and the type of cabin you want. Viking Line is advertising an 11 hour day-cruise to the half-way point - Mariehamn on the island of Åland - for even more incredible . Yes! !
Copenhagen, Denmark
You will definitely want to go to Copenhagen, stroll in this delightful city, munch away on delicious Danish open faced sandwiches and visit the famous Tivoli. Extensive information on Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark is found at www.visit-copenhagen.com. For hotel packages in Copenhagen and adjacent Malmö, see www.copenhagen-hotels.se.
Copenhagen is about 20-25% more expensive than Stockholm and a cheap alternative to the hotels in downtown Copenhagen is downtown Malmö in Sweden, just across the Öresund bridge - the trip takes 35 minutes. A package with hotel, breakfast, free tickets to the bridge train, sight-seeing by bus and boat, free admission to the Tivoli and 55 other attractions can be had for as little as .
Norway
Oslo, the capital of Norway is an easy 450 kilometers (280 miles) drive west of Stockholm or you can catch any of the shuttles from Arlanda Airport - Norwegian, SAS or Finnair. One way fares start at .
Otherwise, the really big thing to do in Norway is to take the fabled Hurtigruten ship from Bergen up to the North Cape and on to Kirkenes and back. The ships leave daily from Bergen and make numerous stops on the 7 days/6 nights way up to pick up and drop off passengers and cargo. There is plenty of time to go ashore at many of these stops.
The journey into the 140 kilometers (87 miles) long Geiranger fjord is absolutely breathtaking. Hurtigruten is easily the most expensive thing you can do in Scandinavia, but even if you have to save for a lifetime, it is guaranteed to give you a lifetime's worth of memories. (The webmaster of this site did it a couple of years ago, and can thereby vouch for it, even if his wallet is still screaming whenever a finger is laid upon it.)
The huge luxury ferries from Stockholm dock in downtown Helsinki within easy walking distance from the shopping area. The cruise itself is an experience not to be missed, and is one of the most affordable things you can do in northern Europe. Photo: Silja Line
The Tivoli in Copenhagen was opened in 1843 and has been Scandinavia's foremost attraction ever since, featuring 38 restaurants and world-class entertainment . 150.000 lightbulbs create enchantment at night. It is located in the very center of Copenhagen, next to the main railway station. Photo: Tivoli.
One of the 12 Hurtigruten ships heading into the narrow Trollfjord. Even the most jaded, drop their jaws. Add this to your list of things to do before you die. It deserves it! Photo: Hurtigruten.