Overview of family trip to Scandinavia!

It is almost summer again, which means it is almost travel time :-)  This year our main trip will be to Scandinavia.  We are also doing smaller trips to Provo Utah and various places in the upper midwest.  

Scandinavia trip map.  We are going to most places marked with the blue pins

So why Scandinavia this year?  Well we had been saving the "easy" countries for when we had smallish kids.  Scandinavia is super supportive of families.  Most of Lincoln's non air transportation is free, and almost all sightseeing things are free for children under 4 or 5.  Also I am half Scandinavian and my dad has done a lot of genealogy since he retired this winter.  We are going to visit the home towns of my great or great-great grandparents in Finland, Sweden and Norway.  I had originally played with also putting in Denmark and/or Iceland but I decided that these countries are so big that even with a month, 3 countries (plus a part day in Estonia) was more than enough.  Norway Sweden and Finland seem like the perfect mix of culture and outdoors for our little adventurous family!

So without further ado here is our trip itinerary and highlights

Day 1-2 June 14th and 15th Travel MSP, Chicago, Paris, Helsinki Flight from MSP to Chicago, long layover, then night flight to Paris.  5 more hour layover than short flight to Helsinki.  Finally arrive at 7 pm ready to collapse in our apartment.  Why did we get such a non direct itinerary?  We because we used all sorts of tricks to get our flights down to $900 each.  We have super cheap Sun Country flights to Chicago.  Then we got an American Airlines credit card to bring down our flights roundtrip to Chicago.

We probably won't have time to leave CDG, but maybe we will get to see the Eiffel tower from the air?

Day 3 Sunday June 16th.  Visit Tallinn Estonia.  It is only about a 2 hour boat ride from Helsinki to Tallinn.  We are hoping to use the boat trip to keep catching up a rest and sleep, plus there is supposed to be good shopping and a great buffet on the ship. Then we have about 7 hours to explore Old Town.  I am thinking we are going to do a walking tour and pick a few of the more famous sights to explore with such a short time.

Old Town Tallinn

Day 4 Monday June 17th  Explore downtown Helsinki.  We have lots of options to explore in the city.  I know we are going to try to make it to the Sibelius  monument, the rest depends on how we feel.  At 6:30 pm we are taking a night train to Rovaniemi to see Santa and visit some of my family sights.  Lincoln is already getting excited about sleeping on a train!

Sibelius monument in Helsinki

Day 5 Tuesday June 18th We arrive in Rovaniemi at 7:15 am.  Then we pick up a rental car and do the 3 hour drive to the Oulu area to visit where my great great grandparents are from.  We will also stop to visit a few small towns and do short hikes to break the trip up.  That night we are sleeping in our own little apartment (with a sauna!) at the Santa Clause Holiday Village.  We will also cross the arctic circle for the first time

Oulu which is about 10 miles from 3 different hometowns of great great grandparents

Day 6 Wed June 19th Rovaniemi We have the day to explore Santa's village and other sights around Rovaniemi.  I am thinking maybe a short hike and a visit to a Reindeer farm along with pictures with Santa

Santa Village in Rovaniemi

Day 7 Thur June 20th Travel to Savonlinnea We have a few hours in the morning before it is off on our long journey to Savonlinnea.  First we have to fly to Helsinki, then we pick up a car for the 3.5-4 hour drive to Savonlinnea (Lake Country).  It should be a long but beautiful drive.  I guess the area is a lot like the Boundary Waters!

Day 8 Fri June 21st Savonlinnea We have the entire day to explore the region.  We will probably do hiking and canoing in the morning.  Later in the day we might visit the castle on the lake.  

Olavinlinna castle in Savonlinnea.  They also have a giant Opera festival here, but we will miss it by about a week

Day 9 Sat June 22nd Savonlinnea to Helsinki with Sibelius stops It is about a 4 hour drive back to Helsinki.  We are going to break it up by stopping in Hameenlinna to see Sibelius sights (and maybe a few hikes in there as well since it is all lake area.  At night we end up a the Helsinki Hilton for a night of relaxation as we get ready for our last day in Finland.

Hämeenlinna birthplace of Sibelius with a cool medieval castle

Day 10 Sun June 23rd Helsinki We have most of the day free to see sights we missed on the first time through Helsinki.  I am thinking we are going to Suomenlinna for a daytrip.  Then at 5 pm we board an overnight cruise to Sweden.

Suomenlinna and island Fortress in Helsinki

Silja Serenade which will be our ship for the night on the trip to Sweden

Day 11 Mon June 24th Stockholm to Visby  Another mostly travel day. We get into Stockholm at 9:30, pick up a car (should be a Volvo station wagon!) then drive about 45 min to catch the ferry to Visby.   If all goes well we should arrive in Visby around 4:20 pm with a little bit to explore the beaches

Day 12 Tuesday June 25th Visby and Gotland This is our free day to explore Visby and Gotland island.  There seems to be lots of great beaches and historic sights.  We are hoping to rent bikes and just bike all over the place for the day

Biking in Visby

Day 13 Wednesday June 26th Visby Kalmar Ronneby  Early walk up call for the 7:30 ferry back to the main land.  Then we have a little driving down the coast to Kalmar to see the castle and other sights.  Finally we get in late afternoon to Ronneby to try to find my family sights.  

Ronneby Sweden where my great grandfather was born, also were we spend the night to try to find any info about my family

Day 14 Thursday June 27th Ronneby Vaxjo Gothenburg We drive across the southern part of Sweden.  There is about 4 hours total driving.  First after about an hour we stop at Vaxjo to visit a few museums.  The immigrants museum might have useful information to track down more relatives.  Then we have about 3 more hours on to Gothenburg.

Vaxjo Sweden were we spend the middle part of the day visiting museums and walking around the lake

Day 15 Friday June 28th Gothenburg I haven't planned much of our visit to Gothenburg put I know there are a ton of museums and kids things.  It is the second largest city in Sweden and is also supposed to have great food!

Gothenburg Sweden's second largest city and our stop for day 15

Day 16 Saturday June 29th Gothenburg to Rattvik This is our longest drive of our entire trip.  6 hours in the car, but we should have lots of stops to break it up.  We are going straight up to Dalarna county which is where they make the Dala horses (those red painted horses that always come out a Christmas time in Minnesota).  Our stops aren't totally planned but we hope to see the big canal that cuts across Sweden and maybe some islands or beaches closer to Gothenburg

Dalsland Canal one of many quick stops on our long drive

Day 17 Sunday June 30th Dalarna county We have hiking and visiting the Dala horse factory planned.  There are many hiking trails and cool sights to see in the area.  It is supposed to be a lot like visiting northern Minnesota so I am sure we will love it!

Dala horses handpainted and the factory we are hoping to visit

Day 18 Monday July 1st Dalarna Uppsala Stockholm We might get in one more hike in the morning then we have a longish drive to Uppsala.  There were are visiting some sights around the university including where Linnaeus worked!  There is also a cathedral and Viking burial grounds

Uppsala including the Cathedral where we stop for a visit on the way to Stockholm 

Day 19 Tuesday July 2nd Stockholm We spend the entire day seeing the sights in Stockholm.  There is more to see than we will ever have time for but I am hoping to visit the open air folk museum and some of the art museums.  Our hotel is right by City hall so we are well located to take everything in

Stockholm so much to see in so little time!

Day 20 Wed July 3rd Stockholm to Stavanger Our last day in Sweden is spent visiting a few more Stockholm sights in the morning before heading to the airport for our 2:30 pm flight to Stavanger Norway.  Once in Stavanager we hope to wonder around the old wooden part of town and grab some dinner

Wooden historic part of Stavanger Norway

Day 21 Thur July 4th Pulpit Rock Hike We are going to spend our 4th of July hiking Pulpit rock.  It is one of the iconic hikes in Norway and looks beautiful.  We will be hiking with the backpack for Lincoln and sharing who has to lug him up.

Pulpit rock hike near Stavanger.  We have a backpack for Lincoln which should make his trip easier and ours a challenge!

Day 22 Fri July 5th Stavanger to Bergen Very early in the morning we take a 5 hour ferry to Bergen from Stavanger.  Then we check our luggage in to the Hurtigruten cruise and have about 5 hours to explore Bergen.  At 8 pm our cruise leaves.  We are so excited about the cruise!  It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful cruises in the world and I was so lucky to snag a spot on the 3 days it was open before selling out.

Bergen Norway viewed from near the cruise terminal for Hurtigruten

Day 23 Sat July 6th Cruise to Alesund and Geirangerfjord We spend the entire day on the boat except for a brief stop around breakfast and dinner and Alesund.  The scenery is supposed to be some of the best which is saying something for Norway

Alesund Norway we stop here once in the morning and once in the evening on the way in and out of Greingerfjord

Day 24 Sun July 7th Cruise Trondheim The big stop of the day is 4 hours in Trondheim.  We are hoping to do a bike tour of the city and see the Cathedral where Norwegian royalty is sworn in.  Otherwise it is lots of great scenery on the boat.

Trondheim including the Cathedral.  We are hoping to do a 3 hour bike tour of the city during our longish stay at port

Day 25 Mon July 8th Bodo and off at Svolvaer Our final day of the cruise has us stopping at Bodo before we eventually get off at Svolvaer were we spend a few days.  We haven't decided on doing any shore excursions yet, but I am hoping we can at least do some hiking in Bodo

Svolvaer Norway our home for 2 nights in the Lofoten Islands

Day 26 Tue July 9th Lofoten islands exploring  We have the entire day (and a car) to explore the islands.  We are hoping to make it all the way to A, but we also want to get a lot of hiking and maybe kayaking in.  So much to see with so little time!

A Norway.  This a small fishing village we are hoping to visit at the end of the islands

Day 27 Wed July 10th Lofoten islands to Bergen This is our day of fun transportation.  Because I didn't book our flights right away they got really expensive.  To save some money we are actually going out of Storkmarknes (a 1.5 hour bus ride away if I can read the schedule correctly).  Then we have a very short stop at Tromo and finally on to Bergen where if all goes well we arrive for a late dinner.

Day 28 Thur July 11th Bergen Our one day to explore everything we didn't see before in Bergen.  I know we want to go the Troldhaugen which is Grieg's house about 30 min from Bergen.  I also want to do the gondola or tram to the top of the mountain and maybe hike down.  So many amazing options so little time!

Greig's house in Troldhaugen outside of Bergen

Day 29 Fri July 12th Bergen to Balstrand Our 11th anniversary will be spent on a long boat ride all the way from Bergen to Balstrand.  We arrive around lunch and I think we are going to hang out, maybe do some hiking or canoing and have a relaxing day along the fjord.

Balestrand Norway our 2 night stay on the Sognefjord.  Our room is supposed to have a balcony with this view!

Day 30 Sat July 13th Songefjord sights We have a car for the day and plan to drive to see at least one Stave church and maybe make it as far as hiking the glacier (especially if we don't get the chance on our cruise).  The timing will be interesting though because we need to catch a few fjord crossings and not everything is open super late.

Urnes Stave Church One of many possible stops along the Sognefjord on our daytrip

Day 31 Sun July 14th Balstrand Flam Oslo This will be another long day of traveling, with a variety of modes of transportation.  We start in Balestrand, take a ferry to Flam.  Then the amazing Flamsbana to Myrdal and finally the train to Oslo where we don't get in until 10:30 pm.  At least our hotel is next to the train station!

Flamsbana railway from Flam to Myrdal.  This is supposed to be one of the most beautiful trainrides in the world and we get to do it.  Lincoln will love it!

Day 32 Mon July 15th Oslo Oslo looks amazing and we only have one full day to enjoy it.  It will be a crazy sprint as we race to see all the cool parks and museums.  Hopefully also a good meal in there.

Oslo our last big stop in our Scandinavia tour

Day 33 Tue July 16th Oslo, family sights and to the airport Last full day of our trip is spent catching one or two more sights in Oslo, then renting a car to drive to Holmstrand where my great grandfather immigrated from.  We even have a picture of his house we might try to track down.  Then we drive to Gran where more family is from and finally check in to the airport hotel with hopefully enough time to pack the crazy amount of stuff we will probably have accumulated.

Holmstrand Norway were my great grandfather was from and one of the last stops of our trip

Day 34 Wed July 17th Home via Helsinki, Chicago and finally MSP! The long journey home starts with an 8:30 flight from Oslo to Helsinki.  Then a direct flight from Helsinki to Chicago and finally a Sun Country flight to MSP.  I think we get in a like 7 pm after a long day of travels

So there you have it.  Our crazy long but very exciting trip plan to Scandinavia.  After we come home I head to a conference in Provo Utah after only a few days at home.  Then we return for a bunch of trips to see family and friends all over Minnesota Wisconsin and Michigan.  

We have to survive a few more months of teaching and then let the summer travel season begin!