Independent Trip to Scandinavia

I want to shatter the myth prevalent among many travelers that it is better to take an organized tour to Scandinavia.
The topic of this article is not the pros and cons of an organized tour. Everyone must do their own soul-searching, knowing their knowledge, desires, and character, and choose the way of traveling that suits them best.
This article is intended for independent travelers, what is known in the travel agents' professional jargon as FIT, who have already traveled to various countries around the world outside the framework of an organized tour, but are afraid to travel alone in Scandinavia, because of the distances, because of the roads, because of the prices, and mainly because that is what their good friends did.

♦ Recommended Hotels in Norway

Examples of recommended accommodation at reasonable prices in the "must-see destinations" in the fjords:
Recommended accommodation in Geirangerfjord Geiranger:

Grande Hytteutleige og Camping - Cottages designed for 4-6 people right on the waterfront. All cottages include a fully equipped kitchen, flat-screen TV, and a balcony overlooking the fjord. You can rent boats, kayaks, and fishing equipment on site.
Hole Hytteutleige - Fifteen cottages and apartments with a well-equipped kitchen and furnished balcony. Overlooks the Geirangerfjord and is located about 3 km from the town itself.

Recommended accommodation in Flåm:

Gjørven Hytter - Two well-equipped cottages 100 meters from Flåm Church and 3 km from the famous and popular railway station.
Flåm Holiday House - A well-equipped vacation home suitable for 8 people located at the corner of the Flåm campsite, 500 meters from the railway station.

Important Note: Due to high popularity and the short travel season in the fjords, it is recommended to book accommodations many months in advance!

♦ Recommended Hotels in Denmark

Pace and Duration of the Trip

The distances in Scandinavia are truly vast and this is a good reason not to be too ambitious and decide to see it from end to end. A distinction should be made between Denmark and southern Sweden, southern to central Norway and Finland, and the north, famous for the midnight sun and Lapland.

It is advisable to dedicate at least three weeks to a trip without the northern part, and then you can manage to see Scandinavia at its best at a leisurely pace. To the fjord region in Norway, which is undoubtedly the highlight of the trip, to which nothing else will compare, it is worth dedicating at least a week. Do not change hotels every day in order to push further and further. Stay at least two nights in each destination. There is so much to see and do. A trip in the fjords is not necessarily many hours of driving on a bus or train and occasionally a ferry and gazing at the passing scenery. A real trip in the fjords also includes walking on magical paths among waterfalls, on the edge of a fjord, glaciers, and green hills (definitely not just for experienced hikers!), cruising on lakes, fishing, and sitting on the house balcony facing magical scenery. If you adopt this approach, you will not have to drive long hours and distances will no longer be a problem.

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Roads and Transportation

The roads in Scandinavia are divided into the fjord area and all the rest. In the fjord area you will indeed encounter narrow roads, many of them winding, steep, and along the way you will pass abundant tunnels, bridges, and sometimes you will need ferries, because suddenly the road ends. But since car traffic is sparse (even at the height of the summer tourist season), driving speed is slow, and since roads are maintained at the highest level and drivers are especially polite and careful, you will not feel any difficulty, especially if you make only short drives every day. The ferry service is efficient and convenient, and provides a break for rest and relaxation. While traveling on the ferry, you can stretch your legs, drink coffee at the snack bar, admire the scenery and even play on a slot machine you will find on every ferry…

♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking site: Booking.com

The roads in all other areas of Scandinavia are good, maintained, magnificently signposted and most importantly without traffic jams (except perhaps in the big cities during rush hour).
Believe me, in the summer months it is better to drive in Scandinavia than in traffic-jammed Italy or France.

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Tourist Information

Scandinavians speak excellent English. Every town has a visitor center with plenty of information and brochures, and it's all free!
Of course, the information you can also find in the internet (in English) is vast! You can prepare well for the trip right from your living room armchair, every trip is expensive and therefore it is recommended to do your homework thoroughly so as not to be disappointed and to get the most out of the trip. Anyone who wants to receive a ready-made travel itinerary, tailored to their request by a professional paid consultant is welcome to contact the site owner, Sigalit Bar.

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Expensive Living and Free Breathtaking Scenery

Living expenses in Scandinavian countries and in particular Norway, are indeed relatively high. Hotel prices are high, and so are restaurant meal prices and especially drink prices (especially alcohol) and cigarettes.
But the main attraction, the amazing scenery, is free! Entrance fees to various sites (museums, cable cars etc.) are also quite reasonable.
You don't have to stay in luxury hotels. It is much more attractive and cheaper to stay in a cabin on a fjord shore, in a farmhouse or a B&B. In many cases the price of accommodation also includes a boat and fishing equipment. Since the tourist season is extremely short (June to August only) it is highly recommended to book accommodation from home (you can of course do it via the internet).
You don't have to eat gourmet meals every day in restaurants. You can also go shopping in supermarkets, have a picnic by the waterfalls or have a light dinner against the backdrop of fjord and lake scenery. Enjoyment is guaranteed and your wallet won't be emptied.

Warm Recommendation: Visit Norway with a cruise ship, this way you don't need a hotel, car, and expensive restaurants and you don't have to unpack and pack suitcases at every hotel you pass. A detailed description of such a trip can be found in the articles:

♦ Cruise from England to Norway

♦ Cruise in Norway and Iceland aboard the Sky Princess

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Family Trips

It is worth noting that Scandinavia is a recommended destination also for family trips. Although you won't find Disney amusement parks there, you will discover other pleasant amusement parks (especially in Denmark), gardens, open-air museums, glaciers, cable cars, ski jumps and more.
Denmark can definitely compete with Holland in the abundance of its family attractions and the charm of Norway affects even the internet and computer generation kids. And I haven't written a single word about the wonders of Stockholm, the Venice of the North!
In summary: surf the internet, read material, book unique accommodations, plan a good itinerary, take a vacation from work/studies and set out without fear and without robbing a bank to discover Scandinavia!