Scandi Tips

[stinkingbishop]

Right. My 20 year old DS has, rather unexpectedly, said he'd like to go on a week's holiday, just the two of us, again next year. I am pathetically grateful .

He wants to do Scandinavia, which I would be delighted with. His focus is on history and scenery and not having to get up early every day for me to drive him around (we did the West Coast of Scotland this year and he kept moaning); mine is on scenery and FOOD.

I'd thought Iceland, but we'd be driving all the time. And then the west Swedish coast to do a seafood safari/island hop, but apparently the area doesn't have enough of historic import.

Thoughts?? Apart from he should count himself lucky he's getting a free holiday and just go where he's taken .

Came back from Iceland yesterday. Very nice FOOD! and plenty of lounging in very hot pools (I'd say swimming, but I personally would be lying). Liked it v much - just rather expensive. The geology and landscape, as I am sure you will have found out from elsewhere, is almost as if from another planet or era so it is unique in Europe I'd say.

In Stockholm the Vasa ship and museum is extremely memorable, and historic. Our favourite Scandi place was Helsinki though (I can imagine not everyone would say that, but still...) You can get to Estonia by ship in a day and if you sort visas, can even go over into Russia from Helsinki, without the necessity of you having to do the driving.

Stockholm is brilliant. Expensive, but brilliant. There is lots of Viking Gold in the History Museum too! I think there are plenty of historic sights in Sweden.

Agree wth Milly - Stockholm is fantastic. Great food, lovely to stroll around and the vasa museum is amazing. Also visited a great art gallery there, but can't remember the name.
Avoid Oslo it is expensive and probably the most boring place on the planet.

How about flying into Stockholm, spending a few days there, then take the X2000 train across Sweden to Gothenberg, spend some time there, then take the train to Copenhagen? Easy, the train is great, no driving.

I love Helsinki and go there often for work. The food is fabulous, and theres loads of tiny restaurants. If you did that and decided to get the boat to Estonia, note that these are really booze cruises and people drink really hard on the boat

What time of year? Can you time it for the traditional Swedish crayfish parties - August? Also, apple harvest time in the south east, around Kivik, is quite a spectacle.

What period of history is he interested in? Lund, just outside Malmo, has a 12th century cathedral. YY to Vasa Museum in Stockholm.

Copenhagen has good museums, or Helsingor castle, up the coast a bit, is Hamlet's Elsinore.

Denmark and the south of Sweden are pretty flat, although the coastal areas are attractive. If you have the time and money you could take a train from Malmo (or Gothenburg) to Stockholm, which pass through forests and see humungous lakes. There are many country parks in Sweden too.

Denmark for food. If you can get into Noma (book way ahead), that's amazing, otherwise their sushi is ace and everywhere, and some trad Danish food is lovely. As long as you like pork and potatoes and herring. You can cycle all over, go to Legoland, visit Sweden for a couple of days.
Have an ace trip, v jealous. Loved living in Copenhagen, would go back tomorrow if I could.

We were thinking of something similar next July with ds aged 15.

On the list are Vikings, sea/boats, food, city and countyside

I was wondering if Malmo/Copenhagen, Stockholm and the Islands would work over 2wks.

I've just started researching, hard to narrow it down! It looks amazing.

bluesky Copenhagen, with a day or two in Roskilde for Viking ships/museum - it's a 30 min bike ride from CPH, or a twenty min train journey (but Denmark is so flat it's ridiculously easy to cycle there!). They have beautifully preserved Viking longships there, and a repro one that you can take a trip on.

That's brilliant advice thanks Humpty, I love the bike ride idea.