TRIP OVERVIEW:
In 2020, my husband and I had planned a huge 10th wedding anniversary trip, but we all know that year was impossible. The tour company we booked with credited our account and were flexible in 2021 when we had to postpone again due to international travel restrictions in some countries. Finally, summer of 2022 we were able to use our credits and take this adventure...Best of Scandinavia & the Baltics
CHALLENGES:
Airlines still had not recovered from the pandemic, guessing you know where I might be going next. We were notified the morning of our flight, only 4 hours before departure that our flight was cancelled. The airline representative was helpful finding us a delayed flight, switching us to a different set of layovers. This gave us hope that we would arrive before the tour bus left us. In hind sight, we should have built 2 days pre-accommodations into our schedule for these issues. Our second mistake, we didn't have carry-on only items. I had 1 change of clothes in my backpack and my husband only had his CPAP machine. You must be reading my mind...our luggage did not reach Copenhagen.
We spent our touring afternoon the next day at the Copenhagen Airport looking in a sea of luggage for hours. The third mistake, you ask? Not using AirTags. By some miracle, my suitcase appeared but my husband's remained lost. Ready for the fourth mistake? Couples, if you must check bags, split your wardrobe in half so each suitcase has some of each partner's threads in it. The first 8 days of our tour, my husband wore grocery store underwear and socks, the same pair of shorts from the plane, and a souvenir shirt he bought from wherever we had spent the day before. At least he was able to wash his garments in the sinks at night. The epiphany we had as a result...We have been overpacking for every trip and it's more enjoyable to not have a heavy suitcase to drag everywhere you go. Our most recent trip to Europe this summer we each carried a 46L backpack and were so grateful as I'm certain with our issues at Heathrow, we would have repeated this luggage-less experience again.
TOUR IMPRESSIONS:
Let's tackle hotels first. This tour operator provides a great value per person - 20 days with a tour guide, transportation, and hotels starting around $3,500 a person (airfare not included). If you have unreasonable expectations, like assuming you will stay at Ritz Carltons for this price, then you might be disappointed. These hotels are great for the purpose they serve...a comfortable, clean place to shower and sleep after a busy day. Friends, not all hotels are going to have air conditioning, which is kind of normal in Europe. You may need to open a window or two. For the 20 days, there was maybe 1 hotel that our group reported having an issue with, but that's really not bad if you think about how long we stayed and the number of countries we visited!
Moving on...transportation (yes, pun intended). This tour requires 2 forms of transportation, a coach bus and ferries. Our driver was from Poland and his skills in navigating a giant passenger coach in twisting, tiny European streets were unfathomable. It was impressive to say the least. The coach is comfortable with air conditioning. We did not have Wi-Fi, but we did have international plans from our cellular provider. One thing to keep in mind is that the European Labor Laws require stops after about 2 hours of driving. The company wisely uses these mandatory breaks to include mini-tours of towns and cities along the way. Overnight ferries from Copenhagen to Bergen and then Stockholm to Helsinki were wonderful. It was like getting a short cruise with our land package and included shops on board, entertainment, and restaurants. Have you heard about the ferry to Helsinki and the buffet? It is a seafood lovers dream and so many fish roe choices! Don't worry for those like me, who can't eat seafood...I didn't go hungry either!
The operator provides several walking tours in each city when you arrive to help get a feel for the layout and transportation options should you want to explore on your own for the evening. If you aren't experienced navigating foreign cities, you can opt to pay for the optional excursions in each city. The tour leader accepts cash (euros) throughout the trip. We decided to be lazy and carefree, so we opted to just pay for all of the trip excursions on the first night when our tour guide met us in the hotel lobby for the welcome session. I don't regret that decision as we were able to see the highlights and it gave us plenty of ideas for future trips. Additionally, all breakfasts are included and there are a few group dinners included in the base price.
Destination Details:
Denmark: We did miss a good portion of Copenhagen, but made it in time for the optional excursion including water taxis, museum and canal cruise. The canal cruise at the end was worth the added expense. We visited Odense, known as the birthplace to Hans Christian Andersen and third largest city in Denmark. You don't have much time here, but we focused on grabbing a second pair of shoes for my husband (suitcase still missing and there is so much walking on this trip) and hustling to find a Christmas ornament (I actually have a travel themed Christmas tree showcasing all of my treasures). The second stop included a visit to Aarhus where we grabbed lunch from a food truck and paid admission to the city's live air museum where Denmark housing from various centuries were transported for display. It's like walking through time.
Norway: This country is beautiful. Bergen is chilly and rainy, but it's nestled between mountains and has the most picturesque coastline. We enjoyed seeing stave churches and visiting Troldhaughen, home to composer Edvard Grieg with a piano concert in the hall. We visited a Viking living museum where people apply to volunteer and live there during the summer months. But the most spectacular views were found on the fjord cruise that is included with your trip!
Sweden: Another beautiful Scandinavian country with views, food, and culture to offer. Stockholm was my favorite with old buildings, churches, museums. I especially loved the Vasa Museum where you can see the fully intact vessel from the 17th-century that was built too top heavy and immediately sank on her maiden voyage. The artwork was astounding. I almost forgot to mention, my husband's suitcase arrived at the hotel in Stockholm. Everyone in our group erupted in cheers, which startled the hotel receptionist a little.
Finland: Did you know that the Finland population is known to drink more coffee per person than anywhere else in the world? This town was very easy to navigate on the metro and bus, or it's walkable if you prefer to get your steps in. It has a quirky and eclectic charm. Definitely enough days in the city to visit a laundromat.
Estonia: We definitely didn't have enough time in this country, but had to remind ourselves that this trip was about learning and getting our feet wet in this part of Europe. The food was delicious and the old town area very well preserved. Definitely will be back!
Latvia: I was not expecting how lovely Riga was. We stayed at a hotel just outside of the tourist old town area. Did you know that the world's tallest population of women are from Latvia? While we were in town, there was a music festival happening in the nearby park area with several food trucks. The weather was beautiful and music enjoyable. Another hidden gem we would not have thought to visit had we not chosen this tour.
Lithuania: Did you know that this country's language is one of the oldest in the world's? Before arriving in the castle, we had a day trip to Trakai Historical National park where we took our optional boat ride with complimentary pierogis. A quick stop to the Hill of Crosses was also included. It's one of the most photographed locations and a symbol of freedom.
Poland: We spent several days in various parts of the country. Gdansk was one of my favorite locations on the trip and we found the best local shop for pierogis that I've ever eaten. There is an entire street with amber jewelers that you can spend an afternoon exploring. This location also was perfect for visiting the laundromat. Our trip ended in Warsaw, with one overnight stay. Definitely not enough time to truly see what the city offers, but we did get to enjoy site-seeing the day we were there.
Final Verdict:
Just Right. Definitely had so many work emails when we returned, but that's a small price to pay for how refreshed we felt from unwinding for 3 straight weeks! We loved our trip. It delivered exactly what we were expecting and gave us a fast-paced way to see 8 countries sparking many ideas for future return holidays. By the end, I did miss my dogs and was excited to be reunited with them. If 3 weeks seems too daunting, this tour can be divided into smaller chunks, such as Denmark to Sweden, or Finland to Poland.
Would you enjoy 3 weeks in Europe?
Yes, Where can I book this trip?
No, I would get homesick.
Not enough time off work...divide this vacation please!
This looks amazing! I'd take this trip over any beach or hot island cruise. Getting our passports is near the top of our list. Hoping to go somewhere not too far from home but requiring a flight soon (child's first flight). :D
I could definitely spend a week or more in each country! A trip like this is great to get a quick sense of lots of locations and then get a feel for where you would like to return for more in depth stays and deeper exploration.