Summer in Scandinavia

This is a bit of a different travel guide because, unlike most of our trips, we didn’t travel Scandinavia over just a long weekend. To escape the heat of Southern Italy, we decided to head north on an 11 day trip through Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Seeing the fjords in Norway was truly a bucket list item for me. On this trip, we did our best to find budget friendly accommodations (we stayed in hotels since we changed locations every 1-2 nights and this was the most convenient), amazing sightseeing to take in the nature, and core memory kid activities (Liseberg Park in Gothenburg, Sweden is now one of our favorite spots). I hope this breakdown, day by day, helps you in planning your next trip through Scandinavia (with or without kids)!

Day 1: Copenhagen, Denmark

• Fly RyanAir from Naples to Copenhagen and pick up rental car at the airport. 

• Tolls: We paid the toll to drive across the bridge to Malmö directly through Avis and were advised any tolls in Norway would be automatic and billed through Avis in about a month. 

• Hotel: Comfort Hotel Vesterbro

• Great location near the central train station, tons of restaurants nearby, close to Tivoli Gardens (amusement park for kids)

• We paid for parking directly at hotel reception which was cheaper than paying through the garage

• App for public transit: DOT Tickets (DOT Billetter).

  • We got 24 hour passes for Zone A (kids under 6 travel free) which covered everywhere we needed to go within the city. 

• Activities:

  • Walk around Nyhavn harbor and have lunch on the water

  • Walk to The Little Mermaid Statue and play in park by Kastellet

  • Take the metro to Freetown Christiania to walk around and play on the playground

  • Have dinner at Sanchez in Vesterbro (reservation required - incredible tasting menu of Mexican food using local Scandinavian ingredients)

Day 2: Donsö, Sweden

• Drive 3.5 hours

• Hotel: Isbolaget Hotel (https://isbolaget.com/) - a converted ice house that is now a hotel and restaurant right at the Donsö port/marina

• App for parking: Parkering Göteborg

• You can see the available lots near the Saltholmen ferry terminal on this app. You need to take the tram one stop to Saltholmen. The parking lots right by the ferry terminal are not public lots. You can pay for parking directly in the app. If you do this, make sure to end you “parking ticket” session AFTER you leave the lot because there are cameras that scan your license plate in and out of the lot. 

• App for public transit: Västtrafik To Go

• We bought 24 Hour Zone A tickets (kids under 6 travel free) which covered both the tram and the ferry to Donsö. You take ferry line 281 towards Vrangö

• Activities:

  • Southern Naturstig (nature walk) to walk along the coast line and see the beaches and lighthouse

  • Play on playground walking back to town from the trailhead

  • Get ice cream at Popsicle Cafe

  • Dinner at the hotel with a view of the water

Day 3: Oslo, Norway

• Drive 3.5 hours

• Hotel: Radisson Blu Plaza Oslo

• 3 minute walk from the train station, very comfortable rooms, gorgeous rooftop bar and restaurant, pool

• App for public transit: Ruter

• We bought single tickets for each ride right before we got on a tram (kids under 6 travel free) and they were valid for 60 min after purchase

• Parking: Gallery West Parking Garage

• We needed to leave our car for a few days while we left Oslo via train for the Norway in Nutshell tour. We could have left it at the hotel but it was around $55/day. We found a garage a block away for $44/day. We know it would be expensive to park the car for multiple days but it was cheaper in the long run to have the car for the entire trip and return to the same airport we rented from. 

• Activities:

  • Visit the MUNCH Museum (see studies of “The Scream” with great interactive activities for kids as well as beautiful views looking over Oslo)

  • Walk on top of the opera house

  • Explore Frogner Park (great playground right by main entrance) and Vigeland sculptures

  • Check out this cute cafe in the park (Anne På Landet)

Day 4: Flåm, Norway

• We started our Norway in a Nutshell tour. We booked the entire tour directly through this website for convenience but you could also use their itineraries as your guide to book things yourself. 

• Norway in a Nutshell: Trains from Oslo > Myrdal (6 hrs) and Myrdal > Flåm (1 hr)

• The long train did not have a family car/play area like some Norwegian trains and had NO bar car. We bought food ahead of time in the train station. There were outlets and WiFi onboard. 

• Sit on the left hand side of the train to Flåm for the best views. It is open seating. 

• Hotel: Flåmsbrygga

• Activities:

  • Photo stop between Myrdal and Flåm at Kjosfossen waterfall (there was a short dance performance too on the cliffs by the waterfall)

  • Dinner at Ægir Microbrewery (make a reservation - it was very busy when we were there and we had to wait a while for a table)

  • Play on the playground by the hotel

  • Eat (too many) kanelbolle (cinnamon roll) from Flåm bakery

Day 5: Bergen, Norway

• Norway in a Nutshell: Electric boat fjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen (2 hours)

• Great cafe on board - outside snacks and drinks were not allowed

• Traveled through the UNESCO Nærøyfjord and the Aurlandsfjord (both part of the Sognefjord). If your kids are Frozen fans, this is supposedly the fjord that inspired the one in the movie. Bergen (specifically the Bryggen district) is also a major inspiration for Arendelle in the movie. 

• Norway in a Nutshell: Bus from Gudvangen to Voss (45 min)

• Photo stop at Stalheim for a view of the Nærøydalen fjord valley — one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen

• Norway in a Nutshell: Train from Voss to Bergen (1 hour)

• This train did have a family car with a playground. Before we got on the train, we confirmed with the ticket inspector that even though our reserved seats were not for that car, we could sit there, which was great. 

• Hotel: Scandic Ørnen

  • This was an easy walk from the train station. Scandic was recommended as a good budget and family friendly hotel chain.  Our room had Murphy bed bunk beds that my son absolutely loved. 

• Activities:

  • Funicular up Mount Fløyen to panoramic view point (great playground, cafes, ice cream, walking paths through the woods and to a lake, free roaming goats, and more activities. You can also hike ~2 miles up)

  • Dinner at Bryggeloftet - try the wolffish! You can make reservations for the second floor with the view, first floor is walk-in only. The food was incredible. They also gave us a bag of kids activities like coloring, stickers, and a matching game when we sat down.

Day 6: Bergen, Norway

• Rødne Fjord Cruise (3.5 hrs): Round trip cruise through the Osterfjord from Bergen to Mostraumen. Booked via GetYourGuide. Snacks available onboard but no signs saying you couldn’t have outside food/drinks. There was a small kid’s area with toys.

• Tre-Kroneren:

  • Reindeer sausage hot dogs from for lunch by the port 

• Walk around Bryggen

• Beffen Ferry: Take the ferry to Norway Fisheries Museum. The ferry also stops at the aquarium. You can buy tickets on board and it was a fun way to see Bryggen from the water and see the coastline. 

• Norway Fisheries Museum: This was the most pleasant surprise of the trip and I think it was a 10/10 kid activity. The museum is about Norway’s fisheries history with fantastic interactive exhibits like “fishing” using magnetic poles, design your own fish “Selfish” (fish selfie) , an old Viking ship, and a treasure hunt through the museum. Ticket also gives access to XX, a small museum that focuses on the future of fishing and fish farming in Norway, a 5 min walk away

• Public transit home: Walk to bus stop and pause at Skuteviksbryggen to see the old wharf. This is also a great spot for sunset if you’re out late enough for that. You can get single ride bus tickets with tap to pay on board

Day 7: Oslo, Norway

• Norway in a Nutshell: Train from Bergen to Oslo (7 hrs)

• Our train was cancelled the morning of because of a collapsing bridge but the train company organized transfers for everyone, which was incredibly helpful. We took a train to a coach bus that took us directly to Oslo. 

• Hotel: CityBox Oslo

• Activities:

  • Play on the fantastic playground near the train station

  • See the ducks on the Operastranda beach and playground

  • Dinner at Indian Street Food & Co (we really enjoyed the small plates tasting menu)

Day 8: Gothenburg, Sweden

• Hotel: Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel

• Parking: P-hus Liseberg Västra

• There are reserved spots for hotel guests. You have to pay for it first at the hotel to get access and they email you a QR code to open the gate to the reserved parking. 

• Activity: Liseberg Park , which is located quite literally right next door to the hotel

  • We got the full ride pass (Åkpass)

  • Our 4.5 year old loved it and could do many rides alone, even in the “main park” because of his height

  • Kanenlandet is an entire section of park just for little kids

  • Great food in the park

  • Manageable lines (no wait time over 5-10 min). I did see a “priority pass” type lane for quicker wait times on some of the bigger rides, like roller coasters and the log ride. Maybe worth it with older kids who will do all these rides. 

  • By the entrance, there is a little station to make a wristband for your child with their name and your phone number in case they get lost 

  • Dinner at Saluhallen in the hotel 

  • Buffet style dinner restaurant 

  • Good food and easy after a long day in the park

Day 9: Billund, Denmark

• Hotel: Lalandia

  • This property is 10/10, absolutely fantastic. It is a large property of privately owned holiday homes, or cabins, that are managed by Lalandia. The grounds are covered in playgrounds, sports courts, trampolines, zip lines, adventure courses, and more. There is also a little train that runs around the park if you don’t want to walk to the main building, where the aquadome and indoor activities are. My son loved staying in the cabin and being able to walk to everything, plus see goats (you can go into the enclosure with them) and the little train that runs around the property. The Aquadome was a huge hit with the water slides and wave pool. 

• Transit: Ferry w/ car from Gothenburg to Frederickshavn, Denmark (3.5 hours, booked via FerryHopper)

• The ferry was massive with an arcade, playground, restaurant, bar, movie theater, shop, and live entertainment

• Arrive at hotel late afternoon and play at the Aquadome (hours change daily, check on hotel’s website)

Day 10: Billund, Denmark

• LEGO House: Billund is the birthplcae of the LEGO! We spent all day here and my 4.5 year old was in heaven. Highly recommend. There is also LEGOLand Park nearby, but we didn’t have time to do both.

• Mini Chef: Super fun experience for dinner at LEGO House — Reservation required! You order your food by building a specific combination of LEGO bricks and then putting it into a machine so that mini LEGO chefs in the kitchen know what you want (they only speak bricks, no human languages). Your food is then delivered to the counter by robots where you pick it up.

• End the night back at the Lalandia indoor play place (Monky Tonky Land - included in our reservation just like the water park) for last wiggles before bed

Day 11: Copenhagen > Naples

• Enjoy the indoor playground at Lalandia

• Drive back to Copenhagen Airport (2.5 hrs)

• RyanAir flight back to Naples