🌍 Assist Me, LP! Which is the extra possible strategy to journey Scandinavia: practice or aircraft?

In this collection, Lonely Planet’s staff of writers and editors solutions your journey issues and supply ideas and hacks that will help you plan a hassle-free journey. This week Tom Corridor, Lonely Planet’s de facto practice knowledgeable tackles a question from a US traveler coming to Scandinavia.

Query: Howdy Lonely Planet, I’m planning a brief Scandinavian journey, spending two days in Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen, and Stockholm. I’m questioning whether it is possible to journey by practice as an alternative of aircraft between the cities?

Tom Corridor: Not solely is it possible to journey by practice in Scandinavia, it’s extremely advisable.

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The scenic Flamsbana Railway in Norway, the additional prematurely you’ll be able to ebook the higher  © Russell Monk / Getty

The case for rail journey in Scandinavia

Rail journey is a implausible strategy to see an enormous quantity of assorted surroundings in a brief time frame. And it’s the greener choice. The carbon emissions generated by flying is a sizzling subject all through Europe, and residents of nordic international locations have nice pleasure in low-emissions rail journey. 

Trains in Scandinavia are straightforward and environment friendly, working to and from metropolis heart terminals which are typically spectacular locations to reach and depart from. Common rail providers join main nordic cities, with longer journeys resembling Oslo to Stockholm (round seven hours) and Bergen (six and a half) additionally linked by evening trains. That mentioned, the latter journey is a robust contender for the world’s finest practice journey, so if you are able to do that one by day. The journey from Copenhagen into Sweden crosses the famed Öresund Bridge. You possibly can change in Malmo for providers to Gothenburg and Oslo. Most trains supply free wifi in addition to food and drinks obtainable for buy onboard. 

Why this journey author determined to by no means fly once more 

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The scenic dome in Bergen's train station
 Bergen’s practice station, the journey from right here to Oslo is without doubt one of the world’s finest practice journey © Amei Ott / EyeEm / Getty

Ticketing particulars for practice journey in Scandinavia

Ticketing ought to be easy, although extra common providers could be busy so seat reservations are usually advisable. An Interrail or Eurail pass overlaying Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland giving 4 days of journey inside a one-month interval prices €218/$222, although seat and sleeper berth reservations are wanted on the kind of quicker – or in a single day – trains you’ll doubtless be taking. 

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On condition that advance buy fares for particular trains are worth, it’s possible you’ll discover that reserving point-to-point tickets is essentially the most economical and handy choice. Particular person nation rail operators (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) will often supply reserving as much as 90 days earlier than departure, as will reserving websites like Trainline. Cheaper fares promote out the nearer you get to departure, so the additional prematurely you’ll be able to ebook the higher.

If in case you have a burning journey query you want to Lonely Planet to reply, please contact us here. We’ll choose one query and publish the reply every Thursday.

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