3 Nordic countries for 11 days: tips for independent travelers

Our small family group (3 people) visited 3 Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden and Norway) for 11 days in 2012. During this short period we managed to have a quick peek in Finland and in Sweden and to see the beauties of Norway in detail.

We spent 3 days in the charming town of Voss; almost a full day was dedicated to the visit in Bergen; spent 1 day on a tour of the Hardangerfjord (the main purpose of our voyage). The main means of transport were trains, taxis and cruise ferries.

Some useful tips for independent travelers (they can be used in order to reduce some expenses (i.e. those expenses that are made by you in the preparation of/during the trip and stay at destination):

Try to book all you need in advance for several months. Thus you, for example, will have the great chance to get cheap tickets for trains (NSB Minipris tickets are one of the best opportunities for those who want to save on transportation costs). Also you may know that some hotels offer discounts for early booking.
Use budget means of transport. One of the cheap variants is to travel by trains in wagons of 2nd class. Or, if you sail on cruiseferry, it is cheaper to buy tickets for accommodation in cabins of class “C” (without windows). By the way, InterCity train rides are very good variant, if you go from Stockholm to Oslo.

Use cheap variants of accommodation (hostels and so on), and try to stay only for 1 night, if possible.
If you have Fjord Pass card, you will be able to save on your accommodation, so be sure to check whether your booked hotels is included at Fjord Pass system of discounts.

Remember that in the most cases there are appropriate discounts for travelling pensioners, disabled, children.
Keep receipts during currency exchange in FOREX and other exchange offices (when you change EUR to NOK/SEK). It will help you to avoid the commission during the return and exchange of the rest.

For those who want to fully or partially repeat our Scandinavian journey – the route of our voyage in the table form and some other details.