Post by speedbird on May 18, 2007 0:08:46 GMT -5
Hello there!
Some of you will remember my numerous questions & requests of advice not too long ago on here about a four month trip through Scandinavia & Central/Eastern Europe - however it didn't end up very much that way, at all infact. I wont go into too many details, I dont want to make this thread my guide book - look for that in a year at Chapters ;P
Actual Itinerary: England, Norway, Finland, Sweden.
Accommodation: I'd done most of my hostel reservations in advance, at home. I remember there being nothing worse than arriving in a city without the local language after 14 hours of train travel without a place to put down me rucksack. At times, I couldn't have been happier for these hostel reservations, and at others - I've never been more cross with meself for doing so. I'm spontanious, and should've known - next summer, I'll definitely be only booking accommodation in capitals, it's not much fun traveling for a few months with an itinerary down to the day. Fellow travellers are better sources of information than any published guidebook out there, and leave it to them to keep you up to date on the most unfound corners of the country.
In Scandinavia - a sleeping sheet is essential. Most hostels I stayed at don't even have linen for hire, and if they do - it'll put yet another heafty dent in your budget. I did cotton, I wouldn't do it again. Bulky, heavy, hot. Give silk a go!
Transport: Don't try and travel on public holidays, what a mistake that was. I ended up in a couple taxis, for over 100 Euro because buses wern't running. Eurail pass was lovely through Scandinavia, because as with everything there - rail travel is blimming expensive! Sleeper options in Finland & Sweden are brilliant - comfortable & inexpensive. Norway - one must book an entire cabin to theirself - no sharing with other travellers, very frustrating. Trains were always ontime, as were the busses - I had one bus late and I was connecting to another, the driver even called ahead for me in broken English to hold the bus I was connecting to. I took the Hurtigruten from Stamsund to Kjollefjord in Norway - what an amazing experiance! Expensive, but I would do it again in a heartbeat!
People/Language: I met the warmest people I've come to know in my life on this trip. Strangers who I will never see or recognize ever again, random acts of kindness & selflessness. Scandinavians are the lovliest people I've ever met, and I'll never forget them. They went out of their way to help (drive me to where I needed to be when I missed the last bus, gave a hand hiking up a mountain in 3 feet of snow). The language was never a problem, and I stress never. English is widely, willingly, spoken throughout the entire region - though a touch less up north around Kilpisjarvi, Kjollefjord etc. It's always nice, and seemingly appreciated when I made the effort to greet in the local language of course.
Special Experiances: Two nights at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi - one night in cold accommodation, one night in warm & snow shoeing, dog sledding & evening snow mobiling for around $1600 CAD. Worth every penny, and I kid you not - I'd do it again in a heartbeat - and am considering heading back at Christmas
Joining a couple of older Finnish men for a traditional sauna & ice swim (together) in Kilpisjarvi.
Watching the Aurora Borealis tango in the sky above Stamsund on the Lofoten Islands, Norway. What a special place to be, regardless of the events though. A & Stamsund are my two favourite places from the trip, easily.
Splurging for a private sleeping compartment on a Norwegian night train... peaceful, surreal... perfection. There is nothing quite like listening to the tracks underneath passing by while I rested my head for a nights sleep heading north into Lappland.
Please, if there's anything more you're interested in - don't hesitate to ask, I just don't want to make this too long.
I'm in the process of posting photos from my trip on www.cristosea.deviantart.com
I've also a little bit of writing there I did at the Ice Hotel. Probably the most special evening of my life
Thanks for reading! Can't wait til next summer
Some of you will remember my numerous questions & requests of advice not too long ago on here about a four month trip through Scandinavia & Central/Eastern Europe - however it didn't end up very much that way, at all infact. I wont go into too many details, I dont want to make this thread my guide book - look for that in a year at Chapters ;P
Actual Itinerary: England, Norway, Finland, Sweden.
Accommodation: I'd done most of my hostel reservations in advance, at home. I remember there being nothing worse than arriving in a city without the local language after 14 hours of train travel without a place to put down me rucksack. At times, I couldn't have been happier for these hostel reservations, and at others - I've never been more cross with meself for doing so. I'm spontanious, and should've known - next summer, I'll definitely be only booking accommodation in capitals, it's not much fun traveling for a few months with an itinerary down to the day. Fellow travellers are better sources of information than any published guidebook out there, and leave it to them to keep you up to date on the most unfound corners of the country.
In Scandinavia - a sleeping sheet is essential. Most hostels I stayed at don't even have linen for hire, and if they do - it'll put yet another heafty dent in your budget. I did cotton, I wouldn't do it again. Bulky, heavy, hot. Give silk a go!
Transport: Don't try and travel on public holidays, what a mistake that was. I ended up in a couple taxis, for over 100 Euro because buses wern't running. Eurail pass was lovely through Scandinavia, because as with everything there - rail travel is blimming expensive! Sleeper options in Finland & Sweden are brilliant - comfortable & inexpensive. Norway - one must book an entire cabin to theirself - no sharing with other travellers, very frustrating. Trains were always ontime, as were the busses - I had one bus late and I was connecting to another, the driver even called ahead for me in broken English to hold the bus I was connecting to. I took the Hurtigruten from Stamsund to Kjollefjord in Norway - what an amazing experiance! Expensive, but I would do it again in a heartbeat!
People/Language: I met the warmest people I've come to know in my life on this trip. Strangers who I will never see or recognize ever again, random acts of kindness & selflessness. Scandinavians are the lovliest people I've ever met, and I'll never forget them. They went out of their way to help (drive me to where I needed to be when I missed the last bus, gave a hand hiking up a mountain in 3 feet of snow). The language was never a problem, and I stress never. English is widely, willingly, spoken throughout the entire region - though a touch less up north around Kilpisjarvi, Kjollefjord etc. It's always nice, and seemingly appreciated when I made the effort to greet in the local language of course.
Special Experiances: Two nights at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi - one night in cold accommodation, one night in warm & snow shoeing, dog sledding & evening snow mobiling for around $1600 CAD. Worth every penny, and I kid you not - I'd do it again in a heartbeat - and am considering heading back at Christmas
Joining a couple of older Finnish men for a traditional sauna & ice swim (together) in Kilpisjarvi.
Watching the Aurora Borealis tango in the sky above Stamsund on the Lofoten Islands, Norway. What a special place to be, regardless of the events though. A & Stamsund are my two favourite places from the trip, easily.
Splurging for a private sleeping compartment on a Norwegian night train... peaceful, surreal... perfection. There is nothing quite like listening to the tracks underneath passing by while I rested my head for a nights sleep heading north into Lappland.
Please, if there's anything more you're interested in - don't hesitate to ask, I just don't want to make this too long.
I'm in the process of posting photos from my trip on www.cristosea.deviantart.com
I've also a little bit of writing there I did at the Ice Hotel. Probably the most special evening of my life
Thanks for reading! Can't wait til next summer
