Scandinavian Savin'

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I visited Scandinavia for the first time this spring, and it would take a book to record all the fun things we did while we were there. But for this blog post I’m going to focus on how to tour this very expensive part of the world without spending a fortune. Getting us off to a good start is a $570 roundtrip flight to Stockholm from New Orleans currently being offered by Scandinavian Airlines (when I checked this morning) on select dates starting in early October. There’s fast, inexpensive train transportation from the airport in to city center, where hotels can be pricey, but sites like Hotwire have some pretty decent deals. Look for hotels near Gamla Stan, the historic old part of the city. Cabs are expensive in Stockholm, but Uber costs are similar to the U.S. and the Uber phone app works great there just as it does here. I’m a big fan of hop on, hop off bus tours, and in Stockholm you have the option of including hop on, hop off boats as well. A definite highlight for me was a visit to the Swedish History Museum, and its stunningly well curated Viking exhibit. Best of all, it’s free.

But without a doubt, the most incredible travel deal I found on this trip was the ferries from Stockholm to Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn Estonia. You can book roundtrip passage to either starting at about fifty Euros. 

And since it’s an overnight trip, that means you get two nights of accommodation and transportation. And that’s for TWO people! (We booked the cheapest cabins, which are very basic, but adequate. Next time we’ll spend the extra twenty-five Euros for an ocean view.) We’re talking VERY nice ferries that feel like cruise ships. Our overnight to Helsinki included live jazz in the multi-story atrium, followed by Cirque du Soleil-style aerialists. Afterward there was a free stage performance of Grease that was a good as anything I’ve seen off Broadway. Food is extra but ranges from inexpensive fast food to grand buffets. (Who knew there were that many kinds of herring?) The ferry arrives in the mid morning, and leaves in the late afternoon, which gives you enough time to hit the highlights using the hop on, hop off buses waiting outside each port.