Classic Scandinavia

We recommend packing light and smart for this trip as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train stations and hotels.

This trip covers a lot of Scandinavia in a week. However, all travel is in comfortable private vehicle or train, with one overnight ferry ride. Please review the itinerary for details.

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

Most travellers prefer to take a small to medium wheeled suitcase, which is a great size for the packing capacity in our private vehicles. Whatever you take, be mindful that you will need to be able to carry your own luggage, handle it at airports, take it in/out of accommodation and perhaps even walk short distances. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible.

If your trip includes travelling on overnight trains or primarily using public transport, the smaller your luggage, the easier it will be to store under or above bunks. Large suitcases may not be able to be taken on board. A lockable bag or small padlock for your bag will be useful, especially when travelling on public transportation as well.

When you're exploring during the day, you'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, a camera, a jacket and activity-specific items like a swimsuit, a waterproof pouch/bag for your phone, or hiking shoes.

Below we have listed the essentials for this trip:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list, WATER BOTTLE
Please bring your own water bottle to refill. Although it can be difficult to avoid bottled water when travelling, please use the water dispensers which are provided on some of our vehicles and at some of our accommodation. When unable to avoid bottled water, it is better to buy the largest available and distribute it into your smaller bottle for the day. Some travellers like to bring a bottle with its own filtration system or water purification tablets. If you are walking or trekking as part of your trip, you will need to carry at least 2 litres of water with you., WHITE NIGHTS
The closer you travel to the second half of June, the shorter the nights are in this part of the world. As many of our accommodations may not have suitable curtains to block out light you may want to consider bringing an eye-mask, especially if you are a light sleeper. Similarly, in winter months, especially in Highland and Island areas, the days are shorter, and it gets dark early. This can impact the availability of certain views and outdoor activities.

CLOTHING & CLIMATE
The climate in this region is extremely varied. In shoulder season (April, May, September, October and beyond) you can expect temperatures to vary between single digits and warm sunny days, while from June until September temperatures can reach well above 30 C. It is always a good idea to bring a warm windproof jacket, a hat and waterproof footwear and waterproof pouch/bag to protect your phone and documents. No matter which time of year you decide to travel, it can get quite cool at night especially when in the countryside, so we recommend that you bring a warm jacket or fleece.

This trip can be enjoyed by just about anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Some trips may have individual inclusions that may be of a higher physical rating compared to the overall rating of the trip. Please read the day-to-day itinerary carefully to find out more details on each day's activities, and whether they are suitable for you. Activities can be opted out of if you don't want to participate.

Original Sokos Hotel Albert, Albertinkatu 30,Helsinki, Helsinki, 00120, FINLAND, Phone: +358 201234638

Alternate Joining Point

From Helsinki Vantaa International Airport (airport code HEL), your best option is to take the train (P train is recommended as it's faster) to the main railway station in Helsinki. Alternatively public bus No. 615 or the Finnair Bus go to Rautatientori (railway square). The train/bus journey takes about 35 minutes and both modes of transport depart frequently. From the railway station, take Tram 6, which takes you to a stop near the hotel. The tram ride is under 10 minutes.

Pre booked arrival transfer from Helsinki Vantaa International Airport (HEL): If you have pre booked an arrival transfer, your transfer driver will be waiting in the arrivals hall in front of the airport's exit doors, holding a board with the Intrepid Logo or your name on it. In case of flight cancellations, changes, if you experience severe delays at immigration, baggage collection or customs, or if you are not able to find the driver, please contact the transfer operator directly: +358 50 545 5454.

Original Sokos Hotel Albert in Helsinki is a unique urban lifestyle hotel that prioritizes individual experiences. It's located in the heart of the city, near cultural, commercial, and historical attractions. The hotel offers comfortable, homey rooms with functional interiors and in-room services like iTV and broadband. Each room and public area features individual photography by young Roman photographer Daniele Pelati. If you choose to arrange additional accommodation at this location you may be required to change rooms for the nights which are not included as part of your Intrepid itinerary.

Comfort Hotel Grand Central, Jernbanetorget 1,Oslo, Oslo, 0154, NORWAY, Phone: +47 22982800

Alternate Finish Point

The airport express train runs from Oslo S (Central Station) to Oslo Gardermoen Airport (airport code OSL) every 10 minutes. The journey time is 20 minutes. To Oslo Sandefjord Airport (airport code TRF) there are hourly trains with a change to a bus at the town of Torp (approx 1,5 hours). Alternatively, you can take a taxi directly to either of the airports. The hotel will be able to organise this for you.

Please note that we do not offer airport transfers in Oslo as public transport is very efficient and the cost for private transfers would be excessive.

The Comfort Hotel Grand Central in Oslo is a modern, centrally located hotel within the Østbanehallen section of Oslo S Central Station and the trendy Bjorvika district, offering easy access to Oslo's main shopping district and the airport express. Features a modern, New York-style design with individually furnished and decorated rooms. Some rooms offer views of the opera house or main shopping district.

Breakfasts included: 7

Lunches included: 1

Dinners included: 1

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader or local representative will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule, our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. If you have dietary requirements and/or food allergies, please let your booking agent know prior to departure.

The areas visited on this trip can be cold throughout the year, especially at the start and end of the season, and at night. Rain is possible at any time of year. Winter temperatures frequently drop below freezing, and snow fall is common. Summers on the other hand can be quite hot, and temperatures can reach up to 30 C. Please familiarize yourself with what climate to expect and bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions, including base layers, hat, rain coat and anything else that you think may be applicable.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid’s Local Operator: +49 8024 4679 540

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.

TRANSPORT IN EUROPE
Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that's why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city's public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action.