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Slow Lane Magazine, May 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • favourite (but oft-forgotten) festivals
  • Nepal's secret valley
  • boutique beauty in Drôme Provençale
  • carving out a future in southern Italy
  • Inntravellers' Tales – our new writing competition
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Nordic Cities Explorer with Gothenburg

Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Stockholm & Helsinki
 
Discover the great Nordic cities of Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Helsinki on this journey by rail and boat, including an overnight Baltic Sea cruise. You stay in good-quality, well-located hotels and can follow our self-guided walking tours to explore.
Nordic Cities Explorer with Gothenburg. 9 nights
Nordic Cities Explorer with Gothenburg. 9 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A touring holiday from Copenhagen to Helsinki

It’s not difficult to see why the Nordic countries are officially the happiest in the world – life here is a joyful blend of the relaxed and the innovative, with truly uplifting landscapes at every turn. Even the cities are greener than elsewhere, and their attractive waterfront districts, imaginative architecture and increasingly exciting gastronomy only serve to increase our admiration. As does the region’s commitment to the environment and clean living; something that makes this one of the most refreshing – and inspiring – corners of Europe to explore.
To travel here, then, is to experience life at its contented best, and this holiday takes you by train and boat between four of the finest cities that northern Europe has to offer. Copenhagen oozes ‘cool’ from every pore, and is perhaps the most bike-friendly city in the world. Next comes gastronomic Gothenburg, Sweden’s stylish second city; then its capital – beautiful, waterborne Stockholm, where you have time to enjoy the relaxed vibe amid its 14 islands, before boarding an overnight Baltic Sea cruise ship bound for Helsinki. A morning arrival the next day gives you almost two full days to explore Finland’s capital – an intoxicating blend of east and west, where the renowned Design District showcases trendsetting brands of great style and substance.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • Arrival in Copenhagen
    Night 1: at Hotel Strand (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of exploration.
  • Explore Copenhagen
    Copenhagen oozes ‘cool’ from every pore, and is regularly rated the world’s happiest city. There’s an enormous variety of things to see and do here: world-class galleries and museums, some of Europe’s best shopping along Strøget, and Tivoli Gardens – perhaps the world’s most tasteful amusement park. You could also spend half a day pedalling around the world’s most bike-friendly city, pausing at one of the cafés alongside the Nyhavn canal to sit and watch the world go by.
  • Copenhagen to Gothenburg
    Today's rail journey takes you over the Øresund Bridge (the  bridge of ‘Nordic noir’ fame) from Copenhagen to Malmö, then continues up Sweden's west coast to reach Gothenburg, the country's stylish and fascinating second city. You stay for two nights at the Hotel Vanilla. (Journey time: 3hrs 30mins)
  • Explore Gothenburg
    You have a full day to explore using our self-guided walking tour. The broad avenues, squares and canals are lined with many grand 17th-century buildings, as well as more modern, but equally striking, buildings such as the ship-like Opera House, the Art Nouveau Vasa Church, and the late 19th-century experimental Feskekörka, literally the ‘Fish Church’, a fish market in the shape of a place of worship. There are plenty of museums and galleries, too, but you should also make the most of the city’s fika tradition – you can enjoy a seriously good cup of coffee amid the atmospheric, cobbled streets of the Haga district – and foodie culture. Prawns, oysters, mussels, crayfish and lobster feature widely on the menus of the many high-quality restaurants.
  • Gothenburg to Stockholm
    Today you continue by rail across the breadth of the country, from west to east. Your journey resembles a smooth and efficient ‘S’-shape on the map, as you travel between the two great lakes of southern Sweden, Vänern and Vättern, to arrive into Stockholm’s Central Station. You stay for two nights at the Hotel Riddargatan, tucked away on a quiet street in a central location. (Journey time: 3hrs)
  • Explore Stockholm
    The Swedish capital, a waterborne beauty spread over 14 islands, is a delight to explore on foot. Wander the medieval lanes of Gamla Stan, relax amid the wide-open green space of Djurgården, and take in some remarkable museums: Skansen was the world’s first open-air museum when it opened in 1891; the Vasamuseet is home to Sweden’s most famous – and fatally top-heavy – warship, Vasa; and the ABBA Museum is, well, just a whole lot of fun!
  • Explore Stockholm, then board the Tallink Silja
    See more of Stockholm, perhaps taking to the canals on a boat tour or visiting the island of Fjäderholmarna, before boarding the Tallink Silja cruise ship for an early-evening departure to Helsinki.
  • Arrival in Helsinki, then explore
    Having seen the Stockholm archipelago recede into the setting sun the previous evening, you awaken, revitalised, while gliding through the narrow gap between the islands of Suomenlinna, the remarkable, 18th-century sea fortress in the Bay of Helsinki. Your arrival in the Finnish capital just after breakfast means you have most of the day to explore this uber-fashionable city: you might decide to head first to the incredible, excavated Temppeliaukio (‘Rock Church’), or to take a stroll along the waterfront trail that begins by lovely Hietniemi Bay. Your last two nights are spent at the elegant Hotel Lilla Roberts, in the heart of the Design District.
  • Explore Helsinki
    You have one final, full day in Helsinki. Wander the Design District – bursting with boutiques, workshops and galleries – to admire the work of iconic producers like Iittala, Marimekko and Artek; and browse a traditional kauppahalli (market hall) to sample local specialities. In fact, foodies will be in heaven, what with the city’s ever-increasing array of sleek eateries, craft-beer bars, contemporary cafés and micro-distilleries. But this is also a place where cultures collide: Uspenski Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe, wouldn’t look out of place in central Moscow, and it’s perhaps this combination of enduring icons and modern, quirky charms that defines Helsinki’s unique allure.
 

Accommodation

All four hotels are well located for exploring.
 

Options to extend or shorten your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
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  • 9 nights: 01 April - 31 October 2019

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 - 30 April £1410 £670
    1 May - 19 June # £1548 £770
    20 - 30 June § £1575 £775
    1 July - 2 August £1513 £655
    3 - 15 August # £1548 £690
    16 - 24 August # £1610 £810
    25 August - 22 September £1548 £770
    23 September - 10 October £1535 £750
    11 - 22 October £1410 £670
    3rd & 4th person discount £0
    Single traveller supplement £0

    Includes accommodation, meals, travel between hotels and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus a detailed information pack, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    # Add £90pp/n (£180pn in a single room) for stays in Helsinki 3-6 Jun; 10-13 Jun; 9-10 Aug; 16-17 Aug 2019.
    § Add £30pp/n (£60pn in a single room) for stays in Helsinki 24-30 Jun 2019.
    † Add £55pp/n (£75pn in single room) for stays in Gothenburg 15-21 Jul & 27-30 Sep 2019

    Included travel: rail Copenhagen-Gothenburg–Stockholm, overnight ferry Stockholm–Helsinki

    Pay locally for taxis between airports, railway stations and ferry ports and your accommodation

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel Strand
    Superior: 01 Apr - 30 Apr 2019 £25
    Superior: 01 May - 28 Jun 2019 £8
    Superior: 29 Jun - 06 Aug 2019 £16
    Superior: 07 Aug - 10 Oct 2019 £8
    Superior: 11 Oct - 31 Oct 2019 £25
    Hotel Riddargatan
    Superior: 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2019 £12

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Hotel Strand (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 30 Apr 2019 £68 £122
    01 May - 28 Jun 2019 £120 £207
    29 Jun - 05 Aug 2019 £100 £144
    06 Aug - 10 Oct 2019 £120 £207
    11 Oct - 31 Oct 2019 £68 £122
    Upgrade your City Card in Copenhagen: add £25pp for a 48hr Card or £42pp for a 72hr Card.
    Hotel Vanilla (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 17 May 2019 £75 £120
    18 May - 20 May 2019 † £130 £195
    21 May - 14 Jul 2019 £75 £120
    15 Jul - 21 Jul 2019 † £130 £195
    22 Jul - 26 Sep 2019 £75 £120
    27 Sep - 30 Sep 2019 † £130 £195
    01 Oct - 31 Oct 2019 £75 £120
    † Add £55pppn (£75pn in single room) for stays in Gothenburg 15-21 Jul & 27-30 Sep 2019

    Upgrade your City Card in Gothenburg: Add £20pp for a 48hr Card or £36pp for a 72hr Card.
    Hotel Riddargatan (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 30 Jun 2019 £82 £142
    01 Jul - 18 Aug 2019 £70 £120
    19 Aug - 31 Oct 2019 £82 £142
    Upgrade your City Card in Stockholm: add £25pp for a 48hr Card or £42pp for a 72hr Card.
    Hotel Lilla Roberts (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 16 Apr 2019 £86 £160
    17 Apr - 23 Apr 2019 £76 £140
    24 Apr - 12 May 2019 £86 £160
    13 May - 27 May 2019 £102 £190
    28 May - 31 May 2019 £92 £172
    01 Jun - 15 Jun 2019 # £102 £190
    16 Jun - 08 Aug 2019 § £76 £140
    09 Aug - 31 Aug 2019 # £98 £184
    01 Sep - 31 Oct 2019 £92 £172
    # Add £90pp/n (£180pn in a single room) for stays in Helsinki 3-6 Jun; 10-13 Jun; 9-10 Aug; 16-17 Aug 2019.
    § Add £30pp/n (£60pn in a single room) for stays in Helsinki 24-30 Jun 2019.

    Upgrade your City Card in Helsinki: add £12pp for a 48hr Card or £20pp for a 72hr Card.
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Copenhagen (return from Helsinki)

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Copenhagen. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Copenhagen SAS 
    Aberdeen - Copenhagen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Aberdeen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Copenhagen SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Copenhagen easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Copenhagen easyJet,  Norwegian,  Ryanair,  SAS 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Edinburgh Finnair 
    Helsinki - Edinburgh (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Helsinki - Edinburgh (via Stockholm) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Copenhagen SAS 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Glasgow (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Copenhagen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Leeds Bradford (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Copenhagen easyJet,  Norwegian 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Gatwick Norwegian 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Copenhagen British Airways,  SAS 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Heathrow British Airways,  Finnair 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Copenhagen Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Copenhagen Ryanair 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Stansted (via Copenhagen) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Copenhagen easyJet,  SAS 
    Return route Airline
    Helsinki - Manchester Finnair 
    Helsinki - Manchester (via Copenhagen) SAS 
    Helsinki - Manchester (via Stockholm) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Copenhagen SAS 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Copenhagen. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £30 per person for our flight booking service (£50 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 9 nights
  • 9 breakfasts
  • city maps, and notes for walking tours
  • detailed cultural information
  • 24-hour City Card in each city
  • rail travel Copenhagen-Stockholm
  • Baltic Sea ferry crossing Stockholm-Helsinki
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help.
  • The information that we send to you 2-3 weeks before your holiday includes practical information about each stage of your journey so that you can travel confidently from one hotel to another, recommendations for places to visit and eat out in each place, plus cultural information about the area. Where applicable, we also provide notes for a self-guided walking tour of most cities, and some large towns. Sample travel pack >
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport with at least six months' validity, but not a visa (if you are travelling after 31 October 2019, see the Brexit question below for more information). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found through the following NHS link: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/ You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. EHICs may cease to be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
  • The official languages of Denmark and Sweden are, respectively, Danish and Swedish. In Finland, the official languages are Finnish, Swedish and, in Lapland, Sami. The currencies you will need are Danish Kroner, Swedish Krona and Euros. Danish and Swedish time is GMT/UTC + 1, but Finnish time is GMT/UTC + 2. They all use Daylight Saving Time, so in summer Denmark and Sweden are on BST + 1, while Finland is on BST + 2.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 7/16/2019 5:03:42 AM