It’s all sorted. After many weeks of research, following my original post, ‘Mum’s planning to go to Sweden’, transport and hotel accommodation have now been booked.
This is the first time we have planned a fly-drive ourselves. With Iceland and Canada we booked a package which is much easier but certainly not as exciting and liberating as this exercise has been. When I say ‘we have planned’ I have to say it was mostly me. Dougie happily allowed me to do all the nitty gritty although I did show him pictures now and again to keep him in the loop.
Armed with his credit card I had a lovely time. I also thoroughly enjoyed booking the accommodation via the hotels themselves. As we wanted to make sure we had either interconnecting rooms or, at the very least, rooms next door to each other, I found I was making contact, via email, with some fabulous reservation departments in Sweden. I feel I’ve made friends with Oliver, Katarina, Amanda, Elisabeth and Hanna; so efficient yet with a relaxed, personal touch.
So where are we going? Thanks to lots of advice on my previous post and from friends on Facebook, plus many discussions at home about what we really wanted to experience in Sweden, we have come up with an itinerary which should have the right balance between city and countryside, sightseeing and relaxation.
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| Hotel Nobis, Stockholm |
We are flying to Stockholm’s Vasteras Airport which isn’t anywhere near Stockholm but the Ryanair flight was convenient and cheap and there is a bus link to the city centre. Have decided to stay four nights in Stockholm as there is so much we want to see there. On the fifth day we pick up a hire car and head West, staying for two nights on the shores of Lake Vattern and two nights at the southern tip of Lake Vanern.
We dithered for some time with regard to fitting in Gothenburg. At one stage it was a definite yes and then we had trouble finding rooms in the hotels we liked. The only explanation I could come up with was that Bruce Springsteen is in concert in Gothenburg that weekend. Surely that can’t be the reason? Of course I then wondered if we should try and obtain tickets to see him (well, we did see Rod Stewart in Montreal) but changed my mind. In the end we realised we would be better going to Gothenburg another time and linking it with a trip north from there to see the archipelago.
So, avoiding Stockholm’s second biggest city altogether, and most likely the usual marital tiff as we try to find hotels and negotiate car parks in town centres, we scoot down the coast and spend two nights by the beach in Angelholm. This should give us time to visit Bastad and Helsingborg if we feel the urge but also the opportunity to just chill out on the sand.
Our final stop is Ystad, home of Swedish TV detective Wallender, where we have four nights, again by the beach. We are ideally placed there to see more of the Skane area and can visit Malmo too. Our hotel is only half an hour from Malmo Airport so we can fly back to Stansted from there.
What do you think? It doesn’t include all of what we wanted to see but with a mixture of city, lake and beach environments I think I’ve got the balance about right for us.
Sounds great! Have yet to visit Scandanavia but I have so enjoyed planning our trip at Easter to South Africa! Still got loads to do and it is liberating not to just do a package! Have a ball!
It takes a long time but I hope it's worth it. Look forward to hearing about your S Africa trip
wow, #1 son will be so jealous. Sweden is his dream! can't wait to hear all about it.
It seems to be quite the place to go, doesn't it. This all started last year when my son expressed an interest in going to Scandinavia. We had a few days in Copenhagen and loved it.
Sounds like a well planned trip, looking forward to your photos.
I'll make sure to take lots of them. Will annoy the boys but they'll have to lump it.
Funny, I'm trying to think of a European city to pop to from England this summer and the Man-Child kept talking about Sweden. I don't think we'll do it as we literally will only spend a few days somewhere. Your trip sounds fab though.
We spent a few days in Copenhagen and it was fabulous. If you're nipping over from Newcastle it should be great for a quick visit. You could then get the train from Copenhagen to Malmo so your boy could say he's been to Sweden?
Hmmm. Not a bad idea. Last night I brought up the possibility of going to Bristol (not quite as glitzy I know). I haven't been there since the early 80's and it's changed a lot. It seemed to go down quite well. We'll see.
Not sure you'll avoid a marital tiff if you are navigating to Bastad and you have to shout that to the driver everytime you see it on a sign.
Do you know, we tried to book a hotel in Bastad; apparently it has a famous tennis tournament? Couldn't get rooms for the days we wanted so settled on a hotel a few miles away. Was so looking forward to shouting that word but,as you say, I can shout it when I see the signs. Excellent.
Right – that settles it…you have to set up a business and organise holidays for people….you have a gift! I might be your first customer……….
Ooh yes, I love spending other people's money. Maybe I've missed my vocation.
Sooo jealous… I love the Stieg Larrson books and would love to see the places he talks about for myself… Lots of photos please!
Yes, will photograph everything. The cast and crew stayed in our hotel in Stockholm. If it's good enough for Mr Craig, it's good enough for me.
Between the Stieg Larsson books and all those Scandinavian detective dramas I've been reading about in other people's blogs, I'm starting to feel like I should book a trip there, too! Like you, I do most (ok, all) of the planning, and really enjoy putting it all together, which I have done for our last few trips, although I draw the line at China and will be booking a package(complete with interpreter) for that one. We are planning a trip to Australia/New Zealand for our long vacation next Christmas (summer furlough will be spent darting up and down the East Coast and Southwest of the US in the time-honored expat attempt to see as many people as possible while we're home…just wish the US wasn't quite so huge…very tiring when your family is scattered so widely)
Am thinking I will steal your idea and ask bloggy readers for suggestions as to what to do/where to go. Sounds like you got some wonderful suggestions!
Yes, I think with all the books and dramas, Scandinavia is THE place to go. I have never been hip before.
You must sort your family out: get them to shuffle up a bit so they are all in one place!
I got some very useful ideas from people which helped a lot. Many suggesions of places to go in Stockholm which made me plump for four nights there instead of two or three.
You are going to have such a great trip with that itinerary! And Båstad is great fun when the tennis is on. And Ystad and surroundings are just beautiful!
Ooh I'm so pleased you think the itinerary is good. It wasn't easy, I kept going round in circles, trying to fit things in. I think we are near Bastad after the Swedish Open but as our hotel was booked up for the day we wanted to go, there may well be some tennis on.
Thanks again for all your help.
I envy you – your trip sounds so well planned. Normally, I'm so exhausted by the time I get round to thinking of a holiday that all I can cope with is a villa with the biggest pool I can find somewhere that isn't England!
Last year when we booked our holiday to Portugal it was all done and dusted and I had nothing to do. It was a fab break but I have to say I have been very excited planning this one.
We are very lucky we can afford to do this: I try not to forget that when many friends can't get away at all.
Well at the risk of repeating everything everyone else has said or betraying my covetous nature, I won't use the words 'envy', 'green', or 'jealous' – which leaves me almost nothing left to say.
It sounds wonderful!
Well I don't like to brag or gloat but I am rather excited about this. Not been quite so giddy since our Iceland trip. I suspect I will annoy you all in the months to come. Apologies in advance.
Yey, sounds fabulous! So pleased you are going to Ystad as well, are you staying at the hotel or somewhere else? Don't forget Ales Stenar (stone ship!)! Emma 🙂
The hotel you recommended looked lovely but I decided on a hotel on the beach in Ystad where we could get a special family room with separate bedrooms. It's my splurge hotel and has a pool!
I have Ales Stenar on my list for a visit, defiinitely. thanks so much, Emma x
Sounds fab, I am very jealous. I think the extent of our holidays for the next few years will be random trips back to Nottingham & Leeds. Oh well…
You see, we all think that because you live in Spain you must be on holiday all the time!
Hope you have a lovely time. You've spent so much time and effort planning this I'm sure it'll all go like clockwork. Dead jealous too.
There are bound to be some hiccups, I'm sure, but I hope I've chosen well as the boys will blame me!
Sounds fantastic, love how much research you're doing. In the old days I used to read guide books all day and night and the planning was as much fun as the traveling. Must get back to those basics. Agree that it's nice to have a good spread of all the geography!
I'm still sitting with the guidebooks each evening, throwing out suggestions, but now it's the nitty gritty I'm mulling over.
When we visited Canada we didn't have enough downtime- it was a bit too city based. I wanted beaches!