Scandinavian adventure
Suggested duration: 17 days
Stops: Amsterdam, Lübeck, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo, Bergen, Lillehammer, Trondheim, Östersund, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Antwerp
Shortcut: Miss out Norway to make it an 11-day trip
Best Interail pass: 15 days within two months (see South to the Med itinerary) or the 22-day continuous pass. Plus train reservations.
Scandinavia’s expanses just beg to be explored by train, and this route offers a ringside seat for some of its spectacular scenery. Before the fjords of Norway come the canals of Amsterdam, now linked easily by Eurostar from London. Hire a bike to explore highlights such as the masterpiece-filled Rijksmuseum and then lounge in the leafy Vondelpark, home to innovative cafes such as the saucer-shaped Blue Tea House (Blauwe Theehuis).
Sweden by train: from Stockholm to OsloNext stop, at the historic port of Lübeck, climb the 50-metre spire of Petrikirche to gaze over the Baltic, before lunch at Cafe Niederegger: it does good sandwiches but its speciality is marzipan, which it even puts in the cappuccinos.
On the journey north, the train runs on to a ferry for the 50-minute crossing to Rødbyhavn in Denmark. Then it’s on to design and foodie heaven in Copenhagen, home to Designmuseum Danmark, with cutting-edge art, furniture, ceramic and digital design inspiration. In the evening, visit magical, fairy-lit Tivoli Gardens.
Next day, in Gothenburg, the Museum of Art has a huge collection of Nordic paintings and sculpture and, south of the centre, Slottsskogen park has meadows and forests, and a cafe.
In Oslo, visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park, with its 212 bronze and granite sculptures documenting the human condition. En route to Bergen, on the west coast, the train climbs to over 1,200 metres: you cross a mountain plateau called Hardangervidda and see waterfalls, cliffs and chasms. A sleeper takes you to Lillehammer, a pleasant lakeside town, and then it’s on to compact, wonderful Trondheim, founded in 977 AD. Take a boat trip to the island of Munkholmen – formerly a fort, monastery and second world war anti-aircraft gun station.
Back into Sweden, pause for lakeside relaxation in Östersund and visit Jamtli, its historic open-air museum. A must-visit in Stockholm is the Vasa Museum, home of a ship salvaged in 1628 and majestically preserved. For hipster vibes, scoot over to Södermalm, an island within the city, and seek Bar Agrikultur in Nytorget.
Speed back to Copenhagen and then on to Hamburg. Get up early for Altona fish market, which sells everything from sea creatures to fifth-hand junk – it’s a wholesome recovery after a big night out in the Reeperbahn district, perhaps. Break your journey home in charming Antwerp, whose central railway station is often voted the most beautiful in the world.
Rote:
London to Amsterdam (Eurostar, 3 hrs 55 mins, stay one night);
Amsterdam to Lübeck (InterCity + Intercity + regional, 7 hrs 17 mins, stay one night);
Lubeck to Copenhagen (EuroCity, 4 hrs, 58mins, stay one night);
Copenhagen to Gothenburg (regional, 3 hrs 40 mins, stay two nights);
Gothenburg to Oslo (regional, 4 hrs, stay one night);
Oslo to Bergen (regional, 6 hrs 30 mins, stay two nights);
Bergen to Lillehammer (sleeper train + InterCity, 9 hrs 40 mins, stay one night);
Lillehammer to Trondheim (regional, 4 hrs 35 mins, stay two nights);
Trondheim to Östersund (regional + regional, 3 hrs 44 mins, stay one night);
Östersund to Stockholm (SJ, 4 hrs 42 mins, stay two nights); Stockholm to Copenhagen (SJ, 5 hrs 7 mins, stay one night);
Copenhagen to Hamburg (InterCity + InterCity 6 hrs 10 mins, stay one night);
Hamburg to Antwerp (Intercity + Thalys, 6 hrs 44 mins, stay one night);
Antwerp to London (Thalys + Eurostar, 3 hrs 24 mins).