Is this trip worth the price that Tauck demands?
I'm taking the Scandinavia trip in 2025 but I've heard that this trip may not live up to the expectations of a typical Tauck trip. Has anyone gone on this trip last summer or fall and may be able to give that thought a little more context? I've been on 5 Tauck journeys and have never been disappointed.
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I haven't been, but based on what I've read on the forum one of the biggest differences is the quality of hotels. I think all through Scandinavia the hotel standard is more spartan than throughout much of the rest of the world.
I remember reading that logistics were tricky. Although we prefer land tours, because of what I have read here about the land tour in the past few years, we are taking the small ship tour instead. it does not go to Denmark which is a shame but you can’t have it all ways.
I've taken many Tauck tours and this was my least favorite. The hotels are not up to the quality of hotels on other Tauck tours and there were some very long bus rides. Logistics are a problem. Norway was my favorite stop but overall underwhelming.
There were some more recent comments on the tour from last year when Tauck had changed it back to more coach time instead of on-tour flights. We are going at the end of Jun and hoping it's a good tour. We weren't interested in a tour with multiple on-tour flights (unless it's chartered planes) given the waste of time at the airport. I'll trade some extra coach time - with a chance to see the countryside and misc stops - over standing in line at the airport.
https://forums.tauck.com/discussion/17622/rccent-experience-on-this-tour/p1
As to whether the price is worth it, that's something that is subjective. It's one of the longer land tours so total price is going to be high. I've done the math comparing the per day costs of various 13-14 day land tours and it's in the middle. Classic Italy, England/Scot/Wales, Switzerland, and Warsaw/Buda/Vienna/Prague are all more expensive per day with Switzerland being the most expensive given the high cost of living there. Spain/Portugal are the only "bargains". Given the cost of living in Scandinavia it's actually pretty reasonable.
Will the hotels being the most luxurious you've ever known - probably not. Will you like multiple single night stays at hotels - probably not. Will you enjoy the cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen & Oslo - probably yes. Will you enjoy the amazing scenery in Norway - probably.
We'll be home again the middle of July from the tour and I'll write a full review with both pros and cons then.
We did this tour in June 2022 and had a great time. Remarkably, and most likely due to the fact that there are no more on tour flights, the price for 2025 is essentially what we paid in 2022. The two best hotels that were on the tour at that time are still included, those being the grand hotel in Oslo, and the hotel, Alexandra inLoen.. There were definitely complaints on this tour.Our director explained to us over and over again That service is not to be had in Scandinavia the way it can be had in other countries. You cannot bribe for it and you cannot pay for it. Thus, there is less service in the hotels, and at the airport you had to wheel your own luggage around. People were not happy with this although we were prepared over and over. The complaints for our tour had largely to do with the on tour flights. The airports in Scandinavia in June were like those in a third world country with a different population. That is the only way that it can be described accurately. There were crowds and scores of people and essentially automated check-in and luggage with machines that weren’t working. Our tour director explained to us that the on tour flights were added because people complained about too much time in the bus, and overnights in the middle of Sweden, and on the ferry that were not up to Tauck standards. Apparently there must have been enough complaints about the on tour flights that they went back to the original model. The amount of ground that is covered in this tour is ambitious and traveling around in Scandinavia is difficult based on the geography. That said, it is a beautiful part of the world, and we wished that we could’ve spent more time in the bus viewing the countryside. We were very happy that we went and really enjoyed this trip . having a little less service and a little less over the top luxury are well worth it.
We did this trip a number of years ago. The itinerary remains fundamentally the same, although the order is different, and we didn't have the ferry trip from Copenhagen to Oslo. Hotels have changed, too, but I'm guessing the new hotels are similar.
This trip exceeded our expectations. Lots of interesting sights and spectacular scenery in Norway. There are some long bus rides, but usually the scenery makes them enjoyable. Everyone that we dealt with in these countries was friendly and spoke perfect English, so sightseeing in your free time is easy. As Sam said, the hotels are a bit spartan, but clean and comfortable. Just don't look for epic grandeur, that doesn't fit with the Scandanavian ethos. The food is good, though heavily centered on seafood and root vegetables.
Of our 20+ Tauck trips, this is high on the list - certainly in the top 10. We had a great TD who had years of experience with Tauck. This is one of Tauck's oldest European tours and I think that they have it wired. If you want to go to Scandinavia, this is a great choice. However, a lot depends on what interests you.
Happy travels!
Read some of the other threads in the category. It's been discussed many times.
Bottom line, out of all the tours I did (14), this is one of two I don't recommend. IMO, it's overpriced for what you get, and the travel logistics are awful. The bus ride from Copenhagen to Stockholm (or vice versa), is WAAAY too long, even with a stopover at a dumpy country inn, in the middle of nowhere.
On my survey at the end of the tour I wrote, "It's a good thing this wasn't my first Tauck Tour. If it had been, it would have been my last, as well.) That said, I really liked the trip for content. If I were doing it again, I'd definitely look beyond Tauck for this one.
I agree that the bus ride is long between Stockholm and Copenhagen. However, I would describe the inn as charming and historic, rather than dumpy.
Ken - another comment from my end of tour review was, "The Inn at Toftaholm reminded me of the kind of place I stayed at when I was backpacking across Europe as a student." I didn't find anything charming abut it for the price of the tour.
We took this trip in 2022. I have completed 10 Tauck tours and this is the only region to which I would not return, although we had a nice time on the tour. We did have a grumpy TD (dealing with sick people refusing to mask; reassigned to this tour at the last minute because another TD was ill) and did not have clear weather, which affected our itinerary.
I can't say if it was worth the money. You would have to take a similar tour with a different company to find out. We had some really nice experiences, met some great people, and especially enjoyed the museums in Stockholm, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen which were unexpectedly charming. There are some hiking opportunities as mentioned by BKMD, weather permitting. You get similar or better scenery in Patagonia and New Zealand. The food is mainly fish and more fish. The hotels are as mentioned, and I am glad to see they got rid of the one we stayed at in Bergen that clearly needed a couple of good handymen. We did have 3 internal flights when we went. But overall it is a low-key and enjoyable trip. I happen to prefer the Mediterranean cultures, people, and experiences and that could be why I don't plan to return to Scandinavia.
If you are worried about the expense and other places are higher on your bucket list, then maybe you should pick another tour. If you like the idea of experiencing different cultures and seeing some nice scenery, weather permitting, then you will enjoy it. It is a direct contrast to Mediterranean tours, for sure.
There were people who have taken the Normandy/Brittany tour that didn't like the chateau stay in the Loire. It had much more the feel of a B&B than a 5 star fancy chai hotel. But the room was pleasant, it was quiet and the food was great.
We are arriving early to our tour with 3 extra days in Stockholm (1 GoT and 2 paid at $371 per night). If the price had been more in line with the hotels Tauck picks in places like Paris or London I doubt we'd go from the extra paid days. I'm looking forward to the extra time to see the city.
It is very possible for a tour to be one person's favorite and another's worst. Everyone seems to love Classic Italy. It's definitely our least favorite. Sometimes it's just how the tour goes and sometimes it's a matter of what you're looking for.
I have seen/read other sources that service in Scandinavia is more focused on efficiency than deference. I'm fine with that.
I’m interested in how we find the small ship experience there. The most important aspect of a tour for us is what we see and do, we want full days of site seeing, culture, museums etc etc. I like bus rides, they are necessary to see as much of a country as possible or you might as well go to one place, and stay there for a week or two. it’s fascinating to me to look at the scenery and people along the roads. I know it’s not for everyone. I’m on a tour right now. Yesterday we had a broken up three hour bus journey, the bus had WiFi, the people I could see from my seat spent almost the entire time with their noses in their phones. I so enjoyed the scenery for about 95% of the time, glancing at my phone occasionally.