Tour Review 30 Jun - 12 Jul 2025
Rather than a day by day review, I’m going to focus on some of the issues/concerns other guests have raised about this tour and some of the itinerary changes we had. Since Tauck has done more tweaks to this one for 2026 so some of my experience won’t apply.
Weather – we had unseasonably warm and dry weather but not so hot as to be uncomfortable. Temps ranged from the 50s to the 60s with a few low 70s. We did get rain so definitely pack a rain jacket.
Hotels – first I’ll say that a 5 star experience isn’t important to us. Good location near things to see, cleanliness, light and the ability to sleep are primary. On the other hand, I don’t want to pay for a 5 star hotel and get a 2-3 star room. I’ll post a separate thread on them. Our biggest issue with the hotels was the lack of AC coupled with ….
Short Nights – the official sunset was usually 10-10:30 and sunrise 4-4:30 but the actual darkness was very short. Given the temps we had, no AC and the need to keep windows and curtains partially open, sleeping was a challenge. Pack ear plugs, sleep mask and maybe even a small rechargeable fan. The hotels were willing to supply a fan though finding a spot for one could be a challenge.
Service – I’d been told not to expect very deferential service personnel but honestly never had an issue. All the front desk/concierge staff were very nice and helpful. The breakfast buffet staff less so often seeming a bit stressed at times.
Coaches/coach time – one reviewer complained about an overly small coach in Norway but we had the standard 40+ person coaches that Tauck typically uses in Europe. Fairly comfortable except for the seat belt rules which are very strict in Norway. Like you could personally be fined – not just the driver. Plus the shoulder belts there were very tight and uncomfortable. Like all land tours there are some long driving days in particular the drive down from Stockholm and the drive from Oslo to the fjords. They were broken up by sufficient rest stops.
Food – Very good for the first half of the trip. Got a bit same same once we got to the fjords where buffets are the norm. I like buffets in being able to select what I want and how much, but it will be a while before I’m interested in meatballs or roast pork. Breakfasts were mostly good though getting hot items cooked to order was very rare. The Swedish cinnamon and cardamom buns at Hotel Reisen were my favorite.
Itinerary changes – the two main changes we had were switching out the overnight ferry from Copenhagen – Oslo for a SAS flight and changing the Troll Car ride for the Loen Skylift. The first is because the company that owned the ferries, which Tauck had a contract with, sold them to another company. Tauck couldn’t get them to guarantee the service they needed. I think it was something similar on the Troll car. While we still would have preferred the ferry over the flight, the Skylift was a definite improvement over the Troll car. The ferry change ends up causing less free time in Copenhagen but gives you more in Oslo. There are lots of other ferry and boat experiences on the tour which did help. The Skylift is a 5-10 minute walk from the Alexandra hotel and we were allowed to use our tickets on either of the 2 days we were there. The views there were amazing.
Dress – was very casual. Only 3 of the 11 men on the tour wore a sport coat and at least one of those would have easily left it at home. Weather is very unpredictable so be able to layer as needed.
Tipping – the three countries on this tour all have their own kroner which aren’t interchangeable. We paid for everything with credit card. Just bring dollars for tips. Note though that we had 5 different drivers. For Stockholm we had a local coach and different drivers each of the 2 days. Then our Danish driver joined us with a different coach on day 3 until we left for Oslo. Again there was a local driver until we were heading out of Oslo with a Norwegian driver. Tauck took care of tipping the local drivers and we paid the Danish driver (4 days) and the Norwegian (6 days). Makes me wonder if part of the tipping issue on land tours could be helped if Tauck went ahead and tipped all coach drivers leaving only the TD to be tipped by guests. Just a thought.
Prices – while the hotel and meals were fairly reasonable, shopping for other items is very expensive. A magnet that might be $5-6 will run $8-9. I even saw postcards for $5. Be mindful and use a currency converter. The VAT is also high and worth getting the right paperwork for a refund if you buy anything significant.
We arrived 3 days prior to the tour start and had more opportunities to see the sights in Stockholm. I highly recommend it as there is tons to see. We used the local public transport app SL to purchase a 72 hour senior pass for about $22 dollars that lets you use all buses, trams, city ferries, metro, etc. That made it easy to get around. We went to the ABBA museum which is fun if you’re a big fan otherwise don’t bother. The Swedish History Museum is well done and has an excellent Viking section. The Nordic Museum is more about the lives of ordinary people from about the 1500’s on. Well done. The tour includes an after-hours Vasa Museum visit but if you want time to really explore it you should go on your own. For dinner I recommend Fika & Wine which is about a 2 minute walk from Hotel Reisen. The best meatballs we had and a wonderful shrimp starter.
Hope this helps those scheduled for this tour or thinking of taking it. Let me know if I can answer specific concerns.
Comments
Claudia. Do you mean they took the troll cars off the tour! Surely the excuse cannot be true, the Tauck land tour group just before yours were getting off the troll cars as our ship group got on The trip up to the glacier was one of ship tour highlights!
We also did a lift up to snowy mountain with the amazing views
They took it off for our tour and it looks like for 2026 it can vary between the two.
British - The Seven Sisters look a little thin but still beautiful.
Those photos don’t show the sisters. I’ll try to find them
Much better. I’ll try to find a photo from years ago…pre cell phone era. Did you notice the one fall on the opposite side of the fjord? I forget his name…might not have one…but he teases the sisters.
Such simple pleasures.
Claudia - very nice review, brought back memories.
Yes. I think there was one there that had a wine bottle shape appearance I’m in the middle of downloading photos and notes from my tour. Claudia and I communicated about our different tours before we went
Claudia, Thank you for your review. Glad you suggested ear plugs as I didn't have them on our packing list. Do you have any suggestions for the free time in Oslo?
British, Thanks for the beuatiful pictures.
The hotel is well located to several sights. The City Hall, the Palace, the National Museum (newest), the Munch Museum, The Resistance museum, the Opera house, etc. The TD will give you a list. There's some shopping nearby though it's mostly standard European dept stores. Our lunch the second day was at a restaurant in Aker Brygge waterfront area and a pleasant walk back to the hotel. Enjoy.
If you want a tour of the opera house, buy tickets early. We could only get them for German so we passed. The walk on the roof is awesome though
Lynn93908 - If not offered by Tauck, an excursion to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump offers very nice views of Oslo.
The Mathallen Food Court is a great place to wander through and have a bite to eat.
Our small ship tour included seeing the ski jump and amazing views. When we went to the Munch museum, top floor, we could see the ski jump in the far distance. The Munch museum is not included with either tour but it’s awesome and a great place for lunch.