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Briksdal Glacier excursion/coats needed?
We're on the July 14 Scandinavia tour and were wondering what "level" of coat is necessary to remain comfortable on the excursion to the Briksdal Glacier. Also, in general, what coats should we take for the balance of the trip?
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Definitely be prepared for rain. Waterproof shoes, an umbrella and a rain jacket at a minimum. I brought my rain pants, but didn't end up wearing them.
Since I mentioned the Loen cable car ("Skylift"), I'll provide a little more information. It opened this year and is quite expensive. 485 kr (about $58) for a round trip per person. When we were there the facilities at the top were still under construction. The restaurant is open an good for a hot chocolate or a burger. Nothing to do at the top, but eat, drink or enjoy the view. The view is truly spectacular, but some may not find enough to justify the cost.
What was your take on this trip? We are thinking about it for next year.
Joyce
Thanks for asking. It was a wonderful trip and exceeded even our high expectations of Tauck. We really thought that this was one of our best trips with Tauck. Our tour director (Gary) was outstanding (ranks in the top 2 of the 11 we have traveled with). This is one of Tauck's oldest and most popular trips, so they have it down.
We went in early June. We lucked out on the weather and only had a little rain. Temperatures were typically around the low sixties, although we did have some warmer days. Food was generally good, especially if you like fish (lots of salmon, etc.). If you go when we went expect to see rhubarb in a lot of deserts. Per the Scandinavian climate and local tastes, expect to see lots of root veggies. Salads are less common. Food and alcohol are expensive, fortunately most meals are included.
The hotels were nice - well located, but not overly luxurious. Not much storage in the rooms (I don't think we ever had a dresser and closet space was often minimal). Packing cubes helped a lot. The historic inn in Toftaholm is charming.
Generally the pace was relaxed with few early mornings. The bus ride from Copenhagen to Toftaholm and then Stockhom is a bit long, but the stop at the gardens at Sofiero Slott was wonderful and our tour director kept us entertained.
The cities were interesting. Not nearly as much to see as Paris, London or Rome, but you probably expect that. I recommend a canal boat ride in Copenhagen. We could have used an extra day in Oslo. The real highlight was the fjordlands. The scenery is spectacular. Pictures don't do it justice. Going in early June turned out to be the perfect time. While a little cooler that later in the summer, the waterfalls along the fjords were in full flow. Later in the year, some of them will just be wet spots on the rocks.
The musical offerings were wonderful, but I won't say too much - don't want to spoil any surprises.
We had a extra in Stockholm that may or may not be on other tours. We had a evening flight to Bergen, so the tour director took us to the Skansen Open Air Museum for most of the day. Really worth a visit. The downside was a mediocre dinner at the airport and late arrival in Bergen. The visit to the museum was only because of our flight schedule, groups with a better flight schedule or a different tour director may have to go to that museum on their own.
Highly recommended. Happy travels!
Ken
Thank you so much for your reply and review! We have been on a number of the same trips (I noted from your posts) ,
so I figured we had similar tastes in travel. Your comments are always level-headed and very helpful, so knew you would give me the straight-up scoop. I appreciate your help on this one.
Joyce