Travelling to Scandinavia and want to do it cheap. Ideas?

My girlfriend and I plan on visiting Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland for 2.5 weeks this summer in late June/early July. I know there are gazillions of internet resources that could tell us what to see and do but I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations. We want to do the trip as cheaply as possible, even if that means camping and eating sandwiches and bottled water the whole time. Hell, maybe we'll hitchhike. We want to see cities while we’re there but we also want to go off the beaten path and check out Lapland and the fjords and maybe take in some MTB'ing.

What do you recommend for two young outdoorsy people on a tight budget in these four countries for 2.5 weeks? Info on hostels, transportation, campgrounds, etc. would be appreciated.

Also, we expect to be in Lapland or Helsinki near Canada Day. Anyone know where we can celebrate with some ex-pats. Maybe we can bring a touch of home with us. Anyone need Canadian flags or pins?

Thanks.

Hey there,

I was in Sweden and Finland this past summer and really liked it!

It's super expensive though- We stayed at a crap hostel in downtown Stockholm and it still cost us about $120 CAD per night for a 'private' room. We would have been better staying at a hotel where it would have cost maybe slightly more but we would have at least been able to sleep.

Anyhow.

From what I understand you're allowed to camp anywhere for free, so long as it's more than 30 meters from the nearest building or something like that. Maybe someone can clarify?

Obviously then it doesn't make sense to camp in Stockholm but if you're going out into the country it would totally work. I'd love to go mountain biking there!

Making your own sandwiches etc is much cheaper that eating out. Beer is expensive by European standards but honestly I didn't find it much different than here in Canada, maybe slightly more expensive.

Helsinki is a beautiful city. If you're taking a ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki, make sure you ask for a package as well for student rates! They didn't ask us for any ID and we ended up getting a package price which was cheaper than a normal roundtrip fare and also included a room at a really nice downtown Helsinki hotel, right across from the ferry terminal.

A good day trip from Helsinki is to Talinn, Estonia - Really nice city, strongly recommended.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but hopefully some others will chime in.

Good luck!

[quote="newf_in_bc"]My girlfriend and I plan on visiting Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland for 2.5 weeks this summer in late June/early July. I know there are gazillions of internet resources that could tell us what to see and do but I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations. We want to do the trip as cheaply as possible, even if that means camping and eating sandwiches and bottled water the whole time. Hell, maybe we'll hitchhike. We want to see cities while we’re there but we also want to go off the beaten path and check out Lapland and the fjords and maybe take in some MTB'ing.

What do you recommend for two young outdoorsy people on a tight budget in these four countries for 2.5 weeks? Info on hostels, transportation, campgrounds, etc. would be appreciated.

Also, we expect to be in Lapland or Helsinki near Canada Day. Anyone know where we can celebrate with some ex-pats. Maybe we can bring a touch of home with us. Anyone need Canadian flags or pins?

Thanks.[/quote]

Here are some links to travel in Sweden.

http://www.visit-sweden.com/gb/frontpage.asp

http://www.smorgasbord.se/

http://www.sj.se/node/0,4452,3367_1,FF.html

http://www.swebusexpress.se/english/ind ... subsubid=0

You'll find a list of links of Canadian Clubs in the Scandinavian/Nordic regions here ... > http://www.canswe.org/can1c.asp?ID=6

Here is the rule about camping in Sweden.
Allemansrätten

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The Right of Public Access (Allemansrätten) is unique and the most important base for recreation in Sweden, providing the possibility for each and everyone to visit somebody else's land, to take a bath in and to travel by boat on somebody else's waters, and to pick the wild flowers, mushrooms, berries.

It is your responsibility to have knowledge about the rules concerning the Right of Public Access!
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You have the right:
to take a walk, a bicycle, go horse riding, or to go skiing on all land not cultivated, and on such land that can not be damaged by your visit, this provided You do not cause any damage to crops, forest plantations and fences.
However, You are not entitled to cross or stay on a private plot without permission. The plot, which is not always hedged or fenced in, is the area closest to a dwelling house.
to take a walk, a bicycle, go horse riding, or to go skiing on private roads. Motor vehicles may be used if the owner has not forbidden such traffic.
to pick wild flowers (excluding those protected by law), berries, mushrooms, fallen cones, acorns and beechnuts on land that is not a building site, a garden or a plantation, to bathe or go by boat on most natural watercourses.
to take water from lakes and springs.
to put up a tent, or park your caravan, or trailer, for twenty-four hours. For a longer stay You have to have the permission of the owner.
You may make a fire, as long as You do not cause any damage, however there are restrictions during periods of drought when there is immediate liability for a forest fire. You may use fallen branches and or twigs as fire wood. Never light a fire on bare rocks as they will crack and split, resulting in ugly irreparable scars.
to bring Your dog and let it loose as long as You have full control. Restrictions are listed in local statutes and regulations.
You are prohibited:
to cause damage to, and/or pollute the land.
to ride on a motor vehicle on private property, so that damage may be caused, or on a private road, when the owner has forbidden such a state. Restricted areas are also gardens, cultivated sites, or, constructions made by the owner.
to breach branches and twigs, to take the birch, bark, leaves, bass, acorns, nuts or resin from growing trees and bushes.
to pick wild flowers protected by law.
to park a caravan or trailer in such a place where the land could be damaged.
to make fire so that the environment could be damaged or endangered.
to let dogs run freely on private hunting-grounds.

Hello,

Use this travel site to compare airfares and accomodation prices - Trabber. com

Surely, you will save time and money.

I hope it´ll help.

If you want real contact with the culture try couch surfing. It is a great system of reciprocity and can help save a heap of money on hostels. I found it the best way to see more than the tourist side of a place in only a short time.
www.couchsurfing.com

I should add that lots of couchsurfer hosts would allow you to set up a tent in their back yard if you prefer (and use the indoor facilities as needed/available). If you are set on camping and are in a city, that might be an option.