Hello! My husband is a Swede from Malmo, and I have relatives in Norway. We have lived in California for the past 25 years. This will be our 1st trip back to Scandinavia in many years.
We are thinking we should fly into Copenhagen as many of our friends and family live there and it seems to have the best flights and prices.
I would so much appreciate any infomation you could share with us regarding the weather late August to early September, what kind of clothes to pack, best airlines, rent a car or take public transportation, exchange rates, hotel or B%26amp;B recomendations, anything that could help us with our 10 day trip.
Tak!
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Wow, I%26#39;m from Malmö as well! As a matter of fact, I%26#39;m heading over there next month for a one week visit. Your questions kind of opens the door for more questions (partly based on my own background and experience).
For instance, I will fly into Copenhagen. Then I take the train across to Malmö. 12 minutes to the first stop! Couldn%26#39;t be more convenient. I never rent a car while I%26#39;m there, since I stay with my sister, and a) either I rely on taking the bus in the city of Malmö, or b) if we go someplace else, my sister will drive. Are your friends and family in Copenhagen or Malmö? And if you%26#39;re staying with them, do you still need a rental car? You may realize that you only need it for part of the time. Depends on how much time you want to spend with family and how much time you want to spend sightseeing. And trains and buses are frequent, so the rental car decision really depends on what places you want to visit AND how many in your party (maybe just you and your husband?)
Exchange rate - two ways of dealing with this:
a) bring USD and exchange once you get there. You usually get a somewhat better exchange rate in Scandinavia than you would in the USA. Also, try to avoid exchanging the same money more than once. In other words, don%26#39;t exchange USD to Danish Kronor (DKK) and then some of that later on to Swedish Kronor (SEK). Figure out roughly what you need, and exchange directly into that currency. And if you end up needing more local currency, easy to exchange.
b) use credit cards. Typically you%26#39;ll get the best exchange rate when using plastic. Of course, for smaller purchases cash is necessary or preferred.
Clothes: I always wear shorts, but some days can be kind of cool (around 60 and windy with showers). Most people would prefer long pants. A lightweight jacket is a great idea.
Airline: do you have frequent flier miles with any particular airline? That would probably determine what your preferred airline might be. I fly United Air Lines (Honolulu-Los Angeles-London) and then SAS London-Copenhagen. Both are members of the Star Alliance. Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and US Airways all fly from the USA to Scandinavia. Not sure which of them fly to Copenhagen. If you use any of those 3 you would fly from Los Angeles (presumably) to one of their hubs and then connect to a trans-Atlantic flight.
Hotel/B%26amp;B - no idea!
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Thank you for your advice HI. Wow! What a long trip from Hawaii to Malmo, must over 30 hours travel time? All the very best to you for a great trip!
We will be visiting friends and family in Copenhagen, Malmo and Stockholm. We are invited to stay at peoples houses and I am sure we can use Dads car, but we don%26#39;t want to take advantage and we do want to do some sightseeing as well as visit. I am thinking maybe we won%26#39;t mention we are coming to the Norway family, it seems far away and it%26#39;s hard to do everything in only 10 days.
Husband says it is cold already in September, I am just wondering how cold. Is it fall like weather or already freezing?
I%26#39;d rather go in September as it is much easier to get time off from work, prices are lower, places not as crowded usually, but if it is winter already then maybe August is a better time to go.
PM me if you want, Leif grew up in Malmo. That would be something if you went to the same school or know each other! (Yes, I know it is a huge city, but sometimes it is a small world!)
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Average day temps in September for Copenhagen/Malmo is 15C and for Stockholm 12C.
Hans
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Hi again!
Yes, door-to-door travel time from our home here on the Big Island to my sister%26#39;s in Malmö is right around 30-32 hours!
And I agree, with only 10 days at your disposal, trying to include Norway would be too much. Most of the places you%26#39;d want to see in all three cities (Copenhagen, Malmö and Stockholm) are pretty much walking distance, so having a car would be more of a hassle than a convenience. Keep in mind, just about all cities in Scandinavia (and certainly these three) have areas downtown that are %26#39;pedestrian only%26#39;. And getting around using public transportation is quick and easy. It%26#39;s really only if you want to head out in the countryside that a car might be useful. And it all depends on where you want to go.
Having lived in warmer climates for many years I no longer have winter clothes, so I only visit Scandinavia during the summer months. While September can%26#39;t be described as %26#39;summer%26#39;, it is certainly not %26#39;winter%26#39; and it definitely won%26#39;t be %26#39;freezing%26#39;. Maybe your husband has been away for too long...?! I have been %26quot;back home%26quot; many times in the month of September and it can be very pleasant. Many times in the 60s, or even warmer. A cool day maybe in the mid 50s, if that. But it is unpredictable. I find that a light jacket is really all I need to keep warm.
And travelling from the Copenhagen/Malmö area to Stockholm, I recommend taking the X2000 express train. About 4 hrs 20 minutes from Malmö. Very pleasant ride, with room to move around and you get to see the countryside.
I%26#39;m sending you a PM as well.
Aloha from the Big Island!
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