Northern Europe Sightseeing Trips

Very thorough, fast paced but well planned and executed.

My wife and I went on the 12-day Country Roads of Scandinavia tour across Norway and Denmark, with additional hotel stays before and after the tour. We were joined by a group of friendly, like-minded travellers who were keen to enjoy the less travelled countryside. Visits to Oslo, Bergen and Copenhagen showcased the excitement typical of cities. We enjoyed the Neoclassical architecture of historical buildings, churches and palaces as much as the modern-day lifestyle facilities. There were delightful moments, adding value to the tour like icing on a cake, when we chatted with locals while dining in restaurants or walking along the street. As we are city dwellers in Singapore, we were awed by the spectacular sceneries when we travelled away from the cities to the countryside and visited some of the loveliest small towns and picturesque villages. Here, postcard-perfect painted restaurants and cozy cafes lined cobblestone walkways, a scene enhanced by the rain we encountered. Nature abounds with the majesty of snow-capped Hardangervidda Plateau and frozen fjords; scenic cruises on placid and misty fjords that are flanked by rocky mountains and cascading waterfalls; train ride on Flam Railway that carves its way from sea level up to 1000m across mountains and valleys; awesome Preikestolen and Lysefjord, and so many other memorable places. The late sunset meant that we had more time after dinner to explore the surroundings. Particularly in Ulvik, the serene Hardangerfjord as night falls was truly mesmerising. Much thanks to our travel director "P" who braved rain to confirm dinner arrangement and walked to the ferry terminal in the early morning to collect our boarding tickets. His daily reminder "isn't it great to be alive" resonated with the group as we embarked on our travel each morning. His commentaries added depth to the places we visited, and landmarks we passed during the coach ride. Our gratitude is also extended to our coach driver "R" who kept us safe on the road so that we were able to soak in the scenery or catch a nap. His professionalism and driving skills navigated single-lane winding mountain roads with care and ease. Some of the hotels in smaller towns are not as well appointed or conveniently located as those in major cities. Notwithstanding, they are generally ok. Other than the farewell dinner, the other dinners were provided with a single glass of wine or beer or juice, regardless of its cost value. Perhaps, this can be improved. Considering that food and wine feed the body for a day while nature and scenery feed the mind for a lifetime, it was a fantastic tour!

I missed the Abba museum. One member of the tour went. It would have been good to have been reminded when I could have gone. More details outside of paid extras would not have stopped me paying for extras but it would have made the trip better.

Norway is beautiful and we really enjoyed all of the natural beauty of Norway. One day we saw Tvindefossen Waterfall then a Viking Village Museum, Boat Cruise on Naerofjord, Flam Railway and then took at train ride to Bergen. It was so thought out by Insight Vacations and we would never been able to put all of this together in one day. This was the highlight of my trip. We had quite a few 1 night stays and would have like to spend more time in the cities of Denmark. We did the canal boat tour in Copenhagen and think it should have been included in our tour or at least an optional excursion.

Everything was well organized

The trip was very scenic and visited the usual popular tourist places, as well as less well-known places of interest. The tour director was very personable, knowledgeable and articulate, and conveyed a lot of information about the history of the places visited, as well as places to eat and things to do in each town. She checked with each of us every day to ensure we were OK and whether we had any questions or concerns. At one stage we had 4 consecutive one-night stays, but were still given free time in each place to explore. We were often provided with local treats, such as pancakes, waffles or biscuits, to try at various stops or eat on the coach. We were also shown short videos on the coach relating to local people or events, eg, the origin of the Lego company. The coach driver was an excellent driver and went out of his way to help us get on and off the bus and with our luggage. The bus was kept in immaculate condition, and was very comfortable. One issue was the lack of air conditioning in a couple of hotels, but I do understand that this is a general problem in the “cooler” areas of Europe. Overall, a great experience and I would not hesitate to go on another Insight tour or to recommend Insight to someone else.