Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 914
EAN: 9781566918671
ISBN: 1566918677
Label: Avalon Travel Publishing
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 448
Publication Date: 2008-03-28
Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing
Studio: Avalon Travel Publishing

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Guide!
Comment: We used this book in Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Tallinn instead of booking an expensive shore excursion on our Baltic cruise. Excellent tips and walking tours. We saw and learned things the tour groups didn't cover. also great to find local post offices and internet cafes. We don't leave home without Rick Steve!!!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Rick Steves' Scandinavia
Comment: Publication as expected, but won't know how helpful it is until we get to Russia! Service excellent.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Rick Steves' Scandanavia 2005
Comment: As always, Rick Steves has a lot of valuable and informative information about the subject. In this case he provides a great deal of useful and timely data for anyone planning a trip to Scandanavia. The guide also is a valuable travel tool to have and use while visiting Scandanavia. Specific information about accomodations , dining and sightseeing are always 'right on the money'. Thanks, Rick!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Absolutely horrible
Comment: No information on Sweden except Stockholm and Sweden's south. Hardly any information on North Norway. Not for those travelling by car. Out of 2 Restaurant recommendations we tried to follow in Bergen this August, one restaurant had shut down, and another had incorrect hours specified. Most hotels listed for Tallinn are horribly overpriced. Overall, a real disappointment.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Indispensable in Scandinavia
Comment: I just returned from a two-week adventure in Scandinavia, where I hung out in Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. I had a great time seeing the places where my predecessors came from, and I can attribute much of my trip's success to the "Rick Steves' Scandinavia 2005" guidebook. Mr. Steves has created an excellent and portable all-in-one travel resource for this region. It's well organized, and compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket for consultation on the fly. But most importantly, his hotel, transportation, and attraction recommendations fit my traveling desires and saved me time and money.

For example, finding a decent place to stay in a strange country can be daunting, but Mr. Steves' picks came through every time. His three-tiered rating system based on pricing helped me zero in on optimal accommodations: high (fancier hotels), moderate (nice, but no frills), and low priced (hostels and private homes). I stuck to the moderate level, and the book led me to a good night's sleep in each city. The City Hotel and Rainbow Hotel Astoria in Oslo, Hotel Jorgensen in Copenhagen, and Queen's Hotel in Stockholm were all great for a thirtysomething solo traveler on a budget. They had helpful staff, good breakfasts included with the room, and locations close to transportation centers and attractions.

Getting around Scandinavia was made easier by the hints in "Scandinavia 2005." Taking the night cruise from Oslo to Copenhagen got me on a cruise ship for the first time, and watching the shore slip by while enjoying a nice wine and cigar was sweet. I also took Mr. Steves' advice and reserved a couchette on a night train from Copenhagen to Stockholm (a bit crowded with five other people in the cabin, but efficient nontheless). Both methods enabled me to combine travel with sleep to maximize time and kroner savings. And his admonition to rely on walking and bicycling to intimately experience the cities was smart, especially since I lost seven pounds while seeing the sights!

Finally, Mr. Steves' ratings on things to see and do helped me dive into my Nordic roots. He uses a zero to three triangle rating system (three triangles = don't miss; two triangles = try hard to see; one triangle = worthwhile if you can make it; no triangle = worth knowing about). Based on his recommendations, I experienced cool sights like the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Christiania in Copenhagen, and the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. Simple hand-drawn maps helped me navigate the cities and easily find these attractions (along with the accommodations listed above). And the additional information he provided enabled me to prioritize my sightseeing based on distance, operating hours, and price.

Of course, no guidebook is perfect because the information is static and recommendations are based on opinion. Admission prices rise, museums change their exhibits, and a "don't miss" attraction ends up being a bust (like the three-triangle Nordic Museum in Stockholm, mainly because Swedish fabrics and dinner settings aren't my thing). But having the "Rick Steves' Scandinavia 2005" guidebook really helped me to achieve an outstanding travel experience I'll never forget. For that, he gets my highest endorsement.

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