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Terri Mapes

Scandinavia Travel

By , About.com Guide

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Iceland Now Cheaper Than Ever!

Monday May 21, 2012

2007 Tourism.Reykjavik.IsYes, the Euro is so expensive at the moment that many travelers opt to stay in their home country. But don't forget about that one place that is now cheaper than ever: Iceland with its beautiful capital Reykjavik. A couple of years back, travelers were able to get just around ISK 60 for 1 US Dollar - now they get around ISK 80, almost 50% more money. Different example: 1 British pound was equivalent to around 125 Icelandic Kroner last year. Now, you can get about 155 Icelandic Crowns!

Now that Iceland is cheaper than ever, skip the trip to the European continent and instead check out Iceland, the current travel secret for anyone wanting a cheaper trip!

Related Travel Tips: The 10 Best Budget Travel Tips - 10 Free Things in Scandinavia - Reykjavik's Best Budget Hotels

Eloping Over The Weekend?

Friday May 18, 2012

Holly posted this message in the Scandinavia Travel Forum:

I was wondering in which country I can get married the fastest? I have heard Denmark, but I cannot stay there for 2 weeks.....I need to do this in a weekend because I have a full time job.Thank you!
Holly

Hi Holly,

Thanks for your post and the interesting question. Getting married in Norway is definitely out if you're on a short vacation, due to the required 2-week waiting period there. Not too practical for most travelers.

The good news: Neither Denmark nor Sweden have waiting periods (and you could even consider getting married in Iceland!). In those countries, you can get married over the weekend if you do a little research regarding good (non-busy) dates and reserve an officiant in advance. Here's more on what you'll need to prepare:

Getting Married in Sweden
Getting Married in Denmark

All the best,
Terri

NEW: The Best Ideas for Free Things to Do!

Wednesday May 16, 2012

Swedish KronaBeing quite an expensive travel destination, Scandinavia also has a few travel secrets. One of those is that you don't have to entirely rely on the best budget travel tips, but that each Scandinavian capital also offers visitors numerous free things to do. They've never been published as a list for travelers' convenience, unfortunately...except on About.com Scandinavia Travel:

7 Days in Denmark

Tuesday May 15, 2012

So you have a week to spend in this beautiful country? It's not long, but it's doable to create a rich, interesting and enjoyable week in Denmark while seeing all the major sights. It's too bad not everyone can have several weeks of vacation each year!

Denmark offers a lot of things to do, so we've created this guide to show you what you could do with seven days in Denmark, starting and ending in Copenhagen. Read about the full 7-day itinerary here.

May 19-26: Scandinavia's Biggest Carnival

Monday May 14, 2012

This year, you can once again enjoy the biggest and most colorful carnival celebrations in northern Europe: The Aalborg Carnival in Denmark. This year's theme of the big event is "The World Upside Down" and it'll be surely an interesting approach to the colorful and creative costumes. Hurry if you don't have accommodation in Aalborg yet - it's getting close. Compare all available Aalborg hotels here.

"Syttende Mai" in Norway

Friday May 11, 2012

Norway celebrates country and constitution on May 17th, which is celebrated more or less in the way of a Norwegian Independence Day. In Norwegian, this day is called "Syttende Mai" (May 17th), or Grunnlovsdagen (Constitution Day).

Once again, you can look forward to colorful national costumes and cheerful parades along Norwegian city streets (especially in Norway's capital Oslo, as the patriotic inhabitants commemorate the independence of this Scandinavian country. See the picture for a couple getting ready to go to the Independence Day parades in their traditional bunads!

Recommended articles:

Those Scandinavian Toilets...

Wednesday May 9, 2012

Public Toilet in Copenhagen, Denmark Škgh2008You'll need to use a toilet sooner or later when you're abroad. But oftentimes, foreign toilets are different from the ones we're used to. Some countries' toilets are even downright scary (which brings up childhood memories from smelly squat toilets in France and Greece...I fear they'll stay with me forever.)

So what can you expect from toilets in Scandinavia? Let's find out about...

Toilets in Finland add an extra challenge. To fight vandalism, the Finnish Road Administration has implemented an interactive system along Highway 1 which requires restroom visitors to send the text message "Open" ("Auki" in Finnish) from their cell phone. This automatically unlocks the roadside toilet for your use. So, before you leave for Finland, best double-check with your carrier to make sure your phone will work there. You don't want to be caught with your pants down. Literally.

Going from Copenhagen to Bergen

Monday May 7, 2012

Copenhagen and Bergen are separated by a distance of about 1,000 km (620 mi) which can be covered in several different ways by travelers. Each transportation option between Copenhagen and Bergen has its owns pros and cons. Let's find out which transportation option between these cities will suit you best ...read more

How to Save Money in...

Friday May 4, 2012

It's nice to see the economy rebound a bit, but traveling to Scandinavia this year is still over budget for a lot of travelers. It really depends on which country you want to visit since each of them has its own ways to saving and avoiding unnecessary expenses. So today, we'll take a look at the best ways to save money in each northern European country:

Hitting the Beach in 2012

Wednesday May 2, 2012

Scandinavia may not be known for beach vacations, but there are endless, beautiful sandy beaches in Scandinavia nonetheless. With the weather in Scandinavia, the best time for a summer visit to Scandinavian beaches is late June through late August.

If you're traveling elsewhere, check out About.com's picks for some of the best beaches around the globe. Whether you're looking for beaches where you want to go surfing, cliff jumping, and kayaking, or just want to soak up sun all day long, we've got you covered.

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