Scandinavian Capitals and Fjords & Baltic Cities

The trip to the Nordic countries was great. Thanks for all the advice and help in planning. ALL of the drivers were on time and very respectful. All the tour guides were on time and helpful. The hotels were very good and really well located for walking purposes. Copenhagen: by all means, continue to use the Admiral Hotel if possible. The older hotels in Norway were also wonderful. The new hotel in Bergen was fine but the glass and chrome is no match for the older hotels. Most hotels had in-room safes, but a couple did not and that was a disappointment. Norway: The time in the train up to Myrdal and then to Flam was tremendous. The time on the fjords was superb. Great views. Kayak trip was a highlight that I am glad was included. Sweden: We really enjoyed the Steam Boat ride to Mariefred. Helsinki: a very interesting city. Here we had the same guide for two days (the city tour and open-air museum) as well as Suomenlinna the next day. Frankly, he was a bit of a disappointment. His English was adequate but not as good as that of others. His knowledge of Finnish history was good but not of the sites we visited. He is an arborist and although I enjoyed his original statements about trees of Finland, it became too much. My sister was offended by his anti-female statements. I was offended by his irreligious comments, including my own Catholicism. This is the only guide that I would suggest you try to avoid in the future. Unfortunately, we had him two days. The day trip to Tallinn, Estonia, was wonderful. Now that I have been there, would I make some minor changes in planning? Perhaps. I would love to spend a day in a true village or small town in any of the countries. All in all, it was a very good trip and I am happy that I had a chance to explore these countries. Thank you.