England-Oslo-Copenhagen -England by train and ferry, any better/more interesting routes?

[WolvertonWorks]

Planning a trip late May or early June, want to use the overnight Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry (used twice previously) and the Hirtshals to Bergen ferry, and visit Oslo (Fram museum) and also cross the Oresund bridge.

So far plans are:

Day 1 Harwich overnight to Hook of Holland
Day 2 Trains to Osnabruk, arrive afternoon to have a look around, overnight in Osnabruk
Day 3 Train to Hamburg, time for a little look around, overnight in Hamburg
Day 4 Train Hamburg to Hirtshals, overnight ferry to Bergen arrives around noon. Overnight Bergen.
Day 5 Bergen
Day 6 Train Bergen to Olso, overnight Oslo
Day 7 Oslo
Day 8 Oslo
Day 9 Train to Copenhagen via Gothenburg, overnight Copenhagen
Day 10 Day trip across bridge to Malmo and return (we have spent time in Copenhagen before so don't need time to explore) but wondering if the ride over the bridge on the train from Gothenburg on Day 9 will suffice?

I'm now undecided whether to fly from Copenhagen back to England or continue by train.

Current idea, but open to suggestions, is train Copenhagen to Hamburg to Cologne, overnight in Cologne (been there before but nice city so happy to overnight there) then following morning train Cologne to Brussels and Eurostar back to London.

I know some of these are very long days on the train but I'm very keen on train travel and like looking out of the window and seeing different things.

Anyone done this trip or something similar or have any alternative suggestions for a better/more interesting way of doing it?

If relevant, we are two fit 70 year olds who like wandering around places seeing what interesting things we can find.

All comments appreciated, thanks.

 

[Gloster]

On the bridge over the Øresund the trains run on the lower deck so you only see a long series of supports for the upper deck and you only get brief views on the island before hitting the tunnel. Unless you are very interested in bridges one crossing will be enough. Malmö is not the most interesting city in Sweden (there aren’t many) so is probably not worth a visit unless there is something you particularly want to see.

 

[Gwr12345]

On the bridge over the Øresund the trains run on the lower deck so you only see a long series of supports for the upper deck and you only get brief views on the island before hitting the tunnel. Unless you are very interested in bridges one crossing will be enough. Malmö is not the most interesting city in Sweden (there aren’t many) so is probably not worth a visit unless there is something you particularly want to see.

In my experience Malmö was better than Copenhagen and was much nicer and friendlier! But yes, there isn't the most to do, but it's well worth a visit nonetheless.

 

[Ploughman]

Not quite the same route, but back in July 1972 (possibly 71) I was on a school trip from Southport.
We traveled by train to Newcastle, then on to the Fred Olsen ferry to Bergen.
Then caught the coastal mail boat to Trondheim, I think we called at 25 Docks and other locations in a 40 hour run.
The Ferry was from about 1910 and was fine when sailing up and down the Fjords but suffered when it had to go to the open sea, due to lack of stabilisers.
At Trondheim we stayed 2 nights in a YMCA and a further night under the stars camping.
Then it was onto the Train to Oslo, I recall visiting an outdoor sculpture park and the Kon Tiki expedition museum.
After another 2 nights it was on the train again from Oslo to Bergen after a mild panic when we found we were on the wrong station and had to make rapid taxi move.
From Bergen it was back on the Fred Olsen ferry back to Newcastle and on the train home.

 

[181]

The Oslo-Copenhagen ferry is an interesting journey, with a scenic cruise down the Oslofjord at one end and into the Øresund past Elsinore Castle at the other. (Although my recollection from October 2019 is that there was plenty of outside deck space but not that many seats -- maybe there are more in summer -- and not a great deal of inside space that wasn't either cabins or restaurants, so bear that in mind if walking up and down the deck isn't your thing).

I think there may be a ticket that allows you to do a circular journey 'around the Sound' -- over the bridge by train and back by the Helsingborg-Helsingør ferry or vice versa.

There may still be a fireless steam locomotive working on the outskirts of Osnabrück if that's of any interest to you.

 

[30907]

I've recently done the Kiel-Oslo ferry, which takes you under the Great Belt bridge I daylight northbound), and is superb if not exactly cheap, and Bergen-Stavanger which is a superb journey, so I would certainly consider the overnight Oslo-Copenhagen.

I would carry on by train over the Great Belt, not fly! Admittedly you duplicate the route south of Fredericia, but you can vary it using the Tønder-Niebüll route and then the (diesel) Marschbahn to Hamburg; this gets you another of the Kiel Canal bridges. then you have the option of Hamburg-Hannover-Köln.

 

[Gloster]

I have never used the Oslo-Copenhagen ferry, but I have been told that a lot of Norwegians catch it in order to party. And when a Norwegian parties, he or she really parties.

The circular ticket is the Øresund Rundt Billet, which - in Denmark - is only sold by the Visit Copenhagen office, which I think is still near Copenhagen main station. It gives you a circular tour in either direction, one way over the bridge and the other via the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry, and various side trips and offers.

 

[306024]

An alternative I’ve been looking at is the DFDS 23.55 Frederikshavn to Oslo (10.00) which should give a nice approach to Oslo and save on a hotel. Otherwise my potential trip is not dissimilar, apart from going from Oslo to Copenhagen via Stockholm. I’ve chosen to fly home from Copenhagen.

Last year I stayed in Malmo rather than Copenhagen, as hotels were considerably cheaper. Malmo is pleasant enough, apart from the Museum of Disgusting Food, which fortunately was closed.

 

[Welly]

Word of advice, avoid hotels very close to Hamburg and Copenhagen main stations unless you are OK with being in the middle of an area with a certain kind of sleezy "nightlife"

 

[Gloster]

The area around the two stations does have some seedy parts, but most of the hotels are reasonable: if it looks like a proper hotel, it probably is. Additionally, many of the hotels around the stations are only moderately expensive, rather than being top of the range or cheap flophouses: if you haven’t got a booking and have to go round looking for one, they are at least fairly concentrated. (Written by someone who lived for a couple of years in a cross between a dosshouse and a knocking shop close to Copenhagen station: it is now apartments.)

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Thanks very much, you've given me some more things to think about

 

[paul1609]

Personally Id break day 9 and stay overnight in Gothenbourg, if youve already done Copenhagen. Then day 10 Gothenbourg to Copenhagen fly home.
Think Gothenbourg is more interesting than Malmo the swedish West Coast is pretty enough.

 

[Bevan Price]

Word of advice, avoid hotels very close to Hamburg and Copenhagen main stations unless you are OK with being in the middle of an area with a certain kind of sleezy "nightlife"

If it hasn't changed since I stayed in a (decent) Copenhagen hotel about 40 years ago, the "sleaze" was very "open". Maybe 100 metres from our hotel, a "lady" was sat by an open window massaging a ginormous pen*s. Another "lady" was in the street, openly offering "services" that I couldn't have afforded even if I had wanted. And that was all within 5 or so minutes walk from the station, and not far from the famous Tivoli Gardens. But everything seemed harmless if you ignored such people.

As for itinerary, I would be tempted to omit Malmo, go from Copenhagen to Cologne, then overnight stop in somewhere like Aachen or Bruges if you haven't been there before; then Brussels & back to England.

 

[bspahh]

I haven't stayed in Copenhagen for a few years, and when I was it was on expenses. I used to really like the DGI Byen hotel, which is a part of an excellent swimming pool and leisure centre, and is across the road from the stairs from the platforms at the main station. It has a swimming pool which is like a running track, where you can swim laps. The Tivoli Hotel and Wakeup Copenhagen are South of the railway, 10 minutes walk from the station and are also fine.

 

[Siebrand]

I think there may be a ticket that allows you to do a circular journey 'around the Sound' -- over the bridge by train and back by the Helsingborg-Helsingør ferry or vice versa.

Not anymore, this ticket has been abolished at the beginning of this year.

 

[Gloster]

Not anymore, this ticket has been abolished at the beginning of this year.

Yes, the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferries have pulled out and the ticket won’t be useable on them. Visit Copenhagen‘s website is still advertising the ticket, but I don’t see how they can be used unless they are turned into a sort of rover going out and back across the bridge.

 

[CS2447]

Stockholm is worth a visit , id be wary of using Oresundstag from Copenhagen , not a good carrier at all. Flam is worth a trip so id do one less day in Oslo , train to Andalsnes also worth the detour .

 

[Gloster]

Stockholm is worth a visit , id be wary of using Oresundstag from Copenhagen , not a good carrier at all. Flam is worth a trip so id do one less day in Oslo , train to Andalsnes also worth the detour .

If going to Åndalsnes check that they have finished rebuilding the bridge at Ringebu. If going to Flåm make sure you have reservations.

 

[Mike99]

I had always looked forward to crossing the bridge by rail between Denmark and Sweden. En-route from Copenhagen to Stockholm last year I was a bit underwhelmed when I did it. A couple of nights later I then got injured quite badly leaving Oslo station and finally called a halt to my trip in Gothenburg and flew back home.