Barabee Family Trip

Barrabee Family Trip to Norway & Copenhagen - Aug 2025

The Norway and Copenhagen trip was excellent. You went above and beyond to put this trip together on relatively short during this busy time.

In general, the lodging options were very good. We really liked the locations in Bergen, Ballestrand and Oslo. In retrospect those were great as each of those hotels provided nice rooms, excellent breakfasts and professional and kind service. In addition, they were located close to the center of towns that allowed us to walk to the locations we desired to go. The Tivoli Hotel in Copenhagen had clean and acceptable rooms but was not as centrally located and they were a step below in the service aspect.

All of the people who assisted us on this trip provided excellent service, were very kind and responsive. The person who picked us up in Bergen went out of her way to help us when we had an issue with lost luggage.  The tour guide in Bergen was very nice and provided us a customized tour consistent with our request. The bike tour operators in Oslo and Copenhagen were top notch and provided excellent tours. The driver to the castle was great. He was personable, timely and made the drive very enjoyable. The guide for the special food tour was fantastic. Special kudos to the tour operators 50 Degrees North. The helped in all ways possible even when we had special requests mid trip.

In Bergen the fjord boat tour was great. We did our own touring around town and it is a very walkable city. We ate excellent food although the fish market food was amazingly fresh but the area is touristy. The castle was nice. We took a long walk and went to the aquarium and that was fun as well. Unfortunately, due to inclement weather we had to cancel the kayak trip that I was really looking forward to.

A special thank you for the stop over in Ballestrand. It is probably the prettiest place I have ever been. The hotel was exceptionally nice with a stunning unobstructed bay view. The town was quiet but we had enough to do for the two days with city walks, nature walks,  and the cider tasting (a must do if someone has time). If the weather was better renting a kayak or going fishing would have been nice as well. The Norway in a nutshell progression was nice but the trains were crowded and it was somewhat hectic. The initial boat ride was very my favorite part. The train takes you through beautiful places, it was good but not fantastic.(I think the crowds was the biggest downsides)   I was not as impressed with Flam ( that was fortunately just a pass-through location) as it is very over touristed.

I really liked Oslo. What a beautiful city. I highly recommend the bike tour as that allowed us to see more sights and in than a walking tour. The hotel that we requested and you secured was exceptional. It was in a great location very close to the train station, main walking and shopping street and the opera house. My only suggestion is that one more day there would have been nice as there is plenty to do. I would skip Lillehammer as there was not much to do but that was scheduled on our request.

Copenhagen was very nice as well. It is more spread out and required the use of cabs or public transportation. The bike tour provided a great overview. I really liked the palace and the sculpture guardian. The Louisiana museum was unique and it was a pleasant train ride. It also has pretty grounds and a beach so I would recommend bringing swimming suits or just time to relax around the grounds. The Castle was a unique experience. I would recommend spending more time so that you can take a walk around the trails. The experience was unique and the restaurant was outstanding with a fantastic host who picked the wine which enhanced the meal even more. great. I also really enjoyed the swimming areas and walking paths near the bay.

Overall, it was a great trip and we appreciate your help in putting this together and connecting us with top notch providers. by Steve B