Legendary Fjords & Northern Poland — Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Arlanda and take the Flygbussarna coach (£10) or the Arlanda Express (£28) into town. Check into a hostel in Norrmalm or Södermalm (City Backpackers or Generator Stockholm, dorms from ~£25/night — Stockholm is the priciest city on the route). Wander Gamla Stan's cobbles, Stortorget square, the cathedral and the Royal Palace exterior for free. Skip the paid local guide — the Nobel Prize Museum costs ~£10 if you want it, and the Fjällgatan viewpoint above Slussen is free and the best skyline shot in town. Stock up on supermarket food at Coop or ICA for the next few days' lunches.

🚌Arlanda → city by Flygbussarna coach ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm, Norrmalm/Södermalm (~£25)

• →Self-guided Gamla Stan walk
• →Stortorget & Stockholm Cathedral (free exterior)
• →Fjällgatan viewpoint
• →Optional Nobel Prize Museum ~£10

Morning train from Stockholm Central to Mora (~4.5–5 hrs, ~£30–40 booked in advance on sj.se). Mora sits on Lake Siljan — hire a bike or walk the lakeshore, visit the Zorn Museum (Anders Zorn's home, ~£10) and the Vasaloppet finish line. Book a cheap guesthouse or STF hostel in town (~£22–28).

🚌SJ train Stockholm → Mora, ~5 hrs, ~£35

🛏STF hostel / guesthouse Mora (~£25)

• →Lake Siljan lakeshore walk
• →Zorn Museum (optional ~£10)
• →Mora old town

This is the leg the coach does in a day — doable by bus but tight. Take the morning bus/train via Sveg or Särna toward Funäsdalen (seasonal buses; check sj.se and nor-way.no), then onward to Røros. Røros is a UNESCO wooden mining town — the old miners' houses, slag heaps and church are all free to wander, and the Røros Museum foundry is ~£9. Finish with the Røros–Trondheim train (~2.5 hrs, ~£20). If timings don't line up, overnight in Røros (~£30) and continue next morning — you lose nothing but the Trondheim evening.

🚌Bus/train via Funäsdalen + Røros–Trondheim rail, ~£55 total

🛏Trondheim hostel (Trondheim Vandrerhjem, ~£30)

• →Funäsdalen mountain stop
• →Røros UNESCO mining town walk
• →Røros foundry museum ~£9

Morning in Trondheim: Nidaros Cathedral exterior, Bakklandet wooden houses and the old wharves — all free. Then take the train to Kristiansund (or the express bus north) and pick up the local bus along the Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsvegen) — the FRAM-operated route 501 runs the bridge section; a day ticket is ~£15. Kvernes Stave Church is a short detour (free exterior, small fee inside). Continue by bus/ferry to Molde for the night at a fjordside guesthouse (~£32).

🚌Train + FRAM local bus along Atlantic Road, ~£35

🛏Molde guesthouse/hostel (~£32)

• →Nidaros Cathedral & Bakklandet
• →Atlantic Road scenic drive by local bus
• →Kvernes Stave Church

The big fjord day. Take the morning ferry/bus combo from Molde across Romsdalsfjord toward Åndalsnes and on to Geiranger — the Geiranger–Hellesylt car ferry through the fjord is the cheapest way to see it (foot passenger ~£10–13, book on fjord1.no). In Geiranger, walk to the Eagle Viewpoint (free, ~40 min uphill) instead of paying a coach tour. Then bus to Olden/Loen; from Briksdal base camp it's a 45-min walk to the glacier tongue (free) or a troll car up (~£12). Loen Skylift — one of the world's steepest cable cars — is ~£45 return if you fancy it. Sleep in a Loen/Olden campsite cabin or hostel (~£30).

🚌Fjord ferry + local buses, ~£40

🛏Loen/Olden hostel or campsite cabin (~£30)

• →Geirangerfjord foot-passenger ferry
• →Eagle Viewpoint hike
• →Briksdal glacier walk
• →Optional Loen Skylift ~£45

Bus from Olden/Stryn to Bergen (Nor-way/Vy, ~5 hrs, ~£35–45 with advance booking). In Bergen, ride the Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen (~£13 return) for the city panorama, then walk down through the forest. Explore Bryggen's Hanseatic wharves (free), the fish market on the harbour, and if it's raining (it will be) duck into the KODE art museums or the free Bergen Cathedral area. Hostel in Bergen from ~£30.

🚌Vy/Nor-way express bus, ~£40

🛏Bergen hostel (Marken Gjestehus or Montana, ~£30)

• →Fløibanen funicular ~£13
• →Bryggen wharf walk
• →Fish market & harbour
• →Optional Aquarium ~£25

Follow the coach's route using public transport: bus Bergen → Eidfjord via the Hardanger suspension bridge (~3 hrs), stop in Eidfjord village, then take the local bus/guided shuttle connection to Vøringsfossen waterfall and viewpoints (~£10–15). Continue Eidfjord → Geilo → Oslo by bus and train (Nor-way/Vy, ~6 hrs total, ~£50). It's a long transit day — pack lunch. Arrive Oslo late; check into a hostel near Sentrum (~£30).

🚌Buses + train via Eidfjord/Geilo, ~£65

🛏Oslo hostel, Sentrum (~£30)

• →Hardanger suspension bridge
• →Eidfjord village stop
• →Vøringsfossen waterfall viewpoints

Free morning and afternoon in Oslo: Opera House rooftop terrace (free), Royal Palace exterior, Frogner Park's Vigeland sculptures (free), and the waterfront. The Munch Museum is ~£15 if you have time. Instead of a guided panoramic tour, use the Ruter day pass (~£9) or just walk — Oslo's centre is compact. In the evening board the DFDS Copenhagen–Oslo ferry (~£60–75 for a bunk in a 4-berth inside cabin, more for a private cabin); it sails overnight with breakfast on board — this replaces both a hotel night and the coach transfer to Denmark.

🚌DFDS overnight ferry Oslo → Copenhagen

🛏DFDS ferry cabin, 4-berth shared (~£65)

• →Oslo Opera House rooftop
• →Frogner Park / Vigeland
• →Royal Palace & harbour walk
• →Optional Munch Museum ~£15

Arrive around 09:30 and drop bags at the hostel (Danhostel Copenhagen City or a Sydhavnen budget hotel, ~£35). Walk the classic circuit: City Hall Square → Tivoli Gardens exterior (entry ~£20 if you go in) → Amalienborg Palace (free exterior; changing of the guard at noon) → Nyhavn's painted houses → the Little Mermaid. The Copenhagen Card (~£50/24 hrs) is only worth it if you're hitting multiple museums — otherwise skip it and walk. Evening: Reffen street food market on the waterfront for cheap eats (~£10).

🚌Metro from ferry terminal ~£3

🛏Copenhagen hostel/budget hotel (~£35)

• →Self-guided Nyhavn & harbour walk
• →Amalienborg Palace exterior
• →Little Mermaid statue
• →Reffen street food market

Take the train from Copenhagen to Nykøbing F/Gedser (~2 hrs, ~£20), then the Scandlines ferry Gedser–Rostock (2 hrs, foot passenger ~£18) — the same crossing the tour uses. In Rostock, the tram runs from the ferry port to the old town: see the Market Square, the city hall and St Mary's Church (free). Then regional train Rostock → Szczecin via Pasewalk (~2.5 hrs, ~£12) — prices drop instantly now you're in Poland. Budget hotel or hostel in Szczecin Centrum (~£20).

🚌Danish rail + Scandlines ferry + German/Polish regional trains ~£50

🛏Szczecin budget hotel/hostel (~£20)

• →Gedser crossing
• →Rostock Market Square & city hall
• →St Mary's Church Rostock

Polish rail is cheap and fast. Morning train Szczecin → Bydgoszcz (~2.5 hrs, ~£10), a quick look at Bydgoszcz's Mill Island and old market. On to Toruń (~1 hr, ~£4) — the UNESCO gingerbread town: buy a bag of pierniki, walk the river boulevard and the Leaning Tower, and pop into the Copernicus house museum (~£5). Evening train Toruń → Warsaw (~2.5 hrs, ~£11). Stay near the centre (Oki Doki Hostel or a Budget hotel, ~£20–25).

🚌Intercity Polish rail, 3 legs ~£25

🛏Warsaw hostel/budget hotel (~£22)

• →Bydgoszcz Mill Island
• →Toruń UNESCO old town & gingerbread
• →Copernicus house museum ~£5

Full day on foot or with a £4.50 24-hr public transport ticket. Walk the rebuilt Old Town, the Royal Castle exterior, Castle Square, and the Palace of Culture. Then Łazienki Park for the Chopin Monument (free outdoor Chopin concerts on summer Sundays). Do one museum properly: the Warsaw Rising Museum (~£7, book online) or the National Museum (~£7). Cheap and excellent Polish food at a bar mleczny (milk bar) — lunch for £5. Krakowskie Przedmieście in the evening for the atmosphere.

🚌Tram/metro day pass ~£4.50

🛏Warsaw hostel/budget hotel (~£22)

• →Old Town & Royal Castle exterior
• →Palace of Culture
• →Łazienki Park & Chopin Monument
• →Warsaw Rising Museum ~£7

Long but rewarding rail day. Train Warsaw → Olsztyn (~2.5 hrs, ~£10), then local bus to Olsztynek's Museum of Folk Architecture (£10) — wooden houses, mills and a church, exactly the coach's stop. Continue via Olsztyn to Malbork (~2 hrs, ~£8) and give Malbork Castle 2.5–3 hrs — the largest brick castle in the world (£12, book online to skip the queue). The Elbląg Canal museum is a nearby optional add (or ride the famous inclined-plane boat trip if you have a spare half-day). Evening train Malbork → Gdańsk (~40 min, ~£3). Hostel in the Old Town from ~£18.

🚌Polish regional/intercity rail ~£22 + local bus

🛏Gdańsk old-town hostel (~£18)

• →Olsztynek Folk Architecture Museum ~£10
• →Malbork Castle ~£12
• →Elbląg Canal museum (optional)

Morning in Gdańsk: European Solidarity Centre (~£8), the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers, and the Museum of the Second World War (~£8) — pick both if you're quick, or the Solidarity Centre if you'd rather not rush. Wander Długa street and the Motława waterfront. Afternoon SKM commuter train to Sopot (~£1.50) for the pier and beach. In the evening catch the Stena Line or Polferries night sailing from Gdańsk to Karlskrona (~£70–85 with a shared cabin, ~10 hrs, arrives early morning) — the same crossing the tour uses, but booked directly.

🚌SKM to Sopot ~£1.50 + overnight ferry to Karlskrona

🛏Stena Line / Polferries cabin, shared (~£75)

• →European Solidarity Centre ~£8
• →Museum of the Second World War ~£8
• →Gdańsk old town & Motława waterfront
• →Sopot pier & beach

Dock in Karlskrona early morning and walk the UNESCO naval town squares before your onward train. Rail Karlskrona → Västervik (~2 hrs, ~£15) — a pretty Baltic coastal town worth a 2-hr stop for the archipelago and Gamleby old town. Continue Västervik → Stockholm (~3 hrs, ~£25), arriving late afternoon. If you're flying home the same night, allow 3 hrs to Arlanda; otherwise add a cheap final night at a Stockholm hostel (~£25) and a last wander through Gamla Stan.

🚌Swedish rail Karlskrona → Västervik → Stockholm ~£40

🛏None (or optional Stockholm hostel ~£25)

• →Karlskrona UNESCO naval town
• →Västervik archipelago stop
• →Optional final Stockholm walk