If you’re pretty comfortable arriving somewhere and just "making your way" then go for it! (That’s what I usually do!). Some people are more detail-oriented, some are more process-oriented, some thrive "by the seat of their pants." Personally, I like to know my options, but I’m flexible. Give me a basic map when I arrive, let me get my bearings straight and line up a few lodgings to check out, and I make my way from there. Good luck with it!

i agree. ditch the itinerary. its useless!!
I went to Europe with an itinerary for 3 months, and ended up ditching it after 1. i’ve never used one since!

That’s how I usually travel.

Still, it’s good to know what sights a town has to offer, just so you don’t end up regretting missing something amazing once you leave.

Not a problem anymore delfrio.
Arrive in a city, go to an internet cafe and google (and ET search of course and you’ll likely get more interesting things to do than you have time for.

Hey Don, since I do have to be in Amsterdam by July 13, and I want to do Berlin before it, I have about 10 days for Scandinavia. I was interested in Bergen, but the backtrack adds too much time, and I dont want to pay to fly. My &quotlan" is 3 days in each of Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, but that requires missing bergen. I know its subject to individual preference, but would you recommend Bergen in lieu of another stop?

I do recommend Bergen. I think Oslo is kind of boring. Since you’re ditching the planning, be warned that spoilers ensue….

In Oslo, Akershus fortress, Bygdøy, Viggeland Park, Munch Museum (it’s 2 masterpieces stolen last year), National Gallery, Town Hall (Rådhuset) tour… and that’s pretty much it, IMHO. You can do all that in 2 days tops. The train ride between Oslo and Bergen is really good. It actually goes under and through a glacier. The town of Voss enroute has always seemed like a cool and relaxing place to stop for a long afternoon or overnight. The "Norway in a Nutshell" diversion adds a steep rail ride down to Flåm where ferries take you round to another town, bus back to the train line, then onward to Bergen or back to Oslo. The train ride—straight through Oslo-Bergen—is about 6 hours.

Copenhagen and Bergen would be my two picks for sampling Scandinavia when travellers only have a short time. However, 10 days is good for Scandinavia. Do you have a railpass?

Itineraries are fun to make, more to break. I usually do 30 itineraries and end up ditching them after day 2. I’m with Walter, except I wouldn’t go to a city and then the internet cafe to see what it has to offer, I would go to a cafe internet and maybe then pick a new city, not studying extensively, just get a general idea of a couple of things I want to see.

Don, you got me there, Copenhagen, marvelous place, consider it.

I’m the opposite, I can’t relax unless I know exactly where I’ll be staying in the next city. I like to get off the train, go straight to the hostel and drop off my crap, and then go out and figure out what to see and do. I’ve tried "winging it", and it didn’t work for me, but everyone has their own method.
I too also enjoyed Copenhagen, not too keen on the cuisine however , but a beautiful city regardless.

quote:except I wouldn’t go to a city and then the internet cafe to see what it has to offer

I don’t do that either. I just offered it as an alternative.
My prefered way of doing it is find the first Irish pub (seems remarkable easy no matter where you are, enter, order Guinness and ask the barman/barmaid what to do in the town you’re in.

quote: My prefered way of doing it is find the first Irish pub (seems remarkable easy no matter where you are, enter, order Guinness and ask the barman/barmaid what to do in the town you’re in.

Solid advice.

quote:
I do recommend Bergen. I think Oslo is kind of boring. Since you’re ditching the planning, be warned that spoilers ensue….

In Oslo, Akershus fortress, Bygdøy, Viggeland Park, Munch Museum (it’s 2 masterpieces stolen last year), National Gallery, Town Hall (Rådhuset) tour… and that’s pretty much it, IMHO. You can do all that in 2 days tops. The train ride between Oslo and Bergen is really good. It actually goes under and through a glacier. The town of Voss enroute has always seemed like a cool and relaxing place to stop for a long afternoon or overnight. The "Norway in a Nutshell" diversion adds a steep rail ride down to Flåm where ferries take you round to another town, bus back to the train line, then onward to Bergen or back to Oslo. The train ride—straight through Oslo-Bergen—is about 6 hours.

Copenhagen and Bergen would be my two picks for sampling Scandinavia when travellers only have a short time. However, 10 days is good for Scandinavia. Do you have a railpass?

Well, i have a rail pass – i am landing in Oslo on Wednesday morning, June 29. I planned on 2-3 days in Oslo, then morning train to Bergen, one night in Bergen, on July 3 night train back to Oslo. My trouble begins here because there does not seem to be any "easy" way to get to Stockholm. The direct 5hr train is only available Friday, Sat or Sun (according to eurail timetable) So, I will have to take longer train through Goteburg to get to Stockholm. 2 nights in Stockholm, and then 2 nights in Copenhagen. Then i wanted to do 2-3 nights in Berlin before arriving in Amsterdam on July 12. (I have to be in amsterdam on July 12 for U2 concert)

Questions – What is fastest way to get from Oslo to Stockholm during the week?
Is there a cheap flight from Bergen to Stockholm?
Is it bad backpacker karma to skip Stockholm?

Bergen and the Norway in a Nutshell trip are definitely worth seeing.
Stockholm is a nice city, but I’m not sure it would really be worth it for you under the current plan as it is a bit out of the way.

Alternatively you could do Stockholm and Scandinavia at a more leisurely pace by saving Berlin for after Amsterdam. Berlin easily deserves more than a couple nights, and its rail connections to everywhere are good, so you won’t lose travel time by doing it after.

I would try to fly instead of backtracking on train. Your best chance at decent airfare at this point is with www.norwegian.no using BGO-OSL and OSL-STO. Looks like it’s gonna costya about 1000 NOK. Ouch. Since you already got a rail pass, maybe pay a sleeper supplement and take a night train to save some dough. You’ll be able to see scenery from the train until about midnight.

Looks like Rob left today…

If we don’t hear from him in 2 months, I suppose we could consider his non-planning expirement a complete success (he could discover a beautiful single Europen lass in a pub he didn’t plan on going to in a town he’s never heard of) or an utter failure! (he wandered into a bad area of town, got mugged, and ended up in a dilapidated Romanian prison..)

I’ve got my fingers crossed for the former!