11 Days in Scandinavia

All the countries of Scandinavia are known for being world leaders in human rights and progressive policies.  Your time here will be spent in the most LGBTQ-friendly countries in the world and with that comes vibrant inclusive communities without any need to worry about discrimination.  This level of LGBTQ+ acceptance means that, while there are certainly gay nightlife spots, there's also a strong sense of inclusiveness at any establishment in these cities.

The people in this part of the world are also known for being highly educated and almost everyone you meet along the way will speak English.  People are friendly and welcoming and the crime rate is relatively low so, while travelers should exercise smart travel-safety strategies everywhere in the world, this is a comfortable place for relaxed travel.

Scandinavian food really runs the gamut from fruits and root vegetables to seafood (including pickled herring and gravlax salmon) to unique meat dishes.  It's known for its traditionally hearty dishes such as stews and breads.  It's not a region that's known for spicy foods.  While this is the "traditional" cuisine of the region, these days you can find diverse internationally-inspired menus all over these cities.  It's a place where dietary restrictions are easier to accommodate that many other regions of the world.

Detours doesn't believe in limiting your choices by including all of your meals at pre-decided restaurants as part of the trip package. Instead, we include all your breakfasts to start your day off, then encourage you to explore all of the different restaurant options available to you for lunch and dinner. This way you can eat when you want, where you want, with whomever you want, and spend what you want! Your trip leader definitely has their favorite spots so if you'd like some advice on the best in each location, just check with them.

Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. Even if you realize you forget to pack some crucial item you can always pick up a replacement once you arrive in Copenhagen.  Just make sure to review the climate section above and remember that our trips are run in a casual style so you can leave your tuxedos at home. We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 10 days prior to your trip.

All 3 countries on this itinerary use their own currency - the Danish krone, the Norweigan krone, and the Swedish krona.  That's right, they don't accept the Euro in these Scandinavian countries.  That said, these are countries that make it easy to pay using a credit card so, while we always suggest having some local cash on hand for things like tipping and market-shopping along the way, most of your purchases can be made with a credit card. ATMs are widely available in all of the cities of this itinerary so it's not hard to grab some more cash along the way.

It can sometimes be challenging to use large-denomination bills at shops and restaurants, so we encourage you to request small denomination bills when getting cash prior to your trip.

If possible, it's always a good idea to travel internationally with a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.  The savings will add up over the course of your trip and may end up being worth the work of getting a new card prior to your trip.  Once you're overseas, if presented with the option to pay in the local currency or your home currency, we suggest always choosing the local currency to further avoid fees.

While tipping isn't a native custom in this destination, those working in the tourism industry all over the world have come to expect gratuities when providing good service.  This extends to local guides, restaurant wait staff, bus drivers, and your Detours trip leader.  Of course the actual amount is left up to your discretion, if you've been provided excellent service we suggest leaving around 15% for restaurant/wait staff as well as the local equivalent of a few dollars to bus drivers and luggage porters, as well as around $10-15 USD per day for local guides and your Detours trip leader.

We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a guesthouse must be in an amazing location (in the central core of the city), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves.  Around 4-ish star quality is what we stick to. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that!

All Detours trips are led by one of our own Detours trip leaders.  They're there with you every day and their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came to Scandinavia for.  Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you.  All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!  In addition to your Detours trip leader, you'll also be joined by local guides along the way, who will be there to give you an even more in-depth understanding of the place you're visiting.

We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening. A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in Scandinavia should come from the smell of fresh breakfast ready or church bells in the distance.  Whenever we can we avoid booking super early or super late trains and flights.

Our Detours groups are run with a maximum of 16 travelers. Ages of group members vary but around 90% of our travelers are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. Whatever the age of the guys on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country! Each group is led by a Detours trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life!

No problem! Don’t worry, around 60% of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solos. As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed room for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge.

These Scandinavian countries use a "type C" and "type F" plug, the same as most European countries and several other places in the world. The voltage is 230V with 50 Hz frequency. These days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its accetable range.

To ensure you don't lose connection along the way, your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available.  We suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you as it will depend on how much you intend to use your phone while traveling.  Keep in mind that all accommodation and most restaurants have free WiFi available as well.