London to the Arctic Circle by Rail

Make your way back to Odense station this morning and board a Danish domestic service to the capital, Copenhagen. Here, you change onto a train that takes you over the mighty Oresund Bridge into Sweden. Travel up the west coast of Sweden before arriving at the bustling port-city of Gothenburg, where the Clarion Collection Odin (or similar) will be awaiting your arrival for an overnight stay.

TMR RECOMMENDS: Why not break your journey with a night in Copenhagen to see the Little Mermaid, Nyhavn and the famous Tivoli Gardens.

Take one of the twice-daily services out of Gothenburg into Norway this morning. Travel through the rolling hills and greenery of this lush part of western Sweden and south eastern Norway and by evening-time you reach the Norwegian capital Oslo, where you stay in the Thon Opera Hotel (or similar) for 2 nights.

Capital of Norway since the 14th century, Oslo is a thriving city made up of diverse architectural styles and distinct districts. Spend a full day here exploring the city’s museums, galleries and green spaces.

Highlights of any visit here include the elegant Royal Palace and the Viking Ship Museum, boasting amongst other exhibits, two Viking ships that are over 1,000 years old. During the summer, you can also relax on one of the lovely beaches in the Oslofjord or sit and people watch at a café, with some of the world’s best coffee.

Set off this morning on your first domestic Norwegian train service taking you north past Lillehammer, host of the 1994 Winter Olympics, and into the strategically important port-city of Trondheim. Here, you make your way to the Radisson Blu Royal Garden (or similar) for a 2-night stay.

The Viking capital of Norway, Trondheim offers a wealth of history and culture to discover. The Nidelva River flows through the city centre, with colourful storehouses flanking both sides. The Trondheim Museum of Arts offers the third largest collection of public art in the country, whilst the imposing medieval Sverresborg Fort is now part of an open-air folk museum featuring more than 60 buildings.

The intimate city centre of Trondheim has plenty of independent boutiques, restaurants and cafés. Micro-breweries offer a menu of food tailored to accompany their own beers.

Today’s journey is one of Scandinavia’s most scenic, as you wind your way through forests, alongside dramatic fjords and watch as the scenery develops into an altogether more Arctic environment. The journey crosses the Arctic Circle mid-afternoon, and you arrive into the city of Bodø in the evening, where you check in at the Scandic Bodø (or similar).

With its magnificent backdrop of mountains, Bodø is a unique destination where you can go kayaking or golfing under the midnight sun in the summer or experience the wondrous spectacle of the northern lights from the pier in the harbour during the winter. Why not take a boat tour through the stunning archipelago or visit pretty Moskenes in Lofoten and Norway’s best-preserved seaside trading post at Kjerringøy.

After a final morning exploring this picturesque Norwegian town, you make your way to the airport for your flight home (not included).

Bodø is a stop on the famous Hurtigruten (which translates from Norwegian as “rapid route”) ferry line that runs from Bergen in the south all the way to Kirkenes in the far north close to the Russian border. You can travel south as far as Bergen and return back by air or rail from there or north to Kirkenes, stopping at the famous Lofoten Islands, Tromso and Hammerfest, the world’s most northerly city.

There are two options to extend into Swedish Lapland. Both journeys involve travelling north from Bodø by coach to the town of Narvik, the terminus on the Stockholm overnight line. From here, you can reach the towns of Abisko and Kiruna, both of which offer an array of outdoor activities all year round. You can then travel back either by air or train, with connections back through Scandinavia and Germany. During the summer months, the beautiful Inlandsbanan twists and turns its way through the centre of Sweden taking in some beautiful countryside. We can arrange this journey for you with the necessary stopovers and enough time to head back to the UK over land, or fly back from Stockholm if you prefer.