Northern Star Train and Cruise

Heading ever further north, through the snow-covered forest of the Laponia world heritage park, you'll then discover the secrets of the buliding and operations of the world famous Ice Hotel near Kiruna.

Crossing the mountain divide between Sweden and Norway on the train to Narvik, you'll get a first glimpse of Norway's majestic fjords as you travel onwards to the port of Harstad and the rendez-vous with your cruise ship for three days of navigation.

Through the Lofoten and Veståralen islands and past the towering summits of the Seven Sisters, the ship threads its way in and out of fjords and small harbours allowing you time to briefly step ashore and sample life in these remote corners of northern Europe. Once in Trondheim you'll cross again the Swedish-Norwegian border as you head back by train across the mountains and past the ski resorts of Storlien and Äre on your way to Stockholm.

Scandinavia's beauty will be forever etched on your memory by the time you arrive back in Stockholm !

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Departure point: Stockholm, Sweden
End point: Stockholm, Sweden
Departure dates: 2011
13th March 2011

2012
Dates to be announced shortly

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Language spoken: English/Anglais,  French/Français,  
Journey type: Escorted / Accompagné,  

Sunday 13th March 2011
Individual arrivals in Stockholm. Our 3/4****  hôtel is very close to the main railway station, arrival and departure point of trains to the rest of Sweden and to Arlanda and Skavsta airports. It is also close to Drottningsgatan («Queen Street»), Stockholm's main thoroughfare, where shops, restaurants and cafés abound. All of Stockholm's city centre sights are within easy reach on foot; the Town hall, the Royal Palace, the Old Town (Gamla Stan), and of course the harbour, even if it is iced over. Early evening we meet our escort for the week and afterwards the evening is free for dinner at leisure.

Monday 14th March 2011
After a Scandinavian buffet breakfast, we take a morning main line train for Östersund, crossing the snowy landscapes of central Sweden. Nestling on a hill above the lake, Östersund with its 45 000 inhabitants is almost on the same latitude as Reykjavik and is both a university town and gateway to Southern Lapland.
We arrive early afternoon and can contemplate the frozen lake as we walk the few hundred metres to our 3*** hôtel. After checking in, free time in the afternoon to hire skates or skis to enjoy an excursion on the lake - warm clothing is a must. There are also "hot tubs" and saunas at the Winter City on the lake and even the opportunity for a dip in its icy waters. Evening free for dinner at leisure, either at the hôtel or in town.

Tuesday 15th March 2011
After a buffet breakfast our special railcar will draw into the station to take us on the first leg of our journey northward, first to Hoting in Southern Lapland, where we stop for lunch. Before having lunch we'll visit the small and fascinating Motor Museum.
Continuing northward in the afternoon, our next stop is Vilhelmina. After checking in at our 3*** hôtel we take a guided visit of the local heritage museum and the Old Town. The evening is free for dinner and individual activities. Overnight stay at the 3*** Hotell Wilhelmina.

Wednesday 16th March 2011
After an early buffet breakfast we rejoin our special train for the journey to Northern Lapland, the Arctic Circle and the Sami heritage township of Jokkmokk. We stop en route as we cross the Arctic Circle !
Our first stop is in Storuman for a visit to the old railway hotel, which today is a library. The adjacent café will be open for those who want a hot drink. Our next stop is in Sorsele where we visit the "Inlandsbanan" museum next to the railway station, to learn more about the 100-year history of the railway line. The journey then continues on to Arvidsjaur where we stop for lunch at a restaurant of your choice.
In the afternoon we continue northwards to Jokkmokk and we will suitably celebrate our crossing of the Arctic Circle before arriving at the town. In Jokkmokk there is no need to worry about the luggage as it will be transported to the hotel, providing us with the opportunity to take a walk. The evening is free for dinner and individual activities. Overnight stay at the 3*** Hotell Jokkmokk.

Thursday 17th March 2011
Our day in Jokkmokk starts with a guided tour of the Pewter centre, the Old Church and the Sami Heritage Museum. The visits are followed by free time for lunch and an excellent venue for that would be the restuarant in the museum as it serves specialities like suovas – lightly smoked reindeer meat – alpine
char or a dish of the day.
After lunch, we meet up at the railway station for a couple of hours’ journey to Gällivare. We will be travelling through Laponia, a world heritage area with miles and miles of marshes, national parks and mountain landscapes. On arrival in Gällivare, we will directly continue by coach to LKAB’s iron ore mine outside Gällivare to see how ore is extracted. We will go by a special bus 1 000 metres below ground. The evening is free for dinner and individual activities. Overnight stay at the 3*** Grand Hotel Lapland.
Friday 18th March 2011
Today we travel north to Kiruna, from where we continue to Jukkasjärvi to visit the spectacular Ice Hôtel. The visit starts with a guided tour of the hotel and its facilities, the church and, of course, the Absolute Ice Bar. Every part of the hôtel is built from snow and ice! After some free time to digest all these new impressions, it is time to enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch at the Ice Hôtel restaurant, famous for its excellent local cuisine.
After a leisurely lunch there is time for individual exploration and shopping for souvenirs to take back home or for a walk to stretch your legs. We will also visit nearby Jukkasjärvi church to see the altarpiece by Bror Hjorth and the beautifully decorated Sami-inspired organ. In the afternoon we go to Kiruna, and if there is time, we will visit Kiruna’s very unusual church. The evening is free for dinner and individual activities. Overnight stay at our 3*** hotel in Kiruna .

Saturday 19th March 2011
In the morning we board a main line train in Kiruna for our spectacular journey to the port of  Narvik on the other side of the mountain range that separates the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden. On arrival we have an approximate two hour motor-coach transfer to the nearby port of Harstad, from which the Hurigruten coastal service arrives and departs.
We arrive early evening at our  3*** hôtel. Evening and dinner at leisure.

Sunday 20th March 2011
After an early buffet breakfast, we walk the very short distance to the harbour and board our ship for the first day of our coastal cruise southwards through the beautiful scenery of the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands.
We'll have ample opportunity to contemplate the stunning coastal landscapes of Norway, with the varied scenery of Lofoten and Vesterålen. It is said that this is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Hurtigruten cruise. Small, picturesque fishing villages, typical of Norway, alternate with high mountains descending steeply into the fjords. With a bit of luck we may even see whales or killer whales hunting large shoals of fish in the fjords. Lunch and dinner at leisure and overnight stay in our cabins (two-berth with shower and WC) on board ship.

Monday 21st March 2011
The Norwegian coastline in its winter coat of snow seems quite different from the usual sight of verdant farming areas along the steep slopes adorning the narrow fjords. High mountains line the route, and the Syv Søstre (Seven Sisters) and Torghatten are imposing sights as the vessel glides past. In the morning we  re-cross the Arctic Circle and leave the land of the Midnight Sun. On the way south, we meet the northbound Hurtigruten vessel. When our ship calls in at the various harbours, there is sufficient time to disembark for short individual excursions. Overnight stay in our cabins on board.

Tuesday 22nd March 2011
We have an early arrival in the port of Trondheim and the day is free to explore this delightful university town, nestled between fjord and mountain and which benefits from a surprisingly mild climate given its latitude. The Gulf Stream plays an important rôle in keeping Trondheim relatively mild throughout the year.  Nidarosdomen – an imposing cathedral – should not be missed on a visit to Trondheim, nor should the fishing harbour Ravnkloa and its marine delicacies. We leave Trondheim on a scheduled train at 16.30 and we'll once again cross the mountain divide between Norway and Sweden, arriving in Östersund at 20.30.  After a short walk to our 3*** hôtel, evening free.

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
After an early breakfast we board the fast train for Stockholm, arriving at midday. Individual transfers to airports or ongoing travel arrangements.
NB : Trains can be late, so we strongly advise you not to book a flight too early on the Wednesday afternoon.

 

 

1790 € : this tariff includes per person from Stockholm :

(On the basis of two persons* sharing a room, all taxes included)

* For other requirements please contact us for a quote

Accommodation :

Accommodation and buffet breakfasts : 8 nights in 3*** hôtels

Reserved twin berth sleeping cabin with shower and WC for two nights on board ship.

Transport :

Train travel Stockholm- Östersund and return

Special train Östersund-Arvidsjaur-Jokkmokk-Gällivare

Train travel Gällivare-Kiruna-Narvik

Train travel Trondheim-Östersund

Coach transfer to Harstad

Coach transfer to Jukkasjärvi

The following visits :

- The Sami museum in Jokkmokk

- The Motor Museum in Hoting

- The LKAB mine in Gällivare

- The Ice Hôtel in Jukkasjärvi

- The Heritage Museum in Vilhelmina

Meals :

- 10 buffet breakfasts including on board ship

- Lunch on days 3, 4 and 6

English, French and Italian speaking tour guide (except on board ship)

This tariff does not include :

Insurance :

Medical/Repatriation (mandatory)

Loss/theft of luggage (optional)

Single supplement for the week, including single-berth cabin : 410 €

NB

Minimum number of participants for this trip : 10

Entry requirements for European citizens

Valid Identity Card or Passport. Your Passport should have at least two empty pages. If you are not a citizen of the Eurpopean Union please contact the appropriate consular services for advice.

Climate

We are going beyond the Artic Circle and temperatures are much lower than in most European countries. During the day the temperature can vary between -10°C et - 25°C , and at night between - 15°C and - 35°C. However it is usually a very dry cold and the impression is not the same, rendering the lower temperatures more tolerable. You must have warm clothing, preferably clothing that can be put on or taken off easily as you pass from the outside to the inside and vice-versa. For the additional or optional snow-based activities, appropriate clothing will be provided by the organisers.

Contrary to belief, there is a fair amount of daylight in the far north in February ! The day breaks around 9h30 and dusk falls around 16h. Given the amount of lying snow (4 metres accumulated, 1 metre at any one time) the slighest sunray is reflected and the days can be very bright.

The Northern Lights appear often at these latitudes in winter, but obviously clear skies are needed - as well as some luck !

Luggage

There are some short walks between stations and hôtels ; usually less than 200-300 metres but you will have to carry your own luggage during these transfers and also place your luggage on racks in the train. We advise you therefore to travel as lightly as possible, with a small piece of luggage.

Money (Applies to all tours to Scandinavia)

Sweden, like Denmark and Norway, isn't part of the Euro zone. The local currency in Sweden is the Swedish crown and one Euro equates to roughly 10 crowns. Confusingly crowns are also the local currencies of Norway and Denmark but they are not interchangeable and have different foreign currency values. Almost all major credit cards are accepted and you will find ATM's in all the towns where we stay.

For the meals that are not included in the programme, a light lunch might cost around 70-90 Swedish crowns. Eating out in restaurants for an evening dinner with wine included can however be more expensive than in other countries, except perhaps the UK. A special mention should be made for Norway where prices are approximately 50% higher than in other European countries. You can check all exchange rates before leaving by using our currency converter on our links page.

Miscellaneous

English is widely spoken in both Sweden and Norway, other foreign languages (French, German etc.) far less so. In the north of Lapland, inhabitants often speak in addition to Swedish, one of the several variants of the sami language which is spoken in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Swedes and Norwegians attach great importance to respecting Mother Nature and like cleanliness and respect for others. If you smoke please consider bringing a travel ashtray with you and note that all trains, hotels, bars and restaurants are strictly non-smoking.

Journey to Stockholm and back

You have numerous possibilities ; the following airline companies have flights from major European cities to Stockholm : Lufthansa, Air France, Norwegian, Ryanair, SAS. You'll find on our site a link to BravoFly where you can compare schedules, tariffs and even book your flight. You can also get to Stockholm by train quite easily from most cities and we will be pleased to supply details on request.

Please note that discoveryTRAINS assumes no responsibility for the exactitude of any information given about, nor for the execution, of your journey to and from Stockholm, as this is not part of our package. You remain sole responsible for the organisation of your journey.