www.railwayadventures.co SCANDINAVIA BY TRAIN, BOAT AND PLANE 15 days 22 July – 5 August 2013 STOCKHOLM – LAPLAND – NORWAY – BERGEN Featuring: Inlandsbanan – Norland – Rauma – Flåm Railways Mid-summer in Scandinavia is when the sun shines all night and the locals come out to play. Starting in the historic capital of Stockholm, you’ll ride the Inlandsbanan special train through the heart of Sweden to Lapland and the Arctic Circle and onto the northern coast of Norway, cruise the Lofoten islands by Hurtigruten and then join the renowned Norland train to picturesque Trondheim. The Rauma Railway which will take you close to the Art Deco city of Ålesund is considered one of Europe’s most scenic lines. You will then fly over the spectacular coastline to Bergen before cruising the fjords to Flåm and riding the legendary Flåm Railway on the return journey to Bergen. Top off your adventure with a special steam excursion on the historic Old Voss line, part of the original Oslo Bergen railway. Itinerary Day 1 – Monday 22 July 2013 – Flight / Arrive Stockholm (D) Arrive in Stockholm today. Stockholm is built on a group of islands linked by bridges and is surrounded on all sides by water. Transfer to your city centre hotel by coach and check in. Accommodation for three nights is at the Clarion Sign Hotel, located next to the main railway station. Guidepost Tours, Gerringong NSW. 2534. Australia Phone 1300 733323 16012013 Lic # 2TA5895 A division of SCT Travel Group – IATA AFTA Uniglobe JTW TCF website: www.guideposttours.com.au email: [email protected] www.railwayadventures.co Enjoy a welcome dinner tonight with Scott and the whole group. Day 2 – Tuesday 23 July 2013 – Stockholm (B) This morning you will enjoy a guided tour of Stockholm by bus and by foot with a private guide including to the City Hall and the Vasa Museum. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise of Stockholm. Pass under 15 bridges and through two locks connecting the Baltic Sea with Lake Mälaren. See the inner city, the Old Town, the islands of Södermalm, Lilla and Stora Essingen, the new area of Hammarby Sjöstad and the green areas of Djurgården. Overnight in Clarion Sign Hotel, Stockholm. Scott McGregor – host of Railway Adventures Day 3 – Wednesday 24 July 2013 – Stockholm (B) Today, take a day excursion to the National Railway Museum, located in Gävle. The tour will include a guided tour. See the oldest, heaviest, quickest and most beautiful engines! In Gävle the museum has one of the world’s finest collections of historical railway trains. Experience the museum through tours and visit Hennan’s station from the 1940s and Hosäter, the lineman’s cottage. You can go into many of the engines and carriages. Don’t miss our café and our rich assortment of railway-related products in the museum shop. Overnight in Clarion Sign Hotel, Stockholm. National Railway Museum Day 4 – Thursday 25 July 2013 – Stockholm-Östersund (B, D) Departing Stockholm, head inland by InterCity train to Östersund, nestled on the shore of beautiful Lake Storsjön, Sweden's fifth largest lake. The afternoon is free to enjoy the ambiance of this regional capital. Take a cruise on the lake, have a dip in the outdoor heated pools on the lake’s edge or get up close and personal with the local creatures at the ‘hands on’ Moose Garden. Join Scott for dinner with unexpected touches and a decided local flavour. Overnight in Hotel Scandic, Östersund. Day 5 – Friday 26 July 2013 – Inlandsbanan – Östersund-Arvidsjaur plus Steamtrain Arvidsjaur (B, D) Leave Östersund and head north, travelling through some of Sweden's most glorious scenery as you head to the untamed wilderness of Lapland, making several stops at beauty spots along the way. The journey on the Inlandsbanan tourist train takes you through a landscape of crystal clear lakes and Inlandsbanan (“the inland railway”) runs from towering forests, crossing the Arctic Circle into the 'Land of the Midnight Sun'. Kristinehamn in the south to Gällivare in the north – a total distance of 1300 kilometres. In Arvidsjaur take a trip on a vintage steam The idea for an inland railway linking the north and train once used for the logging industry. south of Sweden was first suggested in 1894. Construction began in 1907 and continued in stages You are taken back in time to the 1930s until the final link to the Norwegian border at and an era of faith in the future, Riksagansen was completed in 1937. The line did not prove profitable and was operated by revolutionary speed and pioneering travel. SJ with a gradually decreasing service until 1992 The Inlandsbanan Enjoy an evening in the Midnight Sun and when it was mothballed. By this time, the far southern section from Mora to Filipstad had already been watch the drama of the wilderness unfold outside your window. closed. Overnight in Hotell Laponia in Arvidsjaur. The remaining track was subsequently sold off to the municipalities along the route. Inlandsbanan AB operates a passenger service for three months each Day 6 – Saturday 27 July 2013 – Inlandsbanan – Arvidsjaur-Gällivare (B, D) summer primarily for tourists. Today the Inlandsbanan is crucial for both tourism and industry Today continue your journey on the Inlandsbanan to Gällivare with several stops along and is mainly serviced by modern diesel rail-car the way where you can purchase lunch and snacks. In the evening ascend the notable units. There are also a number of heritage operations along the way including a preserved logging steam peak of Mt Dundret by coach for a Midnight Sun dinner at the legendary restaurant on railway at Arvidsjaur. the top of the mountain. Guidepost Tours, Gerringong NSW. 2534. Australia Phone 1300 733323 Lic # 2TA5895 A division of SCT Travel Group – IATA AFTA Uniglobe JTW TCF website: www.guideposttours.com.au email: [email protected] www.railwayadventures.co Overnight in Grand Hotel Lapland in Gällivare. Day 7 – Sunday 28 July 2013 – Gällivare-Narvik (B, D) In the morning, the coach will bring you to the station to board your train from Gällivare to Narvik. In Narvik, visit the Ofoten Museum (famous railway museum). Nordland Line The Nordland Line (Norwegian: Nordlandsbanen) is a It is located in the old NSB railway administration building that dates back to 1902 and railway line between Trondheim and Bodø in Norway. Running for approximately 729 km, it is the displays exhibitions from the local cultural history. Norwegian railway system's longest line, and the only Traditionally, the people of the Ofoten region made a living from a combination of one in Norway to cross the Arctic Circle. Work began on the line in 1881 and in spite of intense efforts to fishing and agriculture. Modern times arrived with the building of the Ofotbanen complete the line as part of Hitler’s expansion plans railway towards the end of the 1800s. In order to extract iron ore from the mines in the during World War II it did not reach Bodø until 1962. The first stage is from Trondheim to Hell. After Hell Kiruna area, a railway leading to an ice-free port was necessary so that the ore could be the railway passes through the towns of Stjørdal, shipped to Europe and other parts of the world. The railway was completed in 1902, Levanger, Verdal, Steinkjer, Mosjøen, Mo i Rana and Fauske before reaching Bodø. together with the new city of Narvik. Unlike most of the Norwegian rail networks, the Overnight and dinner will be in Rica Hotel, Narvik. Nordland Line is not electrified. Passenger traffic is fairly heavy between Trondheim and Steinkjer through the Trøndelag Commuter Rail, but is Day 8 – Monday 29 July 2013 – Hurtigruten – Narvik-Svolvaer (B, D) significantly lighter further north. Most passenger services are provided by diesel multiple units (DMU). We start this day with a coach transfer to Sortland, where you will board the There are 154 tunnels, 295 bridges and 43 stations on Hurtigruten to sail down to Svolvaer. This stretch between Sortland through Rafsundet the route which is considered one of Europe’s most scenic journeys. The smooth and modern trains and with a short visit into the Trollfjord is the most beautiful of all the Hurtigruten feature wi-fi internet connections, large picture journeys. With its postcard-looking small fishing villages nestled in fjords dotting a windows and a ‘Komfort’ Carriage for refreshments and newspapers. very rugged coast with abrupt peaks rising directly from the ocean, the archipelago is often described as one of the most scenic parts of Norway. Dinner and overnight in Rica Hotel, Svolvaer. Day 9 – Tuesday 30 July 2013 – Svolvaer-Bodø (B, D) Today you continue your exploration of the Lofoten Islands with a local guide. Visit the Viking Museum Lofotr featuring a fully excavated and reconstructed Viking Long House—the largest in the Viking world. Have dinner near the ferry harbour in Moskenes and afterwards take the ferry to Bodø for the The Rauma Railway runs between Åndalsnes (4 metres above sea level) and Dombås (659 metres next overnight in the Clarion Collection Hotel Grand. above sea level). At Dombås there are train connections to/from Oslo and Trondheim. Day 10 – Wednesday 31 July 2013 – Bodø-Trondheim (B, D) Once on board the train, all you need to do is sit back, gaze through the large windows and enjoy your Catch the train from Bodø to Trondheim on journey through a landscape of wild magnificence full the Nordland Railway. This will be a of contrasts. You will see views ranging from precipitous crags journey that delivers almost continuous plunging vertically to the valley floor among majestic, The Nordline Railway jagged alpine peaks to lush, curving hillsides climbing panoramic views of beautiful, untouched towards great rounded mountain plateaus that extend wilderness, crossing the Arctic Circle along into unspoiled national parks.