SwedeSpeed - Volvo Performance Forum banner

Town vs. Country for OSD Trip?

881 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  ig_mb 
#1 · (Edited)
My wife and I are planning OSD for June next year, and were focused on exploring nature - see Stockholm before the factory pickup, then drive north to the Wilderness Road, and Norway's mountains for 10 days for views and mild hiking.

But this summer we spent a week and a half in Austria, and fell in love with old medieval towns like Hall in Tyrol. This got us thinking..

We have lived out West and have visited the American and Canadian Rockies a lot, they are spectacular, as are the ones in Norway I'm sure. The fjords would be something different. But we don't have beautiful ancient towns in the USA, this is something we can't get here. Maybe it would make sense for us to stick to southern Sweden and Denmark rather than drive up North. How are old towns like Lund, Marstrand, Ystad, etc.? Comparable to Austria or Bavaria, or newer and less picturesque? Would it be worth spending a week exploring such towns? Or is Scandinavia really all about the nature and we should just do the mountains and maybe Bergen?

We are thinking North America is an incredible place for nature, Europe for historical urban places. We aren't taking the Volvo into large cities (we would do 3 days in Stockholm without a car before going to the Volvo factory) but road tripping through small medieval towns would be very cool, if there are enough of them and they are as nice as what we saw in Austria. Any opinions and experiences from people who know Europe better than we do?
 
See less See more
#2 ·
After our first week in Stockholm, we spent 3 weeks in Visby on the island of Gotland which is a world heritage site. It is an easy bus/ferry ride from Stockholm. Most of the buildings are centuries old with small alleys. Also amazing is Stora Kalso, a bird refuge island off of Gotland. No car needed on Gotland with easy to use busses and bikes to rent. The island is full of bike trails and we rode 350 miles in two weeks. We flew to Gothenburg after and Volvo picked us up from the airport. We then spent 2 weeks driving through many fjords of Norway, and the narrow roads are not something seen here in the Rockies, but great if you want to really experience the best in driving.
 
#3 ·
We are also planning an OSD for mid to late May of 2020 on a V-60 R along with a few days traveling to see the landscapes of lower Norway or Sweden, and maybe some light hiking as well. Plan A is three nights driving out from G'burg, dropping off the car the night before morning flights home. We prefer to stay away from the cities, although a couple of days before taking delivery on the V-60 sounds OK too. Maybe a few days in Copenhagen might be worth planning. So many places...Hope they still have OSD in 2030.
Has anyone relied on the Volvo travel office here in the USA to help them plan out a scenic, and yet less traveled drive and stay plan?
 
#4 ·
We did our OSD in May 2017, and combined it with a cruise through the Norwegian Fjords. We also did one of Volvo's recommended driving tours, the one they call Castle and Coast. The first night was spent in a castle (Bjertorp Slott) and included a fabulous meal. The second night was in Smogen, and charming fishing village on the western coast. After that trip we spent a couple more days exploring Gothenburg and then flew to Bergen to begin our cruise. We loved Bergen and would highly recommend it to anyone planning to visit Norway. All in all, this was a most amazing experience from beginning to end. We highly recommend the OSD program.
 
#6 ·
If you like old buildings, look for "stave churches" in Norway. These are timber framed buildings built in medieval times, approx 11th to 14th centuries.
There are a bunch of them on the road from Oslo to Bergen. Some of them are absolutely beautiful inside.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top