Scandinavia is expensive — but less so than its reputation suggests, especially with careful planning and a willingness to eat, sleep, and travel like a local rather than a tourist.
Copenhagen — The Entry Point
Copenhagen is the most accessible Scandinavian capital from Germany: 4.5 hours from Hamburg by direct train (crossing the Øresund bridge into Denmark). The city is expensive but extremely walkable. Budget accommodation: Danhostel City hostel is well-run and central. Free things: Nørrebro neighbourhood, the lakes circuit walk, Assistens Kirkegård (where Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen are buried, and where Copenhageners picnic in summer). Cheap eating: smørrebrød open-faced sandwiches at neighbourhood lunch spots (€5–10), street food market at Reffen.
Stockholm — Value Comparison
Stockholm is pricier than Copenhagen but has Gothenburg and Malmö as cheaper alternative Swedish cities worth visiting. The Swedish Inter Rail pass (or point-to-point booking) makes the country manageable by train. Gamla Stan (Old Town) is a tourist trap for eating; Södermalm is where Stockholmers actually eat.
Norway
Norway is genuinely expensive — meals cost 30–50% more than Germany even in everyday restaurants. But the landscape is extraordinary. The Bergen Railway, Flåm Railway, and Sognefjord fjord cruise form the “Norway in a Nutshell” route bookable as a single package. Staying in DNT (Norwegian trekking association) huts massively reduces accommodation costs for mountain hiking.
Budget Strategy
Book well ahead for trains. Eat supermarket food for one meal daily (Norwegian supermarkets have surprisingly good prepared food). Prioritise wild camping in Norway and Sweden (legal under Allemansrätten/friluftsloven). Mix in cheaper Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia) with Scandinavian stops.
