Nordic countries

Understand

Scandinavia is a geographic term including only Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The term Nordic countries also includes Finland and Iceland, although the terms often are used interchangeably by visitors. Greenland is geographically a part of North America, but is politically linked to the rest of the Nordic countries by being both an integral part of the Danish Kingdom and a member of the Nordic Council, a cooperative organization. Norway and Sweden make up the Scandinavian Peninsula, as Denmark is separated from the two by the entry to the Baltic Sea. "Fennoscandia" is a rarely used technical term for the Scandinavian mainland plus Finland, while the Jutland peninsula (the mainland portion of Denmark, but not its main centre of population) also includes part of German Schleswig Holstein. As a political and cultural term, "Nordic countries" includes islands in the Atlantic such as Iceland, the Faroes and in most definitions Greenland, as there are long-standing political and linguistic ties. Estonia considers itself at least partially Nordic due to its linguistic and cultural ties with Finland, but is not always seen as such by others. The Nordic countries share many cultural traits, including similar flags, and most of their languages are related. They have a shared history and are economically interconnected. The Nordic passport union was formed in the 1950s, and there was a common labour market long before the European Union. There is considerable shopping, tourism and migration across the borders – one reason for the non-EU Iceland and Norway to join the Schengen agreement was not to spoil this. Denmark, Finland and Sweden are EU members; Norway and Iceland have rejected EU membership but belong to the EFTA (which has free trade with the EU) and the Schengen area. Greenland left the European Union in 1985 mostly over disputes concerning fisheries. After the Second World War, the Nordic countries became high-income countries. Norway and Iceland in particular have pro

Getting there

Most of the Nordic countries are part of the Schengen Area (exceptions include Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Svalbard), so residents of and visitors to EU can usually get here with little bureaucracy. Iceland, Norway and the non-Schengen territories are not part of EU (and Åland not part of the EU VAT union), so there is still a customs border here, although actual customs checks are rare when crossing the border by land. There are also special requirements for those travelling with pets (some diseases common in central Europe are absent in the Nordic countries). Border crossing usually proceeds with no or minimal delay. In countries where a specific Nordic country lacks diplomatic representation, the processing of visa applications is usually delegated to the embassy of one of the other Nordic countries. Sometimes, countries with multiple Nordic embassies may also have visa applications delegated to one specific Nordic embassy. For instance, in Singapore, the Danish embassy also processes visa applications for Iceland (which does not have an embassy in Singapore), Norway and Finland (which have embassies in Singapore, but delegate visa processing to the Danish embassy).

By plane Due to the large distances and the surrounding waters, air travel is often the most practical way to get into the Nordic countries. All the largest cities have international airports, and even towns like Haugesund and Ålesund have some international flights. Almost all European airlines serve at least one Nordic airport.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) is the flag carrier and dominant airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Copenhagen Airport (CPH IATA) is the main hub, with secondary hubs in Stockholm-Arlanda and Oslo-Gardermoen. Intercontinental flights to San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C, New York, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo Finnair (Finland) is Finland's flag carrier, flying out from its main base in Helsinki (HEL IATA), utilizing its eastern l

Getting around

Thanks to the Schengen Area and the Nordic passport union, you seldom have to worry about border crossings. The main exception is travel to Greenland, the Faroe Islands or Svalbard, which are not part of Schengen. Iceland, Norway and the non-Schengen territories are not part of EU, and Åland not part of the EU customs union, so there are still customs borders. If you have pets, arms or other special goods, you might have to contact customs whether or not there is a customs station where you cross or any actual checks. A passport or suitable ID may be needed to board ferries and aeroplanes on international routes. The one land border where checks are common is the one between Denmark and Sweden, where "temporary checks" have been the rule rather than the exception since 2015.

By ferry

No visit to the Nordic countries is complete without a ferry cruise. Major coastal cities of the Baltic Sea are often connected with ferry lines, e.g. Turku–Stockholm and Helsinki–Tallinn, and ferries are a natural part of many journeys for Scandinavians. The larger long-distance ferries are in effect cruise ships, with behemoths like the Silja Europa featuring 13 decks stacked full of shops, restaurants, spas, saunas etc. Longer routes are nearly always scheduled to sail during the night, so you arrive fresh to continue the often long journeys required here. If you travel by ferry to Norway or via Åland, there are Tax Free sales on board, since Norway is not part of the EU and Åland is subject to special regulations. For the same reason some of these lines, especially the Stockholm–Helsinki ferries, are known as party boats – alcohol is heavily taxed on shore. In addition to major lines listed below, the Hurtigruten ferries, running all along Norway's amazing jagged coast line, and through spectacular fjords, from Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the Arctic north, docking in many small hamlets and villages on the way, offer a unique and very Scandinavian experience. More than a

See

There is a constant and long-standing rivalry between Copenhagen and Stockholm over which city can claim the title as Scandinavia's unofficial capital. Depending on how you count, both cities are the largest, most visited, and the target of most investment. Fittingly, both cities are also home to the largest concentration of monumental historic architecture among Nordic cities. However, after the completion of the Øresund bridge, and subsequent integration of Copenhagen and Malmö – Sweden's third largest city – this region is fast emerging as the main urban centre in Scandinavia, while Stockholm arguably grabs the title as the most beautiful.

Visit the unusual free city of Christiania in Copenhagen Visit the famous Tivoli Gardens theme park in Copenhagen See the amazing Vasa Museum in Stockholm, displaying an entire flagship that sunk in the harbour nearly 400 years ago

Sceneries

While the fjords of Norway might be the most spectacular Nordic sceneries, the other countries have th