Stockholm with Alla Tours

[lauriemac6]

We are doing RCI's 12-night Baltic/Scandinavia cruise in August. We're using Alla for our St Petersburg visit. She has a four-city package that includes Tallinn, Helsinki, and Stockholm, which we're considering. (I know the other cities are quite doable on your own, but my parents are elderly and we're concerned about overtaxing them with too much walking - hence the bus tours.)

 

Has anyone done this? What did you think, esp. the Stockholm tour? It's pretty pricey -135 euros, or about $165-170 - which I suspect reflects how expensive the city itself is. My father wants to check into ship tours, which may be less expensive, but I'm sure will be more crowded.

 

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

[Alaskanb]

It would help to know how long you have in Stockholm. We are looking at this site for the HoHo boat.

http://www.stromma.se/en/STOCKHOLM/Tours/Stockholm-Sightseeing/Boat-Tours/Hop-on-Hop-off1/

[lauriemac6]

We arrive at 9 am and leave at 5 pm.

[Giantfan13]

Laurie

 

Since you are asking for advice, I think that is an awful lot of money to see Stockholm.

 

You can see it just as well using the HoHo buses and save a lot also. Stockholm is just made to do on your own. Area's like Gamla Stan, no buses, or cars, or whatever, can get around this area the area, as it is mostly very narrow cobblestone streets for pedestrians. All a tour can do is take you there and maybe walk you around. If you parents are elderly, they can get there using the HoHo bus and then, if walking around is too much, they can find a great cafe and just sit for a while, while you explore this section of the city.

 

Even in Vasa, all any tour can do is take you there, once inside, it's up to the Vasa people.

 

Again, that is a lot of money just to take you from place to place.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Alaskanb]

I agree with Len on the cost but only you know the value to your family. This site may be useful to help set priorities and decide what is do-able.

http://www.avidcruiser.com/stockholm/

[dogs4fun]

We are doing RCI's 12-night Baltic/Scandinavia cruise in August. We're using Alla for our St Petersburg visit. She has a four-city package that includes Tallinn, Helsinki, and Stockholm, which we're considering. (I know the other cities are quite doable on your own, but my parents are elderly and we're concerned about overtaxing them with too much walking - hence the bus tours.)

 

Has anyone done this? What did you think, esp. the Stockholm tour? It's pretty pricey -135 euros, or about $165-170 - which I suspect reflects how expensive the city itself is. My father wants to check into ship tours, which may be less expensive, but I'm sure will be more crowded.

 

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

 

We took the 2 day Grand Tour of SPB with Alla and just loved it! We also used Alla for Berlin & she was very accomodating on this tour....she was the only tour operator (and I contacted 3 tour companies) that guaranteed that we would visit the Pergamon museum which was a "must see" for my BIL.

We did Helsinki, Stockholm & Tallinn on our own. That said, we are very fit and do a good deal of walking. Even if you decide to book tours of Tallinn & Stockholm be aware that both of those cities will still require a fair amount of walking.

Only you know what your parents are able to handle in terms overtaxation.

Enjoy your cruise!

jill

[Neuhoftraveler]

Laurie,

 

For what it's worth, having just been there for 6 days last month pre-cruise and being fairly slow walkers probably the age of your parents, I agree completely with Len the Giant Fan. From our hotel in Gamla Stan (the Old Town) we never found it necessary to use any mechanized form of land transportation for any of the many venues we visited. Most if not all the museums not in Gamla Stan are only a very few blocks from it, across a bridge.

 

We did make good use of the HOHO boat, however, at 100 SEK for a 24-hour pass (40 SEK for 1 stop). It goes clockwise around the harbor, and everything you might want to see is close by one or another of the stops. The whole circuit takes only about 45 minutes and is a nice ride in and of itself. If your ship ties up at Stadsgarden, the Stromma HOHO boat (but not its competitor Royal) has a landing right there, and they helpfully make special early morning runs from there directly to the Vasa Museum across the harbor. If your ship will tie up at Frihamnen, there's an inexpensive public bus (No. 76, I think), and even a taxi down to Gamla Stan would cost less than 300 SEK (about $20 USD).

 

Anyway, with only 7 or 8 hours, you won't have time for much besides the Vasa Museum (the must-see venue), lunc,h and wandering around Gamla Stan, possibly also the Cathedral on the small adjacent island called Riddarholmen. The other points of interest are the aforementioned museums. So I'm not sure what any motorized tour (Alla or HOHO) would do for you.

 

Re the HOHO buses, however (which we did not use), a number of horror stories have popped up on CC's sister website TripAdvisor.com. You might want to review those before including the HOHO buses in your plans.

 

Even though you'll be there only 7-8 hours, don't overlook the relatively new Medeltid (Middle Ages or Medieval) Museum, just under the Nybbro bridge between Gamla Stan and the main downtown island, well worth the hour or so it takes to see it. It's one of the finest "city" museums we've seen, and gives a fine account of Stockholm in the Middle Ages including a walk-through reconstruction of a medieval street. There's also a recovered sunken 16th/17th century cargo ship, not as spectacular as the Vasa but highly interesting if you like that sort of thing (as we do).

[lauriemac6]

Thank you, everyone - this is exactly the sort of information I was looking for. We've ended up deciding to do the other cities on our own, taking buses or (more likely) taxis as needed. The HOHO boat sounds great - we get in at 9 and are hoping to go to the Vasa Museum first thing. I believe we berth at Frihamnen, so perhaps the taxi to the Vasa, then the boat around, then Gamla Stan...?

[Neuhoftraveler]

Laurie,

 

Your Stockholm plan sounds great to me, very doable in your limited time. It's a good idea to get to the Vasa Museum as early as possible, before the lines get long. Then, after the HOHO circle boat, lunch, and Gamla Stan, a taxi back to Frihamnen. (If you're not done in by then, and still have some time, you could even use your 24-hour boat pass again after you're done with Gamla Stan, taking the boat from the Royal Palace pier at the north end of Gamla Stan a couple of further stops to the pier at Nybroplan (near the National Art Museum) or at Nybrokajen (near the Royal Theatre), each a bit closer to Frihamnen.)

 

Speaking of lunch, we had a nice light one at the south end of Gamla Stan, very close to the HOHO boat pier, at the classic Sundberg's Konditori, right on the main square in that part of the Old Town. Elegant fin de siecle surroundings, bustling ambiance, good food, wonderful pastries and coffee. But also quick --order at the counter and a server brings you the food. If you want a more substantial meal, find out whether the nearby and historic Den Gyldene Freden restaurant is open for lunch (and book in advance). Or the cafeteria at the Vasa Museum, before leaving to catch the boat, would a pleasant (but pretty bland) place.

[Alaskanb]

Laurie,

 

Speaking of lunch, we had a nice light one at the south end of Gamla Stan, very close to the HOHO boat pier, at the classic Sundberg's Konditori, right on the main square in that part of the Old Town. Elegant fin de siecle surroundings, bustling ambiance, good food, wonderful pastries and coffee. But also quick --order at the counter and a server brings you the food.

This sounds great--added it to my list of cruise tips! Thanks.

[lauriemac6]

The Konditori sounds wonderful - my parents are already drooling! I've read them everybody's comments, which I am finding very reassuring - thank you all for taking the time to help us make the most of our stay. :)