zig
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I did another search and found Having fun with Havila
Sorry @Wello I don't mean to hijack your TR. Happy for this to be deleted if it is a problem.
From Fjords to Pharaohs
- Thread starter Wello
- Start date
Sorry @Wello I don't mean to hijack your TR. Happy for this to be deleted if it is a problem.
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If this helps anyone, I thought I would just give a quick explanation on how we are keeping online during this trip. I am not associated with any of these companies. At home we are with Woolworths mobile and we chose not to use them for roaming. Although when we arrive in a new country they send a text recommending a roaming pack.
The ability to receive texts to our Australian phone number even when not paying for roaming is a great benefit when travelling. It allows us to receive texts from banks for codes when moving money about. We also can receive texts when travel plans get canceled (more on that later)..
We purchased data only eSIMs from Simify during Black Friday sales and had six month months to activate them. As we are visiting both Europe and Africa, I got a global eSIM (127 countries) with unlimited data. I loaded the eSIM before we left Australia and it has worked perfectly at each location so far. Our phone settings are to use Simify for mobile data and Woolies for Default Voice line.
For our friends and relatives they will contact us either in Messenger or WhatsApp. I was however concerned that I might need to make a call to a hotel or tour provider so I have put a small amount of credit with a company called Mytello that allows you to call landlines or mobiles through their app. The price to make the calls seems very reasonable. I haven’t had to use it so far so can’t comment on how it works.
The ability to receive texts to our Australian phone number even when not paying for roaming is a great benefit when travelling. It allows us to receive texts from banks for codes when moving money about. We also can receive texts when travel plans get canceled (more on that later)..
We purchased data only eSIMs from Simify during Black Friday sales and had six month months to activate them. As we are visiting both Europe and Africa, I got a global eSIM (127 countries) with unlimited data. I loaded the eSIM before we left Australia and it has worked perfectly at each location so far. Our phone settings are to use Simify for mobile data and Woolies for Default Voice line.
For our friends and relatives they will contact us either in Messenger or WhatsApp. I was however concerned that I might need to make a call to a hotel or tour provider so I have put a small amount of credit with a company called Mytello that allows you to call landlines or mobiles through their app. The price to make the calls seems very reasonable. I haven’t had to use it so far so can’t comment on how it works.
In Stockholm we stayed at the Hotel with Urban Deli. As the name suggests there is a deli, cafe and restaurant attached to the hotel. It is a medium costing hotel so we weren’t expecting a lot. It is in a good central location with an entrance to the commuter trains just meters away. Stockholm Central is just one stop away and the old town (Gamla Stan) is just two stops away.
The rooms are small and in a basement so there are no windows. I knew this when booking and had no issues not having a window. The staff were friendly in all interactions with them and service was generally quick. The room was clean and fresh and the beds and pillows were comfortable.
Breakfast is included although the choices are limited to a bagel or croissant where you can put ham, cheese, cucumber and capsicum on it. I was glad they were not pre-made. You also get juices, coffee, yoghurt and a boiled egg. A bagel with ham and cheese was my go to each morning and was delicious.
Would I stay here again, no I wouldn’t. There was two things that annoyed me that are deal breakers. Firstly why do designers create bathrooms with translucent walls. Does anyone really want to see their travel companion sitting on the toilet from the bed. There really is no privacy in the bathroom and I would really recommend not to book if travelling with friends or if you had older children.
The second annoying factor is that I do not like any light in the bedroom when sleeping. The bathroom had a large night light around the mirror that couldn’t be turned off and glowed through the wall. There was also a light under the bed that trigged if anyone got up during the night which lighted the room up.
The rooms are small and in a basement so there are no windows. I knew this when booking and had no issues not having a window. The staff were friendly in all interactions with them and service was generally quick. The room was clean and fresh and the beds and pillows were comfortable.
Breakfast is included although the choices are limited to a bagel or croissant where you can put ham, cheese, cucumber and capsicum on it. I was glad they were not pre-made. You also get juices, coffee, yoghurt and a boiled egg. A bagel with ham and cheese was my go to each morning and was delicious.
Would I stay here again, no I wouldn’t. There was two things that annoyed me that are deal breakers. Firstly why do designers create bathrooms with translucent walls. Does anyone really want to see their travel companion sitting on the toilet from the bed. There really is no privacy in the bathroom and I would really recommend not to book if travelling with friends or if you had older children.
The second annoying factor is that I do not like any light in the bedroom when sleeping. The bathroom had a large night light around the mirror that couldn’t be turned off and glowed through the wall. There was also a light under the bed that trigged if anyone got up during the night which lighted the room up.
Stockholm really is a beautiful city in the winter and we have enjoyed our stay. On our last day, although distracted by rearranging travel plans, we did a tour of Stockholm City Hall and went to the Vasa Museum.
The blue room in Stockholm City Hall is used for the Nobel Prize banquet for all the winners except for the peace prize which is awarded in Oslo. Not that impressive and not blue but it is amazing to think about the brilliant people who have stood in this room over the years.
Other areas in City Hall were much more impressive including the gold room. The views of the frozen river outside city hall was also spectacular. There were lots of people ice skating along the river.
The blue room in Stockholm City Hall is used for the Nobel Prize banquet for all the winners except for the peace prize which is awarded in Oslo. Not that impressive and not blue but it is amazing to think about the brilliant people who have stood in this room over the years.
Other areas in City Hall were much more impressive including the gold room. The views of the frozen river outside city hall was also spectacular. There were lots of people ice skating along the river.
While visiting city hall, a text came through that our train from Stockholm to Narvik in Norway for that night had been cancelled due to extreme weather conditions. Along the route the temperature would be -30c and it is not safe to operate the train. They did not provide any alternatives and rebooking another day would disrupt our plans and as it turned out it was cancelled again. We were travelling directly from Narvik to Tromso so needed to find our way there.
This was always a risk at this time of the year and as a contingency I knew we could just fly to Tromso. What I had not predicted was how difficult it was to get seats on a plane to Tromso last minute. Going online we couldn’t find two seats on the one plane except for a flight costing $1700 each, which is just ridiculous for a two hour flight. We knew last minute flights would be expensive but not that much.
Although I booked this holiday independently, I do value the skills of a good travel agent. We found a local travel agent to help us. She was brilliant and found a route we hadn’t seen online. Although it involved multiple stops and an overnight along the way, we will arrive in Tromso earlier than if we caught the train and our holiday will continue uninterrupted. The flights ended up costing us $650 each and why travel direct when you can visit three airports (Oslo, Trondheim, Bodo) which we would not have visited on this trip.
I will worry about compensation with sj railway and whether travel insurance covers anything when I have more time.
I am disappointed about not going in the “snow” train but will move on and enjoy what we see rather than what we missed.
This was always a risk at this time of the year and as a contingency I knew we could just fly to Tromso. What I had not predicted was how difficult it was to get seats on a plane to Tromso last minute. Going online we couldn’t find two seats on the one plane except for a flight costing $1700 each, which is just ridiculous for a two hour flight. We knew last minute flights would be expensive but not that much.
Although I booked this holiday independently, I do value the skills of a good travel agent. We found a local travel agent to help us. She was brilliant and found a route we hadn’t seen online. Although it involved multiple stops and an overnight along the way, we will arrive in Tromso earlier than if we caught the train and our holiday will continue uninterrupted. The flights ended up costing us $650 each and why travel direct when you can visit three airports (Oslo, Trondheim, Bodo) which we would not have visited on this trip.
I will worry about compensation with sj railway and whether travel insurance covers anything when I have more time.
I am disappointed about not going in the “snow” train but will move on and enjoy what we see rather than what we missed.
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