From September 3 to 16, 2026, my wife and I completed the "Scandinavia: The Capitals & The Fjords" tour through EF Go Ahead Tours, spending $10,000 combined. We were highly disappointed by our experience. The tour failed to deliver what was promised:
1. When researching in advance, we were told by an EF travel agent that the average tour group size was 20-25 people, when in fact they jammed in 38 people. As a result, we spent a large amount of down time making transfers on and off buses, ships, and planes, so that we spent 3 hours waiting and transferring for every 1 hour of touring.
2. Most hotels selected for our stays (Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm) were a significant distance (10+ miles) from the city center and attractions, making them impossible to walk to during our considerable down time. The group dinners served at these hotels were not good, including raw fish and beef tartare, and twice a minimal chicken leg with a dab of potatoes.
3. A primary reason we selected this tour was to see the fjords. We were promised in advance: "Climb onto a train bound for Voss and savor a scenic ride through Norway's otherworldly fjord country... Board a boat and watch in awe as you cruise through the Naeroyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasts the Sagfossen waterfall... head for the majestic Flam Railway. Ride the rails through the Sognefjord - Norway's longest and deepest fjord - before disembarking in Myrdal and transferring to a train to take you back to Bergen." This entire experience was abruptly cancelled and replaced by a very boring 5+ hour ferry ride that provided no tour information, and on which one of our coats was stolen.
4. Other desired activities, the art museum and Vasa Museum tours, were shortened to less than 2 hours because of the size of the group and to accommodate other extra-cost activities.
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