Testimonials

Kathleen Berman

9/24/25 Norway customized
Thanks for asking, and the trip was absolutely wonderful! I think everyone had fun, and the arrangements and activities worked pretty well for all. I was glad we weren't on a strict tour schedule, so each couple could have exercise and down time as needed. We all collaborated on some sightseeing together, and did a few things separately.
All the transportation arrangements went very smoothly - only one short delay on our return Icelandair flight, no glitches with airport transfers or the in-country transportation arranged by Scantours. Both we and the younger couples liked all the hotels, too. Having everything set up ahead took a lot of stress out of the traveling.
We loved the easy access to the outdoors from the Fretheim, and the dinners together in-house. I'd have been glad to stay longer among the fjords for hiking, but we did some beautiful walks there. I think Flam could be more enjoyable without the huge cruise ship crowd, but we could retreat to the hotel when it got to be too much. Highlights at Flam were the floating sauna, and the hike to a viewpoint. The kids appreciated the city sights - especially the sculpture park, Bergen Old Town, and funicular - and the many dining/(drinking!) venues.
My biggest regret was having to go home! I could easily have spent twice as long there, but the route we planned was a good one for the time available.
Thanks again for all your help, and my compliments to Scantours. If you have any questions about the details, please feel free to give me a call.
Best wishes, Kathy

Maxine Gold

Sept 2 Private arrangements in Iceland for 10 pax
Hi Ulla,
The Gold family is back. They had a fantastic time.
Thanks for all your help with that.

David Mark Cooley

Sept 4, 2025 Norway package
The trip you planned for us in Norway was delightful. The Hotel Continental in Oslo was terrific, very comfortable and a great location near public transit, downtown, harbor and train station. Restaurant and Bar were very good and the breakfast buffet was outstanding! I wish my cousin had not told me "there was nothing to see in Oslo" as we could have spent at least one more day there for a variety of museums, botanical gardens and sculpture parks. We enjoyed the harbor tour and explored the old fortress and castle.
Our favorite part of the trip was the time we spent in Rjukan. One night at the Gaustablikk Resort was perfect! Small but comfortable room with a great view of the mountain, nice lobby, great bar area with a view and good food. Again, the breakfast buffet was outstanding. Staying there allowed us to ascend to the top of the mountain in the tram and funicular with great views of Norway. We were then so happy to spend 3 nights at the Historic Hotel ADMINI. The room was small but comfortable and there were great spaces around and outside the hotel to lounge and read. We didn't realize they had gourmet dinners every evening that we could make reservations for. We took advantage of 2. One of the co-owners is somewhat of a wine connoisseur and there were wine pairings for every course. We enjoyed all the WW II history in the area which was our reason for going there. Not being a popular tourist attraction for foreigners, it was not at all crowded (although the hotel was fully booked). The hotel breakfast was all made to order.
The only real glitch was when we boarded the train from Oslo to Myrdal. Another couple was booked in the same seats as we were. They were quite insistent and showed us their tickets and there was no conductor around at the moment so we sat elsewhere and spoke with the conductor when he came through. He was quite concerned as the train was booked full but after a time, he determined that a couple did not board in Oslo and he thought it unlikely they would board at a station down the line so he gave us their seats. They happened to be on the more scenic side of the train so we won out!
The "scenic" train from Myrdal to Flam was a real disappointment, not worth the time or money in our opinion, especially in the fall with the waterfalls down to a trickle. 1/2 the trip was in tunnels. Flam is just a big souvenir store with expensive restaurants for cruise ship passengers. The "Norway in a nutshell" ferry from Flam to Bergen is just a mode of transport. Unless you got a seat by the window, you could not see out and there was no real observation deck.
We were extremely happy to stop in Balestrand. The Kvikne's historic hotel was terrific, our room with a balcony had the most spectacular view of the fjords. Breakfast and dinner buffets were excellent. Our trip to Vangsnes was so fun! Ferry ride was free and much more scenic than what we had come down the fjord on. I believe the man at the church, Nils, was the custodian as he was vacuuming when we arrived. He was very knowledgeable and spent about an hour with us in the church and around the cemetery. He was able to point out the farm where my great grandmother would have grown up.
Bergen was a tourist hotspot with cruise ships and bus tours. The hotel Opus was very nice and in a great location. Restaurant was very good and the breakfast buffet again was excellent. Our walking tour guide was excellent! The driver to Grieg's museum was good. Unfortunately Grieg's house was closed for renovations and the concerts were in the afternoon so we only saw the museum and walked the grounds. Our driver then took us to the arboretum and drove around the city abit before taking us back to the hotel.
The weather cooperated with only 1/2 day of rain during the whole time.
Thanks again and I hope this report might benefit future travelers.

William Seaver

Sept 2, Norway in a Nutshell package
Hi Ulla
They had a marvelous wonderful time. They loved the hotels!
They felt it couldn’t have been planned any better!!
Thank you for your hard work and expertise.

Gary Karpf

Norway customized
All the hotels were beautiful and captured the luxury and relaxing feeling we wanted.
The guides were friendly and knowledgeable and there was even a "small world" mutual connection with one! We loved the history, art, and culture.
The one thing we'd do differently next time is to hire a driver between cities and stay at some country inns. This would allow us to enjoy nature and hiking and see a different side of the culture. The cruise ships, while upscale, felt crowded and more touristy.
Happy to chat more on the phone if you want!
Carolyn

Andrew Parrish

3/1/25
Iceland arrangements
Our Iceland experience was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. I have a fear of heights and I managed to go up the highest glacier in Reykjavik on a snowmobile. It is one for the record books. On the other hand, the ATV Excursion was a private tour. Thank goodness I don't think I would have been able to go up the highest mountain with a large class of over 20 ATV's. On this excursion we road through a town, highway and the streets to arrive at the highest mountain in Reykjavik. It was a winding ascent with extremely rough terrain. We had a wonderful private tour guide, Lisa. Upon arriving at the pinnacle I just stood there in shock. Andrew and Lisa were off walking and looking around. I was a nervous wreck inside but I refused to show it. Andrew was having the time of his life. I didn't want to ruin it. As we prepared to return to Safari Base Camp, I just prayed the entire ride down. I feel amazing to have accomplished such a feat.
All the other tours and excursions were great. We even saw the Northern Lights on our first night at the fourth location. The only troublesome issue was after arriving at the airport, taking a bus to a terminal to catch another bus. Then a bus to the hotel was a bit much. Leaving Iceland we just had the hotel order a private van which was much better and actually cheaper than an Uber.
To write about each experience would be a novel, I just wanted to give you some insight on our experience. I have a few friends that recently went because of what we shared with them.

Stephen Clouten

Sweden and Norway Aug 2024
Thank you so much. Overall, you did a wonderful job planning our project. My wife got to see areas of Southern Sweden where her family originated from. Between Sweden and Norway, we saw some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen. Out of the five capitals we visited (Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn), we fell in love with Stockholm. And Norway, what an absolutely beautiful country!

Thank you again! Steve

Faina Kulinets

August 28, 2024 Classic Baltlics tour

Hi Ulla,
Just wanted to say clients came back very , very happy . loved the tour.
Thank you!
Lana