It is very important to have good accommodation when you are travelling so that you could have a good rest and enjoy your vacation happily. This is why we are always very choosy when it comes to selecting our accommodation no matter where we are travelling to.
For this Scandinavian trip, we did not consider hotels and Airbnb but only focus on HOSTELS only. Airbnb prices are not cheap for those situated in the city center. It is also inconvenient if you wanted to arrive early to store your luggage as you would need to contact the owner in advance. Such inconvenience might affect the travel plan as time is really valuable. However, the hostels in Northern Europe are mostly in the city center and offer reasonable prices with good facilities.
We stayed in hostels throughout our whole trip except for two nights in a hotel due to a cheaper price and safety concern. We have summarized our accommodation details and hope it will be useful to you.
TOP 5 Factors To Consider When Choosing Your Accommodation In Scandinavia
- Location: Close to major attractions and transportation hub. This helps to save your travelling time and transportation cost.
- Price: Subject to your own budget but make sure that bed linens and towels are included in the price. Generally, a decent stay in Scandinavia costs at least RM120 per night.
- Facilities: Laundry and kitchen amenities provided.
- Parking: Free parking. If not, what are the parking rates and the carpark’s distance from the accommodation?
- Review: Visit booking.com, tripadvisor, etc. to check out their recent compliments, complaints, cleanliness, safety, etc.
NORWAY
#1 Stavanger Bed & Breakfast
A warm welcome was provided by the receptionist which was just what we needed after a rainy hike at Preikestolen. We were served a cup of coffee to warm ourselves on a cold rainy day before checking in and making the hostel payment. The hostel is so lovely that they serve coffee and tea for FREE at the dining area from 6.00am to 10.00pm daily.
The dining area is open as long as the reception is open. Among the hostels that we stayed in Scandinavia, this was the only one that opens until 10.00pm. It is really convenient especially for those who couldn’t arrive before 7.00pm due to unavoidable circumstances.
Besides coffee and tea, they also serve Norwegian style waffles for free as well. This is just perfect when you wanted to try some local food but doesn’t know where to get it from or have limited budget.
Let’s check out the room! Oh ya, we actually traveled in a family of 5 persons. The number of persons is not important, what is important is this is a good deal worth sharing with everyone! Since the hostel does not have any 5-persons room, we booked a 3-bedded room and a 2-bedded room for a total cost of NOK1,390 (inclusive of breakfast).
The Scandinavian interior design is fantastic and the room is really spacious. There is a wash basin with both hot and cold water supply in the room but the bathrooms and toilets are located in the hallway.
There are no elevators in the hostel since it is actually a house (we guess it is considered a 3-storey house). In terms of its facilities, what we liked most is the free parking (around the house) because this helps to save on the parking fees. Also, you are free to use the washing machine (located in the basement) but you need to have your own laundry detergent. This was perfect since our clothes were drenched from the rainy Preikestolen hike.
Hair dryer is also available upon request. You can get it from the receptionist but don’t forget to return it when you check out. The receptionist is really friendly and helpful as she explained the Stavanger map and recommended some dining places for our late dinner.
We would categorize this accommodation with 3C – convenient, comfortable and clean. The hostel is located centrally and is close to attractions as well as dining places such as fast foods, take-aways and restaurants. The rooms are spacious and the beds are comfortable. The bathrooms and toilets (which we are particular of) is clean and there is sufficient supply of hot water too (some accommodations have limited hot water in the bathroom).
Lastly, their variety of breakfast really surprised us! A tasty and homemade Norwegian style breakfast will definitely brighten up your day especially during a rainy day! I will just let the photos do the talking.
The must try brown cheese, perfect for breads!
Don’t worry if you need to be on the road before their breakfast time (weekdays: 7.00am – 9.00am; weekends: 8.00am – 10.00am). Just inform the receptionist in advance and they will pack the breakfast for you to bring along your journey. It is such a lovely and considerate service by the hostel.
Overall, we highly recommend this hostel if you are travelling to Stavanger. Stavanger Bed & Breakfast is definitely a home which provides a warm feeling to travelers!
Stavanger Bed & Breakfast
Address: Vikedalsgata 1A, 4012 Stavanger
Email: post@sbb.no
#2 Flam Hostel (Flam Camping)
Don’t be frightened by the word “camping”. They have rooms and cabins for rental besides having camping sites and caravan parking.
Basically, we did not have many choices for the accommodation in Flam since it is a really small town where you can easily get around just by walking. We booked a 5-bedded room and were given a room in one of the cabins just opposite the bathrooms building. The room isn’t spacious but it was sufficient for the five of us and comes with comfortable beds. The only thing that we disliked the most was to cover the bed, pillow and comforter at every hostel. It was just so tiring and troublesome especially if you stay at different hostel almost every night. *Note: Bed linens are included in the price.*
There are a few rooms, a kitchen, dining area and sofa area in the cabin. The kitchen is well equipped with plates, fridges and basic kitchen utensils. We actually cooked our dinner and breakfast there. If you brought groceries and wanted to store them in the kitchen, remember to put them into the basket and label them. Else, other occupants might eat your food or the hostel might throw them away on fridge cleaning day.
We did not have any issues regarding the cleanliness and number of bath cubicles and toilets. What amazed us were the coin-operated showers. The reception will give you one coin per person per day during check in. And the coin is used to “turn on” the shower. Since everyone is only provided one coin per day, you need to pay NOK 20 if you wanted to bath for a second time. The most shocking experience that we came across was that you only have 5 minutes of hot water! Once you insert the coin, the hot water together with the 5-minutes timer will turn on and you better do what is needed within the time limit. You must plan your shower time well especially during the cold season. I believe no one would want to bath with cold water when the outside temperature is below 10°C.
The hostel also has dedicated parking areas in front of the cabins and most importantly, it was free of charge! We left our car there and walked for about 5 minutes to the fjord cruise departure building.
Overall, it was a nice and cozy place to stay. The mountains, waterfalls and apple trees surrounding the cabin brightened up our day no matter how tired we were!
Flam Hostel
Address: Nedre Brekkevegen 12, 5743 Flåm
Website: http://www.flaam-camping.no/
Email: camping@flaam-camping.no
#3 Marken Guesthouse
Since we planned to drop by at Voss before arriving at Bergen, we contacted the reception via email to arrange for late check in (after 4.30pm). Upon arrival, we checked in at the little window in the hostel and collected our bed linens as usual. The bed linens are included in the room rates while towels come with an additional charge of NOK 20 each. I guessed these are the hostel culture in Scandinavian countries.
Our room was really small and there was limited space to open our luggage. We forgot to take photos of the room but you can basically imagine a room with 4-persons wardrobe, two bunk beds and an extra bed in the middle. We should have booked two bedrooms instead of one for a more comfortable stay. The bunk beds are comfortable but the extra bed isn’t. We would strongly suggest not getting the extra bed if you have the choice.
The view from our room. We guessed the houses on the hills are where the rich people stay?
Early morning street view
Overall, the hostel’s interior design gave us a feeling of modern, simple, clean and nice. There is a nice hangout area (sofa area), a laundry room, sufficient bathrooms and toilet as well as a dining area with well-equipped kitchen. We have no complaints on the cleanliness of the bathrooms and toilets. Also, the kitchen is big enough to fit two groups of people at one time. Remember to check the “Free to Use/Take” basket in the kitchen before shopping for groceries. You could save some money if there are seasonings, cooking oil, etc. that you wanted to use in it. You could also leave your unfinished groceries there when you check out.
Unfortunately, Marken Guesthouse does not provide any free parking. So, we parked our car at ByGarasjen for NOK 150 overnight. And we have to drag our luggage and walked approximately 10 minutes to reach the hostel. Generally, there are no hostels which provide free parking especially for those located centrally. From Marken Guesthouse, you just need to walk for about 6 minutes to the famous fish market and other attractions. There are at least two supermarkets nearby such as Rema 1000 for your grocery shopping.
ByGarasjen (Biggest 24-hours car garage in Bergen)
Address: Fjøsangerveien 4, 5008 Bergen
Location: Between Bergen Storsenter (shopping mall) and Bergen Bus Station, and across the street from Bergen Railway Station.
You may wonder of why we didn’t park our car at the street. This is because there is time limitation for street parking and overnight parking is only available at specific parking areas. If you are staying at other places, perhaps you can refer to these websites for parking location and detailed information.
Tips: In Norway, please be aware of the hostel’s reception hour because if you might be late for check in. You can always contact the hostel via phone, email, SMS, etc. for a better solution.
Marken Guesthouse
Address: Kong Oscars gate 45,Entrance: Tverrgaten 12, 5017 Bergen, Norway
Website: http://marken-gjestehus.com/en/
Email: post@marken-gjestehus.com
#4 Tromsø Camping
We spent some time comparing the accommodations in Tromsø and we decided to choose this. Firstly, the location was really convenient to us since we had a car and we didn’t want to stay too far from the city. This place is just 15 minutes from the airport, 5 minutes from the supermarket and a bridge distance from the city center as well as not over 1.5 hours to places such as Tromvik, Sommarøy and Erstfjordbotn. Most importantly, there is a chance to see the magnificent NORTHERN LIGHTS from the camp itself!
In terms of the price, we felt it was a good deal with such a cozy cabin (home feeling with nice rooms, kitchen and spacious bathroom). What we really loved was the camp actually turned on the heater system even though it was autumn (usually only turned on during winter). The price comes with bed linens and towels. You can bring your own bed linens if you decided not to get their bundle set of NOK 100 each. Besides that, there is a special rule whereby occupants are require to clean up the cabin when you check out (leave it the way it was when you check in). Of course, you can always pay NOK 450 if you don’t want to do the cleaning. We chose to clean it ourselves to save the money.
Have a look at our bedrooms! Wasn’t it nice? The heaters are great news but what we couldn’t escape from covering the bed, pillow and comforters. 😔
The kitchen looked small but it was well-equipped with everything you need. You just need to buy your groceries with some seasonings and cooking oil.
Not only does the bedrooms and living area have heaters, there is even one in the bathroom to keep you warm after bathing. Obviously, you can see that the bathroom is clean and spacious. But, take note that the hot water supply may be just enough for two persons who bath quickly. It would then take about an hour to heat the water again if you use up the available hot water supply. So, remember to test the water temperature before bathing.
We were allowed to park our car just next to the cabin.
We only noticed that there is a river at the back of our cabin on the next day! It was a really nice place. How we wish we could stay here longer!
Overall, Tromsø Camping met our 3C requirement (convenient, comfortable and clean). Their reception area and dining area certainly impressed us with their Scandinavian design. The receptionist was very nice to let us know where to hunt for northern lights. It was definitely a pleasant stay for us.
Tromsø Camping
Address: Arthur Arntzens Veg 10, 9020 Tromsdalen, Norway
Website: https://tromsocamping.no/en/
Email: post@tromsocamping.no
#5 Comfort Hotel Xpress Central Station
The moment we arrived at Oslo Central Station, we noticed that Oslo might not be as safe as other parts of Norway. Luckily, our hotel is just opposite Oslo Central Station (5 minutes walking distance). It is very convenient because Oslo Central Station is where we will take the train to the airport. There are pharmacies, restaurants, supermarkets as well as major attractions around the hotel which allow us to save on transportation cost.
The moment we stepped into the hotel lobby, the first word from the mouth was “WOW’! Again, their design and atmosphere totally captured our attention. It was so nice and beautiful that you felt relaxing just sitting at the lobby area doing nothing. Haha.
There is no staff at the check in area but just a few iPads and credit card machines for you to check in and make your payment. Only a bartender was there. Sadly, we messed up our room number and asked for help from bartender. He was very friendly to assist us and answered our questions.
Let’s check out our room! Nice, spacious and cozy. This is what a hotel is. Finally, we do not need to get bed linens to cover our bed on our last night before flying home!
Even though this hotel did not provide free breakfast, you can purchase a breakfast bag (fruit, sandwiches and yogurt cereal) from the bar area for NOK 85.
Comfort Hotel Xpress Central Station
Address: Fred Olsens gate 11, 0152 Oslo, Norway
Sweden
#1 Archipelago Hostel Old Town
There are many options to choose from. Again, it depends on what you want the most. We chose convenience, location and price as our priority in staying at Stockholm’s old town known as Gamla Stan. The price of the hostel wasn’t cheap. The best option is probably to have the YMCA card to enjoy the discount at YMCA hostel Stockholm.
Our hostel is just 5-minutes walking distance from Gamla Stan Metro Station. Even though it is near, dragging a medium-sized luggage for just a short distance may kill you because the road is paved with cobblestones. Some of the attractions such as the Royal Palace, cathedral and museums are within the Gamla Stan area but other major attractions are just outside the area (not too far away). The Gamla Stan area itself is also filled with many cafes, souvenir shops and also a supermarket. It is great that everything is nearby since we only had 48 hours in Stockholm.
Their reception hour is only until 3.00pm. You can always arrange for late check in if you couldn’t make it on time. Two sets of passwords are required to enter the hostel. The hostel does not allow occupants to store their luggage before check in and after check out. Luckily, we were allowed to check in when we arrived around 10.30am.
The first thing to do is to cover the bed, pillow and comforter. We purchased the bed linens and towel for SEK 65 per set. You can bring your own bed linens but you must fulfill their request as the bed linens must be completed with bed sheets, duvet cover and pillow case. No sleeping bag is allowed!
Generally, our room is spacious, clean and comfortable.
The bathroom area consists of cubicles shared among all and there are no specific bathrooms for male or female occupants. Nevertheless, the number of cubicles and toilets are sufficient.
There is a kitchen in the hostel but without the cooking stove. So, all we could do is heat up our food using the microwave. Our dinner and breakfast were healthier that other meals so far (milk, breads, ham, yogurt, fruits and salad). You could still cook simple foods such as instant porridge or cup noodles with the electric kettle.
Overall, the location is quite good as you can walk around and experience the oldest part of ancient Stockholm, Gamla Stan. It may be a little quiet at night as most of the shops have close with only the pubs left opened till late.
Archipelago Hostel Old Town
Address: Stora Nygatan 38, 111 27 Stockholm, Sweden
Email: info@archipelagohostel.se
Finland
#1 The Yard Concept Hostel
This hostel is centrally located in the city center surrounded by restaurants, supermarkets, few tram stations and shopping malls. The Helsinki Central Station (long distance train and commuter rail) as well as the Kamppi Bus Station is just about 10 minutes walking distance away. Apart from that, the major attractions are just nearby except for some that requires travelling by tram and ferry.
The hostel is situated at the third floor of the building. The moment you step your foot into the hostel, you will definitely fall in love with their Finnish design concept. The rooms are fantastic with a designer sofa in it. We couldn’t imagine that the room is so spacious that we could just open up all our luggage in the middle of the room. We will just let the photos speak for themselves!
You can enjoy yourselves by reading or interacting with other occupants at their common area.
There is a kitchen for you to cook and you can just place your used utensils in the dishwasher. Don’t forget to enjoy the complimentary breakfast every morning. The simple yet tasty breakfast is sufficient to boost your energy up for a new day.
Their bathroom area is made up of cubicles shared among different genders. If you are not comfortable with it, you can always use the individual bathrooms. As there are limited individual bathrooms, you may need to wait for it. We have no complaints for this hostel’s cleanliness.
Overall, we love this place and will definitely stay here again if we have the chance. Oh ya, don’t forget to check out the building’s elevator. You will definitely be amazed by it. It was our first time seeing and trying such an old-fashioned but yet working elevator. Check out our main blog post for it!
The Yard Concept Hostel
Address: Kalevankatu 3 A 45, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
Website: http://theyard.fi/
Email: booking@theyard.fi
#2 Lapland Hotel Riekonlinna
3 hours of driving from the home of Santa Claus! To reach this place, we rented a car just like everyone else who plan to drive all the way north to Ivalo. Colorful autumn leaf trees can be seen along the way here. There is a chance to see the northern lights at this hotel. Unfortunately, the rainy and cloudy weather spoilt our plan.
We arrived at the hotel around 8.00pm and the road was really dark. A smiling and helpful receptionist greeted us upon our arrival and explained the hotel facilities (laundry services, ski room, etc.) to us. She even recommended us places with nice scenery to visit. The best thing is that the reception is open for 24 hours!
There are many buildings in the hotel compound. We drove to our allocated building and park our car at the parking area (free of charge). The apartment was well-equipped with two rooms, kitchen, living area with sofa bed and a bathroom.
There is a working desk and wardrobe in the room but it is still spacious! Since it is a hotel, we were so happy that we didn’t have to cover the bed. This was definitely one of the happiest moments of the day! Haha.
Their bathroom and toilet is separated. The size of the bathroom is big. There is a big machine in the bathroom which we were wondering what it is. We actually took some time trying to figure out what it is. Guess what? It is actually a dryer. After we did our laundry, we used this gigantic dryer to dry up our clothes! If you noticed, there is another door in the bathroom which leads to the sauna room! I guessed Finnish just love sauna so much!
The kitchen is small but is well-equipped with plates, cutleries, fridge, kettle, electronic stove, etc. We can do some light cooking after we get our groceries from the supermarket.
Their breakfast is what we rated as 5 stars breakfast throughout our Scandinavian trip! The variety and yummy breakfast definitely filled up our stomach to begin a freezing new day in Finland! The choices of beverages and varieties of tea bag will give you some difficulty in deciding what to drink!
For us, it was a five stars service and the price was totally worthy of its quality!
Lapland Hotel Riekonlinna
Address: Saariseläntie 13, 99830 Saariselkä, Finland
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