Getting around is part of the fun of a visit to Norway and Finland. Our trip gave us a chance to check out just about every mode of transportation and many brands, from United Airlines to the Gjene ferry. Here’s the wrap-up:
- 1 leg on US Airways (Phoenix to Chicago)
- 1 leg on Scandinavian Airlines (Chicago to Stockholm Arlanda)
- 7 legs on Norwegian Air Shuttle (Arlanda, Oslo, Tromso, Bergen, Helsinki – see my review)
- 2 legs on United Airlines (Stockholm to Newark, Newark to Phoenix)
- Round trip on the VR train (Helsinki to Turku)
- 1 leg on a boat from Memurubu to Gjende (Jotunheimen, Norway)
- Round trip on ferry to Suomenlinna (Helsinki)
- A few hundred miles of driving in Norway
Norwegian Air Shuttle is the surprise of the bunch; nice planes, good service, good on-time performance and a very nice bit of regional flair.
The VR train was less of a surprise since European rail service has a good reputation. The VR exceeded our expectations, though. Watch for a full review here.
United Airlines wasn’t much of a revelation overall. But somehow, I got us seats in Economy Plus for the flight from Newark to Phoenix. That extra few inches of legroom was a nice surprise. If you have a few extra bucks or enough air miles for the upgrade, I’d highly recommend United Airlines Economy Plus. I was more than a bit surprised by the satellite TV in every seat. Had I not been hip-deep in a re-read of A Song of Ice and Fire, I would’ve thrown out $7 for the 4+-hour flight … especially since Goal TV is one of the stations. United Airlines seems to be in the middle of some real improvements for domestic flights.