Stockholm and Oslo in April

Hi. I am going to Sweden in April. I'll be in Malmo. Then I'd love to make a travel train to Stockholm, stay there two days and move by train to Oslo.

I've been checking the train timetables and prices at www.sj.se and found something odd: The train ticket from Malmo to Stockholm costs 790 SEK, while the train ticket from Stockholm to Oslo costs only 90 SEK. Is that possible?

And finally... what would you recommend me to visit in Stockholm and Oslo?

Best wishes.

Do not miss Fritjof Nansen's ship the 'FRAM' and the other boats exhibitions in Oslo - (unless of course you happen to hate boats, then I suggest you do something entirely different!) .
Nansen was the father of polar exploration but unfortunately not many people seem to know much about him outside of Norway... Then there's Thor Heyerdahl's Hon-Tiki museum - with it's giant replicas of the Easter Island statues... And of course the Vikingskipshuest (excuse my spelling if wrong) which houses some of the most remarkable (again only if you like boats) collections of Viking long boats.

Lets assume you don't like boats... well then there's the Norwegian Folk museum which just happens to be near to all those boats. It's got all sorts of things to do with.. well... Norwegian Folk thingys.

If boats and folk museums don't (excuse the expression) sail your boat, then you can visit the Vigeland Park. He was a sculptor, a pretty busy one too by the amount of his work on display in the outdoors of the park.

Enough sculpture? Well for me being Irish when we get a centimetre of snow the country closes down. Completely! Despite this I've always been fascinated by Ski Jumpers. That peculiar grouping of people who feel the urge to hurtle down 1:1 gradients covered in snow, wearing skis.... oh yes and there happens to be a bloody big drop at the end.
What I'm trying to say is 'go to Holmenkollen' where the ski jump is housed. Even if there's no snow it's well worth a visit.

I hope that's enough to get you started. If I get time I'll try fill you in a little on Stockholm.

P.S. Whatever you do, DO NOT, repeat DO NOT!!! order an Irish Whiskey in any of the bars, unless of course you want to pay 30euros for the pleasure. Believe me.

Quoting cmunch

I've been checking the train timetables and prices at www.sj.se and found something odd: The train ticket from Malmo to Stockholm costs 790 SEK, while the train ticket from Stockholm to Oslo costs only 90 SEK. Is that possible?

It's possible, although that Malmo-Stockholm stretch sounds quite expensive! The 90SEK is basically a special deal which run often, but you have to book early to get them. Normally you'd pay a few hundred (think 400+) for the Stockholm-Oslo stretch. If you can get that kind of a discounted rate, you should really go for it as soon as possible! Train is a great way to travel in Scandinavia; some beautiful scenery.

I can second all of zaksame's suggestions for Oslo. Yes, the whisky is expensive, but most of the sights are free/reasonably priced. If you are into art, one of the coolest 'displays' in Oslo is the Emanuel Vigeland museum which is in the middle of a residential area on the West of Oslo. It's only open for 4 hours on Sundays though, and a pain to get to with public transport, so it's not hard to understand why it's 'one of Oslo's best kept secrets'! Very impressive though. Of course there's also the Munch museum.

Regarding Holmenkollen; that ski jump was actually taken down a month or two ago. They're building a brand new one, and the view from up there over Oslo is spectacular, but just so you know not to expect to actually see the jump if you visit.

Not as familiar in Stockholm, but I really just enjoyed walking around the city. The old part (Gamla Stan) has heaps of little squares tucked away behind alleys. Lots of little cafes/restaurants to enjoy. A beautiful city!!

Thanks for the heads up on Holmenkollen Sam I am; I can stop recommending it to people for the moment so. Still good for the view.

Quoting zaksame

Thanks for the heads up on Holmenkollen Sam I am; I can stop recommending it to people for the moment so. Still good for the view.

Yep, although it's going to be incredibly cool once the new one is done they say Frognerseteren restaurant is a bit further up but a nice place to sit and have a drink whilst looking out over Oslo on a nice day. Less visitors and more locals, with a lot of atmosphere (solid log cabins seem to have that effect).