The Train to Santa, a Six-Hour Fjord Cruise & a Fishing Village at the Edge of the World: Kaushik’s Nordic Adventure with Thrillophilia
Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKD7WTJIMUJ
Rating: ★★★★★
Travellers: Kaushik Subramanian & Family
Trip Duration: 12 Days | 11 Nights
Destination: Finland & Norway
Date of Travel: 1 Aug 2024 – 12 Aug 2024
Package Booked: Highlights of Scandinavia with FREE Rovaniemi City Tour
“We had an amazing time at Finland and Norway! Kudos to the Thrillophilia team for putting together a wonderful, easily accessible, and awesome itinerary!”
Some holidays are about seeing the famous sights. Kaushik Subramanian and his family wanted something different.
They wanted to experience the natural beauty of Finland and Norway and try activities that felt completely different from anything they would normally find in India. Their list included an overnight train to Rovaniemi, a long cruise through Sognefjord, a stay in a remote fishing village and a whale-watching experience.
Over 12 days, the family travelled from Helsinki to the Arctic Circle and then across some of Norway's most beautiful regions. There were trains, fjords, islands, fishing villages, whales and long stretches of untouched scenery.
Finland: All Aboard the Santa Claus Express
The trip began in Helsinki, where the family had some time to explore the city before their biggest Finnish adventure began.
Instead of taking a flight to Rovaniemi, they boarded the Santa Claus Express for an overnight journey. Their private sleeping compartment turned the journey itself into part of the holiday. By morning, they had reached Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland.
The family then visited Santa Claus Village, located on the Arctic Circle. They crossed the Arctic Circle, explored the village and experienced one of Rovaniemi's most famous attractions.
The journey gave them exactly the kind of experience they had been looking for. As Kaushik explained:
“We were looking for an experience that would let us see more natural beauty and other activities which we won't get in India.”
After Rovaniemi, they flew to Oslo and continued into Norway.
Norway: Fjords, Whales & a Fishing Village at the End of the Road
Norway was where the trip really left the usual European holiday behind.
The family arrived in Oslo before heading towards Bergen, but instead of simply flying between cities and checking off landmarks, they took one of the most scenic journeys of the trip. The Sognefjorden in a Nutshell experience combined the Bergen Railway, the famous Flåm Railway and a six-hour cruise through Sognefjord. For hours, the family travelled through a landscape of steep mountains, waterfalls, tiny villages and deep blue water. The long cruise meant they could actually take in the fjord rather than simply stopping for a photograph and moving on.
Then came Lofoten, and the scenery changed again. From Svolvær, the family boarded the Arctic Route towards Å, travelling through one of Norway's most dramatic island regions. Mountains rose directly from the sea, colourful fishing villages appeared along the coastline and winding roads opened up views of beaches and quiet bays. The destination itself was almost as memorable as the journey: Å, a tiny fishing village at the western end of Lofoten.
Instead of staying in a conventional hotel, the family spent the night in a traditional fisherman's cabin at Å Rorbuer, right beside the water. The remote setting gave them the kind of experience they had specifically wanted when planning the trip. There were no busy city streets or crowded attractions around them, just a small coastal community surrounded by mountains and sea.
“The Lofoten remains etched in our hearts.”
The following days took them even further north. From Svolvær, they travelled to Andenes, a small coastal town known for its whale-watching waters. They headed out into the Norwegian Sea for a three-hour whale safari, adding marine wildlife to a trip that had already covered mountains, forests and fjords.
The final journey towards Tromsø brought one more scenic surprise. The family travelled through Senja and Sommarøy, with their Arctic Route coach even boarding a ferry to cross towards Senja. They continued through the island's dramatic coastal landscapes before eventually reaching Tromsø.
Why Kaushik Chose Thrillophilia for His Nordic Adventure
This was a trip that required a lot of coordination. The family had trains, flights, cruises, ferries, coaches, remote stays and activities spread across Finland and Norway.
What worked particularly well for them was that they could enjoy these experiences without having to handle every booking and connection themselves.
“The team completely understood our expectations and curated an itinerary that helped us explore at our own pace while at the same time saved the hassle of minute level of planning and booking activities.”
The stays were also chosen to make the journey practical. Their hotels in the cities were close to public transport, while the stay in Å deliberately gave them the remote fishing-village experience they wanted.
The trip was curated with the support of Riya Aggarwal, Thrillophilia's Nordic destination expert, who helped bring together the different experiences across the two countries.
Kaushik did suggest that the planning stage could have included more frequent updates. But despite that, the trip delivered what the family had originally asked for: unusual experiences, spectacular landscapes and enough freedom to explore at their own pace.
His final verdict?
“I look forward to planning another trip with Thrillophilia soon.”
Also Read: Ruben’s Scandinavia Trip Review with Thrillophilia
