Unique Sweden Vacation: Exploring Sweden's Lapland

Attention to the details is the difference!

I have a friend who swears he can use ChatGPT to plan the ideal vacation. He does a search, gets a planned itinerary, spends hours making reservations, and inevitably a “detail” gets missed; something goes wrong. Maybe it’s flight issues (he once booked a semi-private flight and the plane landed in an area of the airport with no access to the rental cars. Oops!), maybe it’s that there’s loud construction next to the hotel he’s booked, etc.

With Zicasso’s travel specialist, there’s none of that. I reached out to her to plan a trip to Sweden (including the hotel made of ice) and let her know our dates, our budget, and what my wife and I wanted to do. A couple of Zoom calls later (including one with a specialist who was intimately familiar with the hotel made of ice), she had a perfect itinerary planned for us (including planning a tricky (for me) overnight train in a sleeper car traveling from Kiruna to Stockholm). All arrangements and reservations were made. I had to do practically nothing.

And I cannot emphasize “perfect” enough. We did so many active adventures, but we had necessary “downtime” to relax. In other words, we never felt rushed, but felt we did all that we wanted to do.

But it’s not just the ease of working with the travel company; it’s those “details.” For instance, her and the team made the recommendation to book a regular (i.e., warm) room at the hotel made of ice for the same night as our one-night stay in an ice room, just in case we found the ice room too cold. So when, in the middle of the night, my wife decided to bail on the ice room (note: she just couldn’t sleep; I found the room delightful), she had a room to retire to. Other guests we spoke to were quite envious of our arrangement/foresight (when I checked ChatGPT, it never made that recommendation).

Another example is that she recommended not snowshoeing in Stockholm in mid-March (due to the likelihood of slushy conditions). In contrast, ChatGPT did not caution against such a snowshoeing experience. She instead offered us a walking tour of Stockholm with a private guide. Note that she was spot-on; the temperature in Stockholm was 50 degrees (Fahrenheit), with not a flake of snow to be seen!

Also, she was there to answer questions about tipping practices, where to get food for our train ride, etc.

And no looking for taxis! We got off the plane in Kiruna, grabbed our luggage, and a driver with our name on a board whisked us away. Same thing going from the ice hotel near Kiruna to the Kiruna train station. Our taxi was waiting right at the entrance at the appointed time.

In Stockholm, she got us early check-in privileges (11am) at a gorgeous hotel right on the water and just a short walk from the old town.

Finally, the travel company’s app kept track of all our travel and activities, and pinged us with various reminders about flight departures and gates, etc.

So, sure, give AI a go if you want (and enjoy all the hassles of and time spent planning), but for true hassle-free travel abroad, I highly recommend this travel specialist and the tour operator.

Overall, our trip to Norway and Sweden was fantastic, and many of the experiences arranged through Zicasso's travel company were memorable, well-planned, and deeply enjoyable. The itinerary included several highlights that we appreciated very much, including the premium train journey from Oslo to Flåm, the stay in Flåm, the Stave Church tour, the ferry to Bergen, the Arctic Retreat, and the thoughtful inclusion of premium travel arrangements on select legs of the trip. However, the trip also began with a very difficult and disappointing arrival experience in Oslo, and several service and accommodation issues affected our confidence in the travel company during the early part of the journey.

Trip Planning and Communication

The planning process was very strong. Our travel agent was responsive, organized, and made the process easy, and during the initial stages of planning the travel company was the strong front-runner over the other agency Zicasso had provided. We also appreciated the trip app, which was useful throughout the journey. One area for improvement would be keeping restaurant recommendations current, as several restaurants listed in the app had either moved or permanently closed, particularly in Oslo. This created some unnecessary friction during the trip and could be improved with more frequent updates.

Arrival in Oslo and Initial Accommodation Issues

Unfortunately, the arrival experience in Oslo was not smooth and caused the trip to begin on a negative note. Our flight was delayed, and we immediately informed the travel company that we would be arriving later than expected. We had been told that any arrival time would be acceptable and had received self check-in instructions for the apartment. However, while we were still in the air and preparing to land, we were sent a message stating that we needed to download an app to check in. Fortunately, we had unlimited international data and were able to download the app upon landing, but this information should have been provided earlier.

When we arrived at the apartment, the app did not work, the self check-in kiosk was broken, and the emergency check-in number went unanswered despite multiple calls over the course of approximately one hour. We also called the travel company's emergency number, but no one answered. This was especially disappointing because, during the planning process, we had been assured that the travel company's staff would be reachable during the trip. Eventually, after repeatedly ringing the building intercom, someone from the building next door, which appeared to be part of the same apartment complex, arrived and confirmed that the check-in instructions we had been given would not work. He then made us keys.

The apartment itself was also a major disappointment. It had been described as stylish and modern, but it did not match that description. The building and unit felt dated and in disrepair. The elevator was extremely old and so small that only one person with suitcases could fit at a time. Although we understand that older buildings are common in Europe, this accommodation did not feel modern or carefully vetted.

The bathroom had an unusually large number of exposed pipes, including hot water pipes that were difficult to avoid. Our son burned himself on the pipes, and despite our efforts to be careful afterward, both my husband and I were also burned. The apartment was dirty, and after finally getting ready for bed following many hours of travel, we discovered a large stain on the primary bed sheets that appeared to be a beige bodily fluid. At that point, it was not possible for us to feel comfortable staying in the accommodation.

Response from the travel company

We were disappointed that we had to spend so much time contacting the travel company to resolve these issues, particularly at the very beginning of the trip. It was uncomfortable to feel as though we were bringing up so many problems, but the condition of the accommodation and the failed check-in process made it necessary. When we reached out to our travel agent, we did not feel that her response was appropriately apologetic. Instead, we felt the concerns were attributed to our budget preferences, even though we had been clear about the type of accommodation we expected and had agreed to this apartment because it was presented as stylish and modern.

Fortunately, we were then connected with another representative from the travel company, who was wonderful and helped us for the remainder of the trip. Her support was greatly appreciated. The next day, we were provided with an alternate apartment in a nearby building. Although it was unfortunate that we had to spend valuable trip time moving our belongings, the replacement apartment was much cleaner, better maintained, well appointed, and more comfortable than the original unit.

Even so, the experience left us unsettled. We had understood that our travel agent was our primary contact, and given that she was also the owner of the company, we expected more direct follow-up after such a serious start to the trip. We understand that she was traveling in Canada during our trip, but in a client service business, we would still expect meaningful follow-up when a major accommodation and arrival issue occurs. We were also surprised that no one from Zicasso reached out after both the travel company and the apartment management company were unreachable through their respective help lines.

Norway Highlights

After the initial difficulties in Oslo were resolved, the trip improved significantly. Oslo itself was a fantastic city, and we hope to return someday. It was unique, clean, easy to navigate, full of beautiful trees and flowers, and offered an interesting blend of history and modern design.

The train ride from Oslo to Flåm was fun, and we appreciated being booked in the premium train car with excellent seats. We also liked the hotel and room in Flåm and greatly enjoyed the stave church tour. The floating sauna in Flåm was one of the highlights of the entire trip. It was something we had specifically requested, and it was so special that we believe it should be proactively offered to future travelers. We also booked a floating sauna in Oslo on our own, and although both were enjoyable, the Flåm sauna was particularly memorable.

The ferry ride to Bergen was an interesting and smooth way to travel, and we were glad our travel specialist encouraged us to include it. Although Bergen was not our favorite destination, we were glad to spend two nights there because we would have felt that we missed an important part of the trip had we not visited.

Travel Arrangements and Arctic Retreat

We were thankful to be booked in premium class on the flight from Stockholm to Luleå and enjoyed having lounge access in Stockholm during our long layover. That said, we would have preferred a higher-quality apartment in Oslo over premium seating on a short flight, especially since we had indicated during planning that we would have been comfortable flying economy on the shorter Norway-to-Lapland flights.

The Arctic Retreat was a very special place and a major highlight of the trip. The food was fabulous, the setting was tranquil, and we greatly enjoyed the unique experience of the lack of darkness and the hospitality of the hosts. There were, however, some areas where more attention to detail would have improved the experience, including upkeep of the lounge cabin and cleanliness in less visible spaces, such as the dusty interior of the desk cutout pulls in the cabin. We also expected more hiking trails based on the materials provided, but the available walks were very short and mostly on roads rather than trails.

There were also a few details that did not align with what we had been told upon check-in which made us question the property management’s honesty. We were told upon check-in that the cabin floor was heated, but it either was not heated or was not functioning. We had also been told there was a mosquito control machine on the property, but that did not seem accurate. At times, it felt as though additional staffing may have helped maintain a higher level of service. Despite these constructive criticisms, the meals, hospitality, and peaceful atmosphere made the Arctic Retreat one of the most special parts of the trip.

Stockholm and Final Travel Issues

At the end of the trip, we flew to Stockholm and experienced frustrating issues with the airline at the airport related to luggage. We felt this could have been better addressed by the travel company, particularly because we were supposedly booked on tickets that included luggage and seating. We were also disappointed not to be seated together, especially because this was an anniversary trip, and we did not receive effective assistance from the travel agency in resolving the matter with the airline.

In Stockholm, we booked our own accommodations after finding a boutique luxury hotel in Gamla Stan for a fraction of the cost of the less appealing accommodation that the tour company had originally suggested. We were comfortable handling that portion ourselves because Stockholm was a destination we wanted to see, but it was not the primary purpose of the trip.

Overall Assessment

Overall, we had a fantastic trip to Norway and Sweden, and many elements of the itinerary were excellent. The travel company planned several memorable experiences, and the representative’s support after the initial problems was very helpful. However, the failed arrival process in Oslo, the condition of the original apartment, the lack of emergency responsiveness, and limited follow-up from our travel agent created a deeply disappointing start to the trip. For a customized travel service, we expected accommodations to be more thoroughly vetted (despite how fancy or expensive they are), emergency contacts to be reliable, and serious issues to be addressed with stronger accountability and client care.

Our biggest recommendation is that the tour company should personally vet the specific accommodations, buildings, and units used for clients rather than relying on general apartment management companies where quality may vary significantly across properties. Travelers use a service like this travel company specifically to avoid leaving these details to chance. With stronger vetting, more reliable emergency support, and better follow-up when problems occur, the excellent parts of the itinerary would have been matched by a higher level of service throughout the entire experience.

We have taken a great deal of time to compile this feedback because of how much we appreciate the uniqueness of what the travel company planned for us. We think negative feedback is more helpful and important than positive, and we know that the travel company is a unique agency well equipped to plan memorable and off-the-beaten-path trips for clients, and we would work with them in the future despite these issues.  We would recommendth this tour company to future clients (and we recently recommended them to local friends planning a trip to Iceland) and we would suggest that with even more thorough planning, the issues we encountered could be avoided.  Thank you to the team for a trip we will always remember.

Zicasso's travel specialist sent us to one of the most incredible places on the planet in northern Sweden. I recommend her to all!

We had a wonderful trip to Sweden and Norway. Zicasso’s travel company's strongest contributions to our trip were the guides they provided and the hotels they chose for us. The guides were excellent and shared not just their knowledge of the cities and locales we visited, but also exuded enthusiasm for their countries. Our time with them was a highlight.

After a couple of conversations with the travel specialist, we landed on first-rate hotels with excellent locations that we thoroughly enjoyed. She also chose a worthwhile tour outside of Stockholm, as well as a great cruise in Oslo. The transfers all worked perfectly. She came through on the most important aspects of the trip. Significantly, she was available every minute during our trip. She responded right away to every question and concern we raised. We felt well taken care of.

I have a few suggestions for the travel specialist going forward. During the planning, she made me feel quite anxious. It began with her rushing me to make a decision because a tour was going to sell out. I felt very pressured, only for it to turn out that it was not a tour we were interested in because it would have spent too much time traveling for our short trip. The planning was a lot of work.

There were also a couple of snafus, such as the limo company calling me in the middle of the night a couple of weeks before our trip because they had the wrong date, and our missing a boat trip in Stockholm because she gave us the wrong location. She also told us that we did not need dinner reservations ahead of time. Fortunately, we did not listen to her because we would not have been able to go to the restaurants we wanted if we had not made reservations in advance.

She was very dedicated to doing her best to design a good trip for us. We enjoyed meeting her on Zoom. We are grateful to the travel company for helping to create a very special experience for our family.

I would highly recommend having Zicasso's travel specialist plan a trip to Scandinavia for you! Our group of eight just returned from an incredible two-week trip exploring the Scandinavian capitals and the fjords, and it was absolutely fabulous.

We stayed in wonderful 4- and 5-star hotels and had knowledgeable, engaging guides lead us on walking tours in each city. We also visited several charming towns throughout the fjords, where the scenery was truly breathtaking.

They did an amazing job planning a diverse range of activities, from exhilarating RIB boat rides to relaxing in a floating sauna. Every detail was thoughtfully planned and they made getting from one destination to the next completely seamless. They also consistently followed up with us throughout the trip to make sure everything was going as planned.

The travel specialist and the travel company truly planned the trip of a lifetime for our group. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a trip to Scandinavia!

Our 16-day trip to Scandinavia was fantastic! It was planned and "supervised" by Zicasso’s travel specialist. Our travel specialist was meticulous with her planning, follow-up skills, and communication. Every single detail was handled immediately, thoroughly, and seamlessly. You really couldn't ask for anything more. She was pleasant and totally available. We recommend her without reservation.