Here is the plan I have developed for Don and my trip to Sweden. I have provided links to info about areas and to the hotels we are staying in.
Your passport must be good for at least 3 months after the planned stay. Currently the US is allowing on-line renewals for many passports that are more than 9 years old (one year to go) or expired no more than 5 years. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html
If there are particular things that people want to see, please let me know and I can add to the plan.
Day 1
Arrive in Sweden at 12:45 via Iceland Airlines. We have reserved a car which will take care of Don and Marina plus 1 or 2 others. More cars may be needed if more people are going to join the adventure. Our plan is to drive (5-6 hours) to Kalmar, which is next to the bridge to Öland Island where Cousin Inger spends summers. Kalmar can also be reached by train from Copenhagen or Stockholm. Our Lodging for 2 nights: https://ligula.se/en/profilhotels/calmar-stadshotell/
Day 2
The plan is to spend the day on Öland Island and to drive to Böda where Cousin Inger lives (about 100 km north of the bridge), seeing some sights along the way. Ideas are here: https://visitsweden.com/where-to-go/southern-sweden/oland/ Options for visiting, bike rental, walking and photography. Return to Kalmar hotel at the end of the day so we can cut the Böda to Kalmar distance out of the Day 3 drive.
Day 3
Leave Kalmar and head towards Uppsala by car (6 hour drive time). The drive route is open to stops (like there is an aviation museum in Lingkoping, https://flygvapenmuseum.se/) or we could pass by the airport to pick up late arrivals. Torsten has indicated one relative in Uppsala (Britt and Stig Jansson) that he will contact for us. Our Lodging for one night: https://www.scandichotels.com/uppsalanord
Day 4
Drive from Uppsala to Dalarna (3-4 hour drive) We would pass through Falun which is the home the Falu Copper mine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falun_Mine https://www.falugruva.se/en/) which Torsten says our ancestors were part owners of from 1300 to 1600. Could also see this on the way back to Stockholm (August 6). Family in the Dalarna area per Torsten are Bill’s 1st cousin Gunnlis Sjöberg (nee Larsson) and her daughter Christina in Ludvika. Gunnlis will be 90 in March. We have also Bill’s cousin Lisbet Carlsson (nee Larsson) and her husband Nils (Nisse) in Mora and your father’s second cousin Barbro Forsström (87 years) and her husband Stig in Falun who has a summerhouse close to Falun, at the lake Ryggen beside the old log house where our great grandmother Martina Larsson (nee Schedin) came from, that her father Lars Johan Schedin built in the early 1880’s. Torsten has said we might stay at his summer house so unless there are too many of us we can avoid all lodging costs here. Chirstina has also offered her lake house. Activities include visiting relatives, or a walk with Christina to gather berries and mushrooms.
Day 5
More visits and sightseeing in Dalarna, or just loafing. https://visitsweden.com/where-to-go/middle-sweden/dalarna/
Day 6
Dalarna – Drive back to Stockholm. Our rental car will be returned that pm to airport, so this is also a time/place to join the trip. We will likely take a train into town from the airport. Our lodging for four nights is at the Courtyard ,by Marriott Kungsholmen https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/stocy-courtyard-stockholm-kungsholmen/overview/
Days 7-9
Stockholm. See museums and castles and Old Town (Gamlastan). Torsten has offered a sofa bed, so that could be available for the budget-minded. There is a CityPass for Stockholm. https://gocity.com/stockholm/en-us Cost is about $120 for 3 days. Does not include buses or metro, but there is a 1-3 day travel card for this (about $35 for the three days). The travel card is also good on the train from the airport (with a small upcharge) but not the fancier modes of transit. During the few days in Stockholm, Torsten hopes we also can meet up with our 2nd cousin Mats Rodargård that lives south of Stockholm but works at the big university hospital Karolinska close to where Torsten lives and works. He is the grandson of uncle Sven Larsson, Einar’s younger brother who lived in Svärdsjö, Dalarna. Mats is also interested in the family history and Torsten has met him a few times after work here in Stockholm during the last years.
Day 10
Stockholm in the morning. Viking Lines overnight ferry to Helsinki. (https://www.sales.vikingline.com/) Leaves Stockholm at 1630 and arrives in Helsinki at 10 am the next day. The lowest fare is Euro 88 (currently around $100) for two people but that is an inside cabin under the car deck. Swankier cabins run up to Euro 340 (which includes breakfast). Dinner and other options vary in price and can be bought ala carte. We reserved for 7 pm seating.
Days 11-12
Stay in Helsinki. Perhaps meet with family member from the Hupila side of the family on the 12th Henna Niemenmaa and maybe her daughters. Our Lodging for two nights is at the Hotel Haven. https://www.hotelhaven.fi/.
Days 13
Return to US from Helsinki. We are booked on Iceland Airlines Flight 343 which leaves Helsinki for Iceland (KEF) at 3:05 pm, to make connections to flights to various US destinations.