The Hurtigruten exemplifies Norway.  Whether it’s sitting in a Jacuzzi in the midnight sun, passing by snowcapped mountains and dramatic fjords or sipping Hot Toddy’s under the dazzling Northern Lights, the Hurtigruten provides the perfect mix of rugged landscape, luxury and arctic intrigue.

If a road trip around the Golden Circle is on your Icelandic to-do list, you should schedule a few hours at this completely magical, completely free hot river in Hveragerði.

Norway is home to the largest glacier in mainland Europe (Iceland takes the cake for the entirety of Europe, and I think Antarctica might have dibs on the title of World’s Largest Glacier).  Jostedalsbreen is a huge glacial icecap with over 20 legs that stretch off it, some more accessible than others.  Depending on the time of year you visit, you can get up close to several of these amazing natural wonders, with June-September offering the most options.

I recently had the joy of doing the Norway in a Nutshell tour on my way from Oslo to Bergen.  It was recommended in Lonely Planet as a great way to get into Fjord country, so I paid the hefty fee attached to the tour and set out. 

On my recent adventure around Scotland, I decided that I needed to see some puffins.  Being from the great Land Down Under, we have lots of birds, but none quite like the clown of the sea.  To see puffins, you’ve really got to get off the mainland and onto the Hebrides, particularly the Treshnish Isles, which were all formed by a huge volcanic eruption. 

In May, I was lucky enough to ride the amazing Jacobite train.  Any Harry Potter lovers will immediately recognize the scarlet steamtrain as the Hogwarts Express from the film, and will recognize the Glenfinnan Viaduct it skims over from The Chamber of Secrets.  It’s not the cheapest daytrip to do in Scotland, but it was a definite highlight from my trip.