One Travel Mistake You Won’t Need to Make

While editing “Get on Board!”—Viking’s cover story for January—I was reminded of a Norwegian travel adventure of my own. Actually, a misadventure. To avoid it, I have just three words of advice: Beware Kristi Himmelfartsdag! Not familiar with it? That’s Ascension Day to you and me. And while you might live your whole life unaffected by this day, that would not be the case in Norway.

My husband and I had invited my in-laws to join us on a trip to Northern Norway. We planned the trip using the schedules and resources we found on the Internet, but I missed the crucial fact that public transportation provides limited service on religious holidays--many of which are also federal holidays.

Kristi Himmelfartsdag was the day my husband and I parted ways with his parents. Our bus to Sweden ran as expected, but my in-laws’ bus to the train station didn’t. They missed the only southbound train that day and were left scrambling to find an alternative route back to Oslo. A “memorable,” if not relaxing, experience for them, thanks to my mistake. Good thing they don’t hold grudges.

Just so you aren’t caught unaware, Kristi Himmelfartsdag falls on May 13th in 2010.