Verdict? A liberating family holiday
Our week in Norway drove home that life in Scotland is still far from normal. Yes, things are improving. This week Covid passports were finally ditched, as was the requirement for schoolchildren to wear a mask in classrooms. But the progress is far slower than Norway, and indeed England. Scots must still sport face coverings in many settings until at least March 21. This reticence to return to normal is hard to understand when you’ve had a taste of it.
In places like Italy, usually popular family holiday destinations, the situation is more bewildering. There, vaccine passports and mask rules seem so embedded in daily life that it’s hard to see how and when they will turn the page. Families who value their freedom and desire a care-free holiday without reams of paperwork, may vote with their feet and simply give such countries the cold shoulder. For those families booking holidays now, all these factors count.
Did Norway feel scary, dangerous or irresponsible? No, it felt liberating. As we prepared to return home to Scotland, we filled out the extensive Passenger Locator Form, checked our vaccine documents (both digital and paper copies), and relocated our masks with depressing familiarity.
I love my home but, as we landed, I found myself hoping that Scotland – as well as those European countries even less willing to take the leap back to normal – takes a leaf out of Norway’s book and trusts people to look after themselves. It would be hugely rewarding to see tourists flocking back to Scotland and Norway this summer, but I can certainly see why Nordic temptations may draw the crowds this Easter.
How to do it
There are no restrictions on entry to Norway, with one exception: testing is still required to visit the island of Svalbard. See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/norway.
Janice and her family flew from Aberdeen to Bergen with Wideroe (from £148 return). Alternatively, the airline offers services to the city from Heathow (from £103 return). See wideroe.no
The modern and family-friendly Scandic Ørnen hotel is found near Bergen’s railway station. Double rooms start at £110 per night, including breakfast. See scandichotels.com. Discover more about Bergen at en.visitbergen.com.
Stay at the Vestlia Hotel in the resort of Geilo. Double rooms start around £126 per night, including breakfast. See vestlia.no.
