Afraid my courier bag does not allow for a sleeping bag. Hoping for homestays along the road with warm blankets for the night.

Yes, October does sound cold. But if the road is open and there is traffic, why not?

Not heading to China this time. Next year hopefully. This trip is really about the Pamirs in Tajikistan.

Start at the bar on the left hand side of the road as you enter town across from the beach. Have a cold one if you can stand the blaring music. Proceed down the roadway to Carpita...a little bar on the left hand side facing the bay. It's closed now but is due to open soon. A little farther down is another bar that locals frequent,La Enramada. also on the left hand side. It has a roof but open front. Go down a little farther and on the left hand side past the fishing boats is another little joint on the water. Continue on to the corner of the plaza, turn left under an archway, and there is a waterfront bar that has been recently built.(Club Nautica) Good view of the bay.

Exit the archway, walk across the square to El Faro restaurant/bar, sit outside on the patio on the ocean. Walk outside, turn left and go to La Concha(the fort) and suck back another one. It's a favourite afternoon drinking spot for Cuban men. Stumble outside, walk up the main drag (Calle Independencia) and stop at Rapido next to Pan American store and sit down for a beer and loud t.v. Head east on Independencia, turn right at the Church Square and stop at Il Siglo on the right hand side. Head north to the first street, turn left and sidle up to the bar at Hotel Arsenito. Another pit stop. Come out, head back to Independenica, have another Crystal at Club Osio on the corner. It's a games place and you can play a game of pool. Head up the street and on the left hand side are two other little bar/restaurants. When you get to the first street J. Peralta. turn left, grab a beer at Hotel Ordono and walk up three flights of stairs (if you're still walking) for a great roof top view. (remember to use the john on the main floor as there's no bathroom up top). Fall down the stairs, continue east on Independenica and when you come to the Cultural square turn right on Calixto Garcia and have another one at the new one story hotel's bar, (Plaza Colon) La Loja.
Walk all the way up Independencia , turn right at Calle Lenin and go to El Mirador, another outdoor drinking spot with a killer view. if you're still up to it, head out of town past the swimming pool. Turn left at the last three story apartment building and as for la Cueva ...another bar/restaurant frequented by locals.
On the way back, look for a road to your right at the end of which is another little bar.

Go home, fall asleep, wake up el saco

This Swiss club has agreements with AAA:
Touring Club Suisse (TCS)*
Address: 4 chemin de Blandonnet
B.P. 820
1214 Vernier
Web: www.tcs.ch
*Club participates in the global discounts program. Members of this club are eligible to receive discounts when traveling to other countries.

A bit of terinology, so you don't have problems when searching for places to stay. In the US, "backpacking"means what you probably call "trekking," that is, hiking into the wilderness with your tent & sleeping bag in a backpack, and camping out. We really don't have an equivalent term for "traveling very cheaply." We also don't have lodging called "backpackers," where frugal travelers congregate. If you ask about a backpackers, most people won't know what you are talking about, or perhaps think you are looking fora store that sells camping equipment.

Congratulations on the nicely composed post that is easy for us to comment on and provide specific advice, rather than others who just say ‘tell me everything’ without doing some basic research.

Regarding gear list don’t really need extra light down jacket, second fleece, reduce 3L platypus water bag to 1-2L to supplement the 1L water bottle, no bug spray as not many bugs around, and one less shorts.

Perhaps consider adding light weight compressible day pack so you can leave the main pack behind to do side trips and day walks up Kala pattah etc or if you are using a porter to carry main bag a heavier duty more comfortable day pack for the trail and storing day gear, water etc. When hiring sleeping bag use a bag liner which helps keep warmer and cleaner. Add one more T shirt.

Cost sheet looks good and bring more than one type of bank or credit card in case one does not work.

You may have already seen my gear list posted recently at https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-indian-subcontinent/nepal/trekking-gear-list

If the average backpacker traveling Central Americas 7 countries, uses/needs 3-4 months to see the highlights, lugging all the tent crap around to use maybe a dozen times in 12-16 weeks is a waste IMO. 10lbs minimum.

That's your opinion. I don't know if I would carry a tent and sleeping bag on that long a trip, but I have on shorter trips and been glad that I had them. I stay in hostels or hotels most of the time, but there are places such as in the jungle or on the top of volcanos where the only option is a tent and the equipment available in Central America isn't that great. Everyone has priorities for what they carry. Some people carry camera equipment that weighs more than my camping equipment. Others carry bags full of souvenirs or enough clothes so that they only have to do laundry every 2 weeks.

I, too, took a huge bag with far too much stuff on my first trip. But I was camping for 5 months in Africa and the middle east and going from 30C to 5C daytime temps. Even then my 85L total bags were too big for my stuff which included a large foam rollmat and sleeping bag.

Have a look at the website of Travel fashion girl.

You don't have to take lots of stuff with you to be stylish. That's not what style is about - that's just being lazy. Take some lightweight accessories to dress up your base layers.

Food is pricy in Norway, Alcohol and cigarettes are extremely expensive, so if you fancy that, bring it.
At some hotels you actually get both breakfast and a evening meal, usually for about the same price. It think it's in Clarion Collection hotels.
Norwegians are nice people in general, and it would be absolutely best to ask someone face to face, if you can tag along, rather than putting out your thumb.
Norway is all about the scenary - but it's the stunning views most people want. tents , saves you a lot of money - about 100-150 $ a night.
The best advice is to slow down, and not to try and see too much in too short of a time.
The area from Bodø to Tromsø is maybe the nicest in Norway. But I might be a bit biased.
Also - knowing what type of journey you are planning would help. Are you all about nature, or do you like hotels and spas - or do you come here to shop..

Thank you again Engmark.
Extremely useful tips.
I appreciate your help very much
-We are travelling light and travelling by trains from Italy
-Checked the current supermarket prices on the web yesterday. Prices are reasonable. So the only thing we could consider to have a litre of alcohol per person, probably finish most of it during the train travel anyway. we do not smoke.
-Will plan to stay only in Hotels after your comment about B& B's, if the circumstances do not change in the north
-will not rely on hitch hiking
-what you say about tenting is very tempting cost wise, we wish we could do that but perhaps not this time since we do not have the equipment and the mind sets (tents, mats, sleeping bags, and the inconveniences compare to hotels)
-I'll take your "slow down" advice seriously
-and also changing our direction from west to North:
-Oslo first and train to Trontheim, Bodo, Stamsund (Ferry from Bodo to Lofoten) bus to perhaps Alesund if time allows.

-We need urgent suggestions for those changes and limited to what we can do within 12 days, plus a day or two without trying to seeing too much in too short of a time

-we are all about nature, videography and meeting Norwegians (Not so possible according to the comments on the net)

Not interested in hotels unless necessary/ no spas/no shopping

Opening time of climbing Mt.Fuji is on the 1st July every year and mountain huts are closed till the time of opening comes but possible to climb if you prerare enough eqipments and thinking of NO accidents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Climbing equipments you need--
①climbing shoes or trecking shoes(it's O.K)
②good quality wind breaker+fleece jacket or sweater
---Mt.Fuji is very famous for strong wind so when you have strong wind, especially ＜raining+ strong wind＞unfortunately while you are ascending or dcending, temperature easily decreaces under 0℃ even in late June and sometimes you will experience "snowfall" in bad weather at upper part even in late june.
④walm cloths---under wears/long sleeve shirt
⑤(surely required)separate type of good quality rain gear
⑥gloves--it's cold at upper part of Mt.Fuji even in June if you have bad wether(raining, strong wind, raining+strong wind) so you need to have a pair of gloves (it's O.K with "cheap work gloves" sold at a convenience store--it's better than NO) ---useful for your climbing Mt.Fuji having plenty of rocks to hold on your route and use for other things too.
⑦no ice crampons is O.K jn late June though there still remains much "remainig snow" on your route at upper part
finally---
⑧surely required your firm thinking of NO accident in pre-season for climbing Mt.Fiji

(judging from OP's comment--it's important!　＞we have good cloths and shoes---, it seems to me(=i feel) that you have experiences of climbing mountains even in not high mountains, so you can climb Mt.Fuji in late June with no problems but Mt. Fuli is very(=extreamly) dangerous mountain in winter(though it's very easy in summer) where many expats of climbers in Hymalaya and European Alps had accidents in winter season=Dec～May and sometines died(mainly due to extreamly strong wind on iced bane) and June is the midway of dangerous Mt.Fuji and easy Mt.Fuji.

Anyway, i think it's O.K in late June if you are aware of an accident or bad weather sufficiently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can check and image snow condition of Mt. Fiji in June seeing photos in web sites below.
https://www.ici-sports.com/%E3%80%90%E5%A4%A7%E5%AE%AE%E5%BA%97%E3%80%91%E5%B1%B1%E9%96%8B%E3%81%8D%E5%89%8D%EF%BC%88%EF%BC%96%E6%9C%88%EF%BC%89%E3%81%AE%E5%AF%8C%E5%A3%AB%E5%B1%B1%E3%81%AB%E7%99%BB%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E3%81%8D/ ---15th June,2017 (Fujinomiya route富士宮ルート)

https://70314064.at.webry.info/200906/article_6.html ---27th June, 2009 (Fujinomiya route富士宮ルート)

(jp_geckozy 5/27)

If you book that as one ticket eg Melb to Quito. Then your bags will be booked all the way through. And you can still exit the airport.

But with only about 6 hours of 'rest' time - you could probably just sleep in the airport (lots do it). The nearby airport hotel is fairly pricey but between two would be ok I guess.

I tried responding yesterday but had a bad internet connection and my reply disappeared on its way to cyberspace.
Here's a few more suggestions for you:

• Los Elementos Center in Santa Cruz (on Lake Atitlan), offers an uphill hike to Solola. https://kayakguatemala.com/hiking-adventures/hike-tours-lake-atitlan-upper-mayan-trail-hike-solola-market-tour/ There was a discussion a while back on TripAdvisor about this hike.

• Volcan Acatenango - The traditional hike would probably make you wish for the Inca Trail again but there is another option. Day 1 - Do it the normal way - hike up to the campsite, takes 4 to 6 hours mostly uphill with some flat sections near the end. Camp overnight. Day 2 - climb the last 1,000 feet or so for the sunrise. Its all uphill in the dark. After sunrise descend back to your campsite. The trail is steep but its loose sand (think of a large sand dune) so not hard on your knees. The first hour or so of the descent from the campsite is failrly level as you circle the volcano. Where the trail starts to descend there is a road. When I was up there a week ago, there was a group starting from there. Arrange for a pick-up and get a ride down. You would have to contact various companies to find out who could arrange this as I don't know which company drove them up.

• Volcan Zunil (near Xela/Quetzaltenango). I did this hike a year ago. We started near the town of Cantel and walked uphill to the village of Nuevo Paccorell. From there its a long ridge walk with great views (The trail of seite cruces). After camping at the peak, we decended down to The hot springs at Fuentes Georginas. I would NOT recommend that trail with bad knees unless you wanted to spend the rest of the day recovering in the hot springs. Your options with minimal downhill are to hike out to Nuevo Pacorell and get picked up there (there is a road into the village) and start at any of Nuevo Pacorell, Cantel or the hot springs.