Big Scandi Adventure 2019

[mossypossy]

Leaving at the end of this month (April).
Returning last week of July. 13/14 weeks out (depending on the political situation!)

Rough plan.
France. Belgium. Netherlands. Germany. Denmark. Sweden. Norway. Finland. Estonia. Latvia. Lithuania. Poland. Germany. France.

No schedule, just a very vague route peaking as far north as we get by midsummers day. Lots of Lofoten and Senja. Probably spend the largest time in Norway.

Visit to Moominland in Finland also a must as my wife is a big Moomin fan!

Anyone else up there this summer?

 

[andyjanet]

Going back next year, shout out if you want any tips, make sure you get the transponder for your windscreen it’s a lot easier to deal with Norwegian company than EPC in london

 

[jagmanx]

Summer 2016

You may find this useful
Summer 2016
So Denmark Norway Finland Sweden Denmark

6th May Near Calais
15th May South Denmark
23rd May Hirstsals to Kristisndsand
17th June Lofoten
4th July Finland (Inari)
13th July Haparanda (Sweden)
11th August H to H Denmark
26th August Canterbury
This took 110 day...Easily trimmed to 3 months by
1 only stopping for 1 night on the way to Hirtsals
2 again only 1 nighters on they way back from Denmark
3 travel 50 miles further a day to and from
4 easy to trim Norway by a couple of days Sweden the same


Norway is stunning
Great wild camping in Sweden we followed the E45 (inland route)
Norway LPG Ok but Alta is the most Northerly
Yes Pitea in Sweden

I would happily repeat the route
But maybe use the shorter "Oresund bridge and the Rodby to Puttgarden Ferry" route on the way back (through Denmark on the same day)

Enjoy !

 

[mossypossy]

Going back next year, shout out if you want any tips, make sure you get the transponder for your windscreen it’s a lot easier to deal with Norwegian company than EPC in london

As my vehicle is above 3.5 tonne I have to have a transponder anyway apparently.
Easygo or easygo+ ??
Will have to research today.

Brobiz one?

 

[andyjanet]

We are 7.5 t and the easy go worked well 5 months in Norway total price for tolls was £63 including exchange rate, not worth driving round them, ferries are cheap enough for our van they worked out about 75p per minute so an hour on the ferry was just short of £60, we are 9.5 metres

 

[jagmanx]

Ferries in Norway

Not expensive..and in most cases no choice anyway.

Made up for by mainly free camping

 

[mossypossy]

......and hopefully lots of free food.
Mackerel anyone?
Really love fresh Mackerel.

 

[andyjanet]

Fish from anywhere for mackerel

 

[Tonybvi]

Fish from anywhere for mackerel

When we lived in Bergen my small sons both wanted cheap “Snoopy” toy fishing rods. On the way home with them they were desperate to try them out so we stopped the car, took the rods out of the wrapping and just dropped the ends in the water. Out they came with a mackerel on each!

 

[jagmanx]

Lofoten

When we were parked up by a bridge a fellow camper went fishing
Had 10 to a dozen fish...froze them all did not offer us one despite the odd hint MFB !

I am no good at fishing sometimes the fish in "Fish and Chips" manages to escape !

 

[andyjanet]

When we were parked up by a bridge a fellow camper went fishing
Had 10 to a dozen fish...froze them all did not offer us one despite the odd hint MFB !

I am no good at fishing sometimes the fish in "Fish and Chips" manages to escape !

Lofoten fish near the bridges where the tide runs between the islands

 

[andyjanet]

Never fished before going to Norway, anywhere with a cross we stayed overnight and caught fish

 

[mossypossy]

Over planning?

Still struggling with the time and distance.
3 months and a lot of ground to cover.

Have a rough plan but will probably just wing it after the first week or so.

On paper it all looks so busy, but then I have to remember what I was doing 100 days ago (early January!) and try to relate it to the trip.

My main concern is not wanting to be part of a convoy of motorhomes swanning around, but should be ok during May and probably June.
July may be busier with the Horde.

General idea is to peak as far north as I can by midsummers day....err, that's it. Oh yeah, avoid the Nordkapp.

 

[jagmanx]

New plans for us

Given the "Hold on Brexit" the 3 month rule is largely irrelevant for this summer

I would change our 2016 routing slightly and at the moment I favour
Eurotunnel
Calais to Puttgarden
Ferry to Rodby Oresund Bridge to Malmo

Then go anticlockwise
Northwards in Sweden to Kiruna. Then Narvik (Norway)
South to Bergen then Telemark finally drive to Malmo for the return crossing retracing our outweard route using the Oresund and ferry
I know the Oslo to Malmo will be "unpleasant" but there is an inland route which may be better
Maybe Lofoten Islands but depends on the weather..We had poor weather in 2016

Google give a total distance of just over 5000 miles which compares with the actual distance of 6500 on our last trip
( a few deviations in Denmark and Finland and Nordkapp)
Not worried about the distance but a handy comparison

Overall timings very similar to our 2016 trip but No real time in Denmark and none in Finland
Many facilities in Norway and Sweden start to shutdown after August.
So cross to Puttgarden Late August/Early Sept

We shall see !

 

[EL Sid]

Leaving at the end of this month (April).
Returning last week of July. 13/14 weeks out (depending on the political situation!)

Rough plan.
France. Belgium. Netherlands. Germany. Denmark. Sweden. Norway. Finland. Estonia. Latvia. Lithuania. Poland. Germany. France.

No schedule, just a very vague route peaking as far north as we get by midsummers day. Lots of Lofoten and Senja. Probably spend the largest time in Norway.

Visit to Moominland in Finland also a must as my wife is a big Moomin fan!

Anyone else up there this summer?

We will be in Vegers strand in Denmark on the 19th -22nd April, when we move on to Varberg in Sweden for the 24th April for a couple on days before heading north to Tjarno. Like you no definite plans. Sounds like we may pass you on the way back down to the Hook to catch the ferry to Harwich on the 15th May.

 

[jann]

Sounds great. We've been three times, love Scandinavia. Make sure you stock up with non perishable food before entering Scandinavia. Fill up with diesel when you get chance, there are a lot of miles between stations in parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

 

[suneye]

We will be in Norway in May but not in the van sadly. Going to Oslo by plane then Bergen on the train and Stavanger by ferry and then staying on a small island where my son lives. Norway is beautiful, we go a couple of times a year and are always blown away by how stunning it is. Unfortunately it is cheap and quick to go by plane and expensive and time consuming to go by van, we will do it one day when we are both retired!

 

[mossypossy]

Time consuming yes.
I expect to take 30 days to reach Bergen!

 

[winks]

Time consuming yes.
I expect to take 30 days to reach Bergen!

You going on the tandem?:idea:

Cheers

H

 

[jagmanx]

It depends how you like to travel

We work on the basis of an average of 50 to 60 miles per day...

So Calais to Malmo 700 miles as this is not the "Main Course" think about 10 days or so
The same for the return.

Sweden and Norway
The route (Malmo to Malmo) says 3000 miles from Malmo to Kiruna
Then Narvik followed by a non E6 (some of the time) route to Bergen
Then Kongsberg then Malmo again

Google Maps
This is an outline plan
So 90 days so 35 miles per day
No doubt there will be additional mileage.

We like to Park up for 2 or 3 days and do not like long days
Although we will travel more as circumstances "dictate" and our maximum so far is 245miles
( to get to Nordkapp when the weather was about to change )
Our usual maximum is 150 miles followed to 1 or 2 zero days

The current situation where we can spend 3 Months in Sweden and Norway with 2 weeks both before and after makes it both very tempting and very likely we will do this now..
MOST other trips can easily be completed within 3 months but as you see we plan 4 months this year

PS We had other plans for this summer but......They can wait !