Nordic travel plans August / September 2017 (1 Viewer)

[DavidG58]

Much against how I usually do things, I have decided to at least create a route with some timescale for our forthcoming epic trip to Scandanavia

The planning has been brought about by the need to find Mum some decent accommodation for the duration, our local nursing home has been OK, but we feel Mum deserves better all the while she is still so aware at least

Found an excellent facility, run by BUPA called Richmond Villages, unfortunately very popular and not very local, we have made a booking for one in Nantwich, but can only get 26 nights, hoping for a possible 7 night extension which makes a massive difference

My original plan had been, up through Denmark, then Sweden cross to Norway around the arctic circle, out to the Lofoten Islands, then down the Norway coast before heading back to Sweden for the return, hoping along the way to see northern lights, hopefully more than once

The route works out close to 5000 miles and I reckon could just about be done in 4 weeks but would be far too much driving each day, or alternate days even further with breaks, we would really need 6 weeks at least, so not to be for now

So as we only have a 24 night window (need to drop Mum off the night before and collect day after return) this is what I now propose

and even that is 4000 miles, although we will be meandering a bit in Norway taking in the Atlantic Road

Just checked for tolls on the Oresund Bridge from Denmark to Sweden, bit of a must do for us as part of the trip, but on the basis that we will be classed at least as a minibus, it will be €100 each way

but the Atlantic Road is free

http://www.theatlanticroad.com/about.asp

even the planning is exciting

For the curious ref route out of UK, there are a few but not many shorter options to get from here to Holland, but not nice for dog travel, we have therefore opted for the chunnel, in the whole scheme of the trip it would not make a lot of difference

Off for a re-read of @Robert Clark trip to Norway a couple of years ago, some common ground on our route I think

Any positive input very welcome, I already know it is probably too far in too short a time, but I am thinking of it as a great reccae trip for next time

I may continue this thread right up to and including the trip itself, or restart as we leave

 

[Dave K]

I shall watch with interest, it's a trip we'd both like to make at some point in the future, glad you've got your mum sorted in a place you're all happy with

 

[DavidG58]

Broken Link Removed

found the thread by RC, great read, cant find a way to save the whole thread so have saved it here for myself for future reference, thanks Robert liked it then, makes a great re-read

am I missing something not being able to save the thread I am sure I have read elsewhere they can be stored somewhere

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[Just smiffy]

I shall be waiting for this one as it's on my schedule...

 

[TheCaller]

As for the Oresund Bridge, get an annual pass. It cost €40, but saves more than that on a single return journey. We also got the BroBiz/BroPass dongle think which registers automatically & charges your account. Especially convenient for us, with a person with restricted mobility on their normal driver's side. Works for the Great Belt bridge as well. Makes it all very easy.

The web site will say you need to make more than one trip to save, which is true in a car, but not at the higher m/h rate.

 

[Bailey58]

I mentioned on here once that we flippantly suggested, as you do, to two distant relations we met in the Faroes last year they were welcome to visit us in England, well they arrived on Tuesday!

A half brother of my MiL, born in the Faroes and now 88 who has spent most of his life fishing off the Lofoten Islands but now lives on the island of Smøla off Kristiansund, and his daughter who lives on the mainland.

He was showing us on google maps where he lived and was amazed, as was his daughter, when I zoomed in on streetview and found his house plus the 25 hectares of land that went with it, I had to convert to see it amounted to some 60 acres but seemingly a lot of rocky scrubland amongst it.

So after Smøla it will be a coffee or two with his daughter who lives just off Route 70 in Kristiansund and then onto the Atlantic Road next year.

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[Riverbankannie]

Broken Link Removed

found the thread by RC, great read, cant find a way to save the whole thread so have saved it here for myself for future reference, thanks Robert liked it then, makes a great re-read

am I missing something not being able to save the thread I am sure I have read elsewhere they can be stored somewhere

You can save a link by bookmarking it. Just click on bookmark at the bottom of any post. You can examine your bookmarks in the list of options when you click on your username at the top of a page.

 

[DavidG58]

Brilliant, thanks Annie, never used that facility before, I was looking for a way to save the whole thread, need to look more closely

effectively by bookmarking post 1 I have saved the whole thread (or I think I have, will be asking how to find it again in a few days)

 

[DavidG58]

As for the Oresund Bridge, get an annual pass. It cost €40, but saves more than that on a single return journey. We also got the BroBiz/BroPass dongle think which registers automatically & charges your account. Especially convenient for us, with a person with restricted mobility on their normal driver's side. Works for the Great Belt bridge as well. Makes it all very easy.

The web site will say you need to make more than one trip to save, which is true in a car, but not at the higher m/h rate.

Thanks Simon, that looks to be totally bonkers, we buy a pass for €40, then cross for €44 each way, total spend €124, or we could just pay €100 each way

Hope they don't spot the glitch before we buy and use it

just need to work out what the Bizz thing is all about, sounds like some kind of tag? Will wait till nearer the time I think

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[Mousy]

David that sounds a wonderful trip, one we too would like to take.

I can remember reading threads by @lorger and 2 couples who travelled together and loved fishing, but can't remember their names, try a advanced search I'm away as you know so can't do it.

Also a great resource is @Our Bumble click on her signature for stopovers and pictures, she writes a fantastic blog and they've been that way.

 

[Robert Clark]

Very much looking forward to your trip too David
We enjoyed Norway so much we're planing to re visit next year to see the Northern Lights - apparently you might see them from the end of August, when the nights start getting darker.

 

[jumartoo]

David we're going to be there August and September also. Will be watching your research with interest . Maybe we'll see you on our travels (it's not a big country is it?!)

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[Granjan]

Looks like a stunning trip David, wish we could join you, will look forward to seeing how your plans evolve.

 

[DBK]

Good luck with the trip. But your route doesn't go anywhere near the Lofoten Islands unless they have moved. They are almost level with the top of Sweden.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZjLXWuR7eWm

 

[Jenben]

Just 11 sleeps until we are off to create our own Scandiland drama . We were hoping to meet up with @jumartoo but unfortunately we need to go a lot earlier due to other stuff.

So far a bit of reading has been done and some sort of Scandinavian camping card bought along with a lot of map books.

Edit : everyone that we talk to about this immediately tells us how expensive alcohol is . It is making us feel as if they think we might be winos.

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[SteveandSue]

David that sounds a wonderful trip, one we too would like to take.

I can remember reading threads by @lorger and 2 couples who travelled together and loved fishing, but can't remember their names, try a advanced search I'm away as you know so can't do it.

Also a great resource is @Our Bumble click on her signature for stopovers and pictures, she writes a fantastic blog and they've been that way.

Hi the Two couples you are looking for are Sundowners and FlatPackChicken I think if you do a search they wrote a blog

 

[jumartoo]

Anyone have a recommendation for a good map?

 

[jongood]

Sounds an interesting trip. Our experience is limited to the Jutland part of Denmark, It was a lovely place to go beautiful scenery and some great stopoffs, some of them free like Ribe for the viking village. We particularly liked Romo, if you drive over the causeway and keep straight on you arrive at a huge beach that you can just park on for the day - a bit like Black Rock Sands but a lot bigger and nicer. There s also quite a nice stopover on Romo.

On the practical side some aspects were expensive, Drink and eating out in particular and campsites. Although the diesel and non alcohol shopping was similar in price to Germany. In fact if you go to Fehrmarn you will see danes loading booze into trailers and transit vans by the pallet.

Getting about was a bit tedious as over 3.5t are limited to 70kmh on A roads and 80 on motorways, fines are apparently draconian. I say tedious because surprisingly many Danish A roads are long straight and flat.

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[jumartoo]

Our route is a little different. We're leaving Spain in the next few weeks. Ferry 19 May to the UK. One month there then ferry to Holland. Driving to Poland to trek in the High Tatras then a five day orienteering event then ferry Germany to Sweden. Two orienteering events in Sweden then head north in Sweden as far as we want and drive sloooowly back down Norway, visiting friends in Bergen then ferry back to Denmark and a wander back to Spain.

 

[DavidG58]

Good luck with the trip. But your route doesn't go anywhere near the Lofoten Islands unless they have moved. They are almost level with the top of Sweden.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZjLXWuR7eWm

Thanks John

I am disappointingly well aware we had planned a 5 week minimum trip, that would have given us time to get right up there, couldn't find the right place / care for Mum so have had to replan the trip, couldn't get the miles needed to get to the Lofoten area in the 24 days travelling we have available

That said we hope today to find out if we can add a week to the beginning, if that comes off we can revisit the plan, either have a more leisurely version of above or be more ambitious and go for the artic circle again it adds about 1500 more miles, but we would then do less Norway coast, coming down to the Atlantic Road then back across

 

[DavidG58]

then head north in Sweden as far as we want and drive sloooowly back down Norway, visiting friends in Bergen

then ferry back to Denmark and a wander back to Spain.

Hopefully we can pick up on your travel news and learn from your experiences

that ferry crossing gets an early mention in Roberts thread, he vowed never again

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[Jenben]

Anyone have a recommendation for a good map?

No idea if these are good but they were available.

We could leave them for you somewhere on route Judith , next to a fjord maybe. Seriously, someone going later in the summer is very welcome to use them .

 

[jumartoo]

Thanks @Jenben will order the Norwegian one. Just downloaded a free app for maps of Norway

https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&sour...CDAwBQ&usg=AFQjCNFlUJ_4OggiETFQsNCeJrJCSoEvuA

I can even find Jan and Eli's apartment in Bergen!

Unfortunately it's not good for planning. I need a real map!

 

[Jenben]

We are not planning on heading as far North as others. I have done some route planning and suggested this route to mrjenben ( see below).

He was impressed with my planning work until he realised I had snaffled it from the leaflet in the ACSI book.

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[DavidG58]

we are just ordering maps and books, first road maps have turned up, there are hardly any roads to look at them though

also going to order the book @lorger mentioned, need to find his link again, camping spots in Norway that also covers Sweden and Denmark sent the link to work, cant find it now , it looks like it is all written in Norwegian though, so we be dependent on pictures and symbols

 

[Jenben]

also going to order the book @lorger mentioned, need to find his link again, camping spots in Norway that also covers Sweden and Denmark sent the link to work, cant find it now , it looks like it is all written in Norwegian though, so we be dependent on pictures and symbols

I think this is the one you are talking about David. Again, happy to pass it on for others to use later in the summer ( as we will be back).

 

[Robert Clark]

that ferry crossing gets an early mention in Roberts thread, he vowed never again

I'm learning never to say never again
Especially if it saves time or money

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[stevec]

If anyone ever gets to Saetervik on the coast roughly half way between Trondheim and Namsos, let me know. There's someone I'd like you to say hello to!

 

[DavidG58]

I think this is the one you are talking about David. Again, happy to pass it on for others to use later in the summer ( as we will be back).

View attachment 160024

Yes please to the offer of the loan, that was the very same book

 

[TheCaller]

some sort of Scandinavian camping card

Available from any of the Scandinavian camping clubs. .

Anyone have a recommendation for a good map?

When we did Denmark & Sweden, (passing through France, Belgium, The Netherlands & Germany on the way), we mostly relied on Google Maps. We were never without an internet connection. We do have a sat nav though.

We only had one fixed point in the whole trip, so there wasn't a great deal of advanced planning to be done. When we did need a map, we frequently wanted large scale & it would have cost a fortune & eaten into our limited payload to purchase all that lot & carry it with us.

For the main 'distance covering' parts of the journey, I would put a town into the sat nav somewhere around where I thought we would be late afternoon, then when we got near, do a search on-line over a cup of tea for what was in the locality. We'd also pull into a service area to do that, which usually had a useful information board about the local area. We found a couple of nice stopping places from those.

We did have that Nordic campsite book. It's ok, but I'm not sure I'd buy it again.

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